What Happens To Your Body When You Drink A Coke?

Have you ever wondered why Coke comes with a smile? It’s because it gets you high. They took the cocaine out almost a hundred years ago. You know why? It was redundant.

• In The First 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the overwhelming sweetness because phosphoric acid cuts the flavor allowing you to keep it down. 2 seat
  

• 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s plenty of that at this particular moment)

• 40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked preventing drowsiness.
  

• 45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the way.
  

• >60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary excretion of calcium.

• >60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium, magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium, electrolyte and water.

• >60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally, pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

This will all be followed by a caffeine crash in the next few hours. (As little as two if you’re a smoker.) But, hey, have another Coke, it’ll make you feel better.

*The Coke itself is not the enemy here. It’s the dynamic combo of massive sugar doses combined with caffeine and phosphoric acid. Things which are found in almost all soda.

Transitional Times

As logic would have it, you lose weight when you cut back your intake, especially to the point of ceasing the intake of solids for an extended period of time. I lost just over 10 pounds during my juice feast and I enjoyed feeling so empty and lite all of the time. I must admit that I was mildly alarmed by how my body looked and felt once I began eating, but then it occurred to me that that kind of thinking would do me in; I deduced that my body and mind were handling the alterations normally. Despite my enjoyment for my weight loss, I'm glad to see that my body is growing to a normal weight for my height once again. I think I'm about 120 these days. I'm glad I lost the fat that contained so many of the chemicals that I used to shovel into my body. Now my body can go about its business with much less toxicity present.

Remaining Raw

I've been back on solids for about 3 days now and it's been incredible. I forgot about all of the delicious food combinations there were. I've grown grateful for salads because each bite is different; with juice every sip is the same. For dinner I made seaweed wraps stuffed with guacamole and cucumber on a bed of spinach. It was so fucking good. I also made some dehydrated crackers: The first batch was made from shredded zucchini, flax meal, wheat germ, and oregano. The second batch was made from tomato puree, flax meal, wheat bran, wheat germ, red bell pepper, green onion, basil, and garlic. I dehydrated them for 3 hours on 200 degrees (although that's not really raw; nutrients and enzymes begin to die at temperatures higher than 120 degrees. I used an oven at the lowest heat because I don't have a dehydrator.). This whole raw thing is really cool, although I can only call myself 90% raw because some things I consume have been pasteurized. I'll allow it.

First day with solids

I officially caved just after making it past my 26th day. I had a handful of iceberg lettuce with freshly minced garlic covered in hemp oil and mustard. I must say it was more delicious than I could have imagined. Unfortunately I couldn't stop there: I ate 1/4 jar of organic tomato & basil pasta sauce, a few slices of tomato with sea salt, and a spoonful of ketchup (the kind that doesn't contain high fructose corn syrup). I missed tomatoes so fucking much. I never could get used to the taste of fresh tomato juice (same thing with orange and grapefruit juice; I guess I just got too used to the taste of bottled juice from the market throughout my life). I've been doing some lite research on various raw cracker and bread recipes so perhaps I'll be able to use that tomato sauce for dipping, not just eating by itself. I can't wait to have olives and avocados :)

I also ended up eating a mixture of 2 tbsp. peanut butter, 2 tbsp. of raw cocoa, and a tbsp. of honey. I got so full after that I only craved juice for the rest of the day. It's just after 10pm right now and I'm getting temped to make some miso soup with extra seaweed. Even though it's not raw, it has enough nutrition to convince me that it's a good idea. I think I'll have to make this an exception and consider it a reward for my strong stance behind my choices. Fuck yeah miso.

Day 25

114 lbs.

I've decided to stop documenting quite so thoroughly. It's great to keep track, but after a while it gets fucking frustrating. I must admit I doubt I'm getting as much juice as I should be, but...what can I do? I feel fine, a little on the sleepier side, but good regardless. I probably shouldn't have made the conscious decision of ending my feast soon because ever since then I've been slightly tempted to eat solids again. I haven't given in, and I won't allow myself to. I've come too far. I understand exactly what I'm doing and why I'm doing it and that is much more important than giving into momentary urges. At the end of each day I feel mentally and physically strong; I feel healthy.

My entire life I have tried to be unhealthy. Between 12/31/07 and 1/1/08 I concluded that this was a bad thing. It took me until 4/20/08 to take action. It's interesting, after I realized this all, I still couldn't stop, but I did become much more aware of myself and my surroundings. I made my few efforts like smoking a few less cigarettes a day, having salads everyday, drinking maybe 3 glasses of water a day, etc.. For me, these were huge improvements. I never drank much water; I lived off of coffee, cigarettes, meat, cheese, fried foods, sugar, and basically anything unhealthy. The funny thing is that even with these small improvements, I was consuming more drugs more often. I guess I didn't feel like drugs counted, or maybe it was a simple instinct I'd manifested. I'm relieved that side of me has been eradicated.

Day 22

• 24 oz. apple, collard green, peach
• 16 oz. water, MSM, Vitamin C
• 16 oz. carrot, cucumber, beet, beet greens
• 16 oz. apple, celery, spinach, parsley, cabbage
• 8 oz. rose hips fruit tea
• 14 oz. apple, yellow summer squash, celery, burdock root
• 16 oz. carrot, zucchini, apple, kale
  
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• i tbsp. hemp oil
• 16 oz. cucumber, apple, beet
• 8 oz. yarrow herb tea
• 8 oz. grapefruit
  

Juice Total: 110 oz.

My sister came by today and commented my weight and told me to drink some olive oil. Whether she meant it literally or not, I figured it might be good to get a bit of extra fats in me. On the plus side I've noticed I produce no body oder - even when I sweat, I don't get bad breath - not even morning breath, and I seem to be producing much less oil. I have advised myself to start weening myself back onto solids at my 30 days. I'm excited to say I will only be consuming raw foods once I get off.

Day 21

• 24 oz. carrot, celery, bell pepper
• 24 oz. apple, spinach, collard greens, Alive! mix
• 20 oz. grape, romaine, zucchini, cocoa, Alive! mix
  
• 16 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, celery, radish
• 24 oz. apple, carrot, celery, beet
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 1 tsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 32 oz. water, MSM
• 16 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 2 gallons water
• 8 oz. orange juice
  

Juice Total: 110 oz.

I had an urge to indulge in some comfort sustenance tonight and I almost ate some raw mixed nuts, but I looked at the bag and thought about how nuts take about 1.5 hours to digest and decided against it. Instead I found some natural, unsweetened cocoa and added it to some juice; it was incredible. My craving was smoothed over by the natural nutrients of cocoa. Raw cocoa raises the level of serotonin in the brain, stimulates the secretion of endorphins, contains phenylethylamine which is also created within the brain and released when we are in love, anandamide aka the “bliss chemical”, antioxidants, essential fats, and minerals including magnesium, sulfur, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese. Most of these things are killed off when cocoa is cooked.

Day 20

• 24 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 30 oz. carrot, celery, cucumber, zucchini, beet
• 30 oz. apple, peach, collard green with Alive! mix
  
• 16 oz. carrot, radish
• 18 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, celery, yellow bell pepper with Chlorella
• 8 oz. watermelon
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 1.5 gallons water
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  

Juice Total: 102 oz.

It's come to my attention the cost of my shopping trips has become a bit too large to carry on for another 70 days. Instead of having to stop my feast earlier than I'd like, I'm simply going to reduce my daily intake by a quart. The amount of nutrients 96 oz. of fresh juice can provide my body along with my supplements will do just fine.

I came across a lovely website that has a lot of veggie nutrient information. It also discusses some fruits like tomatoes, cucumbers, pumpkins, and peppers. Click here if you want to take a quick look.

Day 19

• 8 oz. water, lemon, honey, cayenne
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
• 26 oz. romaine, peach, honeydew, strawberry, and grape juice with Alive! mix
• 16 oz. cucumber & butternut squash juice
• 16 oz. apple & ginger juice
• 1 tbsp. hemp oil
• 1 tbsp. Vitaplen
• 28 oz. carrot, celery, apple, and ginger
  
• 16 oz. spinach, blackberry, raspberry, and blueberry juice
• 32 oz. cucumber, yellow summer squash, zucchini, apple, and celery juice
• 3/4 gallon water
  

Juice Total: 134 oz.

Quite a feast indeed. I've been doing a bit better consuming more moderately, but today's shopping trip took place much later than expected. At least I've got another couple of months ahead of me to get it the way I want it :)

As I learned the hard way the last time I used blueberries, if the juice isn't consumed immediately it will begin to separate and become distasteful. Even after 20-30 minutes the flavor changes.

I've been feeling incredible. My thoughts are crystal clear. I have complete control over myself. I feel the repercussions of the changes that I've commenced surging throughout my entire body. No words could articulate.



"We barely remember who or what came before this precious moment,
We are choosing to be here right now. hold on, stay inside...
This holy reality, this holy experience. choosing to be here in...

This body. this body holding me. be my reminder here that I am not alone in
This body, this body holding me, feeling eternal all this pain is an illusion...
Of what it means to be alive

Swirling round with this familiar parable.
Spinning, weaving round each new experience.
Recognize this as a holy gift and celebrate this
Chance to be alive and breathing

This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality.
Embrace this moment. remember. we are eternal.
All this pain is an illusion."
Tool - Parabola

Day 18

117 lbs.

• 16 oz. coconut with Alive! mix
• 32 oz. carrot, yellow summer squash, celery, iceberg, & parsley juice with Chlorella
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 32 oz. apple, pear, & iceberg juice
• 20 oz. grape, iceberg, & apple juice with Alive! mix
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 24 oz. water, apple, & cherry
  
• 12 oz. carrot
• 8 oz. water, lime, honey, cayenne
• 2 gallons water
• 16 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  

Juice Total: 136 oz.

The day before a shopping trip generally doesn't consist of much variety, although I did manage to exceed my gallon goal. I'm relieved to realize that my weight isn't dropping too rapidly; I was afriad I might have to start eating solids again if I'd lost too much too fast, but I don't see much of a problem. My brain feels very organized and sponge-like, and my body feels like it's getting a much needed vacation and cleaning.

A mild concern has set in regarding my consumption time frame: I don't drink much juice in the morning, mostly water; I end up having to drink heavily at the end of my day, when I really don't need much fuel. (When I was little I had a hard time falling asleep without being so full it hurt. I also became accustomed to occupying myself with coffee and cigarettes the first half of the day. I guess it's a good time to shake the remainders of those habits.) I have no deficiency in energy at all, but I believe it may be beneficial to my body to start light in the morning, drink the most in the middle of the day, then drink light in the evening. I suppose I should just start juicing a bit earlier in the day and encourage myself to simply drink more regularly.

Day 17

• 24 oz. spinach, celery, apple, zucchini, parsley juice
• 32 oz. cucumber, carrot, iceberg, radish juice
• 32 oz. apple, grape, collard green, iceberg juice with Alive! mix
• 32 oz. cucumber, celery, apple, beet juice with Chlorella
  
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 2 gallons water
• 20 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
  
• 8 oz. water, maple syrup, lemon, cayenne

Juice total: 120 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

When I quit drinking coffee 3 months ago, instead of being temped by the smell of it, I grew to love it. The smell of coffee is an aroma, like an inscent, meant to be enjoyed. I am beginning to feel the exact same way about food. I am generally near food being cooked or eaten at least twice a day, and I used to take shallow breaths and try not to be around it too much, but since yesterday I can't help but pour air into my lungs when I can smell it. It's fabulous. It smells so lovely, and I couldn't be more repulsed at the thought of consuming it.

Throughout these past 17 days I have been feeling even more tripped out than usual. Everything feels so fathomable and perfect. My perceptions are shifting at a constant rhythm all of the time. I've definitely gotten used to finding good juice combinations, and I don't mind having to clean my juicer ever 32-56 oz. anymore. I do hope to get a wheatgrass juicer one of these days, but for now I can wait. I'm content with what I've got.

Day 15

120 lbs.

• 32 oz. water, sea salt
• 8 oz. water, lemon, maple syrup, cayenne
• 24 oz. pineapple, cranberry, iceberg, raspberry, water, Alive! mix
• 32 oz. spinach, celery, cucumber, apple
• 12 oz. water, Chlorella
• 32 oz. grape, peach, iceberg, collard green, Alive! mix
• 32 oz. pineapple, orange, iceberg, parsley
• 1 tsp. bee pollen
• 1 tsp. hemp oil
• 8 oz. cascara sagrada bark tea with honey
• 20 oz. water, MSM, vitamin C
• 1 gallon water

Juice Total: 120 oz.
Goal: 128 oz.

I woke up this morning and attempted a salt water flush, but I didn't get the expected results. I just felt full of liquid. No harm done, I've noticed, except a bit of time wasted. No matter, I have plenty of it anyway :) I must say I do throughly enjoy the combination of water, lemon, maple syrup, and cayenne. I think I may have missed spicy things. It's also a wonderfully sparing way to use that expensive maple syrup I used to cover my vegan pancakes in. Fuck pancakes.

It's occurred to me, and this isn't the first time is has, that I'm also filtering my thoughts as well as my body and belongings. Throughout the day things will pop into my head like old food combinations I used to indulge in (i.e. meat, cheese, Ranch dressing, and crushed Doritos on white bread), and it only makes me nauseous. The thought of it has to be conscious, then dismissed as bad and not to be tempting. It's just like when the toxins are leaving the body, they have to go through the bloodstream before they can find a way out, thus inducing detox symptoms. Toxins fuck you on the way in and the way out.
It also reminds me of the damage I inflicted upon my body and makes me more willing to press on. Then I consider the things I would like to consume when I come off my cleansing period (i.e. a mixed green, edible flower, and sprout salad). The fabulous thing is that none of this makes me crave solid food at all. Whether I was planning on eating it or enjoying the beauty of it is optional anyway.