Stats ---- Just for fun

Here are some latest stats from Blogger.  Perhaps it's interesting to you.  To me, it has been motivational.

United States

1170

United Kingdom

217

Australia

18

Canada

17

South Korea

14

Hong Kong

12

Germany

8

Indonesia

7

Russia

6

Netherlands

4

Day 26 ---- What happened?

Day 26  ----  What happened?

After that last few days of feeling on top of the world, I've been down today.  I believe that a lot of it has to do with the fact that I have cut back on some antidepressants that I have been taking.  I've been slowly cutting back and there is usually a lag from the day that I cut back until feeling like I've been hit by a truck.  The lag is usually about 4 days of so.  Guess what?  That lines up perfectly.  I'm sure that this is the issue but it still is no fun.

I've been reading a lot about how helpful niacin is for people who suffer with depression.  I started taking about 3000mg per day, as recommended by my medical doctor.  But then I stopped.  And now I'm down and blue.  Probably a combination of the two hitting at once.

From what I've read, it seems like it takes about a week for the niacin to get going in the body, but I might have that time frame wrong.  If anyone knows for sure, send a comment please.

So, tomorrow I'm hoping will be a better and more uplifting day.  It really needs to be as I will have meetings tomorrow that I need to be "up" for.  Then the next two days are just as busy, so this better pass quickly.  I pray that it does.

Although I'm ending this fast soon, in truth, I know that I could do this for another couple of weeks.  The hardest part is over and now it's just cruising. But I would be lying to say that I not looking forward to eating again.

Eating is really a celebratory event for me, and probably for everyone.  We just take it for granted.  Stop eating for a month and you'll see what I mean.

That's all for now folks.  For those of you who have followed this all along, thank you!!  I would have loved to have heard from more of you but I see the stats and know that you are there.

If you want to do something kind for me...please share this BLOG on Facebook or whatever social media you like :-)   Please tell your friends :-)

Here's the link to tomorrow's latest
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/10/day-27-ok-im-back-on-track.html

Day 23, 24, and 25 --- Feeling better than ever

Days 23, 24, and 25  ---  Feeling better than ever

I'm sorry to all of you who might have been looking forward to reading what was going on for the last three days.  We have been camping and having internet has been not the easiest but that wasn't the issue for posting as much as the fact that I just felt too good to stop and write.

Really, I have felt better in the last three days than I have in a long, long time.  I was up by a decent hour, walking on the beach with Suzy, even running into the Pacific Ocean with its cold water.  We have been having a great time and I have been at the top of my game.

I haven't been particularly hungry.  I've found that I have been pretty fine much of the day with just water.  I've had about 3 servings of broth per day.  It's not that I'm trying to not eat, or drink, it's just that I haven't been that hungry and I have been happy with just water.

Overall, just an amazing few days.  Thank the good Lord for that!!

CLICK HERE for the next blog post

Day 22 ---- Beginning to round the bend

Day 22 ---  Beginning to round the bend

I felt pretty decent today, a bit tired but ok.  I found that this morning I was pretty tired and so I was able to nap but as the day went on, my energy built significantly.  By the time 3:00pm rolled around, I was feeling great.  Really the first day in a while that I could say that I was feeling great.  Granted it didn't hit me until mid-afternoon, but I'm thankful for when it did.

I had a good amount of soup broth saved up, critical if I'm going to be consuming nothing but broth.  As you may remember, we were out "camping".  Although there is no electricity or water where we are camping, our motorhome has everything we need.  I thought that I'd include a picture of it.  You'll find it below.

My weight has continued to drop, or at least I believe that it has.  I don't have a scale with me so it's hard to know if I've continued to lose weight as I think I have.  Tomorrow, I'll be going back to Santa Barbara for the day and will get a chance to weigh myself again.  I'm looking forward to this for sure.

I went to the local organic and healthy store before we left camping.  I bought a couple of smoked turkey wings and 2 different types of sausage.  So, I'm sure that you are interested in knowing what I made with them, right?  OK, so here goes.

For my foodie friends....I took the turkey wings and put them in the pot to cook with chopped onions and carrots for the nutritional component.  For spices I added salt, pepper, a good amount of "poultry seasoning", some Italian seasoning (thyme, rosemary, basil, oregano, etc), and some bay leaves.  I love turkey so I'm hoping this tastes like a Thanksgiving dinner.  For our international friends...here in America we take a day to express thanks to our Creator for His great bounty, care, protection, and blessing.  This first started with the native Americans and the early Pilgrims who settled here in the early 1600's.  It is a great tradition and other countries celebrate this holiday as well.

More on food, Suzy whipped up a sausage soup for me with some organic, spicy jalapeno sausages that I bought.  She added some kale, garlic, red bell peppers, onion, and salt.  It turned out to be delicious.  I don't think that she has ever made a less than great meal.

Lastly, I took a "chorizo" sausage, organic as well, and added leaks, tomatoes, a good handful of cilantro, and that was it.  I'm looking forward to seeing what this will taste like.  It should be tomato-y and spicy with a zing of cilantro.  I plan to add fresh lime to each serving.

Well, I hope that all of you are well.  Tomorrow should be a good day with a new weight to report.

CLICK HERE to go to the next day

Day 21 --- Tired but fine

Day 21  ---  Feeling tired but feeling fine

I'm not sure if the biggest for my feeling tired was because of the fast or if it was just because I've been pushing myself pretty hard.  I slept in until about 9:00, definitely not like me.  Then in the afternoon, I took a good long nap, again, not like me.  But I was just wiped out.

By the time 5PM rolled around, I was feeling a whole lot better.  Suzy was to be coming down to our motorhome and its beach side parking spot at about 6PM so I was getting excited.  I was looking forward to seeing her.  I've missed her while she and I are apart a lot lately.

It was nice to have her sweet face show up just in time for a sunset walk on the beach.  We went on a really long walk and by the time that we returned it was officially dark.  Suzy brought down some fresh soup broth that was cooking at the house.  It was still hot and delicious.

We had a relaxing evening watching a movie and then to sleep.

Hope you are all doing souper

Day 20 – 20/20 or 20 pounds in 20 days

Day 20 ---  Beginning to see things  clearly 20/20

Day 20 started with some exciting news for me. I got up and first thing in the morning, I stepped on the scale. I was thrilled that on day 20 I saw good results.  I have been waiting to spread the news that I have officially lost 20 pounds.  It's exciting that it was on the 20th day.   That was pretty cool.  Simple things amaze simple minds, I guess. 

But after that the day just cruised along as any other day. No celebrations but I did have a smile on my face. I did find, as I have for the last few days, I was lethargic. I started wondering if I was doing something wrong or if perhaps there was something wrong with my body.  I was able to meet with Dr. Scott Saunders, a truly great doctor.  He said that I'm doing fine and that I am doing the right things.  He also said that lethargy is a sign that I've burnt through all of my residual, oh shoot he had a better name for it than this but, carbohydrates.  Carbohydrates certainly isn't the correct term, but when you eat a bunch of carbohydrates apparently it turns into this perhaps it's called glycogen. I am not a doctor and I do not play one on TV.  

He said that means that now my metabolism is changing and learning how to burn other foods.  Through my little mind it sounded like that was a good thing and so I asked him, is that as good a thing it sounds like it? He replied yes it's a very good thing especially for you Mike.  So, I took that to mean that once again my body is doing not only what it should but what is to be expected of it given this broth diet cleanse. 

So I plodded along putting things together to take our motorhome about 15 miles down the road to sit along the seaside and work from here.  Suzy will drive into work, a new thing for her as she usually just walks. But at the end of the day we find ourselves sitting at the beach, listening to the waves buffet the shoreline.  As I might have written, she was gone in Mexico for three days working with a deaf school down there. Boy did I miss her!  We finally got to see each other yesterday and it was so so nice to be back together. She, and our son David, are the highlight of my life. 

So I sit here, drinking broth and working on the computer as I would at home. You have to love modern technology. I thought I would enclose a picture from my "office" away from home

But first, more regarding the fast, people ask me if I get hungry. That's a common question. People also ask me if I miss chewing on food.  The answer is yes to both. The hunger I can usually curb by drinking enough of the broth. I think one thing that is incredibly helpful is the fact that this is homemade broth cooked with lots of nutrients. A bunch of vegetables, real meat, and perhaps a little citrus or coconut oil (not coconut milk). But it's a decision. My decision is to do this and not give up just because I "feel like" having a salad.  Decisions are easy to make but harder to keep. That's what the willpower is all about. Ignoring the physical condition and pressing onward when we feel like giving up.

Speaking of giving up, I'm a little bit concerned about the last two days of this diet.  Certainly I could make it to 30 days. That is not a problem at all. Actually I believe I could make it to 40 days without any problem as long as the doctor would say it was okay.  The real concern is that I'm leaving To fly across the country on day 29. As I'm sure you are aware bringing soup broth through airport security, at least in the United States, is just not possible.  So I'm considering breaking my fast after four weeks rather than 30 days.  Is a really difficult decision and I've been struggling with this since day 2. I would love to hear your comments on this. This is a major decision for me. Truly, your comments would be greatly appreciated.  I'm doing fine so I am not considering this because I'm thinking, "oh great I could eat two days earlier".  After this many days of fasting, the two days really doesn't mean anything to me.  My concern is, will I feel like a quitter for only going the 28 days?  I would greatly appreciate it if you would weigh in on this one.

Here's the pic that I promised. Have a fantastic day.

And here's the link to day 21....
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_25_archive.html

Day 19 -- Feeling more normal

Day 19  ---    Things are kind of normal  (and some exciting news tomorrow)

Yesterday was a pretty decent day.  I think that the biggest reason why is that I tried to stay well prepared.  I started the day by visiting a local car show.  It was not completely for fun and games.  I had stopped by because our son, David, has an organization that was doing work at the event.  So with broth in hand, I left the house first thing to confirm that all was going well.  And it was.

The cars looked amazing.  The weather was perfect, crisp and clear.  The day warmed nicely and it was obvious, even before 9:00 AM, that it was going to be a beautiful day.

At 9:30, I was off to church which started at 10:00, a rather civilized time for church. In the car, I had brought another travel mug full of soup broth.  I thought that I would be fine and not need it until after church got out, but after only a few minutes, I found myself hungry.  So, I ran out, grabbed the soup, and dashed back inside.  I only missed a couple of announcements that I could read about later if I wanted.  I really was looking forward to going and was not disappointed.  I don't think that I have ever gone to church and thought, "darn, I shouldn't have gone to church today".  I'm not sure that anyone ever real feels that way, or at least only rarely.  Either way, I really enjoyed it.  The music was outstanding and the message was relevant and applicable.  South Coast Church in Goleta, California is filled with a wide variety of people that all seem to get along very well.  Life is celebrated there.

After this, off to the store to look for parts and then back home to research more about what is wrong with this motorhome (caravan in the UK).  I first sat down and read some forums responses regarding my questions.  They were helpful but were also a bit all over the map.  So armed with a fair amount of confusion, I attacked the problem to very quickly realize that I can't really find the problem.  I know what is wrong but it is nearly impossible for me to access.  It was frustrating to be sure.

It wouldn't be a big deal except that my sweet wife Suzy was really hoping that we could bring the motor home down to the beach for the next week.  I really don't like to let her down.  I have tried so hard to get this coach ready but I feel as though I have failed.  Suzy is not demanding at all. She won't say any unkind words about how I should have done this or that.  I just like to treat her nicely.  I know that she is looking forward to a week at the beach in the motor home, and still be close enough to drive her car to work each day.  That is a gift that I would like to give to her.  She would have a beach side home for a week and still not miss any work.  As it stands, we can go but we can't have water.  Furthermore there are other issues as well.  ARRGGHH

Oh well, back to soup talk....I made 3 soups yesterday.  Actually I am fixing one that turned out to be way too sour.  I added one squeezed lemon and through it in to add flavor and the same with two very small Key Limes.  I tasted the broth and it was so bitter that it caused me to cough.  So, I added a bunch of red bell pepper and one small chopped white beet.  I hope that adding the beet is ok, I'll have to check with Dr. Saunders about that one.  I am also making a ham hock soup with carrots and leeks.  The last soup that I'm making is really a pot roast soup hold the potatoes.

Some people ask, "Do you get hungry?"  Yes, of course.  "Do you?".  We all get hungry but with a normal eating day, we are freaking out if around 11:30 we find our stomach growling.  We know that we will eat at noon and we don't freak out.  It's the same only the intervals are different.  I am consuming liquids with lots of nutrients and they don't give the same amount of time between "meals" as traditional food.  But again, I don't have to get all excited, I just have to eat more regularly.  But if all is prepared, as it has to be, it's not too difficult to ladle some warm soup broth out of a crock pot into a mug.  Pretty easy I'd say.

That's it for now.  I would love to hear from you.  Have a Souper day.

Day 20 has a lot of 20's involved with it.  Click below to follow the story.
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_24_archive.html

Day 18 --- A bit sluggish

Day 18  ----  Feeling tired and sluggish

Today I awoke feeling great.  I had some water and soup broth for breakfast and forced myself to drink more than usual.  My thought was that if I drank more, I wouldn't feel as hungry, which was true, and that I'd have more energy, which was not true.

I spent the day running errands, slowly.  I walked slowly, I thought slowly, I drove slowly.  I just felt tired.

Finally, in the afternoon I took a nap and probably slept for an hour and a half.

I'm writing this about 30 minutes after the nap and I still feel sluggish.  I'm going to have some more broth and see how I feel.  Hopefully, I'll pick up a bit.  We'll see.

Day 19 is next...Follow this link below
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_23_archive.html

Day 17 -- Not a bad day after all

Day 17 ----  Not so bad

My day started as a bit of a mess, as you might have read.  A foggy and cold day in September didn't help any either.  The odd thing about fog this time of year is that this is really our peak summer weather.  Really quite unusual to see a day like this.  But one thing that we here in Santa Barbara have learned is, don't expect what is to be expected with regard to weather.

So my mood and energy level were a perfect match for the weather.  I was a bit slow and lethargic and a bit blue. Furthermore, I had a headache and my stomach was a bit uneasy.  But I think that the majority of the reason is because of my poor night's sleep.  I was productive, but a bit at a slower pace.  I'm not sure that even if I felt perfect that I could have been more productive.

I have to admit that I broke the doctor's orders a bit today.  With my head hurting from about 3AM, I decided to take an over the counter pain reliever, which is completely within the restrictions.  But to give the meds a boost, and a boost to me as well, I walked over to the local coffee shop, Pierre LaFond's, and ordered a single shot of caffeinated espresso.  I drank about half of it and tossed the rest.  I justified it believing that it was medicinal and such a small amount that it was probably acceptable.  All I know is that my headache disappeared and I did have an ever so slight increase in energy.

Tonight we have a dear guest spending the night.  She is a fellow worker with Suzy at the preschool.  Her name is Jackie and she is an amazing teacher, a master teacher.  She and Suzy will be departing for Mexico at 6:00AM tomorrow to work with a deaf school in Ensenada. It should be a great trip for them.  I'm happy for the two of them.

Well, it's time for some more soup broth and then I think it will be early to bed for all of us.  Overall, not a bad day after all.

Day 18 awaits below...short and sweet.
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_21_archive.html

Beginning of day 17. A morning post

Good morning friends,

What a miserable night sleep. I would love to blame the fast but in truth that has nothing to do with it.  Because of some tragic situations from about three years ago, I have been taking antidepressants. I wasn't very happy about it and was very reluctant. But I have to say, they really did help and they really were necessary. But things have improved, considerably. So I've been cutting back. Now I am down to about 50% of what I was taking. I'm pretty happy about that. Actually there's a bit of a joke there. 

Although these medications are extremely helpful, this one in particular has an odd side effect. For some bizarre reason, whenever I miss a dose, which I did yesterday, I have very disturbing dreams. They aren't nightmares, but they are disturbing. In my sleep and set being horrid.  Why did I skipped this dosage? Believe me, it wasn't intentional. When did I realize that I missed this dosage? When I was having a horrible time sleeping last night. I started reflecting on my day and realized that I had never taken medication. Perhaps I should've tried taking it right then and there, but I didn't.  

So I gave up fighting it and started my day early. And the weather has seem to complement my mood as well. As you may know, Santa Barbara California is right on the coast. It is a beautiful town. But like all seaside towns they can be prone to fall. It is not typical to find fog in Santa Barbara in the middle of September but apparently it is here today. I'll be sure to check in at the end of the day and let you know how the rest of the day turned out.

Here's part 2 of day 17......
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-17-not-bad-day-after-all.html

Day 16 --- Officially half way there

Day 16  ---  More than half way there

I weighed myself this morning.  If you have been following this blog, you might remember that on day zero, I weighed 180 pounds, give or take a few ounces.  Today I stepped on the scale to find that my weight has dropped to 162.  Well, 162.4 to be exact.  I was pretty stoked.  That was a loss of about 18 pounds in 15 full days.  Not bad I thought.

So, I dressed in my "skinny jeans" or jeans cut to be a bit form fitting around the legs (the latest style that my wife likes).  I put on my black button up shirt with thin pin striped white lines and tucked it in.  I went over to the school where my wife works and walked into the short morning meeting and devotional that the staff has every morning before school starts.  After the day was ready and started, Suzy gave me a big hug, told me that I looked great and said that she liked how I feel in her arms.  Wow, not a bad way to start the day.

I ran off to a meeting at a local coffee shop and spent the day taking care of things related to the motorhome.  All day it seemed, I ran back and forth to the store to buy little bits and pieces that I needed.

The great reward was at the end of the day.  We were to visit our dear friends Alex and Oz and their sweet new baby daughter.  It was a lovely time, as always with them.  They served us tea with mine being fennel tea.  I had never heard of such a thing but knew that it was a safe choice.  They assured me that it was delicious and of course they were right.  These two friends are so especially dear to us.  I always feel completely comfortable around them.  We all realized that it had been far too long since we hung out and made plans for meals together when I have finished this fast. It was motivational for me.

The tea was great, but not substantially satisfying.  I should have had more broth before I arrived.  That is two days in a row that I made the same mistake.  You'd think I'd learn.  Hopefully I'll do better tomorrow.

Well, for you foodies, I made two more soups, both new to the list.  One was a tri-tip AKA bottom sirloin.  It is delicious and a hugely popular meat here in Santa Barbara.  Perhaps one of our most famous dishes served here typically at barbecues.  It's very reasonably priced in the rest of the country, and world, but here they tend to jack the price up to meet the demand.  I added onion, carrots, spices, salt, tomatoes, and celery.  Should be yummy.  The second cock pot that we started is cooked chicken, leeks, basil, cilantro, and celery.  

I'm looking forward to both of these.  I might add some coconut oil to the chicken soup broth in each mug.  It doesn't stay mixed to I stir the heck out of it and drink quickly.  Pause and then repeat until finished.  A bit of effort but tasty.

That's all for now.  I would love to hear from some of you.   

Here is the latest count.  In total over 1000

United States	786
United Kingdom	163
Australia	15
Hong Kong	12
South Korea	11
Germany	7
Russia	5
Netherlands	4
Canada	3
Denmark Mexico	3 1

It's funny to read this post again.  I had 1000 views at this time...as of today June 1, 2016 it's over 44,000!!!
Here's part 1 of 2 posts for tomorrow...I guess there's a bonus post coming up.

Go here to read it  >>>>>>

http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/beginning-of-day-17-morning-post.html

Day 15 --- Pretty normal day

Day 15 --  A pretty normal day

Today day 15 came and went without much fan fare.

I was up early after a good night sleep.  I spent the day working on different things, emails, some mild car stuff, and working on the motorhome.

As much as we love our motorhome, or caravan for our UK friends, it has been treated badly at the mechanic who was supposed to fix it.  They truly did much more harm than good.  I've been fighting with the water pump that they either put 24 volts through, or tried to run on 6 volts.  Neither is correct. I need to look at the pictures to calculate the voltage to know for sure.

I felt fine, albeit a bit tired yesterday.  I had some decaf espresso in the morning and my BLT (bacon, leek, and tomato) soup broth.  A great combination.

I noticed that I wasn't particularly hungry during the day, so I turned to water for most of the day.  That seemed to be just fine.  But in the latter part of the day, about 5:30 or 6:00 PM, I left to do a bit of parts finding at the store and also to do some grocery shopping as well.  I was doing pretty well and then all of a sudden, I started getting really hungry.  I was in the hardware store and bought a bottle of water to tide me over until I got home.  That seem to quench it pretty well.

But then came the grocery store.  Perhaps I should have seen it coming but I didn't.  Much of the food looked fascinating to me.  I looked at much of it a bit perplexed, like seeing a picture of an old friend.  I found myself remembering the flavors and textures of each item as one would remember experiences from days gone by with an old roommate.

Then it hit.  Wow, did it ever.  I was really crazy hungry.  I was feeling a bit light headed too.  I decided to treat myself to a cold sparkling mineral water.  But there was none.  What were they thinking not stocking this is the refrigerated section?  UK friends, you have to remember that I was raised in a country where every beverage is hot or cold, with the only exception being red wine, and perhaps some whiskeys and tequilas.  I found what seemed like the most exotic cold water that I could find.  It sounded amazing.  From the Big Island of Hawaii, where we have spent some good times.  Rain water rushing down the slopes of Maunaloa by the town of Hilo.  It sounded splendid.  I remembered the sweet smell of plumeria and the smiling, tan faces of locals.  I opened the square shaped, extra large bottle and was ready to feel it satisfy my hunger.  But sadly, it didn't taste like Hawaii.  It tasted like water.  Regular water.  I drank heartily to fill my stomach be assured that I would be fine.  But I wasn't.

I drove home, at least 20 minutes, perhaps more, famished.  I walked in super light headed.  My sweet bride was there to greet me and she quickly served me some broth that I had warm and ready to serve.  It was "red hot" sausages, (not really red hot at all), cooked with rainbow chard, onions, and carrots.  I didn't really matter what it was.  It was warm sustenance.  I drank it down and still did not feel well.  Suzy served another mug to me and finally after about 30 minutes, the nutrients hit my blood stream.  I was finally feeling better.  Thanks be to God.

I went to bed early and slept well throughout the night.

HEY!! This is the half-way mark!!
Here's tomorrow's post...
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-16-officially-half-way-there.html

 

Day 14 --- Tired and Blue

Day 14 -- Tired and Blue

After having a good day yesterday, I expected more of the same.  But sadly, I was wrong.  I woke up very tired even after sleeping quite well.  I went back to sleep mid morning and was in and out of sleep much of the day.

I found myself unusually tired all day.  In addition, I found myself depressed and blue.  There was not really anything that set this off, other than perhaps the fast, but perhaps that had nothing to do with it.

Today, I had my soups.  Bacon, leek, tomato and ham and carrot with vegetable broth, and the Italian sausage with red peppers and onions.  I will give away the extra, the main part really, tomorrow.

I'm super tired, again and still, so I'm going to sign off for now.

Tomorrow's post is worth reading, a bit more uplifting...here it is:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-15-pretty-normal-day.html

Day 13 ---- Busy, busy, busy

Day 13  ---  Too busy to be thinking about solid food

Today was a day where I was going non-stop all day.  I was on the computer buying airplane tickets, renting cars, and trying to book hotels.  I was productive during the day and close by to my 3 crock pots filled with really good tasting broth.

Right now, I have revisited the Italian sausage, peppers, and onions (with one jalapeno and some chili flakes.  In crock-pot number two I had ham and carrots in a vegetable broth.  And in crock-pot number three, I have my BLT (bacon, leeks, and tomatoes).  All three are very good and provide a nice variety of flavors.

Today I had some ginger tea and some ice water with lemon.  Both were enjoyable especially for the unfamiliar flavors.  Soup is wonderful and certainly I have had a wide variety of it.  But it's nice to have something different.  The tea was nice and the bitter lemon in the water was a fun contrast.

Someone recommended that I chew on ice.  Not a bad idea I think.  I might give that a try on the next hot day.

More people are telling me that I look thinner. And my wife says that I "look great".  Now that alone makes this all worth while.  It is such a great feeling to know that your spouse thinks that you look good. It warms my heart, boosts my spirits, and boosts me to work harder.

I would like to add more exercise.  Tomorrow is day 14.  It seems like a good place to add some stomach crunches.  Also, tomorrow is the day that I step back on the scale for a two week weigh in.  I'm excited to see the progress.  As you may remember, I started this fast just shy of 180 pounds.  Tomorrow, I'll get up and see what two weeks of fasting has done.  Stay tuned for the big weigh-in tomorrow.

13 days down, and here's the link to day 14...Not the best tomorrow...

http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_17_archive.html

All my best,

Mike

Day 12 -– Fighting the Urge

Day 12 and I've been fighting the urge to eat.

Today is Sunday so I got up and went to church. It was a wonderful time. There were some people there who knew about this fast were interested to hear how it was going.  

Right after the church service, just outside the doors on the porch, there was a large feast waiting for the congregation. This is pretty common for this church. They really want to develop a sense of community and what better way would there be but through food?  So each week they place some sort of food out on the tables on the patio. Everyone comes by and has at least a little bit of something.  

I haven't been to this church in a month because I have been in the Northeast working with schools, my profession. Consequently, there were lots of people that I was looking forward to seeing again. The conversations started and they just kept going. There were probably four different families with whom I really needed to speak.  All of this was great except for the fact that every one of them talked with me while holding a plate of food.  They were eating the most delicious looking taco salad and beautiful pieces of cut fruit, melons, grapes, cantaloupe, etc.  I found myself really wanting to eat any of what I saw. I think a lot of it was I just wanted to eat something that went crunch in my mouth.  The doctor has told me that I can have nuts or seeds or a small amount of carrots or celery. But I am planning on doing that only in an emergency, in a situation where I could not get to my broth.

After this we went back home. And a short time later we were at my mother-in-law's house watching the football game. How many times have I watched football games at her beautiful home with a table full of appetizers and snacks in front of us, and a cold beer or glass of champagne to wash it down? Again, I found myself wishing for snacks and perhaps a beer.  

We left her house during the first quarter of the game and drove down to the beach and a lovely local hotel called the Biltmore to take portraits of her. Being that she is a humble person, it is a rare opportunity for us to be able to do such things. So we embraced it fully in thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I felt like we should celebrate the photo shoot with a glass of champagne in their beautiful restaurant or lounge.  Again, it was an internal struggle for me.  But I was not about to give in, perhaps a carrot but definitely not alcohol.

When we returned to her house with the football game still on and being that Suzy and her mom were both super hungry they had pizza and salad. They asked me if I would feel okay with them eating. I felt sure that I would be just fine as I had plenty of soup broth with me. However, I did find it but challenge. And yet again, for the fourth time in the same day I found myself really wishing that I was not on this diet of soup broth.

But overall, it really was just fine. I just needed to realize that I was doing this for a period of time, not forever. The results I have seen so far have been wonderful, and as the doctor tells me I will be even better on the other side of these 30 days. So I stand fast.  It is a small sacrifice to pay for great health.  Besides, what is my option? I could take a pill for diabetes, a pill for my high cholesterol, a pill for my depression, a pill, a pill, a pill.  And then there are the side effects of those pills. Many of us are familiar with the side effects of antidepressants. Usually it involves weight gain and a complete loss of libido. I never quite understood treatment that was supposed to battle depression but added 20 pounds of weight and a severe reduction in libido was supposed to be helpful.  Oh but they do have a pill for low libido as well I guess. 

So although today and yesterday were both days filled with temptation, I am happy to say that I did not give in. I'm happy that I did not fail.  I made it.  So for now, I press onward toward the prize.

Here's the link to day 13...WOW!! 12 days so far!!
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-13-busy-busy-busy.html

Day 11 -- Celebrated a Friend's New Home in Heaven

Day 11 --  Celebrated a Friend's New Home in Heaven

Today was certainly not about me.  Nor did I have much time to be concerned about how I was feeling, and if I did, it paled in comparison to the weight that others were carrying.

A dear and sweet friend's life was celebrated on a beach nearby today.  She was far too young, still in her third decade.  She led an amazing life.  She was a morally straight and very healthy woman who lived a life everyday, the queen of celebration.  She was the mom of 5 children, 3 of her own and 2 through marriage, but you would never hear her describe them that way.  To her, they were all her own and she took great care in living that out moment by moment.  She was very, very dear to us.

So, the day revolved around this.  Up and at 'em first thing, we dashed out the door to help our friends prepare for a difficult day.  We were there to do whatever we could.  We helped with all kinds of big and small details.  My wife was holding children, helping in the kitchen, whatever it took.  I was doing what I could from handing out parking passes to fixing a shower.  The morning seemed to fly by but reluctantly, we finally could no longer be buried in the busyness of the day.  It was time for the memorial service.  We joined friends and family on the beach.  The service was beautiful punctuated with laughter and tears, culminating in the release of many balloons sent heavenward with messages attached.

After the service, we all walked back to their home for a busy reception.  When we arrived, there was more food than would be needed to feed everyone twice over.  Some of those present knew of my fast and apologized and sympathized with my situation.  But it was not about me.  Personally, I remember thinking how much I would have loved to not been fasting that day.  I love champagne, and there was plenty in excellent quality.  If I could pick food that I would want to see at a party, well it was all there.  And here I found myself in the kitchen loading food on trays, and staring at the vast array of extras waiting to go out when there would be room available on the tables.  So, I drank water and focused on the dishes and contemplated on the much greater issues for so many here including a windowed husband of 5 children ranging from barely 4 to 14.

I knew that this would a tough day physically for me.  So I came prepared with two travel mugs of soup and a container of more that I could heat or drink cool.  We were there from early until about mid-afternoon.  We returned home, a mile away, and walked in to hear our neighbors having a huge, and very loud, children's party, not really what either of us wanted to hear.  My stomach was growling for more food and I was trying to keep my attitude from doing the same.  Suzy came up with an ingenious idea.  She warmed a large cup of broth, in a cast iron pan hoping that it would give me more iron for my blood, squeezed a couple of Key Limes into the cup and led me off to the solace of our motor home.

There it was peaceful and quiet.  We were surrounded with a beautiful walnut interior and snuggled up on the bed to rest.  The soup tasted marvelous in my mouth.  The contrast of the citrus against the familiar and traditional chicken soup was perfect.  Suzy fell asleep and I reflected on the day...that was yet to be finished.

Two hours flew by, along with another cup of broth, and we were back at the reception where we had volunteered for cleanup.  By this point the party had thinned and those still around were clearly in higher spirits. We went to town on cleanup.  I stayed stationed at the sink washing dishes.  I wanted to have a toast with everyone else but knew that I had made a commitment to this diet.  But not to be left out, I grabbed a glass and poured into it fully some bubbly to join in the festivities.  It tasted great.  The unfamiliar carbonation fizzled in my mouth.  Yes, I had the best.  Italian, like my wife, bottled in the Province of Bergamo in Lombardy, Italy, I poured out of the frigid green bottle of San Pellegrino the world's finest mineral water.  The bubbles looked beautiful, I felt like I was "drinking stars".

After finishing the dishes, packaging food, and consuming a good amount of sparkling mineral water, we said out farewells and wished Godspeed to the remaining friends and family.

By the time we got home, it was dark and the raucous children's party had disbanded.  Finally some quiet.  But my work wasn't finished for I was nearly out of broth.  The importance of always having some ready cannot be understated.  If there is none ready, well, what would I eat?  There is the emergency organic vegetable bullion but that was not something that I was looking forward to opening.  So, with three empty crock pots, and plenty of familiarity with a kitchen today, we set off to work.

If you've been following along, you might remember that I'm not a big breakfast guy.  I've been thinking of a soup that would have some breakfasty type flavors. Here was my solution.  A BLT in a pot.  Bacon, leaks, and tomato soup. I'm looking forward to trying it in the morning.  Also, a ham and carrot soup, hopefully imitating a soup that one might make with the leftover ham bone at Easter.  Finally, I went with a re-creation of one of my favorites, the spicy Italian sausage and red bell pepper and onions with some chili pepper flakes, but this time I added one jalapeno for good measure.

There was out day, after a quick clean of the kitchen, Suzy and I went back out to our motor home, lit some candles, and had a restful and quiet evening talking about where we would like to go camping.

I hope that you all take time to share your love and warmth with the important people in your life.  One thing that I learned today is life can be very short even for the healthiest, like our dear friend.

Here's the link to day 12...
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-12-fighting-urge.html

Day 10 -- Feeling fine again

Day 10 -- I'm feeling fine again

Today was a pretty decent day. Overall, I really can't complain.  I was a little bit tired at times but even with a traditional diet, these days happen.

After yesterday being a bit of a downer, I decided to be more proactive and stay on top of my caloric intake.  In retrospect, it probably isn't much of a surprise that yesterday was only so-so given how little I consumed.  Armed with that experience, I drank more broth from the early part of the day.  I didn't really "feel" like having any in the morning, but I did.  Perhaps it is because I've never been a big breakfast guy, or small breakfast guy for that matter.  I was trying to think of what flavors sound good to me in the morning.  I thought perhaps I could make a soup that resembled those flavors.  However, all that I can come up with is chocolate.  A chocolate croissant for breakfast with a straight double espresso always sounds good.  Alas, you see why I am on this program.  I'm thinking that I might try to do something with bacon.  That might lean  more toward breakfast, it certainly won't be anything with egg flavor, although that said, I'm sure that some would like that, like the Chinese "egg drop soup".  Eggs are just not my thing.

Anyway, what I did that seemed to help was, whenever I found myself having even a tinge of hunger, I had soup.  I may have only had half a cup (mug) but I believed that it really helped.  I found myself with a cup of soup, tea (not caffeinated), or water in my hand or very close by most of the day.  Overall, a successful day.

Actually, I was pretty productive.  I made a bunch of phone calls for work, and since I work from home, I was able to give the house that thorough cleaning that we all need from time to time.  I had good motivation for doing this. Suzy's very best friend for thirty years now was coming to visit later in the evening.  Her name is Connie and she is such a dear. Super crazy intelligent and kind, kind, kind, she is a mother of 5 and home schools all of them.  I don't know how she does it.  But the motivation really came from the desire to be sweet to my wife who has been especially supportive to me through this entire process.  But that was no surprise because Suzy is always supportive of me.  That makes it so easy to love her so much.  So, off I went, albeit not at the fastest pace, and I juiced a ton of carrots, not for me but for Suzy and Connie.  I cleaned the kitchen properly, vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathroom thoroughly, touched up things, etc.  Suzy was not expecting this so when she came home she found a spotless house with candles lit and everything looking nice for our guest.  She was happy and it made me feel good to do something kind for her.

As a note about the language of love, it is important to know what dialect your spouse speaks.  For Suzy, it is "acts of service".  How do I know?  She told me.  Why did she tell me?  Because I asked her.  There's a hint there. Knowing that bringing her flowers is always nice, but she would much rather know that I washed and cleaned her car, or did some laundry.  So, I knew that she would be happy with seeing the house cleaned and she was.  Which of course made me happy to see her joy.

Well, that is probably way more than enough for one day.

I hope that all of you are well.
Follow this link to the next post:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_15_archive.html

Day 9 -- Not so fine

Day 9 -- Not so fine

Today was not the best day but certainly far from the worst.  I just found myself blue and tired.

I'm not sure if I did not have enough broth today, or what happened, but it was a less than wonderful day.  Perhaps it was such a let down given that yesterday was so amazingly awesome.  I think the "blueness" was from the let down.  I spent most of the day tired and dragging.  Just a bit ago, I picked up a bit.  I've had more soup this evening, meaning like 3 servings, and I am thinking that there is a correlation here.  I'll be more careful with a larger consumption tomorrow.  Also it might be worth mentioning that the reason that I had so much less broth today was that I wasn't all that hungry.  And I wasn't so rumbly in my tumbly.

The highlight was receiving a phone call from my friend Leslie.  She always has the right thing to say.  She said that she was having a cup of vegetable broth "in solidarity" as a way of supporting me. What a sweet thing to do. She is such a dear and I so appreciate her friendship.

The soups all turned out really well.  The chicken soup with tomatoes and chard was about what I expected, but to give it some zing, I squeeze one Key Lime into a mug. (Key Limes are very small limes) It gives it such a nice contrast, something that I like in foods.  I don't think that I would do well with tradition British food.  Honestly, you can't blame the British for take such a keen interest in India.

I was able to not have to cook any new soups today.  I have enough to make it all the way through tomorrow.  Suzy will be going out with her friend Connie (who lives 6 hours away) tomorrow night.  It will be a special time for them.  They were roommates back in college.  That said, I think that I might just wait till then to do some more cooking.  But I could postpone that until Saturday morning, I'd expect.

Well, that is it for today.  Oh, but a special greeting to the followers in the UK.  I noticed that there are a bunch of you following this.  Thank you!!  Oh shoot, and above I beat up on your food a bit.  Sorry about that.  As you would say, I was being a bit "cheeky".  All in good fun mates.  That's me trying to be British, not a very good attempt I'm sure.  But I did have an Austin Healey for a while.  Hopefully that is worth something.  Oh, and my mother in law drinks the same tea as the Queen.  There, are we ok now?

Tata for now....Oh, but here's the next link:

http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_14_archive.html

Day 8 --- Feeling Great!!!

Day 8 and I'm feeling GREAT!!

Day 8 was an amazing day.  I can't say that I have felt that good, or been that productive in a long, long time.  My only question is, will this be the norm or is this a one day flash?  I am sure hoping for the norm in the future.  I felt wonderful.  From the moment that I awoke until I went to sleep, I was busy, happy, contented, and productive.

I got up and started working on things pretty quickly.  Straightening things, changing light bulbs, checking items off of the old "to do" list.  I made two soups for me, juiced a bunch of carrots for Suzy, cooked giblets for our friend's dog named "Hank Williams", and cleaned the kitchen properly.  It was all great.

I did have to quit about 3:00 to meet with Cole, our construction guy, and then run to the see Dr. Scott Saunders.  Speaking of Dr. Saunders, he checked my blood pressure and talked with me about the fast and said that all is well. He said that everything that I have experienced so far was as he would have expected and did not notice anything, in what I said, as unusual.  He has a very calm and attentive demeanor.  He is never rushed and treats me like I'm his only patient, at least that's how he makes me feel.  I told him that I feel great and a bit sadly he informed me that their might be days ahead that are not as uppity. As I was leaving, I asked him if he needed any help getting ready for a big reception for his practice that was being thrown that night.  I was surprised, but quite happy to hear his response of "yes".  He led me down the hall to a small kitchen of sorts where they were preparing food for the gala.  Having had some experience as a professional cook, they gave me the food to display.  Kind of ironic.  I laid out smoked salmon, beautiful crackers, tomatoes, pears, red bell peppers, etc.  I made three displays.  I found some herbs and used those for a bit of flavor but also as a garnish.  Some were asking if this was difficult for me.  I'm not sure how I would have though that it would be but to me it was easy enough.

When I got home, I got ready to head back down to the party with Suzy and offer our support and thanks to Dr. Saunders and his office staff.  I started thinking about how much my wife would like that food and how happy I was that she would get to see it, and my work.  I knew that I could get hungry there so I packed up some of the best broth that I have made yet, or perhaps ever.  I was just incredible.  I walked around the food and chatted with new and old acquaintances.  Never once was I very tempted.  The soup was so darn good.  I wanted to share it with somebody, but selfishly I didn't.  Plus, I'm not sure that I would have found a taker.

What type of soup, you ask?  A beef based, leek soup with a little curry and spices.  Unbelievable.  I have a cup of it right here next to me.  It is so yummy and savory.  I also made a chicken soup with chard, onions, tomatoes, and poultry seasoning.  It tastes really good too.

When we got home, I started getting tired and was ready for bed.  Into the sack at 10 and slept very well all night.

I'll write about day nine at bedtime.  But you can read tomorrow's post here:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-9-not-so-fine.html

Day 7 ~~~ Closer to Heaven

Day 7 Closer to Heaven  (get it, it's supposed to rhyme)

I feel so much better today, closer to back to normal.  I can feel that my thinking is becoming a bit clearer, my headache is completely gone, and even my body aches faded significantly.  This is what I was told to expect.  It's a major improvement for sure.  I find that I'm not really craving solid food as much either, although it hasn't really been that bad anyway.

I've told some random people about this fast and the blog as well, hope you do too!!  It has been very interesting hearing their responses.  Interesting questions like: Does the broth have to be vegetables only? No. Can you drink juice? No, full of sugars, natural or processed both are out. Aren't you hungry all the time? No, I'm sure if someone tried to keep this fast having broth only three times a day, they would probably be pretty miserable.  I find that whenever I'm the least bit hungry or if I'm feeling grouchy, I have some broth and I usually just bounce right back. (Mr Grouchy should have done that tonight).  What do you do when you don't have broth with you?  Well, I just make sure that I do.  It's about planning.  Making things well in advance. Bringing a thermos with me is super helpful.  If I know that I'm going out for a chunk of time, I'll drink a good amount of soup right before I leave (should have done that tonight) and bring a travel mug full of very hot broth with me (didn't do that either).  By the time it cools down enough, I'm ready for it. For longer trips the thermos works well. (let's not go there)

OK, so today was the 7th day and I told myself that I'd wait to weigh myself until the 7th day.  You may not remember but I started this broth fast weighing 179.6 and when I stepped on the scale in said that I weighed 169.6.  I lost 10 pounds in 7 days.  Five more than I expected.  I was a little shocked, but in truth, that was the easiest 10 pounds I've lost.  Yes I did have 2 days that were crappy but still, well worth it.

Also, I was rarely and barely ever hungry, really only once and that was my poor planning when were a long distance away from home. (you guessed it, tonight)

There was a bit of an issue today.  I was so excited to find out that I could have many caffeine-free drinks that I walked over to my favorite local coffee bistro and asked for my favorite, a double-decaf espresso in a glass cup.  I stressed decaf as I always do.  She repeated it back, but then still, accidentally, gave me caffeinated.  I got such a crazy rush.  Sadly, after it wore off I was grouchy (and lacking broth).  Then once that past (not quickly), I found myself with energy and the inability to sleep when my tired little wife and I got home.  So I made notes on things that I'd like to accomplish and straightened a room.  I found myself wondering if I was wired from the coffee or was this because of the fast.  I found myself hopeful.

The dish for the day was.....Peppered turkey soup with carrots, onions, and spices.  It's still simmering but so far it tastes like it will be decent.  We'll see.

Special thanks to Suzy (who is doing a liquid fast of sorts with me) who tolerated my grouchiness and tried to comfort me.   Absolutely the best.  She is a very large part of why and for whom I am doing this.

Day 8 is right here>>>>  http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-8-feeling-great.html

Day 6, way better than yesterday

Day 6, I feel way better than yesterday.

Today was day 6 and it seems unfair to talk about it without mentioning again how crappy I felt yesterday. That said, if the results that I expect to see are as good as everyone claims, then yesterday was of little consequence. I just felt like I was fighting a bad cold for a day, without the running nose or sore throat.  I can live through that without too much effort.  In hindsight, if I had know that I was too experience a day, two, or three like yesterday, I would not have been dissuaded in the least from starting this fast.  Actually I did expect this and perhaps worse given what I had read.  But now that I made it through the trial, I feel better, physically and emotionally because of it.

Today was so much better.  No booming headache, only minor chills once in a while, no lethargy like yesterday, but I must say that today brought about a new struggle.  Body aches have been plaguing me.  It has gotten worse as the day has gone on.  My neck, shoulders, upper back area has been pretty achey.  And my lower back as well.  But it was not so bad that I wasn't able to take the day and run errands all over town for most of the day.  Achey but doable.

I spoke to my doctor today, Dr. Scott Saunders, MD and told him about my day yesterday and not to my surprise, he said that was all normal and to be expected.  He gave his approval for some additives for the broths that I'm making that will give me a lot more to play with including tomatoes, lemons, and limes.  I can do a lot with these.  Speaking of food and meals, I made a soup with a beef bone, a bunch of pearl onions, and a large dried Pasilla pepper.  I tried that soup this afternoon and it was very good with a nice amount of bite from the Pasilla pepper.

Today I did some shopping for more ingredients for soups/broths.  I bought a cooked turkey leg, two organic chickens, and made plans for a couple of other goodies that will make for exceptional and slightly eccentric soups.  More on that as they come to fruition.

Dr Saunders also said that I could have some ginger tea and cinnamon tea.  He also encouraged me to have some ashwagandha tea.  So, off I went to a local healthy grocery store where Aris came to my aid.  She had a magnanimous knowledge base about ashwagandha and the teas, etc.  It was hard to believe that she knew that much.  She said that she wants to learn far more by attending a school for natural nutritionists up in a remote hamlet in Northern California.

Tomorrow is the big day, day seven.  What makes it so important?  Well for one you might have noticed that I have not listed my weight since the first day.  I told myself that I would wait until day seven before I weighed myself.  So, tomorrow morning, I'll step on the scale again.  I was just under 180 pound when I started this and I'm expecting that tomorrow I will see a 5 pound loss to 175 (hopefully).  We will have to wait and see.

Right now, although it is only 10:30. I am exhausted and ready to sleep.

PS:  I love to read the comments so please don't be shy.
Here's the next post for you to keep reading if you'd like
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_11_archive.html

Day 5, the worst day yet

Day 5, the worst day yet...by far

I was told that days 4 and 5 are the most difficult and today lived up to its reputation. But as you read this, and if you are considering this fast, this was no worse than a 24 hour flu.

As you may have read, I was up a 3:00 with significant chills.  What I didn't write was that I wasn't able to go back to sleep.  In the morning, around 8:00AM or so, I feel asleep for about an hour and a half. I was still quite chilled and weak and tired.

To describe it in terms that we all could understand, I felt like I was sick.  Chills, headache, body aches, numb, lack of energy, overall just wiped out.  As the day went on, I found myself wanting to sleep but having difficulty actually doing so.  My headache got worse, and so did my chills.

In the mid-afternoon, I took my temperature.  I usually read about 98.2 degrees, slightly below normal.but today it read 100.7 degrees which is obviously in the "I'm running a fever" category.  At this point my head was really hurting and my neck as well.  I went old school western and took a Norco pain pill, 325 mg acetaminophen and 5 mg Hydrocodone Bitartrate.  I'm sure that some would disapprove of this but I can tell you this much, my body pain and headache diminished significantlay and my fever broke.  A success in my book....or a success in my blog post.

Although I'm still feeling a bit lack luster and tired, certainly I feel much better.

A dear friend, Amy, brought some delicious chicken broth to me.  It tasted so good tonight.  She is always considerate and helpful but this was also, in my mind, a vote of confidence and approval. I greatly appreciated it.

Tonight I threw together a beef bone broth to simmer overnight in the crock pot.  This time I added a dried pasilla chili, a handful of pearl onions, some garlic, salt, and pepper, with some Asian 5 spice.  I don't know what it will taste like but anything that is slightly different than basic is welcomed.  That said, Amy's broth was traditional but outstanding.  I just finished a cup and am considering another before going to sleep.

The real surprise in soup broth was the hot Italian sausage with some red chili flakes, onions, and red bell peppers.  Awesome!!  I will definitely make this in the future for this cleanse but after as well.  I'm going to invite my friend Phillip, a New York Noho Italian.  I can't wait to give the solid part to him.  A sandwich of crumbled sausage and bell peppers and onions does not get much better.

Well, that is it for now.  Please invite your friends.  It means a lot to me.  Currently there are about 300 views from the USA, UK, Asia, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Australia, and Indonesia.  How fun!!  Feel free to submit this link on your Facebook and other social media pages.

Here's the next post.... CLICK HERE

Middle of the night 3:00 AM

It's 3 AM in the middle of the night.

So why am I writing at such small hours? Shortly after I got into bed I felt quite cold. That is really quite unusual for me especially in the evening in bed. More often than not, I wake up quite sweaty. I'm sure that's a pretty picture. Sorry about that.

I thought perhaps it was just something that was passing. But after about four hours of sleeping, well not really sleeping, I finally could not stand it anymore. 

For four hours I laid in bed very cold with the covers up and over my head forming a hood. I was so cold I didn't want to move. Although my mind told me that I needed to get up and get something warmer, I was just too cold to want to even move out of bed to what would certainly be a far colder room.  

One might think, or picture, that this is taking place in the winter but that is not the case. This is in the warm Indian summer of Santa Barbara.  Tomorrow the temp is supposed to hit 90.    

Rarely am I  cold at night period but never in this type of weather. So I got up and took off my pajamas and added a T-shirt and socks, yes I sleep in pajamas ha ha.  Then I ran into the other room and picked up the warmest blanket that we have. Even in the winter, it seems to keep me plenty warm by itself.  But tonight even with the comforter and this super warm blanket and the covers over my head, I am barely comfortable. 

Clearly something is slightly out of whack. But this does not upset me. It tells me that something, anything, is happening and changing in my body. To me this is good news for this is the change that I was hoping for.  I did not decide to eat only broth for 30 days to remain the same as I had always been. The truth is that I knew I needed to improve and I need to do something radical to make a change, rather, an improvement, in my physical condition.  

Recently America has voted for change. I, for one, do not like to see change for change sake. I like to see improvement. If that requires change, then fine, bring it on. So I hope and I pray this is the beginning of an improvement in my life and in my physical condition.

Here's the next post.... http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/day-5-worst-day-yet.html

End of Day 4

End of Day 4

Until today, I haven't noticed many of the challenges or struggles common to this fast that I read about online.  I am prone to significant headaches, but have had none worth mentioning, including today.  For that, I am very grateful.  But there were a couple of things that I noticed that affected my today.

To be fair, this would not have been the most pleasant day whether fasting or not.  We were comforting a close friend who is going through a very significant and painful situation.  This was enough to set anyone off a bit, or a lot.  I tried to arrive prepared with a leaky thermos full of chicken broth cooked with herbs d'Provence.  I didn't bring enough and should have consumed more before I left the house.

For my foodie friends, I also made a beef bone broth with dried spices that one would rub on meat to barbecue, cayenne, chili powder, paprika, garlic, salt, etc.  I also added carrots (which in hind site probably didn't fit well), onions, and potatoes.  I need to ask the doctor if the potatoes were OK to add.  I'm concerned that since potatoes are natural high in carbs, which turns to sugar, perhaps these might have been off of the list to add to include.  Both soups tasted great, I thought at least.  Suzy loved the herbs d'Provence chicken broth and I encouraged her to eat some of the actual chicken and veggies as she did the other night, but she is following her own diet right now and had the broth alone as well.  FYI, I'm saving the cooked veggies for after the fast, in the freezer, or giving them to friends.

In the mid-afternoon we went shopping.  I could clearly picture and remember how every item in the store would taste.  I bought some hot Italian sausage, red bell peppers, and more onions.  When we got home I added them together to make a soup with a healthy dose of garlic and Italian seasoning.  It will be ready in the morning.  It smells incredible.  I might need to have a taste in the middle of the night.

I was a bit tired today and found it a little bit hard to concentrate and stay on track with some of what I wanted to say.  I guess I had a bit of trouble focusing at times.  But I just explained to my friends that I was a bit off today and if I seem slightly behind the curve, perhaps it could be because of this fast.  I don't know how I came across to them.  I'll have to ask them, certainly they are welcome to comment below as well as this is pretty anonymous.

Regarding being a bit tired, I took a 45 minute, or less, nap this afternoon.  Later in the day, I chose to stay in as opposed to going to the beach which is only a mile from our home.  Some of the reason was feeling tired but some was wanting to give my wife some alone time with one of her friend.

I went for a short walk around the neighborhood and found myself more tired than usual.  I was not breathing hard or anything like that, just a bit tired.

Two other things.  First, in the past I have had a case of acid reflux.  It seemed to be bothering me a bit.  Second, and more important to me, I have felt irritable and grouchy.  I found myself just edgy at times.  I can swing in this direction normally but was concerned about how this would impact those close to me.

Lastly, and this should be no surprise, I've noticed a change in my bathroom usage.  Clearly it is more frequent.

The most important thing that I would add is that my commitment to complete this has not waivered.  The aforementioned items are of little concern.  Overall, I'm feeling fine.

  Here's the link to the next post...  http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/middle-of-night-300-am.html

Middle of day 3

Middle of day 3

So it's been going well.  I was expecting that the first days would be challenging.  I prepared for the worst, perhaps I have spoken too soon, but I don't think so.

Sure, I have experienced a "rumbly in my tumbly" as Winnie-the-pooh so kindly worded it.  But in truth it isn't like I'm dying here.  I've been doing just fine.

The only concern, and I was given a heads up on this one, has been a feeling of  "grouchiness" at times, but it is short lived and overall I've been pretty good.  Oh yes, and my thoughts have trouble coming together as quickly as I would like, but only on occasion.  It's hard to know if it has anything to do with the broth fast or not.

I've learned a couple of things. Three day old soup tastes way better than fresh soup broth.  Telling friends about what I'm doing has been helpful and supportive.  Having motivational friends is helpful for sure.  Remembering to drink LOTS of water helps stave off hunger feelings.  I'm sure that there will be more that I learn from this and I'll try to relay what I've learned.

My friend Markus has been a motivator for sure.  He challenged himself to lose weight and get fit.  He went full bore for a relatively short time and now is in the best shape of his life.  He is happy and joyful and has maintained his health.  Knowing that he did this has been helpful to me.My wife, Suzy, has also been a big motivator.  She has been so good to me for so long and perhaps this is a way to be kind to her.  I figure that we all like to have a fit husband or wife in our lives, so hopefully this will bring her joy in turn.

I keep wanting to get on the scale to see if I have lost weight, but in truth, that is not why I am doing this. That said, I am happy to think that I'll lose weight and look better. I'm doing this because my "cortisol" levels are clear not right.  I'll talk more about that another time and also about the medical justification for all of this later.

For now, I'm off to grab a cup of water and return some emails.  By the way, it is amazing how different cold water and room temperature water seem.  It's like two different drinks.

Thanks for all of you who are following this.  Here's the link to the next blog post:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_07_archive.html

What am I eating?

What am I eating?

I started drinking broth out of a carton like the organic type that you buy at Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.  The problem is that it doesn't taste so good.  I don't think that it is really designed to be had straight out of the container, heated or otherwise.  The chicken broth tasted like they took a chicken and placed it in the water to cook without any herbs or spices.  I am assuming that the idea is that this would be a base to which one could add veggies, spices, etc.

So, I went a bit crazy yesterday and cooked two crock pots full of soup.  One is a beef soup with carrots, onions, spices, and two beef bones from Von's.  I made this is my grandmother's crock pot so I knew that it would taste good.  In the other crock pot, quite large, I took half a chicken and added carrots, onions, and a bunch of red, dried chilies for some heat.  I added quite a few chilies expecting that it might be a bit too spicy but knowing that I could thin it down, I wasn't worried. It turned out no where near as hot as i expected.  I'm happy to have made these and have access to them at any time that I feel hungry.  I have just left them in the crock pots on low.

It's funny to think that this will be my only substinence for 30 days.  It seems great and delicious today but what about in a week.  I think that I'm going to have to try some unusual spices.  We spent two summers in Turkey, like the country, and they had some unique flavors there.  I have some of the spice mixes from there and will give that a go.  And I'll probably make a turkey broth as well.  Always a favorite of mine.  Also, I bought some shrimp and crab boil which is very flavorful.  I'll try a clam soup as well.

What to do with all of the "other" parts like the chicken and veggies is the real question. I think that I'm going to try to make meals for Suzy, although I do wish that David was here as I think that he would like all of the "extras" a lot.   

So far, so good.

Here's the link to the next blog post:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013_09_06_archive.html

End of day one

It's the end of the first day.

Today was not too difficult and amazingly I learned a great deal in one day about this particular fast, really more about broth.  The doctor recommended that I find broth with no MSG and no sugar.  Unfortunately, I found that I don't care for the flavor of these much.  So, I doctored them up with some chilies and garlic.  I also went to the store and bought some beef bones for soup broth and a chicken for chicken broth.  So right now I have two crock pots going in the kitchen.

The doctor told me that I can add carrots, garlic, etc to the make a full-on soup as long as I only drink the broth.  I'm sure that I'll find somebody who will like all the rest.  Our friend Jenny already said that she would like some.

As for hunger, yes I would get hungry but I was able to manage that by having some water or broth.  The interesting thing was that I would be totally fine and then all of a sudden, Bamm, I would be starving with a tummy growling like a lion.  It was so fast and sudden that it was shocking.  But just as quickly things would settle down with a cup of liquid.

Later in the day I found myself a little more tired than usual, and right now at 9pm, I'm pretty hungry and am off to skim off some of my freshly homemade soup broth.  Other than that, the day was pretty normal.

To my dear friends who have commented here or through text messages, or on Facebook, THANKS!! I really appreciate the support.

There's the link to tomorrow's post:
http://30daybrothfast.blogspot.com/2013/09/surprised-by-ease.html