Step 2: Logistics and Emergency Preparedness

In the midst of gorging on every baked good imaginable, I spent the remainder of the weekend planning how to curtail my feeding habits and came up with the following guidelines:

1. After calculating my allotted caloric intake requirement, I've decided to live on an 85%/15% diet: 85% of my daily caloric intake will come from whole, fresh fruits and vegetables. Eating them raw will be preferable but I still get a pat on the back and a gold star if they are boiled and not seasoned with anything more than rock salt and pepper. 15% of my daily caloric intake will come from what I will refer to as "minimally processed foods". Now it was while defining the rules of the latter category that I began to forsee how I would create very large loopholes if I wasn't careful...
2. I originally had planned to keep coffee, teas and the occasional diet coke as part of my acceptable diet because let's face it, what medical student would survive without a constant IV infusion of the aforementioned? But then I realized that if I still drink said beverages, then I would have to allow for Splenda to remain on the list to sweeten the coffee and honey for the tea. And if honey is still on the list, then I need rules to regulate exactly how much honey I could use every day because spooning out tablespoons (...or ladle-fuls) of honey Winnie-the-Pooh style from jar to mouth would not be below me in times of desperation. THIS IS GETTING TOO COMPLICATED!!!! So then I decided to bite the proverbial bullet and have made up my mind to..

give up coffee, tea and diet coke all together. I am crying like a little baby right now, I haven't even started yet and I already feel like i won't make it. But then I remind myself that this is all part of the cleansing process I am so badly desiring. There was a time when the natural sugar in fruits was enough to keep (wo)Man satisfied and I am going to get there. I am convinced that after the first week or two of detox I will be able to reformat my palate and no longer be romanced by the artificial sweeteners that have enticed my taste buds from the moment of birth. But enough of this fire and brimstone, I've made my decision, will stand my ground and contrary to what Jonathan Edwards may say, my foot isn't sliding anywhere!!!
But it is late and I digress. So basically, the only "minimally processed" foods I've allowed myself to have will be to continue my 1 cup of plain Special K and unsweetened soy milk for breakfast and however much brown rice I can fit into my daily allotted 15% should I feel so inclined. Also, organically raised chicken and fish and raw nuts have my stamp of approval too.

So this plan will be great because not only am I doing my health a service by cutting out processed foods, but I will also be going organic and better still, buying locally grown foods! Or as much as my budget allows anyways...My biggest worry is the $$$ involved. I went to an organic food market today and on fruits and vegetables ALONE i spent $101.15. All I can say now is thank Joseph, Mary and Krishna for student loans.

Tomorrow officially marks Day 1 of this 42 day escapade. I think I fear most for my classmates. Sorry but you guys will be receiving the brunt of my imminent moodiness as my serotonin and endorphin levels fly out of control while this process gets going. A special thanks goes out to Bernard for motivating me to make a list of do's and don'ts, though I probably will be wanting to bite your head off soon enough too. <3.