Spring Cleaning

originally published Thursday, May 17th

Adventures in Fasting
It's been an unusual spring. Two weeks ago I found myself uncharacteristically bored. I was surprised. Spring weather usually gives me an incredible amount of energy. The long days make me more energetic and extremely social. However, two weeks ago I found myself feeling lethargic, unable to focus and desperately in need of a change. It seemed the change of the season was not having it's usual effect.
I decided it was time for a cleanse. I clean my house every week, but it's been many many years since I went on any type of fast or cleanse for my body. This is for one simple reason. I like eating! I don't like to be deprived of food, so fasting isn't that much fun for me. It always sounds like a good idea, but my job and my life are so food-centric it requires a major mental commitment for me to stick to a specific diet for any length of time.
But really, when I thought it through, I realized that this was the very reason I should take a break from eating anyting and everything in my sight. To give my body a rest. I considered that maybe a respite from the usual followed by a fresh start would propel me out of my rut.
Every health nut and diet guru has an opinion about fasting. There's fresh veggie juice fasting and there's the Master Cleanse, where in fasters are forced to live on a special spicy lemonade for ten days. That never appealed to me. I don't have a lot of free time and I didn't feel like doing any measuring. I decided to follow my intuition, not to make any plans anddo what feels right.
My knowledge of fasting and cleansing tells me that it's best to ease into a fast with simple fresh fruits and vegetables. This sort of practice helps the body adjust to a bit of time with no food.
I started my first day with all fresh fruit. In my experience, being out of the house and busy helps a lot when you're trying to stick to any eating plan. I subsisted on local apples, pears as well as bananas and mangoes for one day and I felt great. I wasn't hungry at all. I woke up the next morning feeling more energetic, less heavy and more clear-headed. This was encouraging. One good thing about a day with only fruit is that I eliminated my bad habit of eating a heavy dinner very late at night. I do this too often, and I know it's not very good for me.
The second day of my cleanse I stuck to fruits in the morning and vegetables in the afternoon. Many people recommend this, due to the higher sugar content of fruits and the need for more energy earlier in the day. My last meal of the day was a salad of cucumber and avocado with a bit of lemon juice. I think it was the best thing I've ever tasted. I found myself wondering why I don't eat this way more often!
My official liquid fast started after two days of fresh fruits and vegetables and lasted about 30 hours. That doesn't seem like much time, but it's a lot for me. I drank several quarts of water with fresh lemon juice during the fast. I believed this would be a good kidney flush. During the fast, before my energy was totally sapped, I had time to do a lot of productive thinking. It's amazing how much time I have when I'm not eating or preparing food. I felt very relaxed and open to new possibilities and I've maintained the same feeling since then. So, I think the cleanse/fast was great. It did the trick. I am enjoying spring with an uncluttered mind and hopefully a less burdened digestive system.
It's good to break a fast the same way you start, with simple foods. A light soup, fresh juices, fruits and vegetables. It's hard, but it's worth it. The day after my fast ended I enjoyed (nay, relished) a plate of huevos rancheros as if I had just arrived on this planet. discovered brunch and was eating fried eggs and beans with spicy sauce for the first time. Oh, glorious huevos.
Fasting makes one appreciate food even more. When you're at a picnic and you can't eat, the spread of vegetables fruits, tortilla chips and mini pitas in front of you looks more vibrant and delicious than it ever would if you could tuck into it. Besides giving your body a break, think of it as an exercise in self control and a way to express appreciation for the bounty that is available to most of us.
Now that I know how many benefits come from even a short fast, I will do this again soon and for longer. I hope to learn even more from my next experience. If you want to try a cleanse or fast, spring is a great time. Make sure to stay hydrated and don't get too much exercise (like I did) while you are fasting or cleansing. Your body needs a break.
Good luck! Enjoy spring while it lasts.

Newsletter Archives
Many of you have told me how much you enjoy these newsletters. So, I've compiled all my online newsletters from this year and temporarily parked them in this blog . Feel free to reference them for recipes, check out issues you missed or pass the link on to a friend. Thanks for your continued support.

Sangria!?
Every summer I pick a food and beverage to experiment with. I've recently dubbed the summer of 2007 the summer of Sangria! I'll be making lots of Sangria, so you can look forward to recipes (or sharing it with me at one of my picnics). In the meantime, send me your Sangria ideas and favorite recipes. I'll print the best recipes in a future newsletter.