The good news: we are all feeling the exact same things - as weird and difficult as they are. Bloat, yes. Are you feeling like a zeppelin or are you finally deflated from that lovely transition? I had visions of being useful for national newscasts, floating above the ice-damaged power outage areas and reporting, as I chomped on something cruciferous. The bloat passes as your intestines begin to grasp what we are putting them through. Becoming One With The Bathroom, also yes. I might have had a moment of falling to my knees, hands fist pumping in the air, face to heavens, yelling "Noooooooo" when I race to the bathroom to pee only to find Chris has beat me to it. Yes, we have other bathrooms, which I found is a luxury, because there is at least one person on this challenge who shares her one bathroom with the rest of the family- I think in her case I would make the men and boys run outside. Many of us commute, and we are faced now with water deprivation in the hour or so before we leave for work. I have done the "gotta pee, gotta pee" dance as I've driven into the parking garage in Baltimore, followed by a very brisk walk into my workplace, straight to the bathroom.
And finally, chewing. Lots, and lots, of chewing. Meat is the easy part. The Carnitas, Beef Brisket, and hardboiled eggs that Chris and I cooked on Sunday will have lasted us through the week. However, I've heard stories of chewing gobs of green vegetables while driving down 270, Vitamixing them (I'm jealous on that one. It's not nearly as cool to say, "I just throw them in my Oster."), adding them to the protein drink, and steaming entire bags of frozen veggies. There are short cuts, yes. Hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, a clementine, a sweet potato, all have a lot of block bang for the buck. However, as I lectured this morning to the other PZC participant I live with, you gotta do the green time. The green veggies are the big quantities, but you need the vitamins they pack.
Every person that questions this diet will say, "No dairy? What about your calcium?" Calcium is the reason we need our green vegetables. Calcium is very important for bone density and strength, working in synchrony with the weightlifting to give us strong, sturdy bones. But it also helps maintain proper neurological and cardiac function. Calcium imbalances can throw off your entire operation system - it's not to be messed with. Leafy greens (kale, collards, spinach, broccoli and turnip greens) are all excellent sources of calcium - iron and magnesium too. But guess what else gives a huge calcium punch? Chia seeds. These little miracles have gone from the kitschy "as seen on TV" world in the form of growing everything from a turtle to Mr. T, to being the one of the latest healthy superfood powers. Talk about a rise to superstardom. Chia seeds are loaded with calcium, and 1 fat block equals 0.3 oz. These things are like little grains of sand, so that's quite a lot. Get yourself a bag of Chia seeds, and start adding them to your protein shake or any other meal. Just make sure you actually eat them and they don't all stick in your teeth, because that may diminish your credibility at your next meeting.
So, bottom line, get your greens in at least 2 meals. If you need to make them 2 of your smaller meals, then ok, but know that you should be taking in greens at least a couple of times throughout the day. More chewing? Yes. Your energy levels will thank you. Now, happy chomping, chewing, and checking your mirror for black spots in your teeth.
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