57 days in now, and I'm really missing potatoes. Potatoes fill me up, are good with my Crohn's, and taste as good as whatever crap you put on top of them (ketchup and sour cream is what I usually go with for fries or baked).
I was wondering if I could make a smoothie with potatoes that would mimic the taste of french fries.
I'm 50 days in without any solid food, and I feel good. I won't say great because I'm still napping more than usual (fatigue is a common symptom of Crohn's Disease), but other than that my Crohn's has been the best it has ever been.
Some questions that have come up along the way:
How long do you plan on doing this?
I've answered this question differently. Sometimes I say I'll stop when it stops being fun, sometimes I say I'll stop when I can't play hockey anymore. Viktor Frankl is one of my heroes, and he was in a concentration camp for 3 years, so part of me wants to do this for three years. The real answer is I don't know, but I will know when I'm ready...If world peace happens tomorrow, I will stop tomorrow.
What do you miss the most?
My friend Matt asked me this one and he laughed when without hesitation I told him Five Guys fries. I know that might seem a bit ridiculous, but I freakin' love french fries and right now Five Guys are my favorite...they must be wondering if something happened to me because I would go in at least twice a week.
Why are you doing this/isn't there a better way?
I know "fasting" or giving up solid food on the surface might seem to have nothing to do with promoting world peace. Each news story about violence sickened me more and more, and I knew I had to do something...and something told me to do this. I can't really explain it other than that. It feels right to me, so I'm doing it as long as I can. At the very least, it has opened up conversations with people in my life, and short of world peace happening, to me that means I'm doing something...
Which brings me to Colin Kaepernick. So many have criticized him for his anthem protest for many reasons, but I'm behind him. I get it. He is using his position to make a statement, and I applaud him for that. Does not standing change a thing about the way some African Americans are being treated? No. But, it opens up a conversation about the current situation for many people in this country. And it celebrates our freedom to make such statements. I will say that I think his police/pig socks are crap and need to go. They do not help the situation at all. Are some cops dicks? Of course. But you can say that about any job/group of people. There are monsters who are Catholic priests, there are teachers who are fucking assholes, and there are even people who work in non-profit that are jerks (trust me). Focus on the good people, Colin...The great cops far outnumber the bad ones.
Cravings have come on stronger the deeper I've gone with this. I've been to Casa Vallarta a couple times with friends and not having any chips and salsa was pretty friggin' hard. The staff there is great and don't give me a hard time for not ordering anything, which I appreciate...maybe one of these days I will tell them that it has nothing to do with their food. What I usually say is I already ate and I'm just there to keep my friend company...they smile as they give me an O'Doul's. If you live in central Mass and like Mexican food, I highly recommend this place.
Most of my relationships have not been effected by my strike on solid food. My older sister has been my biggest supporter, and I can't thank her enough for helping me make sure I'm still getting nutrients. Anytime I see her on the weekends, she makes me an awesome breakfast smoothie, and she makes sure I have a steady supply of protein powder.
What I'll never understand is why anyone would let someone's diet choice interfere with their friendship/interactions. I've been vegetarian for five years now, but that's my personal choice and I don't let it effect my relationships with all of the omnivores in my life. The second you think your way is "the way" (whether you're talking about diet, religion, politics), you are creating a divide, killing conversation, and putting others down. I like watching Joe Rogan's JRE podcasts, and recently he had Chris Kresser on to talk about diets. Even though Joe has made fun of vegans (see below, it's hilarious), he made it a point to ask Chris about supplements vegans could look into to make sure they are getting all of the essential nutrients that plant-based diets might lack (see this JRE #842 here). My friends make fun of my vegetarian diet (and now my liquid diet), but we don't let it get in the way of having a good time. Funny is funny, even if that humor is pointed at your beliefs / decisions. I would love to be a guest on JRE, I wonder if Joe would be up for a 24-hour podcast episode?
