This is day 27 of what’s going to be 32 days without solid food, but it’s day one of six days of a liquids, not water-only, fast. Yesterday I decided, for several reasons, to go from water-only to fruit and veggie juices and all-liquid soups. Last evening I had three bowls of a really good tasting, organic vegetable soup I made myself a couple of days ago.

I was therefore surprised when I stepped on a scale this morning and saw that I had lost another pound since yesterday, now up to a 30 pound weight  loss since the beginning of the fast. In addition, I have not felt stronger with some nourishment in me, not yet, though I know that will come.

Why did I do this? One reason is the number of friends who have been supportive of me but have also told me they have been concerned about impacts on my health, especially because of my 71 years. Another is that I have noticed that, as distinct from the middle period of the fast, there’s not been much recent press interest despite my daily outreach efforts.

I’ve done OK on that front; there are at least 20 progressive and other media outlets that have interviewed me or carried stories about this action, but only a couple in the last week. So when I was watching a news story about the massive voter turnout happening Tuesday evening, the idea came to me that maybe it was time for me to switch to nourishing liquids so that I would have the energy to do what I was doing in September before the fast—phone outreach to battleground states to encourage turnout. As I thought about that idea, it just made more and more sense. Thus this change. And this evening I’ll begin that phone calling work through the group Our Revolution.

It’s important that we each do what we can in these last six days to maximize voter turnout! There are signs everywhere that this could be a big defeat for Trump and his Republican enablers; let’s not let up!