Eat Dance Live Man Edition: Limiting Our Noms Noms

I know it's been a while since a "Man Wednesday" but here are some thoughts on the past week written by my other half:

As Chantal has already posted, we went on a week long camping trip last week. We decided to take the opportunity of being away camping to go on a all-fruit diet followed by a one day fast and Chantal has graciously allowed me the opportunity to talk about my experiences with it. Understand that I originally came from the bodybuilder's world of 3000-calorie meat-protein laden diets. The thought of calorie reduction and fasting for even a day and maintaining one's health was beyond that old me's ability to understand.

Being away from our own kitchen and all the foods we were avoiding made it much easier to plan out and stick to our regime, Don't get me wrong this wasn't about will-power. Once Chantal or I have made a decision we've never had a problem sticking to it, no matter how seductively the cookies in the cupboard are whispering our names. Rather, it's a matter of habit. Eating patterns become such a habit that sometimes you can find yourself halfway through eating something before you realise what you're doing and that you don't really need it. The removed environment also helps as it's a lot easier to plan out what you're going to eat beforehand and only bring that with you on your trip.

My diet was the following: Every day from Wednesday to Monday (except Sunday) began with a grapfruit. We drove up Wednesday and ate mostly fruit. I made no real effort to control what or when I was eating as we had to pack, travel, pack a friends stuff, unpack and set up. Thursday I ate only a mix of fruit, including grapes. Our excercise was setting up our Om Gym on the kids' play set and, surprisingly, we had no lose of strength or energy [Chantal Editor's Note: Seriously consider getting an Om Gym if you're a camper... it gets rid of all the air mattress/sleeping bag back pain you ever had].

Friday was the beginning of my mono-fruiting with peaches. Sweet, glorious peaches. Dribbling down your chin with every bite. Oh, yes, diet restriction is sooo torturous... another session on the Om Gym and I was feeling more energetic than normal. Also noticed that body weight exercises were easier as I felt lighter and "tighter" than before [Editor's Note: yummy...].

Saturday was apple day. I chose to finish off with apples as I've always been a great apple lover and knew it was something that I could never get sick of. By this time I was actually buzzing with energy and people were commenting on the "glow" that I seemed to have.

As a side note, there's something that I feel should really be mentioned here: as a Scots/Norse hybrid I normally burst into flames when exposed to anything resembling direct sunlight [Editor's Note: actually he turns the color of a ruby red grapefruit...]. My oldest brother lives a life of constant battle with skin cancer. However, the longer that I have been on a living food diet, the less sunlight has bothered me. I believe that Peter Ragnar is on to something in his belief of the connection between toxins and skin cancer [Editor's Note: In short, Peter Ragnar says that sun damage is caused by the sun activating the toxins under our skin that are there of diet and lifestyle rather than it just being "the sun's fault"]. During my fruit feast, I was in direct sunlight almost constantly. I received a deep golden tan and, though it reddened at times, it never hurt, itched or peeled.

Then came the big day, Sunday. Sunday was a full fast with nothing but a spoonful of bee pollen in the morning and water. At this juncture I have to say again how much I love being on a living food diet. At no point did I ever feel hungry, weakened, or in truth was I ever moved to thoughts of food. Food was simply a non-issue. I did my regular routine on the Om Gym, as well as took a few curious observers through routines of their own. I had the best results and highest energy levels of my week. Got to admit that I was loving the definition that was already coming into my abdominals!

Sunday night was a different story. We went to the fire circle and while Chantal was breaking hearts with her captivating dancing, I was marathon drumming. My clarity and ability to follow and adapt the beat has never been better, ever. Everything was magical. Then someone lit a cigarette beside me. I cannot say what caused such a violent reaction, but I was instantly nauseated. The next hour was an on-and-off battle to not vomit (which I finally lost) and, inexplicably, four heavy bowel movements.

Naysayers might point to Sunday night (Monday morning?) as evidence of the dangers of fasting. I would prefer to see it as evidence that a purified body has no "vital adaption" to tolerate something as toxic as smoking. Either way you choose to take it, I think that if those naysayers could spend a day in the body I came home with after a week of fruit and fasts [Editor's Note: hubba hubba], feeling great, and looking taut and vibrant, I wouldn't have to convince them of anything!