I'll be eating nothing but lentils in 2011

[MattyT]

What kind of degree are you getting over there? I hope it has nothing to do with earning a living?

I'd guess Masochism.

[Cugalabanza]

I think after one month you will be farting continuously, sweating mulligatawny soup and jonesing for a piece of pizza harder than you have ever jonesed for anything in your life. But good luck to you.

[Chef Jim]

I got to ask you Sage, have you ever eaten plain lentils, no seasonings? Ok I revise my bet. You won't make it past the fourth day. There are so many ways you can make lentils interesting but just boiling them plain is silly. You do plan on cooking them right?

[Jim in Anchorage]

I got to ask you Sage, have you ever eaten plain lentils, no seasonings? Ok I revise my bet. You won't make it past the fourth day. There are so many ways you can make lentils interesting but just boiling them plain is silly. You do plan on cooking them right?

That would disrupt the flow of Karma.

[Clip Smith]

I am sure there is no way you plan on really doing this, but if for some reason you did, you will probably become so sick in 3-4 months that you will be forced to stop.

 

The iron and folic acid levels alone will do enough damage to your stomach and circulatory system. It will take a little while to build up, but it will. Your liver will just love the constant diet of iron and alcohol. Your kidneys should love it as well once the combo of dehydration and possible CHF take hold.

 

Now if you are young, your heart may only throw PVC's....and you won't freak out too much.....but then again if you are young, the amounts of folate in your body, which regulate cell division by the way, will be so high that it may even short that process out....increasing your cancer risks multi-fold. And if you so happen to have a tumor develop, that will help feed the tumor growth.

 

It will make for an awesome blog though as you are crapping charcoal into a hospital bedpan.

 

Enjoy your quest!

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I got to ask you Sage, have you ever eaten plain lentils, no seasonings? Ok I revise my bet. You won't make it past the fourth day. There are so many ways you can make lentils interesting but just boiling them plain is silly. You do plan on cooking them right?

 

Yep, do indeed plan on cooking them haha. And I have eat plain lentils a couple times before out of pure laziness. Pretty bland, bordering on nasty.

[Chef Jim]

Yep, do indeed plan on cooking them haha. And I have eat plain lentils a couple times before out of pure laziness. Pretty bland, bordering on nasty.

 

Whereas I could eat curried lentil soup with smoked bacon and sour cream every day for years. Come one man, spice them up. Ok revising my bet. You won't make it to day two.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I am sure there is no way you plan on really doing this, but if for some reason you did, you will probably become so sick in 3-4 months that you will be forced to stop.

 

The iron and folic acid levels alone will do enough damage to your stomach and circulatory system. It will take a little while to build up, but it will. Your liver will just love the constant diet of iron and alcohol. Your kidneys should love it as well once the combo of dehydration and possible CHF take hold.

 

Now if you are young, your heart may only throw PVC's....and you won't freak out too much.....but then again if you are young, the amounts of folate in your body, which regulate cell division by the way, will be so high that it may even short that process out....increasing your cancer risks multi-fold. And if you so happen to have a tumor develop, that will help feed the tumor growth.

 

It will make for an awesome blog though as you are crapping charcoal into a hospital bedpan.

 

Enjoy your quest!

 

And boom goes the dynamite. Clip, thanks for introducing some pragmatism into the discussion. Thanks a million for the info. You can bet that I'll be spending a good portion of the next 10 days researching the implications of my impending diet.

 

I assume you're a health professional of sorts? Or just a hobbyist?

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

As a side question to anybody who feels like answering...

 

I'm one of the less New Age savvy members of my generation. What would be the best service to host a blog for this sort of thing?

 

Thanks!

[ieatcrayonz]

As for why I plan on doing this, the reasons are four...

 

 

 

1. I believe in testing the limits of our human experience. blah blah hippy parents blah blah.....

 

I believe if you simply gave Ennifer your cell phone number you could test human limits as well as some other species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. I want to develop a deeper appreciation for the simple joys in life. Too often, good-tasting foods act as something of a petty treat as a substitute for true visceral experiences. In a way, I will be enhancing all other experiences by denying myself the most readily available of them. By introducing a high degree of blandness into my dietary life, I must seek thrills elsewhere. Sights, sounds, smells will all become more profound...at least, that's the plan.

 

This one would seem to work in Ennifer's favor.

 

 

 

 

3. We, as a society, have lost complete touch with the notion that the primary motivation for eating ought to be survival. By limiting myself to one food, I hope to personally reattain this notion.

 

Dude, you don't have to personally reattain jack. Just pretend like you did.

 

 

 

 

 

4. I believe that one ought to do something absurd like this at least once in one's life, and embrace one's eccentricities instead of shunning them.

 

That works great until you get hooked on it. The next thing you know you're painting your face and planning a raid on a lentil farm with your imaginary friend General Billy and a three legged mule named Paco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BONUS #5!

 

 

 

5. I'll save a ton of money.

 

What could you possibly save on food in one year? 7-10 Million? It's a rounding error dude.

 

Most definitely. Not only did you have the luxury of choosing your food, you have the luxury of placing more value on taste than you do nutritional value. Pleasing your taste buds over your body's health.

 

You are eating for pleasure, not to live.

 

How luxurious.

Why don't you fire up another spliff and take it to the Karl Marx thread? This is the lentil thread.

Edited December 20, 2010 by ieatcrayonz

[Miyagi-Do Karate]

I got to ask you Sage, have you ever eaten plain lentils, no seasonings? Ok I revise my bet. You won't make it past the fourth day. There are so many ways you can make lentils interesting but just boiling them plain is silly. You do plan on cooking them right?

 

Agreed. I would put the over/under at a month assuming he had a lentil cookbook and used a variety of recipes. Plain lentils = 2 days.

[Typical TBD Guy]

I am sure there is no way you plan on really doing this, but if for some reason you did, you will probably become so sick in 3-4 months that you will be forced to stop.

 

The iron and folic acid levels alone will do enough damage to your stomach and circulatory system. It will take a little while to build up, but it will. Your liver will just love the constant diet of iron and alcohol. Your kidneys should love it as well once the combo of dehydration and possible CHF take hold.

 

Now if you are young, your heart may only throw PVC's....and you won't freak out too much.....but then again if you are young, the amounts of folate in your body, which regulate cell division by the way, will be so high that it may even short that process out....increasing your cancer risks multi-fold. And if you so happen to have a tumor develop, that will help feed the tumor growth.

 

It will make for an awesome blog though as you are crapping charcoal into a hospital bedpan.

 

Enjoy your quest!

 

Good post.

 

Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, so it's really hard to take in dangerous levels provided one is drinking a LOT of water.

 

Iron is a different story, however. The only real way to flush out very excessive iron levels from the body is through forced blood loss.

 

My biggest concern with Sage's proposed diet is the mistaken belief that one can just magically get all of the essential nutrients from daily vitamins. The absorption process of the small intestine is not nearly so simple.

 

Bottom line: consult a qualified nutritionist before embarking on this diet.

 

Maybe try a strict vegan or vegetarian diet instead? Hey if you are really into this "deprivation for enlightenment" experience, you can try going without alcohol or sexual activity (though I'd recommend waiting until after college to do this).

[ChevyVanMiller]

I believe if you simply gave Ennifer your cell phone number you could test human limits as well as some other species.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This one would seem to work in Ennifer's favor.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dude, you don't have to personally reattain jack. Just pretend like you did.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

That works great until you get hooked on it. The next thing you know you're painting your face and planning a raid on a lentil farm with your imaginary friend General Billy and a three legged mule named Paco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What could you possibly save on food in one year? 7-10 Million? It's a rounding error dude.

 

 

Why don't you fire up another spliff and take it to the Karl Marx thread? This is the lentil thread.

 

 

LOl...

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

Good post.

 

Folic acid is a water-soluble vitamin, so it's really hard to take in dangerous levels provided one is drinking a LOT of water.

 

Iron is a different story, however. The only real way to flush out very excessive iron levels from the body is through forced blood loss.

 

My biggest concern with Sage's proposed diet is the mistaken belief that one can just magically get all of the essential nutrients from daily vitamins. The absorption process of the small intestine is not nearly so simple.

 

Bottom line: consult a qualified nutritionist before embarking on this diet.

 

Maybe try a strict vegan or vegetarian diet instead? Hey if you are really into this "deprivation for enlightenment" experience, you can try going without alcohol or sexual activity (though I'd recommend waiting until after college to do this).

 

Thanks, Tough Guy. Fortunately for me, my brother is a qualified nutritionist, so I'll be using him as a resource.

 

As for the iro...based on the amount of lentils I'll be eating on a daily basis, I'll be getting somewhere between 150-160 percent of my recommended daily value of iron per day. Obviously this isn't ideal, but do you think it's enough to cause a serious iron overload?

[DrDawkinstein]

Thanks Dr. Dank! Out of curiosity...how did the dietary boredom affect you? More importantly, do you view food (and by extension, all of life's other pleasures) differently for the experience?

 

It wasnt so bad for a couple of reasons. The main one though was that it wasnt something I was trying to stick to, so when I had some extra money, I was eating other things. Now though, I find myself steering clear of jasmine rice when possible. I dont mind it, but dont find it appealing either.

[MattyT]

Thanks, Tough Guy. Fortunately for me, my brother is a qualified nutritionist, so I'll be using him as a resource.

 

As for the iro...based on the amount of lentils I'll be eating on a daily basis, I'll be getting somewhere between 150-160 percent of my recommended daily value of iron per day. Obviously this isn't ideal, but do you think it's enough to cause a serious iron overload?

I'm pretty sure extra iron is one of those things that you just piss away.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

I'm pretty sure extra iron is one of those things that you just piss away.

 

To a certain extent, I believe, but exaggerated iron intake can lead to some serious issues.

[Pete]

Good luck Sage. You will gain a better appreciation for flavors and how lucky we are. Food is a luxury. And we are fortunate just to have clean water. It is a big world outside the US. Be prepared to swear off lentils for the rest of your life after this

[The Dean]

Be prepared to swear off lentils for the rest of your life after this

 

 

That's the one wise decision in this whole gambit, I think. At least he isn't going to be sick of anything interesting.

 

When Dr. Drank notes he doesn't particularly like jasmine rice anymore, I thought "what a shame". Jasmine rice is great. Lentils? Not so much.

[SageAgainstTheMachine]

That's the one wise decision in this whole gambit, I think. At least he isn't going to be sick of anything interesting.

 

When Dr. Drank notes he doesn't particularly like jasmine rice anymore, I thought "what a shame". Jasmine rice is great. Lentils? Not so much.

 

It's funny, actually...I mentioned conducting an interview with Potato Guy (ate nothing but potatoes for 2 months). Naturally, I inquired about his first non-potato meal. He was embarrassed to admit that it was mashed potatoes. Apparently, he had grown so sick of plain unseasoned potatoes, that the most desirable thing in the world to him was (bizarrely) a seasoned potato dish.