There have been some interesting effects. As I've noted, I'm not as hungry as I'd expected. But I'm also not as tired as I'd expected. This, despite the fact that I am completely off caffeine for the first time in many, many years.
As you may know, I have had for some years now a, shall we say, decided preference for a particular brand of soft drink: Diet Mountain Dew. Some have called it an addiction. I'm not sure I agree with that. But past attempts at kicking the habit have made me realize that I have a greater psychological dependency on it than I had been willing to admit. For whatever reason, drinking Diet Dew makes me feel like all is right in the world, at least for a little while.
A side effect of this predilection is that I have been pumping my body with a steady stream of caffeine on a daily basis. I had never really thought much of this, because it has seemed to me that caffeine has little effect on me. I know people who can't have soda* after 6 p.m. or they'll be up all night. I can drink Diet Dew right before bedtime and fall right asleep.
My caffeine insensitivity is bad enough that at one point in college, when I needed to pull an all-nighter to finish an art project, I knew soda wouldn't do the job, so I reached for Vivarin. The box says to take two at the start, and one every hour. I took four to start, and two every half-hour. I felt like one of the walking dead. But as soon as I finished my project and went to bed, I was asleep within a half-hour.
So now, I've gone a week without caffeine. And I feel oddly alert, and kind of energetic, though still sleepy at times. But I think I'm sleeping a lot better and waking up less frequently. Despite the fact that I don't tend to feel the effects of caffeine, it may be that I'm feeling the effects of getting it flushed out of my system, and replacing the stimulation with the natural energy of juice.
We'll see how this plays out, but it's been good so far.
On another note, yesterday was Valentine's Day. Since I couldn't take my sweetheart out for the evening or make her dinner, I made homemade sorbet instead. It contains an ingredient that's probably not allowed on this fast, but I used it anyway, instead of white sugar and corn syrup. Sue me.
Surreptitious Strawberry Sorbet
(Adapted from Ben & Jerry's homemade ice cream book)
8 oz. strawberries, sliced and with stems removed
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup cane syrup (such as Lyle's Golden Syrup)
1 cup water
1. Wait until your wife is at class.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sliced strawberries, lemon juice and cane syrup. Refrigerate for one hour.
3. Puree the strawberry mixture in a food processor or mash by hand. Add water and stir until combined.
4. Transfer the mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to directions.
5. Serve to a grateful wife upon her return from class.
*A concession to my readers. I call it pop. Don't hate.
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