After my week-long raw food detox at Bahay Kalipay*, I told myself that, when the house in Siargao was done, I'd go on a month-long detox and see if Gai Olivares, like Pi Villaraza*, could live on coconuts alone.
Last Thursday, a year-and-then-some later, as I was running last minute errands before I had to leave for Siargao to check on the progress of the house, I realized that I didn't really need the house to be done to do a month-long detox. All I need was a secluded place - check; staff to prepare the food - check; and the madness to attempt a month-long detox - CHECK!
So, between the bank and the grocery, I fine-tuned my plan.
I've decided to do it this September. Looking at my calendar, the detox would commence on September 3 and end four weeks later, on October 1. But, so as not to be overwhelmed by the magnitude of a month-long commitment, I want to take things a week at a time, and maybe make some concessions (like raw fish - or alcohol and cigarettes) if I feel that I am going off the deep end.
- What?!
And the coconuts-alone thing, while very purist and noble and all that, isn't really the point. That was stipulated due to the lack of inclination towards food preparation especially where vegetables are concerned, rather than from a desire to be a purist, or noble, or anything like that, especially since we all know that I am anything but those.
The whole point of this exercise is to detox on raw food.
Except that the thought of eating carrots and lettuce is already boring me to death. And I certainly can't be bothered to teach my staff how to prepare raw food mostly because, well, I really don't know how. Okay, I know it's about cutting up a bunch of vegetables and arranging them and trying to be creative but - can you really see me going through all that trouble? I'd sooner throw some chicken into a vat of oil.
So, I might end up on freakin ' coconuts alone. Or juicing.
So much for fine-tuning. I've always been off-key. Is it obvious that I have no idea what I'm going to do???
Okay, what I'm going to do is dig up my notes from when I did my juicing fasts, and print out the recipes from that raw food workshop I did with Asha Peri* at Dahon Kusina. I've already been in touch with Asha and ordered a bunch of stuff from her that, I hope, will make this process easier (- I'm buying a spiralizer and a mandolin, and I'm ordering dehydrated blueberry "pancakes", flaxseed crackers and a raw salad dressing from her).
I will also have an afternoon in Cebu before I leave for Siargao so I will get in touch with Cebu's veggie goddess, Eleanor Rivera, to see what other "goodies" I can get from her that will prevent me from slitting my wrists at the sight of another cucumber.
Of course, as soon as I decided that I was definitely doing the detox, my cab driver dropped me off at the Mall of Asia (- I was there to catch the opening of Cirque du Soleil's "Saltimbanco"), right in front of J.CO Donuts & Coffee. I saw it as a sign. To indulge before I embark on this project of self-denial, of course.
Six donuts later...
So I've been on a Paleo break since Thursday.
Well, my hard reset never happened on account of the storm and, I've just gotten back to Manila and it seems that yet another storm is upon us. The universe seems to be conspiring to keep me away from the gym. Which actually works, Paleo-wise, because, for as long as I am home (in Manila or Siargao; it's only in Cebu where I have to prepare my own food), I'm automatically on Paleo. It doesn't work, exercise-wise, because, with this weather and the amount of sleep I have to catch up on, I just want to lay in bed the whole day.
So I think I'll stick to that until September. Eat Paleo at home but be a bit loose when I'm out. Accent on the "a bit" part. (Have you read about that all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet at EDSA Shang's Summer Palace?! I have a table for lunch on Friday. GAAAAH!)
***
*Pi Villaraza and his life partner, Daniw, run Bahay Kalipay in Palawan. Asha Peri is Pi's sister. Although I did not know that when I met them. I met Asha first when I attended one of her raw food workshops in Manila, and then I met Pi when I did the retreat in Palawan. I only found out that they were related during the retreat.
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