Joe's interpretation of his diet

Darkest Moment: When I went out for Mexican dinner on night four. What food wasn't made of corn?

Best Meal: Sauteed summer squash with brown rice pasta

If this diet were a book, it would be called: The Cornivore's Dilemma

In a dramatization of the past two weeks, I'd be played by: Gary Busey or Steve Buschemi

Most useful items: Google, Whole Foods, Fruit, Cookbooks

In a nutshell: "I was bi-polar during this ridiculous ordeal."

The Final Word

The mother of my best friend from high school and I recently spoke about the current state of our world. One of my two most cherished quotes came up in conversation. It reads, "...you must be the change you wish to see in the world." This quote, by Mahatma Gandhi, motivates me and reminds me to never lose faith and always stand by what I believe. This exercise in dietary change was a great example of me succeeding at being the change I wish to see in the world.

To be honest, there is little hope that I'll completely eliminate corn from my diet in the future. However, I'm confident that I'll be able to minimize my consumption of corn based food and food-products with ease. Hopefully everyone I know will follow suit. Maybe the people in their lives will do the same. Maybe their acquaintances will emulate them. Maybe one night this week, as a symbolic gesture, I'll grill myself some real, locally-grown corn. We shall see.

Read more about Joe's experience:

• Corn-free, Day 14
• Corn-free, Day 11
• Corn-free, Day 9
• Corn-free, Day 6
• Corn-free, Day 3
• Corn-free, Day 2

A venn diagram of Jimmy's diet

Darkest Moment: When I came home from work to a freshly baked tray of chocolate chip cookies!

Best Meal: Smoothie and salad

If this diet were a book, it would be called: Cold Food Isn't Always Good

In a dramatization of the past two weeks, I'd be played by: Mr. T

Most useful items: Google, Blender, Refrigerator, Fruit

In a nutshell: "I'm a 25% raw foodist."

The Final Word

After my third day I was on a roll, with days four and five consisting of about 90% raw foods.  I was eating smoothies and fruit for breakfast, raw almonds as a daytime snack, salads and freshly squeezed juices for lunch and sprouted veggie wraps for dinner.  I felt...good.  Hungry, and a bit lightheaded at times, but good.

But then, on day six, there it was, sitting on the table beside six crudely concealed boxes of wine, beckoning me with it's flaky crust and juicy filling.   Home-made mixed berry cobbler. Being a lightweight, I was already three sheets to the wind from the wine 'tasting', so right as I was getting the idea stuck in my head that eating cooked food was somehow unacceptable, I found myself face to face with said cobbler, knife in hand.  I guiltily sliced myself a generous portion, knowing I was about to wreck a week's worth of raw fooding.

I know what you're thinking, six days isn't long enough to learn ANYTHING, you jerk!  Well, I did gain something: First, I ate more salad.  Second, I ate no meat. Third, I ate no dairy, which I usually eat a lot of. I really do think I'm walking away from the raw with a greater appreciation for what I'm eating, and a desire to eat more leafy veggies and less dairy, and I'm going back to being a vegetarian (which I was for four years back in the 90s).  So, in the end, I'm pretty stoked about my results.  I may not have much self control when it comes to eliminating cooked food, but hey, we've all got our weaknesses.  I'm just glad it gave me the opportunity to think more critically about what I eat and get back in the vegetarian drivers' seat.

Read more about Jimmy's experience:

• Falling off the Raw Food Wagon
• Going Raw, Days 1-4

Darkest Moment: Being sneered at by a surly bartender when I asked for a gluten-free beer.

Best Meal: Cuban food in New York City -- rice, black beans, vegetables and fried plantains, mmmmm...

If this diet were a book, it'd be called: Glutton for Gluten: How to (unsuccessfully) end your relationship with wheat

In a dramatization of the past two weeks, I'd be played by: Someone gaunt and prone to mood swings. Does that narrow it down? [Ed. note: Gary Busey and Steve Buschemi pretty much his that description right on.]

Most useful items: Fruit, Whole Foods, Google, Refrigerator

In a nutshell: "How I missed pizza, pasta, falafel, and pitas..."

The Final Word

Justin's interpretation of his diet

My gluten-free fortnight is at an end, and I have happily returned to the realm of wheat flour.  As I sat in a café and relished the flaky, chewy texture of a freshly baked croissant, I reflected over the past two weeks and what I’ve learned (if anything). 

For me, going gluten free alternated between being effortlessly easy and unspeakably hard – and that was oftentimes within the same meal.  One minute I was happily scarfing down a masala dosa, and the next I was yearning for a bagel or a slice of pizza.  My case was a bit more complicated since I was balancing gluten-free with vegetarianism.  While many other people following a gluten-free diet could’ve simply turned to steak, grilled chicken or fish, I didn’t have that option.  On top of that, I had to watch out for foods that had gluten-derived ingredients in them, such as salad dressings and soy sauce.

I could sometimes stick to the diet without even thinking about it, but at other times I had to cave in and eat a falafel on pita when there was literally no other option – except for hot dogs and chicken nuggets.  And after all that, I can’t even say for sure that I felt any major change in my health or energy levels.  If nothing else, I know I don’t have any undiscovered wheat allergies.  But be that as it may, I discovered that there are gluten-free foods I eat all the time, such as rice, fruit, salads, cooked vegetable dishes, and even more foods that I could see myself eating more of in the future, like quinoa, rice noodles, and plantains.  After all, dietary changes aren’t about renunciation, they’re about discovering new foods and a different approach to shaping your diet, and that was certainly the most valuable lesson I took from this experience.