Juice Fast Day 6

Intro to Joel Fuhrman

Joe Cross, from whom I got the juice fast idea, worked closely with Dr. Joel Fuhrman. From the movie you gather that Cross spent the first 30 days of his 60-day fast in New York as Dr. Fuhrman's patient.

Closer to my life, my friend Jamie Rich lost very many pounds using the ideas in Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman's well-regarded handbook for seriously overweight people. Fuhrman aims to change your thinking about how you eat. For example, he pays attention to nutrient density rather than calories.

When it comes to food, taste is learned. The juice fast is an attempt to redirect my tastes to foods that are better for me than what Fuhrman calls SAD - Standard American Diet.

Since I have untaken the fast, I thought I should at least look at his books. You know how Amazon is. I wound up with the three-pack: Eat to Live, The Nutritarian Handbook, and Fasting and Eating for Health.

I got them yesterday and peeked in them last night. Because I am dealing with arthritis as well as obesity, I read a few pages about rheumatoid arthritis. (This is not my kind of arthritis but that of a friend.) I can now see where this diet is heading.

From Fasting & Eating:

"In the first three to five months after the fast the patients were asked not to eat food that contained gluten, meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, refined sugar, citrus fruits, salt, strong spices, preservatives, alcohol, tea, and coffee."

Although this list seems somewhat overwhelming, I have to remember that it is not intended as a life-long diet - just a few months. Also, he is not talking about coming off my juice fast, but a complete water fast. (Maybe I need wiggle room.)

I have friends who are living gluten-free and it is truly a hassle. But maybe this little time period is teaching me that it is OK to spend time and trouble on what you eat.

The movie contrasted the $53,000 cost of a heart attack with the daily cost of a juice fast.

I am heading toward double knee replacement. Isn't forestalling that costly outcome worth a little time and effort in the kitchen?