don't mono eat pineapple...it's too acidic...destroyed my mouth

Well, I already bought it. I hope I don't have the same reaction.

XOXO

different people have different reactions to pineapple. i'm usually fine with it.

[utopiankitchen.wordpress.com]

hey i had to quit eating mono...my body isn't ready for that kind of detox. also, i had a really awful reaction to the pineapple mono day...my mouth got all cut up and sore and im still recovering from that. i got a nasty throat infection as well. so i've reverted back to my regular raw diet.

let me know how things go for you

i think i know why i had such a nasty reaction to the pineapply. i bought two, cut them up and mized them up in a big tupperware container that i carried around with me all day. I think one of them may have been a little under ripe.

nadiarafi, I'm sorry that happened to you. :-( I'm not sure if mine are completely ripe. I'm not sure, but I think it's hard to get truly ripe pineapples unless you live where they are grown. We'll see how I do on it...it's not for another day, or two.

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Here's my full report of my mono strawberry meals:

Navratri 9-Days of Mono Meals

April 6, 2008
This evening, around 8pm, Navratri officially starts. Instead of doing the traditional nine-day fast for the holiday, I decided to consume mono meals (only one fruit or veggie every 24 hours). So, this evening I ate 16 oz. of strawberries! They were sweet and filled the air with their scent. I had 24 oz. washed and ready to eat, but when I neared the 16 oz., I was full and they didn’t taste as great to me any longer.

April 7, 2008
I wasn’t hungry for breakfast right away, so I didn’t eat my morning strawberries until around 11am. Again, I washed 24 oz. and found that I didn’t desire to eat any more than 16oz. I’m curious if it will be approximately 16 oz. for each time I eat. Does that mean my stomach only likes holding one pound of food? I’m curious to find out!

I’ve haven’t measured or weighed my portions since I’ve been raw, I just eat whatever I feel like eating, in whatever quantities I desire. I signed up to use NutriDiary today, to track my nutrition. I always wanted to use the program, but eating complicated, multi-ingredient recipes just seemed like too much work. Starting with just mono meals will allow me to easily use the program and learn about all of its features.

I can already tell that at this rate I am not going to get adequate calories from the amount of strawberries I’m consuming. My morning meal was only 145 calories. We’ll see how the day progresses. There’s a chance that I’ll want lunch and then a snack before dinner, since there are so few calories in the strawberries. I’m not overly concerned about calories, however, since Navratri is a time to cleanse and allow the body to rest (and my mono meals will only be for nine days). On top of that, I’m not at my ideal weight, yet, so if some pounds are left behind it won’t be problematic.

Jim and KDcat had our usual gigantic family salads for lunch. The look and smell of them made me want my regular salad, as well. I’m okay without it, and I’m dedicated to the nine days of mono meals, but I can now see that this may not be as easy as I originally thought.

3:30 pm
Whew! I’m stuffed! I blended 16 oz. of strawberries in the Vitamix to drink (that was yummy!) and then I ate an additional 6 oz. of whole berries. I don’t think I would have been able to consume as much, had I not blended most of them. It was very filling and I know I won’t be hungry until after dinnertime. So, now ends my strawberry day! There is one container of strawberries left that Jim and KDcat are welcome to consume!

Total Expense for strawberries consumed: $17.50

Body/Mind/Spirit/Emotions
It’s too early to notice much from the mono eating. Mentally, I am fully committed to doing the nine days of mono meals. I do not physically feel hungry. In fact, right this moment I feel quite full after my last strawberry meal. However, if I wasn’t doing this mono eating, I’d probably process up some sort of salty nut/cheese spread to consume. Is this because I need more calories, because I only consumed sweet food all day and I want to balance it out with something salty, or because I’m used to feeling slightly numb and I’m craving that feeling? Perhaps it’s a combination of all of those things, in addition to some others that I haven’t considered.

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This is really long doing it this way. Is it better if I just post a link to my blog post, or is it okay to post long entries like this? I don't want to overwhelm anyone with my long posts. :-/

i can't eat more than a couple pieces of pineapple at a sitting, either. even the awesomely delicious low acid varieties grown here locally. but some people can seriously chow them. everyone is different on that score!

i prefer the long post, and i'm riveted! don't stop!

I am enjoying your posts GA - keep up the great work, mind and body! And, I hope that you will keep us posted!

Okay, I'll continue posting them here each day. :-)

XOXOXO

Well, this is even longer than the one yesterday. :-/ If anyone objects, just let me know.

This entry picks up where I left off yesterday and continues through this evening.

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7:00 pm
I was starting to feel a little hungry, so I started my second food for my mono meals. A sweet person on a raw food support forum I daily visit suggested that I eat the foods in the order of the rainbow. What a clever idea, right?! So, that’s what I’m going to do, to the best of my ability. If something isn’t ripe, I’m not going to stick to the color order and eat it. If I feel like I just don’t want a particular food that is the “correct” color some day, then I’ll choose something different. The order of the rainbow will be a nice guideline to follow when eating my mono meals, though!

So, that brings us to my next food! The first were the red/strawberries. Now I’m on to orange/oranges. I just ate four medium-sized navels. I’m not stuffed like I was earlier when I ate more than I really desired of the strawberries. However, I am very satisfied and a bit full. I’m thinking tomorrow should be an easy day, since oranges are easy to eat!

8:26 pm
I’m wanting something salty, something with lots of flavor (from herbs and/or spices). I think reading raw food blogs is going to make this mono eating a bit difficult. I see beautiful recipes and want to eat them. Normally, when I am eating a mixture of raw foods in my meal, I am full and satisfied---and images of raw recipes simply inspire me to make something similar for myself someday. When all I’m eating is fruit, however, it makes me want to eat those things immediately. I salivate, even though my stomach isn’t even empty. I’m thinking I’m going to thoroughly enjoy the day of celery, when I have something that isn’t sweet and has a slightly salty taste to it!

April 8, 2008
Last night I dreamed I was eating bread! I was walking around with a piece of buttered bread in my hand, and then I brought it up to my mouth and mindlessly took a bite. I then realized I had bread in my mouth and I took it out. I asked myself, “What am I doing? I don’t eat bread!” Then I remembered that earlier I had eaten a piece without realizing what I was doing, and I had chewed it up and swallowed it. I was glad to have been more aware of what I was doing this time, and that I didn’t consume the entire piece of bread without even thinking about it.

I know to some the dream may look like deep-seeded emotional issues around food. But, that’s not what it is. Yesterday, my daughter was actually walking around with a piece of buttered bread, mindlessly munching on it. ;-) I’ve dreamed of bread in the past, however, and I wonder if it’s because my body has never been able to fully detox itself of the wheat I’ve consumed over my lifetime. You see, I still use NamaShoyu which contains some wheat; therefore, my body is still getting small doses of wheat on an almost regular basis. Someday, I will give up the NamaShoyu, because I really don’t like relying on packaged/bottled foods in order to enjoy the vegetables and nuts I consume.

I was very tired last night and went to sleep not long after 10pm. I woke somewhere around 7am, my mind alert but my body still a bit tired (mostly my eyes). My tongue feels like it’s a bit coated—isn’t it too early to start some sort of detox? I’ve only had four mono meals, so far. It seems like nothing would be happening, yet, since it’s so soon.

Whenever I don’t consume garlic and/or onions for a while, the smell of them on others is potent. [Pause here to giggle a bit: my daughter just came into the office carrying a piece of buttered bread. I took a moment to talk with her about mindless eating, too.] Anyway, our herbs are starting to wake up in the back yard and yesterday my daughter had eaten some chives. She was on a different floor of the house and I got a whiff of the scent and I called up to her: “Someone has been eating fresh chives!” She was amazed that I could smell it on a different floor, especially since it was earlier in the day that she had eaten them. Some people don’t like the smell of chives and garlic, but I love both, especially when they are on the breath of those I’m talking with.

It’s 9:40am and I’m not hungry, yet. Today is my day of oranges and I think it’s going to be easy. I’ll blend up about six and drink them for breakfast, and then eat some whole ones for lunch (and a snack if I’m hungry any time before dinner). I haven’t decided what to eat after the oranges. I have pineapples on my kitchen counter and some bananas on top of the fridge (my next rainbow color is yellow). I’ll make the decision when it’s time to eat dinner, I guess!

11:15am
I blended six Valencia oranges, with the seeds, in the Vitamix for my breakfast. I guess there were a lot of seeds in them, since the drink was a bit bitter. It was okay, though. I drank all of it and it was very filling. I’m wondering if I should eat first thing in the morning, even if I’m not hungry, so that I can get more calories each day. I can’t decide if I should do that, or if I should just eat when I’m hungry (which seems like the natural way to eat).

1:30pm
I wasn’t really hungry, but I wanted to sit with Jim and KDcat while they were eating. So, I ate four navel oranges. They were very tasty and easy to eat. I must admit, however, that the look and smell of the cucumber and nut “cheese” was the food making me salivate.

5:22pm
It’s a bit earlier than I wanted to eat for dinner, but I’m hungry. So, I’ve decided to eat two oranges and then later I’ll eat whatever I decide to eat for my yellow mono meal!

6:10pm
Okay, those two oranges must have completely stimulated my appetite because I’m HUNGRY! :-) The bananas aren’t ripe enough (I prefer them heavily spotted with brown and never consume them if they have any green at all), so that means it’s going to be pineapples for dinner. I wonder what it will be like blended into a smoothie? I think I’m about to find out!

6:30pm
Oh, my!!! That was delicious! I’ve decided that I’m going to blend the pineapples for every meal. Wow! It was acidic, but oh so yummy and sweet. If anyone reading this has a high-power blender, I recommend blending up an entire pineapple (after removing the skin and core, that is). You won’t be disappointed! An entire pineapple yielded 4.5 cups of pineapple smoothie. I couldn’t drink more than half of it, but maybe I’ll be hungry before bedtime and I’ll drink the rest of it later.

Total Expense for oranges consumed: $7.68

Body/Mind/Spirit/Emotions
I have more energy today, but I don’t know if it’s because of the mono meals or because the sun has been out for a few days in a row. It has been beautiful outside, so I’ve been spending a lot of time outside soaking up the sun’s rays. It feels so great. I’m looking forward to moving to a sunnier location before the end of the year. Mentally, I feel a tiny bit more focused. Again, however, is that from the sun or the mono meals? I feel excited, in a way, about this nine days of mono meal eating. It’s a great way to get used to not consuming so many fats (nuts, seeds, oil, avocados), which is my big goal during this second year of 100% raw. So, it’s exciting to be getting closer to that goal in a special way. I’ve been taking time to meditate in the mornings and I’ll try adding meditation in the evenings, as well. I’m feeling pretty good, overall.

next update...

8:15pm
Okay, I have cravings. They aren’t there until I see or smell foods, though. I was just going through some raw blogs that I like to read and someone posted a mouth-watering picture of a quiche and I instantly wanted to eat it. I actually felt a little sad, or something, that I couldn’t eat salty, oily, savory foods. Then my inner voice spoke the deepest wisdom to me, as it’s been doing all along. It said: “You can eat whatever you want. If you aren’t eating it, it’s because you choose to not eat it.” I love those words that have been supporting me from the very beginning of my raw food journey. Yes, those other foods look good, but right now I choose to not eat them. I am committed to this nine days of mono meals. I’m going to finish up that pineapple smoothie that I created earlier this evening.

April 9, 2008
I went to bed around 11pm and woke around 7am. Again, my mind was awake but my eyes felt tired. They still feel tired, actually. I feel like I have less energy than I did yesterday, but the day is just starting so I don’t know for certain how I’ll feel later. The sun isn’t shining as brightly as it did the past few days. I’m glad I spent as much time outside as possible to collect the energy while it was there to be taken. ;-)

8:08am
I’m not even close to being hungry. I’ve decided that I’m not going to eat unless I’m hungry. When I do become hungry, however, I’m definitely blending the pineapple for my meal. That was an amazing drink yesterday!

10:15am
I showered and then meditated. My mind was jumping all over the place until I became fully present. Then I reached a place of peaceful vibration, which makes me feel almost blissful during and after the meditation. I’m wondering now if the most memorable meditations are those times when I was eating more lightly, when my digestion wasn’t keeping me so grounded, or something. It’s difficult to explain, but I feel very grounded right now, but also very light and not of this world. I’ve written about this in my personal journal in the past (Dancing with Maya). This morning’s meditation wasn’t as deep/intense as past ones, but once you taste that feeling/connection/disconnection you never forget it completely. Even the smallest hint of that experience causes the vibration to begin. It’s quite lovely, but difficult to explain.

I cut up my second pineapple and blended it in the Vitamix. It yielded five cups. I am now drinking about two cups and I’ll consume the rest when Jim comes home for lunch.

Love this!! I hope to have the willpower(?) determination(?) spirt(?) to be able to do this same thing with my food. Thanks for sharing it all, I am definitely not minding the long posts.

Thanks, VEggiefreak.

Here is my latest update. I have a headache and I'm headed to bed early. :-(

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1:00pm
I finished the rest of the blended pineapple from this morning. I’m very full right now. I’m also quite tired.

3:00pm
I have a slight headache and I feel kind of sad/depressed. My eyes are dry and my tongue is slightly coated. Also, my stomach is burning a bit—probably from the acid in the pineapple. I’m still very full from the drink this afternoon and I can’t imagine consuming any more pineapple. The bananas aren’t fully ripe, yet, so I’ll move to the next color for dinner: GREEN! Yay! I’m so excited about getting away from the fruits. They’ve been tasty, but I really like greens best right now in my life. I probably should have done the global juice feasting like so many others are doing right now, but I knew it was more than I wanted to take on at this time. It definitely would have allowed my body to replenish any low vitamins/minerals I may be missing.

Anyway, for dinner this evening I’ll have cucumbers! I couldn’t decide between the celery and cucumbers, but I figure the celery will stay fresh longer. The cucumbers still look great. I took a few of them out of the fridge and put them on the counter. I don’t like cold fruits or veggies.

Ooh! Is that the sun I see?!!! I’m headed outside to soak up some of the rays. I bet that will make me feel better. Well, it was teasing me…it’s hiding again. L

4:26pm
Well, I definitely have a small headache. My stomach is burning, too. I had a large glass of water, but that didn’t help. So, I have started my next food a bit early. I spiral-sliced two medium cucumbers (yielded about 3 cups) and I’m going to eat that now. It seems like maybe it will be claming on my poor stomach after all that acid. We’ll see. As for the headache, I might have to take a nap if it doesn’t fade away.

5:39pm
I am very hungry right now, so I’m going to cut up some more cucumbers. They taste great as they are, but I have to admit that I would love, love, love some salt sprinkled on top of them….ooh, and maybe a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of lemon, and some chopped herbs. I am definitely not a long-term mono meal eater, that’s for sure. Well, at this very moment that’s what it seems like; I have no idea what I’ll prefer in the future.

Isn’t it strange that I started the day feeling pretty good—almost blissful. Then I felt a bit down/depressed and headachey. I guess all I can do is experience it all and let it pass. It’s fascinating to observe how we respond to different things, isn’t it?

7:36pm
I have a horrible headache. I ate five cups of cucumbers for dinner. Then my husband drew a bath for me so that I could soak since my head was hurting. I thought about doing a sauna, but that usually makes my headaches worse. I soaked for a while, but I felt hungry again. So, I got out, meditated for a bit, and then ate another three cups of cucumber, but just couldn’t eat any more of it. My calories for the day are only 528, so is that the reason for the headache? Or is it detox? I have no idea, but a headache is usually the point where I’m willing to do anything to get rid of the pain. I’ve suffered from migraines all of my adult life until I went raw. Now I only get the occasional one, and a few “regular” headaches (which is what this one is).

I’ve gone back and forth in my mind, debating about whether or not I want to give up on this mono eating for nine days. I really want to do it, because I think it’s good to cleanse the body every once in a while, I think it’s good for me to get used to not eating so many nuts and fats, it’s a nice way to celebrate Navratri and pay a bit more attention to my spiritual side, and I’m curious about what eating this way does for the body. This headache, however, makes me want to eat that leftover nut dip that Jim made the other day. Usually (since going raw) if I am having a headache, I can eat something like that and the headache will fade a bit. Anyway, I’ve decided to call it an early evening and I hope to wake up feeling refreshed and free of this headache.


Total Expense for pineapples consumed: $7.82

Body/Mind/Spirit/Emotions
Physically, my eyes feel dry and a bit heavy. My nails are whiter and harder than usual (I remember that this happens whenever I consume a lot of pineapple. What is it in the pineapple that’s good for fingernails?). I feel tired/sleepy today. I’ve struggled with a headache most of the day. My shoulder aches, too. Emotionally I feel like I might cry, but I can’t think of why. Maybe because I’m out of my comfort zone? I don’t have to do this, I choose to do this, so I don’t know why I’m almost complaining that I want to eat other food. Spiritually I felt great this morning, but right now my physical and emotional self is taking too much focus/attention. Mentally, I am prepared to continue with this. We’ll see how I feel in the morning.

Hey Wendi, remember that 3-4 day so called crash I mentioned?? Stick it out and see how you feel after day 5 if you can?? It's common to get tired, etc. about this time for these kinda experiments. I just wonder if cucumbers will be too difficult for a day though. Not alot of calories or the same ooomph of a sweet fruit for energy. Take it easy and rest :O)

Im fruitarian and Im diggin the posts here on mono eating because I do this regularly, and I must say I have been mono eating oranges and grapes and I have been acting like a mouse on cocaine!! I feel supercharged! Grapes and oranges are also both very hydrating! I like to use variety with fruits but at times I eat whats on sale and lately its been oranges and grapes.I love oranges and grapes and each day i think to myself,why did I for so many years eat candy bars and drink soda??? Fruit is the BEST way to live, for ME that is, fruit to me is MAGIC!! And by the way NOOO Im NOT on a sugar high!! I hate it when people say that!! Especially people who eat garbage every day and have no concern for their health! My x-wife asked me yesterday "where do you get your protein?" I said ORANGES! Oranges have a LOT of protein girl!! Same with calcium! Besides we dont need the daily recommendation of protein, its too much in my opionion. Ok Ill shut up now!! Im beginning to rant! My Bad!
Rob

True, roadrunner, being a mono eater myself - but I feel many still gotta learn to walk before ya run sometimes though. :O)

Crawling here....I think that the hardest thing to deal with is that food is often the vice. When it is taken away all the emotions and feelings are right there, raw, and needing to be dealt with. It is amazing that so many people think that they have no "issues" with food, yet they use it as their source of comfort, security, joy,and whatever else they need. (I am not referring to you GA, but making a generalized statement about the mainstream population who lives in an unaware state most days.) I guess I am coming from that place, and SO glad I found this one. I am thinking of you today GypsyArdor, hope it turns out exactly the way you want it to.

Thanks so much, Tanawana, roadrunner, and veggie freak!


I made it through the night... ;-)

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April 10, 2008
Today is a bright, sunny day. It’s amazing what a little sleep can do for a person! It was a tough day/evening yesterday. I’ve moved beyond that, however, and here I am continuing with my goal of 9 days mono eating for Navratri.

3:00am
I woke with extreme thirst. I drank a large amount of water. My tongue wasn’t very pink and it was lightly coated. I had slight intestinal bloating and tiny hives on the right side of my neck and jawline that were very itchy. I sat to meditate, but I was too cold and wanted to sleep, instead. My abdomen was bloated and I felt/looked dehydrated. The skin on my neck was loose and my eyes were sunken in with dark circles (not extremely dark, though). I was happy that I didn’t have a headache any more. I drank another large amount of water and went back to bed.

My mind was active, recalling various things (particularly a discussion Jim and I had about how different we are). Then I closed my eyes and there he was: the Gorilla. This wasn’t a dream; I was still awake. I was remembering for some strange reason the gorilla from the zoo. I felt his sadness, his despair, and I cried. I knew at that moment that this was an emotional detox and I needed to allow myself to feel the pain that I had suppressed in the past when I saw him. We were at the zoo with some guests. I love the animals, but the zoo is always a sad place for me. It’s unnatural to have the animals living in captivity. Anyway, the gorilla and I have met before. This time it was harder to see him than in the past. For some reason my empathy was stronger at that particular moment than it normally is (and that’s saying something, since I am always feeling what others are experiencing around me). I felt his despair and my body wanted to collapse onto the ground in front of him and forget about all of the life around me. The part of myself that wasn’t fully connected to him, that observed the empathy instead of feeling it, needed to sob. It was extremely difficult to not cry, but I knew I needed to stay silent. There was already too much stress in the air within our little group, I didn’t need to be causing any more by all of a sudden sobbing uncontrollably. So, as I’ve learned to do since I was very young, I stuffed it deep inside and forced myself to continue on with my day.

There it all was, however, last night. I closed my eyes and the gorilla was there. I felt his despair, his isolation, and I felt my own sorrow at seeing him in that state. I cried, releasing the feelings I should never have kept inside. I fell asleep not long after that.

7:00am
I woke up, but didn’t get out of bed. I had that feeling that sometimes comes when I oversleep—a slight buzz in the head, a feeling of being slightly disconnected. Eventually I became more present and focused, however, and began my day. I ate 2.5 cups of cucumber, but had a feeling that it wasn’t good for me to continue with the cucumber until dinner. So, I decided I’d consume celery until dinner.

9:30am
I got ready for my therapy session. I washed and chopped up an entire bunch of celery and put it into a bag. I nibbled on it while heading to my session, and then ate more of it on the way home. In the session I shared with doctor what had happened with the gorilla. I told her that I almost felt like I was being caged and held in a way, too. This is something I’ve been working on, breaking free from whatever is keeping me from truly being myself and happy. Most of the bonds are self-created, I’ve realized. Anyway, I sobbed a lot when I was sharing my feelings about the gorilla. Afterward she asked me how I felt about the gorilla. This is a technique I think she uses. She tests to see if you are still holding on to something, or if it no longer affects you (if you cry, it’s still there). Anyway, I felt light and not bothered by the memory of the gorilla. I said it’s kind of funny, while also not being funny. I closed my eyes and here was this gorilla looking at me with his empty, yet also very deep, eyes. That’s kind of funny, right, that I closed my eyes and there was a gorilla there? But, then it’s not so funny at the same time. I have released the emotion from that day at the zoo, even though I still feel sorry for the gorilla.

2:00pm
I am finishing up the celery. I have decided that the rainbow color order isn’t going to work right now. My next food color should be blue or violet, but the bananas are ripe and calling to me. So, it will be bananas for dinner! Yay! I am looking forward to the heavy feeling that comes from bananas. I know in a way it’s an emotional thing…using the weight of the food to keep me from feeling so much. But, that’s the stage I’m at right now in my life. I’m not ready to face all of the demons head on, yet. I’d rather let them out of their cages one at a time.

Here's an update on the rest of my day. It was much better than yesterday!

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4:30pm
It’s early, still, but I want to eat and it’s not celery I want. So, I’m ending my cucumber/celery part of the day and eating bananas!!! Oh, I’m looking forward to 24 hours with bananas!

6:00pm
I was surprised that I was full after only four bananas, earlier. I can usually eat seven in one sitting, and many more not long after that. This time it was only four. I don’t like the idea that my stomach was shrinking, since I need it to stay bigger so that I can get enough calories each day after the mono eating is completed. I’m eating some more bananas now. This is much easier than cucumbers!

Total Expense for cucumbers consumed: $11.43
Total Expense for celery consumed: $2.89

Body/Mind/Spirit/Emotions
Well, I think my notes throughout the day covered how I’m doing. I feel great this evening, and felt pretty good most of the day. It was a strange emotional detox with the memory/stored emotions about the gorilla, wasn’t it? Mentally, I’m prepared to continue with the mono meals. Physically, I still feel bloated and I still have a small bit of hives on my neck and jawline. They aren’t noticeable to others, but I feel them there and they itch a little bit. My shoulder no longer hurts today and I’m thankful that the headache left in the middle of the night. Spiritually, I am at peace some of the day and at other times my mind kind of takes over.

Moving. Definitely moving and so relatable...the gorilla and your sadness, the feelings that you have been caged up, pushing down the urge to cry to protect the group feeling stress already, dealing wth them later on when you are alone. So much stuff you are bringing up for me too. Thanks so, so much for sharing so openly.

*HUGS* to you, veggiefreak. You are very welcome.

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Here's my next update:

April 11, 2008
I woke around 6am. I guess on mono meals I only require about eight hours of sleep. Normally I need closer to nine to feel good the next day. I’ve always required a lot of sleep, even as a child. I’m wondering what food I’ll switch to at the end of the day. I had apples as one of my choices, but Jim has been feeding them to our puppy so there aren’t enough to use them as one of my mono meals. I may have to do two days of bananas, until I get to the grocery store this weekend. I have to admit, the thought of only bananas isn’t a bad idea to me.

12:12pm
I had to go out this morning with KDcat (daughter) for a dental checkup (no cavities!). So, I took eight bananas. I’m back now and all eight are gone. I finished the last one a few minutes before returning home. I’m thinking I’ll switch to oranges this evening, but I’m not sure, yet.

6:38pm
I had intense stomach cramps earlier today, around 3pm. I ate one banana, wondering if that would make me feel better. But, then I felt nauseous. The cramps were so bad that I had to lie down. I felt extremely tired as soon as I was in bed and fell asleep almost instantly. I woke with my entire abdomen feeling a bit tender, but the pain was gone. It hasn’t returned. Just now I ate four more bananas.

I’ve decided that I’ll finish eating the bananas that I have. Once they run out (probably around lunch time tomorrow), I’ll switch to oranges again (since I have a lot still here).

Body/Mind/Spirit/Emotions
Well, my body felt awful with those cramps and then the small amount of nausea. Other than that, I am feeling well. I have to admit that I’m kind of disappointed that I’m not seeing dramatic changes in my skin. I thought for sure my skin would become even clearer and smoother. My nails are definitely firmer, so that’s nice.

Emotionally, I am feeling okay. I don’t feel like I’m floating around with extreme happiness, but I don’t feel like I’m very down, either. I’ve had intense cravings whenever I smell anything cooked. I never craved cooked food this much all while I’ve been raw, but now that I’m consuming only mono foods I find myself craving and thinking about cooked foods (all kinds, too—not just Indian food, which is my favorite). I won’t eat it, of course. Even though I crave it, I don’t really want it! If I did, I’d eat it, right? ;-)

I’ve had a few moments today when I felt love flowing in and around me, coming from deep within myself. It didn’t last very long, but it’s always enjoyable to feel that. One day I shall walk the earth feeling that love and bliss in a never ending way, sharing it with those around me.

I forgot to post the update yesteray...here it is:

April 12, 2008
Today we are doing some Spring cleaning and getting rid of stuff that has been collecting that we don’t really need or use. I just finished the bananas (eight of them) and later I’ll start eating the oranges that we have. I have plenty of oranges to get me through the day and into tomorrow until we go shopping. I’m hopeful that there will be cantaloupes at the food co-op tomorrow. It would be fun to have a cantaloupe day!

How many days do I have left? I guess three? Overall, it hasn’t really been all that difficult.

5:10pm
Today I am feeling true hunger! I ate eight bananas this morning and then six small oranges around lunch time. Now I am very hungry and will eat more oranges. I have to continue with the oranges in the morning, too, since I have to grocery shop tomorrow.

7:00pm
I ate four oranges, and I have to say that even though I was feeling hungry I wasn’t really into eating them. They weren’t overly sweet and they didn’t feel all that great in my belly. Now I’m wondering if I’m feeling hunger or something else. I’m wondering that because I see all kinds of other foods I’d like to eat—the bread my daughter is eating right now, the pasta she ate earlier, and I would really love to eat some cooked (and even fried! EEK!) Indian food. I really think the cravings are much worse doing this mono meal eating than they’ve been over the past year and a half, or so, since I’ve been 100% raw.

I do think that I’m not done detoxing and that I’m not even close to what is ahead of me. There are things that make me think this—first, I know I have a lot of stored emotional stuff that needs to be released, still. Next, my ears have never completely cleared up like they did the one time I was doing the master cleanse for a few weeks. Also, my skin isn’t perfect. Sure, it looks fantastic and people tell me that my skin is incredible, but I know it’s not as good as it could be. I still get blotchy, especially on my nose and areas of my cheeks, and most days I have some small bumps under my skin (they seem to come and go). I’m not complaining, however. I feel and look so much better than I did when I was consuming cooked foods! Even if I never get to the level of being completely detoxed and filled with unbelievable health, I am still so much healthier than I ever was in the past.

Total Expense for bananas consumed: $10.81
Total Expense for oranges consumed: about $4.00

Well, it's another long post. Sorry about that.

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April 13, 2008
I noticed that since I’ve been eating only mono meals, I seem to be consistently sleeping eight hours a night, as opposed to nine, or more. It’s a dreary day today, yet I don’t feel like I’m tired or down, which is how I normally feel when there’s not enough sunshine.

11:00am
All I have to mono eat today are Valencia oranges. I don’t feel like eating them, though. If I blend them, the seeds make the smoothie bitter (and I don’t feel like picking out all of the seeds. Our hand juicing device is broken—the metal peg has somehow gone missing. L

Jim agreed to somehow make the hand juicer work and he juiced up almost two cups of fresh orange juice for me! It was great!

3:02pm
Just returned from shopping. They had no melons at all, which really made me sad. I was looking forward to a cantaloupe day. Can you believe they had no bananas, either? I was stuck walking back and forth, looking at the fruits over and over again deciding what to choose for my next few meals. I settled on some apples and navel oranges. Since I started my day with the orange juice, I decided to just continue with the oranges.

I’ve decided that I really love navel oranges, but Valencia oranges only taste fantastic to me if they are juiced. The seeds are too bitter for smoothies, and there are too many seeds to eat without constantly picking them out. Plus, they don’t taste as sweet as the navel oranges. The ones I just ate were extremely juice and sweet. Yum!

So, I’ll continue eating the oranges until they either run out or I’m tired of them. Then I’ll switch to the apples. I hope that’s enough to get me through to dinner time on Tuesday, when I can then eat something other than a mono meal. I wonder what I’ll eat?!

I was telling Jim that I feel like my sinuses are clearer, or something, even though I don’t generally think of myself as someone who has blocked/congested sinuses. It’s almost as though the air comes in and easily travels down to fill my lungs. My breaths are so much deeper, so much clearer. My lungs feel very empty and happy, almost, to receive so much air. I’m much more aware of my breath on this mono experiment, for some reason (maybe because I’m able to breathe clearer/deeper for some reason?).

My energy is better than it usually is. I’ve never experienced that bouncing-off-the-walls excess energy that most raw foodists talk about. That’s probably because I’m always low in iron, and many times low in B12. However, my stores of both those things should be the same, or less, since I started this mono eating. So, the increase in energy is either because I am not consuming fats, or because of my digestion getting less work (or both). I’m certainly not feeling like I have enough energy to tackle all of the tasks I want to accomplish, however. It’s just a small increase, but noticeable.

I fell a bit short tempered. I don’t feel angry, but I don’t feel as though I tolerate as much. Is it because of some sort of detox?

I didn’t meditate today, since the meditation room is under construction. I could have sat in another room, but I didn’t really feel drawn to do that, so I didn’t. I did, however, take a sauna and that felt great. The skin on my face, however, needed a lot of moisturizer before I left the house for grocery shopping. My skin is very dry and flaky. Actually, my skin feels even less smooth than it normally does. There is an increase in the tiny bumps under my skin on my face (to the left and right of my nose, but not all the way up on my ckeeks).

This way of eating, even though I’m craving salty, oily, herb- and spice-infused foods, feels so easy. I’m referring to the ease of just washing and eating (and sometimes peeling). It’s not all that easy to eat this way, however, especially when I see and smell more complicated foods.

6:07pm
I blended up six navel oranges and ate them like a pudding that was too thin. I couldn’t finish it all, however, so the rest is in the fridge for a snack tonight. It was pretty good, but I do love the orange pudding that I normally eat with cashews blended in and blueberries added at the end.

As good as I feel, and I guess the feeling that I’m having is a “clean” feeling (I’m not talking about a clean digestive system—I mean an overall clean, light feeling that seems to come from this sense of truly being able to breathe deeply), I still want to go back to eating more complex foods.

Emotionally, I think I sometimes feel is an underlying sense of sadness. It’s probably the reason for me wanting to eat the denser and more sedating foods. I don’t know where it’s coming from, since I’m not consciously sad about anything. However, I do feel there’s something right beneath the surface that is extremely sorrowful, or something, and as much as I know I should probably go on some sort of major detox and just get it over with, I have a feeling that now is not the time for it.

You know, I’ve come so far in the past two to three years. I think I need this break of just enjoying the tremendous benefits from all that I’ve been working on and changing within and outside of myself. Yes, I’m going to stay content at this moment in time. I know when it’s time to move deeper into myself, to release the final toxins from my body, mind, and emotions, I’ll be ready for it.

Total Expense for oranges consumed: about $9.50

I'm on my final mono meal item: apples.

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April 14, 2008
Today I have even more energy. My tongue is coated more, however. It’s not horrible, but it’s definitely less red and more of a light pink. My eyes have continued to feel dry and my eyelids are heavy. What causes that, I wonder? My nails are whiter and harder, but they still break and rip when I’m working around the house.

11:35am
I ate the two remaining navel oranges this morning and they were very good—sweet and juicy. Now I’m starting to feel a bit hungry. I keep looking at the tomatoes, thinking I might want to do a mono meal with tomatoes, but when if I start them and then I don’t want any more? I’m so used to eating tomatoes with salt and oil, the thought of consuming them without either makes me wonder if I’d really like them as much. The other option will be apples. I guess I’ll see what I decide once I’m in the kitchen. ;-)

12:58pm
Okay, I looked at the tomatoes, then at the large bowl of apples, then at the tomatoes. I definitely felt more drawn to the tomatoes, so that’s what I chose. I ate one pint of grape tomatoes and they were great! I have another pint for later. I don’t know if I’d enjoy the larger, slicing tomatoes as much as the grape tomatoes, though. I think I wanted the tomatoes because I’m really kind of sick of the sweet fruits. What I want is a lot of green stuff, oil, salt, and herbs/spices!!

2:00pm
I finished the second pint of tomatoes. They were really good and I probably would have eaten more of them if I had some. The slicing tomatoes just don’t look like something I want to eat right now. So, when I’m hungry later, I think I’m switching to the apples. They should be able to carry me through until tomorrow evening when I make a meal of a lot more than one item to consume! I’ve decided I want a salad, followed by beet pasta with alfredo sauce, sprinkled with finely chopped parsley.

5:30pm
On the way to drop KDcat off at her rehearsal, I ate an apple. Now I’m sitting here with a bowl of three other apples cut up into slices. They don’t taste awesome to me. I think my mind is concentrating too much on my meal tomorrow evening (haha). Apples are so much better in the Autumn. Anyway, that’s what I have for dinner this evening, and breakfast and lunch tomorrow. Then I’m done with the nine days!!

Good work!!!

Wow, I just saw this for the first time! I really enjoyed reading it. Thanks for such an in-depth look at how things are going for you.

Be beautiful

Thanks, Utopian Life and be beautiful.

I have an exciting update....

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6:11pm
I’ve eaten about one third of the apples and I just don’t want the rest of them. I’ll eat them, though, so that I am not going to sleep hungry this evening. I wonder what it means that I am having a difficult time during this last 24 hours? UGH! I just want it to be over with. I think if I had bananas it would be easy. Maybe the apples are too light, or something, in my stomach.

7:30pm
You won’t believe this!! I’m going to have a major blog entry tomorrow about this. It’s complicated to write briefly, but the fast was supposed to end TODAY! My agony on this final day never needed to exist! So, here it is almost 7:30pm and I am eating a salad. It’s too late to make the pasta dish I was wanting—that will happen tomorrow!

Hooray, you made it! Wow, it was very interesting.

Good for you sweetie! I'm so proud that you made it the entire time!!
congrats!