The first day, (See "Day One") was a difficult day, especially physically. Interestingly, the physical aches and pains that were so "in my face" at the time cleared up almost over night. It turns out, the physical challenge morphed into a psychological one.
Every Dunkin Donuts, Harveys and McDonalds sign seems bigger and brighter than I remember them. Even though I rarely frequent these places, they seem to jump out of the background and wave at me, inviting me to come in for a bite, or a cup of coffee.
Food is a very powerful symbol of so many social gatherings and connections:
- be it a babe nursing at their mother´s breast,
- a family picnic with hot dogs and piping hot corn on the cob,
- a birthday party with cake and ice cream,
- pizza with the office staff on a Friday afternoon,
- a cold brewski with the boys after the game,
- a cup of coffee with a good friend,
- celebrating a special event with a steak dinner and all the trimmings,
- chicken noodle soup when you´re not feeling your best.
Eating raw means that a lot of the time, I´m eating on my own, or watching others eat all those foods that are associated with the good times mentioned above. I feel left out and alone. (Thankfully my sister is accompanying me, but she doesn´t always eat at the same time.)
I still feel hungry from time to time, but that is remedied easily enough. The psychological withdrawl from cooked food and all it stands for has -and continues to be- the biggest challenge.
