I’m finally getting into some tasty food and have been enjoying every bite.  The trick has been to eat every few hours to get my metabolism sped up and I’ve been staying on schedule with almonds, sunflower seeds, peaches, apples, bananas and many other raw fruits and vegetables.

Breakfast has consisted of a drink potion of active greens, Noni Juice, Goji Juice, Mangosteen Juice and Acai.  The combination of all these super fruits have been incredible, as I am getting all the nutrients back into my system through natural food and drink.

Lunch is typically a vegetable salad with almonds and some fruit. Dinner has been more raw vegetables with some seaweed soup and a bit of brown rice.  I am being very careful not to eat anything that is processed, enriched or full of preservatives.

It was a fantastic day of tasty soups and cabbage!  Korea food is by far my favorite choice of food and after not eating for 14 days, it may have been the best tasting meal I’ve had in over a decade.  I managed to get a nice run in this morning and have begun to drink young coconut water (FUBAR), my favorite drink on the planet plus I started taking my vitamin supplements.

I have done a ton of research on many types of supplements over the last month and will be listing all my new discoveries and describing the results.  The other big initiative is my interest in organic foods.  I will be eating organic at least 50% of the time to see how much of a difference it really makes in my body over time.

We took the training wheels of my son’s bike today and he’s not so sure he likes the whole “balance” thing yet.

Today is the first day back after a tough few days of fighting off the flu that seems to be floating around getting everyone.  I didn’t go quietly though as I began to fight it the minute my head started to feel like a pin cushion and my throat started to close up.  The first thing I did was go to the “raw food” store down the street and get a pure blend of garlic, celery, parsley and beet juice.  I drank this concoction for most of the day then I took echinacea in capsule form followed by a chaser of E3 Live.

This was the first time I’ve actually taken E3Live, although I’ve been reading up on it for the last few months.  I usually drink one ounce of wheat grass everyday for cleansing but for the purpose of killing this flu I thought this would be a good time to try out E3 and see if it could help  with my fight against the flu. It worked like a charm.

The combination of power juicing, E3Live and popping echinacea every 3 hours did the trick as I was able to function in a limited capacity over the last few days without having to curl up into a ball like some of my friends have been doing when they got hit with this nasty virus.  I’m not sure exactly where I picked it up, but I am certain from what my friends have been describing that I avoided the worst of it.  I typically get sick once a year and I’m hoping this was my “one time” so the rest of 2008 is clear sailing.

E3Live™ (fresh-frozen, liquid AFA) is an all-organic wild-harvested aqua-botanical considered by renowned health authorities to be nature’s most beneficial superfood.

Physiologically, E3Live™ helps restore overall body/mind balance in numerous ways. Its field of action simultaneously includes the immune, endocrine, nervous, gastro-intestinal and cardio-vascular systems.

Nutritionally, E3Live™ provides 64 easily absorbed vitamins, minerals and enzymes and has more biologically active chlorophyll than any known food. It is the most nutrient dense food known to mankind…or so they say.

Today I’m a month old from my old self to my new start - beginning.  My body continues to respond well with everything i am doing as I continue to be allergy free as i introduce different foods back to my system with no arthritis or pain in my wrists and hands (severe issue prior to the program).  The only issue that continues to hinder me is my neck and back pain that has been chronic for years since a car accident in 1997.  

I am on the hunt to find a healer, specialist and or chiropractor to help me with these issues and think if i find the right person I could be healthly across the board without any pain killers, drugs or surgery as recommended by many physicians over the years.

In two days it will officially be one month since i started the MC diet, eating better and exercising.  Raw foods and juicing is coming to an end as i’m beginning to transition over to solid foods and my system is ready.  I’ll continue to have liquid breakfasts and/or lunches for at least one of my meals in the day as i particularly like it.  This weekend however, i am doing another cleanse;the liver and gallbladder cleanse, which i will do after my in-laws leave and return to Korea.  It’s a little bit more scientific than the Master Cleanse, and i will document the ingredients and the step by step process once i start on Saturday.

On an exercise note, i’ve been cycling more and more the last few days increasing my mileage to 6 miles a day; 3 miles with my son in his trailer and 3 without him attached. I  havent weighed myself for over a week and i’m interested to know where i’m at since i’ve started to eat more solid foods and more daily calories.  I’m not asconcerned with my weight as I am with just being healthly; although the two work hand in hand.  What i dont want to do is become spastic and obsessive about my weight.  My philosophy is to eat well, exercise and keep a good balance, enjoying everything in moderation.

On a golf note, i played the Rio Secco Golf course in Henderson today and got my first Eagle!  Now i’m ready for the PGA tour….in my dreams!  It’s days like these that keep you going at the things you arent really good at…but on any given sunday…even a blind squirrel can find a nut.

Sept, 23rd 2007

I spent the entire weekend playing golf with my Father in Law and have finally begun to eat some “unpurified” foods while i was away from home.  For breakfast i had some fish, red potatoes, scrambled eggs and alot of fruit; and lunch consisted of chef and seafood salads.  I still havent eaten any meat yet, and I’m not going to introduce any meat, dairy or alcohol until after my liver cleanse is complete which i plan to do the last weekend of this month.  The solid foods i’m eating are processing well as i’m not eating large portions and eating slower to allow my digestive system the time it needs.  This makes a big difference as i dont feel bloated or stuffed after eating and often have some nuts or granola bars a few hours later.

I got some exercise and golf practice as the fairways were cart path only due to overseeding season; i walked most of the courses on both Saturday and Sunday getting in some decent cardio.

I have an intense week ahead with my trainer as we plan to push things up a notch on the intensity levels; my body as had a couple of weeks to adjust incrementally.  I will be going to the gym Mon, Wed and Fri of this week and playing Golf with my father in law in between those days, so it should be a great week of physical activity and improvement on the body shaping side of things.

Today was the best workout I’ve had since the beginning of the program.  My energy levels were consistent throughout the workout and I was eager to do more even when i felt tired.  My best guess is that the supplements are starting to kick in and I’ve replenished some of the nutrients that were missing during and after the cleanse. 

I’ve added some tasty things to my diet including a meal replacement drink made from all natural fruits and some tapioca balls called “boba”.  Alot of new smoothie places have this ingredient and it can be added to any drink.  I’m trying to stay away from processed and pasteurized drinks if i can help it (even though its really hard some days when your running from meeting to meeting) and feed my body fresh foods.  The tapioca balls are mostly made of starches which gives my body the carbs it needs and i mix it into a protein drink made from Whey.  Its about 500 calories and actually replaces my lunch.

I’m working on creating a daily diet of food types, amounts and their caloric value and will post it once its done.  I’m pulling information from alot of places including the books i’ve been reading and my workout trainer that I meet up with twice a week.  I havent been to the gym for days, but have been doing the biking, walking and golfing in between which is helping me to mainain and not store any foods.  That is really the key, “not to store any of the carbs or proteins” that you aren’t using on a daily basis and keep the system circulating.

I’m learning core exercices to do from my trainer which is very helpful for later when i’m not at the gym.  In fact, I believe its better to learn core exercises that you can do anywhere (like home) rather than to jump on machines or throw weights around when working out at the gym as most people do.  Core exercises are helping to shape me from the inside out and building my strength and endurance rather than size and mass; these are my new goals.

While I’ve been learning a ton of invaluable information about my body, internal organs and overall system,  none were as painful as todays lesson. 

1. Never make more juice than you need for a 12 hour period; 24 hour max.  I made the unfortunate mistake of thinking i would make some extra juice for a few days at my friends house and save myself the extra trips back and forth; boy was i wrong.  I had 3 day old juice that, although it didnt smell weird, it turned my insides out.  I didnt puke, but my body rejected it immediately and sent me to the toilet for an hour.  The good news was that my system is a well tuned machine now and it tells me immediately what’s wrong, while ridding my body of the problem instantly.

Once i was done getting rid of the bad green juice, I stopped by my “juicing friends” down the street and joined them for a vegetable taco that included raw onions, tomatoes, avocado, lettuce, capers and some hot sauce.  This was one of the tastiest snacks i’ve had in a month and i enjoyed it thoroughly.  It was a total surprise as I didnt intend to stop by for juicing or any food at all; so it made it even more enjoyable to wolf down.  Thanks EDD!

Other snacks i’ve enjoyed eating include sunflower seeds, dry apricots, mixed nuts, walnuts and goji berries; all of which are organic and without preservatives.  Today I experimented with the sunflower seeds as they are not very tasty, so i added a touch of olive oil and some natural sea salt (the one i used in the flush) and baked them in the oven for 10 minutes.  They are alot better tasting and i used all natural ‘taste enhancers’ to make them more palatable. 

Exercise for the day:  I played a round of golf today with my father in law in boulder creek and then went for a bike ride this evening with my son around the 3 mile circle.  Skye gets really edgy and full of un-harnessed energy from 7:30 pm till his bedtime; fortunately, our evening bike ride seems to calm him down as does the sound of piano (played some classical music in the car before the bike ride).   So it looks like the bike ride is going to become part of our everyday routine as it does the whole family some good.  I’m beat…kirk out.

Many of my friends and readers have been requesting info on what happens after the cleanse and how to get back into solids again.  Although i’ve typically been drinking juices everyday since finishing the cleanse (exactly one week ago today), and I’m starting to eat at least one meal (usually dinner) a day that is made of solid and/or cooked foods.  The last few days i’ve also added whole wheat bread with organic peanut butter and banana’s to the solid food group.  I haven’t eaten anything else, but its not because i dont want to, I just love peanut butter with bananas (tons of protein with some carbs) and I particularly like Korean and spicy food, but I dont think it makes a difference what the foods are as long as they are not dairy or meats (for now). 

I’ve eaten a solid dinner for the last 3 days and not had any problems digesting or otherwise.  My plan is once i start to increase my daily excercise routines, then i will start to transition off liquids (although i will probably have a liquid lunch for a long time to come).  This will allow my body the time it needs to adjust and allow me to burn the calories i consume once fitness is part of my life like eating and sleeping.  I’m thinking this is the only way to achieve both balance and commitment to all important things that fuel me and my life surroundings for years to come. 

Everyone’s been asking me if I’m ever going to eat meat and again.  The “right now” answer is yes, but gradually and over time.  I’ve only been eating veggies and fruits (also tofu and rice) and so far it hasnt changed or affected my new system.  By new system, i mean my newly cleansed body and intestinal track which is now working better than ever before with no signs of any of the previous symptoms that include allergies or other cold-like symptoms.  Based on this reasoning i’m not jumping into any meat, dairies or other food groups to ensure i can track and trace the steps to see how certain foods will react with my body.   I will get back into meat full swing unless i find out my body is rejecting it or causing pre-master cleanse symptoms.

One of my friends, who is my neighbor is really concerned that if he falls off any part of the program that he will become more out of shape or gain more weight than he has now.   I’m presently doing some research on others who have done similiar programs successfully and unsuccessfully. Although i do not have any intention to deviate from what i am doing for the next 25 years I will make an effort to try and find information on different “what happens if” scenarios. This way I will be well versed, educated and flexible about everything I am learning about and also be prepared for the things I havent experienced yet.

September 18th:

My in-laws have come in from Korea and I’m particularly happy they are here as its been awhile since i saw them last.  My father is an avid golfer so i’ve booked tee times at several places all over Nevada including a trip over to Mesquite where the whole family can go and enjoy a nice resort, spa and some golf at a great price.

We all ate dinner together at a Korean restaurant and I had some tasty spicy vegetable soup with some rice, kimchi and some tofu.  My parents were shocked when they saw my giant belly was gone and they didnt give me a hard time at the small amount of food I ate (usually Korean parents bother you that you didnt eat enough).   What is interesting to me and probably more to them is the amount of food i used to eat; the last time they saw me in Korea i hate 4 times as much as i did tonight for any any meal of the day. 

With the exception of dinner, I only ate a peanut butter (organic) and banana sandwich and drank juice all day along with all my supplements.  Here is the list of what I take everyday:

 Aloe Vera                
 Certified Organic Alfalfa          
 Stevia                                                                                                                                                                                            Nattozimes 
 Essential Sugars Complex                                                                                                                                                                          Ginko                                                                                                                                                                                               Resveratrol Complex
Glucosamine, Chondroitin, & Msm 
Spirulina          
Chlorella         

I have a small vitamin shop in my house now as they are lined up along the counter for easy access to them 3 times a day.