It has been a very interesting journey. I am in my final day of the cleanse, and it has been really eye-opening.

I played games at a friends home here in Texas where they have cats... no allergies at all. From what I can tell, all of my allergies are gone and have been absent for the past two weeks. I am very happy about this.

I am feeling a lot better. My joints and muscles feel better, my appetite and hunger are much more regular, I am becoming more toned... all in all, an amazing change. I wonder what another month or so would do. I think I will take part of this dietary change with me after tomorrow.

I hate to say it, but this actually works!

What was the hardest part. Eating out... anywhere. Even a vegan cafe leaves little to eat. A place like Chili's or Mexican... no options at all. Anything (if possible) that you would eat must be a special order. Also, it is right in the middle of party season, and the potluck spreads from my friends would break your heart.

Was/is it worth it? I would say yes. Our nation tends to eat lots and lots of crap. If anything, this diet will make really clear just how terrible (or good) your eating habits are. There was a time when the food pyramid included at most 3 meals a week containing meat (not fish). Most people eat meat at every meal now (or close to it). How many salads are in your diet? Salads and such should comprise the majority of your meals. I think you get the picture... the awareness alone of your regular diet is worth this cleanse. You will become so much smarter about food! The funny thing is that you will be compelled to. I constantly check websites to confirm that something was bad for me. Corn bad? Yep! But corn is a vegetable... and baked corn chips must be good... nope! You get the picture.

On another and more personal note, this dietary cleanse has led me to make some choices that really have changed my life. While it wasn't easy, it was a very worthwhile pursuit!

Chile's Chaitén volcano spewed lava and blasted ash more than 12 miles (19 kilometers) into the sky on Tuesday May 6th, 2008, prompting a total evacuation of the provincial capital and other settlements.

President Michelle Bachelet interrupted a speech in the capital to announce that "the volcano is exploding, so a total evacuation of the town of Chaitén has been ordered."

The mingling of lightning and ash seen above may be a "dirty thunderstorm."

The little-understood storms may be sparked when rock fragments, ash, and ice particles in the plume collide to produce static chargesjust as ice particles collide to create charge in regular thunderstorms.

I am absolutely amazed by this picture. The pyroclastic cloud containing all that silica has a side effect of creating stunning bolts of lightning. Never have I imagined such a thing! Just when you thought that natural phenomena cannot surprise you anymore, something so dramatically stunning such as this photo really can humble you.

Well, it has been a few more days than two weeks. I have some very interesting news, but I want to first say that all those people who say that the first week is the hardest... they lie. Each day is in fact a bit harder! However, I am starting to see some huge benefits that I will discuss now.

Foremost, amazingly, my allergies are gone. Yep, gone. I held kittens yesterday without flinching. Normally, kittens would lay me right out... done... check please. Sad, because I love animals too. However, I visited friends who do have cats that I am terribly allergic to, and not a single reaction. Is this a gift from taking on this spiritual cleanse, or is this an indication of all the crap that is in our normal foods. I don't know the answer to that yet. Also, mowed the grass with no problems. Seriously, for those of you who know me, this is amazing. I had allergy shots every day for the first 8 years of my life, and I dose up whenever I am around high-allergen animals like cats.

Second, my sensitivity to the energies around me is growing very strong. Each day I am amazed at what is going on now. I am very pleased about this one!

Third, I feel healthier. I've lost a little bit of weight, am eating constantly, and still have my normal exercise routine. However my skin is softer and smoother. I have scars on my feet from martial arts past that are finally healing after 15 years. There are so many more things, it is amazing!

So these factors are making the fast something more than just a test, or endurance, or a cleanse. It is truly miraculous. Now don't get me wrong... I already have a date with a tex-mex restaurant in Houston the day my fast ends. Oh yeah, a big margarita and a chicken burrito are in my future. However, if I see any reduction of these benefits, I may try and normally be much more mindful as to what I put in my mouth. Who knows...

I want to also note that these benefits didn't even begin to show until just around the two week mark. I was pretty much demoralized on day 12, seeing no benefits except being crabby. Also I made the mistake of purchasing my favorite candies on halloween... and almost wept as I handed them out to the kids