Maybe some of you think I perished on the brown rice diet because I failed to update you once finished! Quite the opposite, in fact. I truly have never felt better. Solarized, active, and masculine all come to mind. I didn’t weigh myself, but have a sense I lost 5-8 pounds, getting closer to my Yogi fighting weight. It became possible to clearly distinguish between true hunger and the more mental attachment to eating. When your only option was another bowl of rice, the running mind, you know that one that mentally scans the contents of the refrigerator, thinks about possible take-out options or the sweetness of chocolate cake, has no choice but to give up. It’s then that you discover that your body actually requires much less than the mind thinks it does. Please don’t misunderstand me – brown-rice only is horrible for long-term nutrition and many have gotten themselves into trouble with it. However, as an experiment, both to cleanse body and mind, I highly recommend it. Often people ask the question: what was the first thing you ate on day 11? Interestingly, I watched as no single craving stood out. I felt even, disinterested actually. Somewhat frightened to shock my system with something new. I ultimately choose to have some fresh mango and papaya and bowl of yogurt because it seemed like a good idea… A week and a half later I do find some habits creeping back in: over-eating, eating to satisfy craving, not hunger, etc. But – I am eating slower, more consciously and carefully. I can acknowledge when I do want something only to satisfy a craving – salty and spicy food for me… and be OK with this sometimes, realizing that it’s not what my body really needs.
The diet didn’t have the miraculous effect of clearing out my friendly parasite and it’s becoming clearer that a true fast along with a shankhaprakshalana will be necessary soon.
That’s it for now – I’ll surely be attempting this diet again, let me know if you want to join me next time.
Sitting Quietly, Doing Nothing 