Candida Cleanse, Day 2: The Viscous Properties of Almond Butter

Did you know that although that tub of almond butter looks like it could spill if you tip it too quickly, that when you try to dig a spoon or a carrot into it, it will resist mightily? And that within just a few minutes of your violent removal of some part of it, there will be virtually no trace of your crime?

But do not carve out too much of it onto your spoon, expecting to eat it like a peanut butter lollipop, unless you're happy with the idea of almond butter down your front.

Cats think they want it, but one taste assures them that they do not.

The taste is remarkably sweet, like marzipan, especially if you have not had refined sugar in a couple of days.

This is something I am loving about this cleanse: realizing how sweet various "unsweetened" things are, and how the ubiquity of sugar in our day-to-day American diet dulls our ability to notice this on our own.

Or anyway, my own.

BREAKFAST:
Carrots with almond butter
Rooibos tea

SNACK:
Popcorn with butter and salt (I'm hoping this is OK: I think it is a whole grain)

ANOTHER SNACK, SINCE I MAY HAVE OVERDONE IT ON THE BUTTER:
Kale sauteed in olive oil, with salt and pepper
[Yes, I really should have had a real lunch. I'll be more careful about that tomorrow.]

YES ANOTHER SNACK, BECAUSE DINNER ISN'T FOR A WHILE:
Big honking spoonful of almond butter

FOR DINNER TONIGHT:
Chicken soup I made this afternoon, with stock that I rescued from my flood-destroyed freezer: I've added more chicken (also a flooded-out freezer refugee), carrots, parsnips, celery, le puy lentils, fresh parsley and sage, dried thyme, bay leaves, red pepper flakes, and more salt and pepper.

All in all, this has not been bad. I did miss being able to have a crisp white wine with the perfectly-spiced grilled halibut and asparagus we had for dinner last night. (Confession: I took a deep sniff of the PP's Dale's Pale Ale. I hope yeast doesn't get into your gut through your nose.)

And while I miss sweets, I miss my milky morning tea more. The last several mornings, I've awakened with a headache, and I realize that usually my morning cup of tea nips it. Now there is nothing to nip it. This is useful information to pass along to my headache doctor.

But for now, because migraine symptoms are no fun to think about or write about, I'll return to ruminating on the wondrous properties of almond butter.