Forty Days of Grapes...
- Verity Anderson
- Feb 18, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Aug 9
Heaven or horror?
STROPPING out of the supermarket, HANGRY, uncharacteristically irritated – appalled even, animatedly w h i n g i n g on the phone like a brat because....wait for it...
‘They substituted my order with unseeeeeeeded grapes, and THEY'RE NOT EVEN ORGANIC!’
PAUSE.
Erm…I do not recognise this person….We could never be friends….When did this happen to you gurl?! And, what in the world led ME to this low point…
Cue Leon Marshall’s 40-day Fruit Regeneration Program, with foundations detailed in Johanna Brandt’s ‘The Grape Cure’ and pears of wisdom from the revolutionary findings of renowned herbalist Dr. Sebi.
SO…
Bougie-bitch mode activated….
WHY and was it worth it?
Read on my friends…
There comes a moment, particularly between Christmas festivities and the New Year, when we tend to take stock of life…
Am I where I should be right now?
What have I actually achieved this year?
Where do I want to be?
Will 2024 be MY year….?
I was looking and feeling rather bleurghhhh and was ready for something new. All or nothing, pretty much sums me up, so I was perfectly poised to embark on Leon’s program. The next forty days would be spent eating red/black seeded grapes (ONLY), preferably organic, every two hours from 8am to 8pm in an effort to 'regenerate every cell in my body'.
I now truly appreciate the difference between simple and easy. Cue the oxymorons: Simple but hard, hard but easy, exciting but boring, agitating but relaxing and feeling balanced with zero balance...
As you may already have figured, for me, this program was a lot of things; 10% physical endurance and 90% mental agility and fortitude.
I started the grape feast on 1st of January 2024, good health thankfully, however a little fluffy…cuddly… OK fat.
My weakness, food. I am not a particularly emotional eater, I eat because…Heck, I like the taste.
I’m pretty happy whatever size I am, however, I LOVE walking and exploring the great outdoors, and figured I would most likely enjoy these walks EVEN more if I wasn’t carrying an additional 30lb. ‘bodyweight rucksack’ around with me EVERYWHERE…
No brainer right?
Leon corralled a group of around one hundred likeminded people, eager to refresh and rejuvenate their cells. I usually avoid large WhatsApp group chats, due to the dreaded dramas, inevitable egos, suspicious spam and nonsensical nonsense. I hovered over the ‘mute notifications’ button, then realised, message by message, that I should perhaps be less hasty... The clincher was some timely wisdom, care and support sent to a flagging fellow ‘Grape-Feaster’ which concluded:
‘We run tings, tings nuh run we’
Or to paraphrase…‘TAKE CHARGE Sweetie’ Yup. Perhaps I was indeed in the right place; the sentiment of love and appreciation for this EXCEPTIONAL group of individuals endured; in fact I could not have made it through without Leon and the group's support, not to mention my greatest cheerleader (aka my gorgeous mum).
A few snapshot moments taken from my diary:
Day 1: Treated myself to some fancy-dancy glass containers today…too heavy; must invest in a rucksack and lightweight, BPA free plastic straining containers
Day 3: Trudged the streets looking for the right type of organic seeded grapes (more difficult to find than I could have realised), dull headache, mouth tasted like a weirdo's, cold, FED UP – epiphany moment ‘keep looking missy, make the effort for yourself, THIS is a true act of love and self-care’
Day 5: Barely any period pains! We’ve gone from a nine to a one on the pain scale – shock and elation – spurred on!
Day 7: Aforementioned supermarket meltdown. Let’s not talk about it...
Day 10: Clicking joints silenced, vivid dreams, deep restful sleep
My perceptions began to alter….
Day 15: McDonalds Uber Eats notification pinged up stating ‘I deserve it’…. now looks more like a threat… NOPE…. I deserve BETTER actually
Day 20: Sense of smell wickedly good.. exhaust fumes, perfumes, cigarettes, bad breath, particularly offensive
Day 21: Resisting the urge to weigh myself…
Days 22-39: WHIZZED BY...this lifestyle is now a habit, or better put, I am on AUTOPILOT - not easy, but ABSOLUTELY doable, feeling proud!
I shared everything with the group except my secret little crutch, I was unsure whether my freakish foible would be a help or a hindrance to others? I was also a little embarrassed to be completely honest. I had been watching YouTube Mukbangs back-to-back like it was Luther, Scandal or Game of Thrones… To the normal folk reading this who don’t already know…Mukbangs are basically channels where youtubers eat a meal on camera. I was watching the fattiest fast food meals being devoured on screen and it was somehow HELPING me... Vicariously eating via someone else I guess? The weird thing was, these people were eating sloppy burgers and meat covered pizzas etc. though I have been veggie for over ten years and have absolutely no intention of eating meat. I do not know or understand the psychology, all I know is it worked for me, and that was enough.
Zoom meetings came at timely intervals, Leon’s skilful feedback was educative and accessible and I feel everyone was made to feel welcome, supported and at ease. He would keep reminding the group that ‘science is simple’ and ‘it’s about evidence’ with our results being the evidence.
With naysayers in one ear saying ‘you can’t possibly survive on grapes for forty days’, group testimonials of lowered blood pressure, mind-blowing brain power, reduced gym recovery time, improved vision etc. and Zoom meetings lead by Leon (who was doing the program again with us, has an academic background in the sciences AND also looked like ‘glowing health’ personified), I never doubted the process.
Day Forty:
I survived! HAH ✅
Weight loss: 29lbs and 2 dress sizes smaller ✅
Memory: revitalised ✅
Thought processes: Supercharged ✅
Mood: A1✅
Energy: through the roof!✅
Sleep: deep and restful ✅
DREADED period pains: negligible, no need for painkillers! ✅
Skin: Glowing (so I was told), zero stretch marks, or (new) flab hahaha ✅
Boobs: no shrinkage ;3) ✅
Cravings: A huge salad with olives, cherry tomatoes and avocados…(is this really me?) ✅
New year’s resolution: ACHIEVED! ✅
I mean WHAT?!
Placebo some my say... RESULTS...My response
Practical tips:
Buy more grapes than you think you’ll need
Wash produce in bicarbonate of soda and then Apple Cider vinegar to remove most/all of the nasties
Invest in cocktail sticks, useful when out and unable to wash hands thoroughly
Frequent continental stores for seeded grapes
After note I am now embarking on an additional 20 days, then a gradual transition into a wider range of raw / vegan / wholefood products under the skilful guidance of Leon; I will post an update once I have fully transitioned.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional, do your own research....