While Chutkan provides a specific 10-day plan (with recipes!) in her book, she is the first to say that short diet plans are not what attaining "Gutbliss" is about.

"I don't endorse any particular way to eat, other than increasing things that are good for you and decreasing things that aren't, cooking most of your food yourself, as well as trying to be an ethical consumer," she explains.

Since I've never been the structured type, this is good news. Here, the rules of Gutbliss:

Don't Count Calories: ... or other nutrition facts. "Forget how many grams of protein something has and think about whether the food you're eating is helping you or harming you, whether it's just filler that's not making a difference either way, or whether it's even food at all."

So ... I can have as much food as I want? For a girl who has done her share of food-restricting diets and food-banning juice cleanses, this sounds like a 10-day walk in the park -- during which I'm shoving tons of food in my face.

Eat Real Food: "Food is something that's picked off a tree; plucked from a bush; dug up from the earth; caught in a river, lake, or ocean; or slaughtered so we can eat," writes Chutkan in her book. While we're surrounded by plenty of things to eat, none of it is actually food -- rather, she says, they're "edible, food-like substances with expiration dates that stretch on for years and ingredients you've never heard of." After checking out the ingredient list on my "all-natural" fruit pieces, which includes the chemicals citric acid and sodium citrate, I'm left wondering how much of what I'm consuming is actual food.

Avoid SAD GAS: In order to reach your GI happy place, Chutkan advises completely avoiding these while on the 10-day plan:

Soy
Artificial sweeteners
Dairy
Gluten
Alcohol
Sugar

These six things don't really fall into the category of "food" as described by Chutkan, so they're off limits. They're also some of the most common food allergens and sensitivities. "The point of taking these out of your diet is to be a bit of a medical detective," says Chutkan. Going cold turkey on these common irritants can help you realize what it is hard for your body to handle. "After the 10 days, let's say your skin clears up," she says. "If you start eating one of these things again, and you start breaking out again, you're going to be able to associate that with the addition of that food. It gives you motivation so you can see the cause and effect," says Chutkan.

Since four out of six of those listed would make my personal rendition of "My Favorite Things," this part of the challenge will be hardest for me.

Since I'm out a kitchen and I'm a vegetarian, I talked to Dr. Chutkan beforehand about how to alter the plan for my needs. Her recommendation: that I eat lots of raw fruits and vegetables, and mainly lots and lots of greens.

I plan on sticking to a pretty simple, no-cook diet. I stock up on vegetables like carrots, bell peppers, arugula, beets (pre-cooked), and fruits like grapes, bananas, apple, and pears. I also buy some lentils to give some substance to my meal.

For dinner, I'm planning on (still) eating out every night -- but I'll be dining at the establishments Los Angeles is known for: raw, vegan, and vegetarian restaurants.

Gone are the microwavable meals, cheese plates, and blissful dairy desserts of last week. While I'm on this plan, here's a typical day:

Breakfast: Herbal tea and a banana with a tablespoon of almond butter

Snack: Carrots and hummus

Lunch: A big arugula salad, topped with warm beets and pine nuts

Snack: Bell peppers and hummus

Dinner: I order the "I am Humble" from the vegan-friendly celeb hotspot called Café Gratitude. The description: Indian curried lentils over local brown rice or quinoa with oven-roasted Garnet yams and sautéed spinach drizzled with a spicy mint chutney and sweet tamarind sauce. Finished with chopped scallion. It's delicious, filling and so appetizing (and smugly healthy) that I just have to Instagram it. So much for that "humble" affirmation.

The Good:
Half way through and I've lost three pounds. I've also noticed that my skin is clearer than it's been in months. It's a stark difference from what I usually experience around this time of the month, and my whole face feels less puffy and inflamed. This alone might be enough to make me stay away from SAD GAS forever, but there are a few other benefits as well. Since I'm officially off sugar, I'm not experiencing mood and energy swings. When 3 p.m. rolls around, I am missing my uppers, but then I also don't have to deal with the sometimes anxiety-inducing effect of coming off of a sugar high.

The Bad:
I really, really miss cheese. Gnawing on carrots is making my teeth hurt. I miss the bubbles in my water (Dr. Chutkan advises giving up all carbonation, since they make you bloated) and the sugar and cream in my coffee.

The Ugly:
An observation that is ugly and glorious all at once: the bowel movement benefits of this plan are something to write home about. They're not, however, something you want to write about and have your name tied to forever on the internet, so I'll leave it at this: The "light, tight and bright," tagline of this plan is spot on. My body feels lighter and more "cleansed" than it has in recent memory.

I'm lucky enough to work in an office where we're provided with free carbonated beverages. Fruit snacks, chips, and candy are also plentiful. I'm talking entire bags of Skittles, people. The 10-year-old in me has a really hard time looking at a bag of Cheetos (which we also have here) and not eating just a few. While on the plan, here's what kept me focused on not cheating:

1. Everyone knew I was dieting.
Everyone in the office is aware that I'm seeking "Gutbliss," so if I were to try to sneak even a Tootsie Roll, they'd definitely call me out. While this is kind of annoying, it's keeping me honest.

2. I don't have any junk in my pantry. I don't even have a pantry.
Once I get home, it's pretty easy to stick to my diet, since I don't have anything I can just snack on mindlessly. If you're not going through a kitchen renovation while on this plan, I recommend removing all of those SAD GAS items from your stock -- that way, you won't be tempted to indulge when you're hungry.

3. Keeping alternative snacks on standby.
Pine nuts are my new indulgence. I keep them, and some clementines, with me at all times to satisfy any cravings I might have.