Day 33 ----- Church, Monster Trucks, and Sushi

Day 33  ---  Sunday is a day for church and monster trucks and perhaps some sushi

It was a great day.  I awoke a little tired and in no rush to get to the first church service.  The school that I am working with in New Jersey has asked that I attend a local church where a lot of their kids attend.  Thankfully, they had an 11:00 service so I was able to take my time in getting ready.

I started my day with nuts and an apple, but really this is a typical breakfast for me as I really don't care for eggs, or pancakes or most breakfast foods.  Apples and nuts, of course cheese is nice too, make a great breakfast.  And with this nutrition, off I went to church.  It was a very nice service with great songs and a solid and applicable message.

After church I went back to my hotel and ate some nutritious foods from "Whole Foods" market and then got ready for the monster truck show.

Now if you know me, you know that I'm not the type of guy that you would find at a monster truck show but John invited me to attend with his two sons and how could I say no?  Although I might not have purchased tickets for this, of course I would go if I could.  And there was no disappointment at all.

What a blast.  It was fun watching these huge trucks with their deafening engines roaring about inside of a stadium.  The sound was unreal.  With earplugs in, it was really too loud.  Certainly the loudest event that I have ever attended and that includes being 8 feet away from the speakers at the Rolling Stones 1982 Farewell tour and The Who, who is known for there very loud shows.  This was on a whole different level.  Even with the earplugs in I could hear my ears ringing and the vibration and sound waves made it fully palpable.

At the end of the day, we said farewell and I was happy to not only have been able to go, but also that I didn't give in to eating anything there.

For dinner, I took a short walk to a Japanese restaurant, not really knowing if there would be much that I could eat.  I am happy to say that they had quite a few items on the menu that were good including a cucumber and avocado sushi roll with brown rice.  Overall, it was delicious.  I originally also ordered a sashimi  sampler but when it arrived, I kept thinking that perhaps, maybe just perhaps, I shouldn't be eating raw fish right now.  So even though I paid for it, I decided to pass.  I thought that it is not worth the risk without first talking to the doctor.  I have a call into him and it will be interesting to hear what his thoughts are about this.

I walked home, well to the hotel that is, called my bride and called it a night.

Day 32 --- First real day with the new diet

Day 32 ----  First day with the new diet

Today was the first day where I could have a greater variety.  Today is Saturday and I was back working with King's Christian School in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.  Today was a big day for the school.  It was there fall Open House.  My job was to look for areas that went really well and recognize these but also to find room for betterment.

There were lots of yummy snacks available, but I never found one thing that I could consume, save one.  I found that the seniors were selling bottles of water.  Perfect, as I was feeling dehydrated.

It was a full and busy day to be sure.  Finally it was time to call it a day.  My good friend John, who is the head of the leadership team, invited me to lunch with him and his dear wife Rosemary.  They took me to a local diner with a large menu.  I went with a big salad and was just careful with what I ate and what I didn't.  I stayed away from blue cheese, etc and focused on lettuce, tomatoes, and the regular stuff.  It was delicious and their company was marvelous.  What is not to like about these two?  They are both wonderful.

I asked them if they could recommend any special places to be sure to visit while in the Philadelphia area.  They said you have to go to McGillin's Olde Ale House.  It's the oldest pub in Philly.  John offered to come along with me and at first I accepted but then remembering that he had been away from his wife for a few days and that he will be taking me to a couple of events in the coming days, I changed my mind in having John around.  In truth, I love the guy and would have loved his company.  There is no doubt about that but I wanted to be sure that I was not becoming a burden on his relationship with his wife.

But I did take John's advice and I did drive into Philly to go to McGillin's.  I wasn't sure what to expect but I was looking forward to it.  So, off I went.

It was loud and fun there and fun to think about how many people had been there before I.  This was to be the first meal where I could have meat, so that's what I did.  I ordered the Caesar salad which was topped with a small piece of Filet Mignon.  It was perfectly healthy and completely delicious.  I sat at the bar and ordered an Octoberfest beer, one of my favorite drinks.  Now I knew that I was pushing it by having a beer and not even a light one at that.  But I had a plan.  I would only drink a little.  Now you might be thinking, yeah right.  But that is what I did.  I drank about half and then asked the bartender to remove it.  She was concerned that I didn't like it but after a quick explanation, she agreed but insisted that it stay within arm's reach in case I changed my mind.  I assured her that I was not going to have any more, and I didn't have any more.  So a short beer, a mini steak, and a delicious salad and I was set.

The guy at the bar seated next to me was very interested in what I had been doing and asked a bunch of questions.  I enjoyed answering them for him.  It's a fun topic to discuss.

Day 31 --- East Coast and Transition

Day 31  ----  East Coast and Transition

This is only my second day of transition and I am trying very hard to make sure that I get things right.  That said, I knew that I need some healthy foods to start my day.  So, I searched for a "Whole Foods" market which is an international store filled with all organic and extra healthy foods.  There are seven stores in the UK mates, so check it out.  

I purchased three small amounts of nuts, (pistachios, macadamias, and hazelnuts) as well as a couple of packages of dried and seasoned kale, a couple of apples, and perhaps a couple of other items.  Armed with this, and having downed an apple and a couple of handfuls of nuts, I started my work day with meetings at a school in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. 

Many at the school were well aware of my fast and were filled with questions about how it went and how I was feeling now.  I loved talking about all of this and I hope that it was motivational to some.

The head of the leadership team at this school found a great place to take me to lunch.  It had a huge selection of salad items and many varieties of vegetables all in a grand buffet.  There were many items that I could not eat, yet.  But there were more than enough options for me. Most everything was healthy, but some were just not yet on my "OK to eat" list.

Tomorrow I will be able to have plenty of options including meats.  But for now, I'm in transition and after this much effort, I don't want to blow it.

I was on my own for dinner.  I chose a local Indian restaurant knowing that they tend to have many items that are within my new high fiber diet.  I order Vegetable Korma.  It is a characteristic Indian dish which can be traced back to the 16th century and to the Mughal incursions into present-day Northern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Classically, a korma is defined as a dish where meat or vegetables are braised with water or stock.  Needless to say, I stuck with the vegetable.  But modern Korma definitely in not just stewed in stock or water.  It has lots of spices and this dish in particular was very spicey.  I was a bit concerned, but everything was fine.  The kind waitress substituted yellow lentils for the rice and it tasted delicious.  

I was eating alone and so my thoughts wandered around until they landed on our son David, perhaps the very best son ever known to man.  I took a picture of myself and texted it off to him telling him that I was eating healthy Indian food tonight.  He quickly wrote back and said, "how appropriate as tonight is Dandiya".  Ok, what the heck is that? I thought.  Apparently it is quite the Indian holiday where dancing is a major part.  Well, I didn't dance, but I was about ready to do so after having that delicious meal.  Amazing how good it tasted.


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Day 30 ---- Travel and Transition

Day 30 ----  Travel and Transition

As you may remember, Dr. Saunders strongly encouraged me to eat carefully during the first 2-3 days.  He recommended only having fruits, veggies, nuts, and seeds, basically high fiber.  He is a brilliant man and has helped me so much that I was not about to question his advice.  This coupled with the fact that I have read about others who did not transition properly and had significant digestive issues.

What was to make things more complicated was the fact that I needed to travel all day across the USA.  But I knew what I could have and I knew that I had plenty of options.

I needed to be up at 4:30AM and off to the airport at 5:00 for a 6:30AM flight.  I awoke on time, feeling great, and drank some water, ate an apple and off we went to the airport.  Sadly, I had to say goodbye to my mate-for-life and board the plane.  So we said our farewells, said a prayer, and I entered the airport.

Santa Barbara airport is one of the best airports that I utilize.  It's not fancy but it's small and simple and very easy to navigate, plus very familiar.  I went through the check in procedure and was officially inside the secure gate boarding area.  My first stop was to buy some nuts for the flight.  I knew that with nuts, an apple, and some water, I would be fine.  And I was fine.

The first leg was to Phoenix followed by a flight to Philadelphia.  I munched on delicious nuts and apples on the way, with plenty of water.  It seemed easy and delicious.

Once I landed, I rented a car and drove off to see Herbie Hancock about an hour or so North of Philly.  He was amazing.  He had so much energy still at 73 years old.  I was very happy to see him.  He played only 6 songs in total but that filled up a full two hours.  Imagine that, each song averaging 20 minutes.  Awesome.

After the show, I drove back to my hotel, getting in kind of late but feeling relaxed and satisfied with the ease of the day.

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Day 29 --- (Dinner) Finally a real meal

Day 29 --- Dinner, as in a real, solid food meal

It's a date.  A date to remember but also a date with my sweet wife of 15 years, well 15 years this December.  I was so looking forward to this meal, and more importantly being able to go out to dinner with my bride on a real date.  So, I asked her when she wanted for me to pick her up at home.  We set a time and I waited, impatiently.

Knowing that we would be going out soon and that Suzy would want to get ready before dinner, I got ready early with the plan being to stay out of the house until the time when I was to pick up my date.  Six O'clock was the arrangement.  So I took a shower and picked out a pressed dress shirt and Suzy's favorite jeans, on me that is.  Then I slipped out for a meeting with one of three triplets related to college planning.  I was excited for the evening and happy to have the meeting to keep me occupied until at least 5:30.

After the meeting, I walked around our little village and picked some flowers to bring to Suzy before our date.  Also, I got the car straightened out and walked around waiting for 6:00PM.  Finally it was just about time and so I walked up to our home, flowers in hand, and rang the doorbell.  And there she was standing there, Miss America, looking as beautiful as ever.  I couldn't help but notice my heart rate increase a bit.  I just love this girl.  Suzy was completely ready to go and truly did look beautiful, which is pretty easy for her.

Off we went feeling like a school boy on a first date.  We took our time driving to Sojourner Restaurant in downtown SB.  I asked for there very best table "because we were celebrating".  There gave us a lovely table in the corner and for the first time in 30 days, I held a menu in my hands.  I was not just excited that was going to be able to eat soon, but that there were so many choices available to me that were healthy and delicious.  But after reading nearly every item on the menu, I ended up choosing one of my favorite dishes at Sojourner and after many years of eating it, I just now realized how healthy it is for me.  I've included part of the menu below, just for fun.  I proudly order the Golden Indian Dhal.  It is a bowl of stewed red lentils with a variety of mixed vegetables and a side of brown rice.  I also ordered a side of avocado, just for fun.  Suzy ordered the Gazpacho and a great salad.  She has been on her own diet as well and so this was a treat for her as well.

We were in no hurry, but I was a bit anxious and excited.  The meal arrived and it looked beautiful.  I could see chunks of different vegetables sticking out of the red lentils and the brown rice looked wonderful.  I took one bit and savored the way the warm solid food felt in my mouth.  It felt heavy on my tongue and reassuring.  It was delicious.  I haven't been a big fan of brown rice, but I have to say that it tasted wonderful, especially mixed with the lentils.  The avocado was absolutely perfect.  I really enjoyed the contrast between the cool avocado and the warm Indian Dhal.  Suzy was thoroughly enjoying her Gazpacho, a favorite to be sure for her.

We enjoyed our time together so very much.  The food, although it was disappointingly slightly better than warm with the rice being cool, was delicious and fulfilling none the less.  I might have mentioned this to the staff but after 30 days of no solid food, I was in no mood to complain.  The small serving, I ordered the lunch sized plate, was more than enough.  I was full and my mouth was happy.

Suzy and I enjoyed our meal and then went for a walk around the downtown area before heading back to our home, full, content, happy, satisfied, and proud of myself.

(By the way, this isn't the end.  I didn't really know it at this point but there a lot more to come)

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Day 29 --- Part two (afternoon)

Day 29  --  Part two

As the day progresses, I'm getting excited about going out for a proper meal with my wife.  Truly, this will be a celebration.  After a month of having nothing but liquid soup broth, finally I will get to eat something solid.

This afternoon, I went back to see Dr. Scott Saunders.  It was a visit that I was looking forward to attending. He said that I looked well and healthy.  Amazing to think that I lost 26 pounds in about as many days, 26.8 pounds to be exact.  I had a good list of questions for him about the transition diet and the future diet.

He said that for the next 2 full days, that I should have high fiber foods which could include fruits, vegetables, brown rice, lentils, beans, nuts, and seeds.  For me, this is a cornucopia of delicious choices.  He encouraged me to avoid certain foods as well including dairy and meats, etc.  After two full days, I could add some fish or chicken and other items slowly.  I was super excited.

To celebrate, Suzy and I were to go to dinner at one of Santa Barbara's finest restaurants.  The thought was either the Biltmore with its beautiful view of Butterfly Beach or the newly renovated El Encanto, Spanish for the "enchanted place".  Both are outstanding 5 star restaurants and resort hotels.  But the only problem was that in reviewing these menus, we found that I would end up having a pretty basic salad.  We were hoping for something a little bit more than some lettuce with basic salad toppings.  So with a quick shift of choices, I looked at the menu from a local healthy restaurant called Sojourner.  Suzy and I have been going there since 1984, at first separately, and now as a couple.  The restaurant is as organic and natural as they get.  I showed Dr. Saunders the menu and he approved whole-heartedly.  There were several choices that would be just fine and I'm looking forward to this evening.

More to follow.....  CLICK HERE!!!