Raw Food Diet, Day One (1/10/2012)

I started the day innocently enough. But first, we have to go back 12 hours. The night before, the girlfriend and I followed through with our first step and bought a Ninja Kitchen System that included a food processor as well as a blender. We made smoothies, but I wasn't able to finish mine until the next morning. The next morning, I finished my smoothie that was made of spinach, apple, banana, mango and celery. The celery is what got me. Since it wasn't completely broken down, I felt like I was eating a smoothie rather than drinking one. But, nevertheless, I did. I was in a hurry to leave for work so I drank it as fast as possible. That was my mistake. It's hard to put something like that down when it's the first time you've ever had it. But, I did it. And I felt proud of myself for doing so.

My next goal was to not have any coffee for the day. But, since I had already not had coffee in 24 hours, I was already starting to feel its absence. I felt lethargic and a little sleepy. And people around me noticed it. At the end of the morning meeting, several coworkers approached me and asked if I was alright. "I'm fine," I said. "Because you looked like you wanted to kill David while he was talking!" they said. Apparently, as I was listening to him speak, I had a very intense, unhappy look on my face. That, coupled with my lack of energy must have given them that impression. I guess I really need to pay attention to how I pay attention. Lunch was much better. When I realized it was Tuesday, I remembered I was meeting a friend for lunch. Since she asked me to pick the place, I decided that Chop't would be the best place for me. So, at Chop't, I went for something I'd never had before - the Vegetarian Powerhouse salad with low fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing. I have to say it was quite delicious and carried me through the rest of the day.

But, when I got back to Bay Ridge, I was starving and very ready for dinner. The girlfriend had a friend over and she mentioned that they had already eaten, so I should pick something up for myself. She recommended a Fatoosh salad from a local Iranian restaurant. It was the perfect choice. It was healthy, hearty, and tasty with just a slight amount of oil. We ended the night watching the Russell Crowe film The Next Three Days, while munching on carrots and almonds. Actually, I watched. The other two fell asleep.