they say the only certainties in life are death and taxes, but I'd note that, in chicago, you might want to add winter weight gain to that list. The weather gets incredibly shitty in this town for long spans of time, sometimes stretching from november to may, and everyone who lives here is pretty much eastern european, irish, or black, which is to say, buried deep in our genetic code, our bodies are ready for famines and grossly inhumane treatment at the drop of a hat, so a predisposition to save some extra meat on our bones while we're, in essence, hibernating isn't a undesirable trait to have. but, add to that our historical reputation as hog butcher to the world, and, well, that's a recipe for a bunch of people opening their eyes come springtime, looking in the mirror, and saying, "holy shit, i got fat."

in an effort to stave off that uniquely disheartening realization this year when it's time to pull out the short skirts and tank tops, i've decided to embark on 30 days of what is known among raw foodists and other health conscious folks as a juice feast. basically, it means I won't eat any solid food for a month, subsisting solely on a gallon of fresh fruit and vegetable juices that i make at home each day. it's both less and more arduous than it sounds.

i did my first juice feast from mid-june to mid-july 2008, and it was an absolutely transformative experience. i lost about 13 pounds, my skin cleared up like i'd never seen it before, i gained a deeper awareness of my issues around "emotional eating," and i had the satisfaction of knowing i'd achieved a really slightly insane goal. it's obviously not a task to be undertaken lightly, or frequently for that matter, but nine months later i finally felt ready to give it another go and do some internal spring cleaning, as it were. today is day 17.

all of which is my way of explaining why this guest entry isn't going to look like the standard eat!drink!snack! posting that you've come to know and love--no booze, nothing purchased from a bodega, and, um, not much of a snack.

snack away! #3 - juicy!
guest blogger: allison felus, chicago, illinois

snack: 1 tablespoon of y.s. organic bee farms bee pollen
drink: 1 quart of celery/cucumber/spinach/apple juice + 1 tablespoon of spirulina

as i write this, i'm drinking a quart of freshly prepared celery/cucumber/spinach/apple juice. i would have absolutely balked at the idea of drinking something like this, and in such great quantities, just a few years ago, but now it's one of my favorite concoctions. other greens (like kale or dandelion) can have a strong, sharp taste that can be unpleasant to choke down in fresh vegetable juice, but spinach is light and almost sweet. the celery adds much needed organic sodium, the cucumber is light and hydrating, and the apple adds a happy little punch of natural sugar.

the tablespoon of spirulina is an optional add-in, but i've been craving it like mad lately. it turns whatever it touches a soft, wet shade of dark green and has a quickly addictive flavor that's kind of warm and buttery. (depending on how you're consuming it, it can be almost reminiscent of the oaty yet sugary dust found at the bottom of a box of cereal.) it's also one of the highest sources of complete protein found in nature, which is especially important for vegans (which i guess i kind of am--please don't hold it against me).

bee pollen is one of the few things that you're legitimately allowed to chew on during a juice feast, and, as such, i've come to really love my daily dose--as a break in the monotony of all that liquid, if nothing else. but it's also one of those trendy superfoods that everyone's always cooing about. each spoonful is packed with amino acids, enzymes, B12, and other scientifically proven microscopic yummies that our bodies need to keep humming along optimally but are so often absent in the nutritionally devalued food of the standard american diet. the taste varies from bottle to bottle--sometimes it's sharp and crunchy, sometimes soft and earthy. my current batch has a nice mild midrange, with a little bit of chalkiness to it, but an overall essence of, yes, honey that goes a long way toward quelling my usually insatiable sweet tooth.

see you in the sunshine, kittens!

allison felus blogs at wrestling entropy. she loves you just the way you are, except for when you're kind of being a jackass.