Two more shakes to go in this three-day regimen of liquefied fruits, vegetables and nut proteins.

Today, I do not feel hungry (not at all the case during Days 1 and 2). The breakfast shake tasted great. All the past shakes (seven, now) have tasted great to me. I’m sincerely looking forward to the last two.

But that is because I know they are The. Last. Two.

Here’s what a detox diet really is: it’s penance. It’s what people do when they feel bad about what they’ve done. They ate too much. They don’t feel great and blame themselves (a bit or a lot) for it.  So they enter a boot camp for the palate and stomach, to be “broken,” so that they can be built back up. The mean sergeant in charge in this case: Dr. Oz. “Drop and give me 20!”  Or in this case, “Blend and drink up 9!” (Never did the fourth daily “snack” shake. Snacked on solid avocado, or apple slices with almond butter.)

Oh, I’ve been broken: I may have kicked my recent habit of random handfuls of M&Ms and Starburst, as well as my penchant for potato chips at too late an hour. For that, I am eternally grateful to Sergeant Oz. And I am now eternally grateful for the ability to cook with and wash dishes that run no risk of cutting off a finger (damn you, tiny blender blades!).

This penance has served to remind me that I am in fact a healthful person who exercises regularly and eats well. I liked all the smoothies. I eat everything in them, in solid form, after preparing them, with pans and spatulas and a variety of seasonings. I’m reminded that I like to cook. I like the aromas that come from my kitchen. I miss them.

Penance. The desire to be forgiven. The desire for a fresh start. Got it.

Tomorrow is my husband’s 41st birthday. It’s also the first night of Passover, the celebration of a people’s liberation. A people’s fresh start, a people no longer oppressed.

I’m going to make this for dinner tomorrow: Cochin Coriander-Cumin Chicken for Passover. (But with chicken breasts, instead of thighs. Served with brown rice, and sautéed kale with garlic, and roasted potatoes.)

We will be liberated from our (food-based) oppression. We will enjoy enjoy our fresh start.

Chag Pesach Sameach! (Happy Passover!)