Steak for Dinner!

Iceberg steak, that is. ;) 

My 9yo thought I was so clever serving "steak" with pasta.  For the first time in a while, my picky girl devoured her dinner!!

 

 

Some cuties wanted in on the fun of taking pictures of their dinner plates.  Oh, to be like Mommy. :) 

 

We actually used KNIVES at the dinner table! I don't even know how long it's been since we've done that. 

Well, *some* of us used knives. :)

I was reminded of one of our favorite documentaries we've watched recently, Forks Over Knives.  It's a fascinating film that deals with whole food plant-based diets.  It's a look at other cultures that thrive on this lifestyle of eating, the history of the food pyramid in our nation, and a summary of an amazing source of scientific data called The China Study.  I think this is a film that every family should watch and see what they can glean from the information given.

Proving Myself Wrong

You know, the last many years I've been lying to myself.

So many nights I've said:

I don't have it in me to cook.

I am WAY too tired to pull a meal together.

It will be SO late by the time we get home, I'll never get a decent dinner on the table before we all starve.  

To death, no less.

All lies.

Tonight, we got home at 5:30.  Of course, the whole way home I was lamenting over the "good ol' days" when I would have just had my husband get a take out pizza or run through the drive-thru for cheap burgers and fries.  But, NOOOOOOOO.  I have to eat HEALTHY.  I have to eat Plant-Based foods.  We can't do easy things and just move on.  Isn't there room for exceptions and a tired mom to just have a break?

That's how I talk to myself.

I even bantered with my husband on the phone over all this. When the conversation ended, I realized just how much EASIER it was going to be to go home and throw something together rather than eat out at Who Knows Where because nothing out there leaves us feeling good anymore.

Tonight's dinner: 
Pintos seasoned with crushed tomatoes, spices, garlic and onion; corn on the cob; fresh green beans sautéed with garlic, onion powder, and mushrooms using the corn water; applesauce for dessert

On the table in less than 30 minutes. Faster than any take out, delivery, frozen dinner, or probably most drive-thrus given the size of our order when we would go.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scale was down today, lower than it's been. I have less than 3 pounds to go before I hit the next decade. You know I'm feeling really happy about that. :)

Broke a couple little toes last night, though.  I've been hobbling around today and trying to put my feet up when I can to keep the swelling down.  Really stinks. I was just setting some exercise goals with my T-Tapp workouts.

Tomorrow I'm going to try getting done my BWP and see how I do.  Hopefully I can get in a decent workout without irritating those little appendages. 

Sunday Rest

Enjoyed a lovely day of worship with our church family today.

I packed up a Mexicali Pasta Salad for the children for lunch.  Along with peanuts and plums and a berry almond salad from Wendy's for me we visited with my il's for lunch.  The pasta salad was a new recipe and it turned out really good.  I skipped the cheese it called for in the recipe.

After we got home, I enjoyed a lovely sit on my swing outside and finished reading the meat of Disease Proof Your Child by Dr. Furhman.  Now I have more homework. ;)

I think the meal plan I have for the children right now is good. I may want to adjust a little more and I will give some of his recipes a try, but I think I'm on a good course.

I do need to look at adding in some supplements, though. I'm needing to decide on a multivitamin, if I need extra B12 and D, and pick a DHA supplement too.  It looks like I'll want to have that DHA in higher doses for the boys since it helps with ADHD issues. Good information in there giving me some direction for those issues as well.

I made a big decision that was nagging at me the whole way through the book. I'm trying to re-latch Kindred with nursing again.  I weaned her about 4 weeks ago when we first started juicing.  She acts interested every so often, but Dr. F's book convinced me that I need to give it a try again until her second birthday.  I've never nursed a baby that long, but I'm going to give it a try. I'd like it if I could get her off the formula, even though she's been on it her whole life as a supplement. Maybe the more solids she gets, the less she'll like that bottle.

She did well tonight. She latched right away without batting an eye and she was swallowing and I could express milk when she was done. I'm hopeful about this.  With the changes in my diet, it would be great to see if it helps my enrich my milk a bit.

I sure did like having some alone time snuggling with her. She was a bit distracted and antsy, but I'm going to keep working at it because every time she would unlatch, she'd turn right back for more. 

It's going to be a great feeling knowing I'm giving her GOOD nutrition and a strong start with extended bf as well as the right foods at the table.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Today was a good day.

Got in exercise with each meal, though lunch and dinner was after I ate. Still having a hard time getting the food on the table AND exercising before I eat.

I am eating really low on calories. I'm not sure what to think of that. I'm glad to be under and I'm rarely hungry, so I don't feel like I want to work too hard to change it. I was low on protein tonight. I should have worked a little harder to get in some brighter greens and nuts with my meal.

I had half an apple tonight for a little dessert after our evening walk. Not my usual habit, but it was nice to have a little extra something tonight.

We watched a show tonight, Eat, Fast, and Live Longer with Michael Mosley, about how fasting and diet affects health. It was interesting, but even I could see the faulty science in it.  It is streaming on pbs.com right now if you're interested in watching it. 

I thought it was quite interesting that they were pointing out that the IGF (insulin factor) is higher with higher levels of protein in our bodies.  By decreasing the protein, we decrease the IGF, thereby lowering our risk for disease.  Not exactly what we're being told by the medical community. 

What was off to me was his ending theory that by eating whatever you choose for five days a week and "fasting" by eating only one meal, limited in calories, 2 days a week that you will decrease your risk for disease.  Truly, if you eat high fat, high sugar foods five days a week and then don't eat those twice a week, it's pretty easy to see that your blood levels will show a decrease in the effects of those foods in your body.  That doesn't mean you are necessarily healing or preventing disease long term, in my opinion.  If you are vicariously eating unhealthy foods on a regular basis, abstaining from them for any amount of time can certainly help, but it won't bring lifelong healing. 

In short, that fasting pattern is not a habit I'm interested in developing.

I am, however, interested in learning more about the idea of restricting calories and fasting in general. It was intriguing to see some of the scientific research connected to hunger and brain activity.  I also found it fascinating to see the effects of people who eat a restricted calorie diet normally.  They were the ones that were strong, healthy, alert, young, and content with their lifestyle.

On another note, I attempted a new recipe tonight, Saucy Lentil Loaf from The End of Diabetes by Dr. Furhman.  I need to better prep myself for these meals. It took way longer than I planned for.  We ended up reheating some leftover soup to go with our cabbage and green bean stir fry.  The lentil loaf will be used for sandwiches tomorrow at lunch. 

My biggest obstacle was dealing with the artichokes in the recipe. I have never eaten those, never mind prepped them. I'm sure you would have been laughing at me to watch the mess I made.

I'm working on making my menu for next week.  I'm getting it on the computer so it's easier to update each week.  I'll come back later to post the link when it's done.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

I'm holding steady at the weight I was the beginning of the week.  I'm glad I'm not going up, but now that I'm going down, I want to keep going. :)

Went out for a date night with David last night. We went to Tropical Smoothie Café.  I ordered a Mexican type salad, hold the chicken, onion and tomatoes. (I cannot eat onion or tomato raw...blech).  It came with salsa, guac, a miniscule amount of black beans and corn and a highly seasoned white rice Mexican rice thing.  So, not the healthiest choice, that's for sure. We shared a no-sugar added fruit smoothie, Blimey Limey.

So, overall, I'm over on how many grains I've had this week and my salt intake is pretty high. 

I have been getting up in the mornings for my weigh-in.  I also added in some morning stretches and this morning did about 20 minutes on the wii of yoga and such to wake up a bit. That was nice. I haven't gotten in any other exercise, though. Maybe a good walk tonight.

I made up bok choy tonight. Very empowering to make foods I've barely eaten, never mind cooked before.  The sauce was way too salty, so it needs adjusting, but I think it went over decently. I liked it. (except the sauce ;) )

 

 

Tonight was Chicken Night.  I've never seen Verity more excited in her life!! LOL.  She ran through the whole house exclaming, "We're eating chicken!!! We're eating chicken!!!"  Poor girl. She misses her chicken. ;)

 

We served baked thighs and I roasted some cauliflower and baby Brussels sprouts with a lime juice, chili powder, coriander, onion, garlic dressing. That was great! 

 

 

As I was serving the food, I was planning to share a bit of chicken with the baby. She devoured it SO fast!

 

I just didn't want any.  It smelled good, but I had no real desire to eat it, so I passed on the chicken.  No sense in eating it simply because it's THERE.  I'm learning. :)

 

Oh, one more thing. Those *skinny* jeans I bought for myself as a reward when I dropped my weight before. They are loose and I can pull them down w/o unbuttoning now too. Yay. :)

G-Bombs

I've been working on getting in my G-Bombs with each meal. At least, as many of them as I can.

G-Bombs is an acronym the Dr. Fuhrman developed.  It represents the foods that are highest in nutritional value.  It gives you an easy tool when putting meals together.  If I'm including as many G-bombs as possible in a meal or dish, then I know I'm giving my body a rich supply of nutrients.

G - Greens (kale, collards, spinach, chard, dark lettuce varieties)
B - Beans (legumes, black beans being the highest value of protein)
O - Onions
M - Mushrooms (in variety)
B - Berries (low in glucose and most have seeds you eat, which, imo just increases their value for protein and fiber)
S - Seeds and nuts (raw and unsalted is best)

This has been a great tool for me. Not only do I have an easy frame of reference, but, c'mon, it's super fun saying "G-Bombs!!!"  every time you prep and serve a meal. :D

Here's my G-Bomb breakfast for today:



Breakfast bowl includes half a diced Granny Smith apple, 2 large leaves of raw kale, diced finely, 1 heaping tablespoon of ground flax seed, 2-3 tablespoons of raw oats, 1 HEAPING tablespoon of natural, chunky peanut butter (I sometimes substitute with chopped nuts), and a few berries.

I warmed up a pot of black beans with chopped mushroom and onion today.  I'll have a small serving each morning at breakfast as well. This makes my breakfast a Full G-Bomb Breakfast.  Yes, you may applaud now. Teehee.

My 11yo son made a comment the other day that made me smile.  "Mom," says he, "it's really cool when you know that what you're eating tastes good AND is really good for you."

Yes. Yes, it truly is.

Well, Waddya Know?!

I was just posting on how this cycle has been quite mild for a first pp cycle.  I remembered sharing this article on the blog some years back.  As I read it again, I can see that I am eating exactly how they recommend.  Maybe, just maybe, that has something to do with how well I'm doing, physically, right now.

Emotionally, I have some room to grow. Sigh.

Lunchtime Pics!

My children are all laughing at me these days as I keep snapping pics of my plate before I eat. :)  I'm feeling a little proud of the foods I've been trying and liking.  I should be sending these pics to my mother so she can see, "Yes! I'm FINALLY eating my vegies!!"

One thing I really love is seeing how much my children are learning to enjoy eating real, healthy foods.  We've been eating primarily whole foods for several years now, but increasing our vegetables so that they are the primary source of our meal has been a little challenging for some folks in the fam.  Slowly but surely, they are acclimating to the changes. 

One of their favorite meals that we've always enjoyed, even before moving toward a plant-based diet is brown rice with vegies.  This will win them over every time. (even if a few still slide those mushrooms off the fork.)

 

One thing I keep thinking about is how our babies all start with a plant based diet, along with breast milk.  It isn't until much later that we add animal protein. While I am still including dairy (yogurt) and a bit of animal protein (eggs and chicken) in her diet, it sure does make me smile to see her plate so colorful and full of nutrition on a regular basis. I mean, really, when my oldest was this age, I teased that the only vegetable she would eat was salsa.  I'm thrilled to see Baby Number Eight enjoying this on a daily basis!

 

 

And, last, but not least, my yummy lunch plate. 

 

 

A couple of changes for me from the old favorite:

1. I leave out the rice on my plate, add in some slivered almonds for extra fat and protein

2.  I am now serving my meals on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. I manage my portions much better with this little trick.

 

Another interesting thing to note:  I've learned that black beans are the best choice for fats and protein, nutritionally speaking, from all the legume choices.  The other day when I was serving up MustGoes for lunch, I realized that almost every child chose the leftover black beans over the sweet beans made with northerns, the lentils, or the chili made with kidney beans.  I was pretty happy to see them favor the top of the nutrition list. :)

Daniel Fast - Day Twenty-One

June 30, 2013

Day Twenty-One

The End. 

Today is the last day.  A bit of fanfare as Elizabeth and I discussed the closing of the fast.  We had a nice conversation regarding what we learned in the last few weeks.  I expressed my gratitude to her for her eagerness and cheerfulness during this fast. Without her excitement over this endeavor, I'm not sure I would have pressed on.  It was especially hard when other members of the family were complaining, cheating, or just plain angry that we were even doing it.  Her sweet disposition and firm resolve helped me stay focused and cheered me on.  She kept me from feeling alone.

She shared that she was very grateful the Lord led me to take on this fast.  She was greatly encouraged by my willingness and determination to stick with it, even in the midst of that first week's struggles and pain.  She was challenged to see me press on when it was so hard.  I didn't realize how the Lord would use my time of humbling to encourage my girl so much. 

I will always look back on this fast with reverence and awe.  The Lord used something so simple to reveal Himself in so many powerful ways.  He used it to also reveal me in many ways. Ways I needed to see so I could confess, repent, and be turned.  Not only is my physical body changed, my mind is better able to understand the patterns and habits that have held me for so long, and my relationships with my family have been strengthened like never before.  Purging my physical body of the toxins may have been painful, but seeing how my wrong choices were damaging my life as a mother and wife was devastating.  You've given me this "land", Lord, and I so want to truly "live" within it.  And that leads me to....

The Beginning.

I see now that this Daniel Fast was the precursor to a major work the Lord desire to do in my life.  Physically, He is at work healing my body, teaching me how to make the best choices, and making me stronger for His tasks.  I didn't know it then, but this fast prepared me to receive that plan.  Eating as a vegan for the last 3 weeks, and a very restricted vegan at that, has shown me what I thought was impossible.  I could live like this because I DID live like this.  I can survive and even thrive on vegetable. Shhhh...don't tell my mother!  And I do believe that changing my habits and choices of food heals because I've experienced it happen in the last few weeks. 

Fasting from my social media hangouts revealed how much I've been missing in my family, church, and community life.  My days are so full, I don't know how to fit it back in, visiting with my internet friends. Yet, I spent so much time there before.  Time wrongly placed.  I'm still unsure how to fit that in, but it won't be the habit it was before.

This fast revealed my need to deal with my emotions in a biblical way.  Rightly handling my disappointments, frustrations, anger, irritations, these are all important priorities that the Lord is working on in my heart.  Learning how to put off the sinful ways I handle these things and put on the commands of the Lord is a primary focus for me in the coming weeks.

This Beginning is exciting.  It isn't a simple resolve. It isn't a New Thing to try out.  It's a response to the work of the Holy Spirit shining the light of God's word on my heart and life.  He has shown me the sin, and now that my repentance and forgiveness are firm, I can begin to enjoy His transformation of my life.  I can take my first step in truly LIVING in this precious land He has given.

Thank you, precious Lord.  May you alone receive the glory for your work in my life.  May it be that you will increase and I will decrease.

Daniel Fast - Day Nineteen

June 28, 2013

Day Nineteen

Super great day!  Started with a fantastic time in the Word.  So much to speak to my heart. So much for me to seek, dig, search, explore.  So many ways the Lord wants to reveal to us right where we are, right where we struggle, right where are questions leave us.  I'm so grateful for such a mighty, loving God that leads me.

Ended my day under on calories and super happy with my food choices. We tried a new recipe, Sweet Potato Chili tonight.  It was..ummm...good.  Sweet.  The recipe called for adding brown sugar and I can't even imagine doing that! The children loved it, so it's another keeper.

I'm working on making a meal and menu plan for the coming month. I'm pulling recipes and ideas from Dr. Furhman's book as well as things we've enjoyed from the Daniel fast and our own collections. This is fun, but I have a LONG list of recipes to try now!  It may take me a while to get it all planned out on paper. Hey, at least we won't get bored of the same meals every week.

I'm still hoping to get a little more time to spend in prayer and reading and journaling. Today filled up too much with other things, so I didn't get the time I was hoping for.  I did get in a great walk with my husband, though, and some good time on the Wii after dinner as well.  Exercise is once again enjoyable. I'm having such a great time on the Wii Fit again.

I'm down almost 2 pounds in the last couple of days! Wow! Now I really do wish I had weighed in when I started this fast. This is the first time in a long time I've seen the scale going down. I wonder what I really was up to a few weeks ago. Scary.

One thing I am super looking forward to when this fast ends: Sleepytime tea.  I have such a hard time getting to sleep when I exercise in the evenings. I feel so great, it's hard to settle down for bed.

Daniel Fast - Day Fifteen

June 24, 2013

Day Fifteen

Today all that energy I've been talking about went missing. I was slow and quiet and not moving much at all. We tidied the house some, but I was mostly directing.  We got in a bit of reading and a couple of people worked on writing some letters. I did some lunch prep, made dinner, and read my book most of the day.  I'm embarrassed to say how much I enjoyed such a relaxing, lazy day. *blush*

I finished my day under on calories again. I'm starting to even out how many calories I eat in a day. When I look at my chart, I can see I may be forming some consistency in my portions and choices for meals.  I'm also going to start dropping snacks and work on consuming all I need during my meals.  It's hard to change my brain about that.  After being pregnant so often, I tend to just eat those snacks as a matter of habit.  I want to try going longer between meals, though, to learn my body's cues for real hunger.

This book, Eat to Live: The End of Diabetes has my mind spinning.  I'm not convinced this is the plan the Lord has for me, but I have certainly gained a great deal of information and learning from it.  I am more firm in my convictions regarding vegetables as the core of my diet. I am intrigued by what I'm learning about legumes and nuts and seeds.  Intrigued enough that I'm considering purchasing the book for myself.  I'm going to keep praying on this. 

One argument that Dr. Furhman makes is that you can easily obtain the amount of protein you need daily from a plant-based diet.  I know that many have said this isn't possible. In fact, that's one of the biggest reasons I almost didn't read the book. Yet, as I've been plugging in my food on myfitnesspal.com, I can see that I am easily achieving the protein goals I set for myself back when I was aiming for a high protein-low carb diet.  Amazing.  Today the largest source of protein I had was one peanut butter ball at breakfast. The rest was simply lentils, beans, broccoli...nothing I would really consider high protein foods. Yet, there I am. Right at my high-protein goal.  And feeling full as all get out at that.

If I wasn't doing this fast, eating a plant-based diet while reading this book, I would never have believed what I'm reading.  But, I'm experiencing so much of what he's saying, I can't help but lend it some validity. 

Off to do some more reading and praying.  My husband has chosen to do a complete fast for this week.  Nothing but prayer and water. If anyone out there is reading this, please pray he remains safe and healthy. He is working hard outside in the heat all week painting on ladders. We need the Lord to keep him alert and clear headed. Thank you!

Daniel Fast - Day Twelve

June 21, 2013

Day Twelve

I didn't get to blog last night. With David home, life gets a little unpredictable.  We spent the day resting and got to go out for a short lunch date.  You should be very impressed that while going out to a restaurant with nothing vegetarian on their menu, I was able to stick to my fast. I ordered the spinach salad with dried cranberries, vegies, slivered almonds and a vinaigrette on the side, hold the eggs!  We ordered a baked potato to share between us. (hold the fixin's, of course.)

Okay, you may not be impressed, but with the selection I was offered, I did excellent!  We had to tell them no to the complimentary bread at least three times. Haha!

Last night I was feeling a little stressed and I did it. I didn't go off the fast, but I did eat more than I needed to. I found myself going to food again, munching because those around me were doing the same. Instead of sitting down to a real meal, I just lay on the couch reading and cracking those peanuts. Ugh.  Out of the bag, even, so there was no way of knowing exactly how many I was eating. I know better. 

It's crazy to me how quickly I can change based on my surroundings. I certainly know, now, that one of the biggest factors in my health struggles is based on the relationships around me and how well I handle them.

Day Eight - Journal Notes

June 17, 2013

Psalm 37:24

When he falls he shall not be hurled headlong; because the Lord is the One who holds his hand - who sustains him with His hand.

Cross references:

Psalm 145:14

The Lord sustains all who fall, and raises up all who are bowed down.

 

Proverbs 24:16

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises again, but the wicked stumble in time of calamity.

 

Micah 7:8

Do not rejoice over me, O my enemy, though I fail I will rise; though I dwell in darkness, the Lord is a light for me.

 

Psalm 147:6

The Lord supports (relieves) the afflicted; He brings down the wicked to the ground.

Journal entry:

I confess that I have felt defeated. The times I have worked to lose weight, I have often given up and my failures have left me feeling that I'll never succeed. So, trying again isn't worth the effort.

Yet, I was measuring my success in wrong ways. I was watching a scale, measuring inches, counting miles. These things - they do not bring fulfillment. They do not address my heart issues and the battles I face that lead to the wrong choices I make regarding food and activity. 

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!" (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)-in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men? These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.  Colossians 2:20-23

Lord, I have fallen many times, yet, You are lifting me up. you are setting me on a right path. When my soul is cleansed, my body will be cleansed. When my soul is well, my body will be well. When my soul is strong, my body will be strong.  This is my place - to continue to seek you in your word and prayer that I might grow and become mature in my soul. This affects all I do. Help me grow and hold me by the hand that I might rise again.

Journal Notes - Day Six

June 15, 2013

Psalm 37:23  The steps of a man are established by the Lord; and He delights in his way.

Cross references:

1 Samuel 2:9 

He keeps the feet of His godly ones, but the wicked ones are silenced in darkness; for not by might shall a man prevail.

 

Psalm 40:2 

He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay; and He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.

 

Psalm 66:9 

Who keeps us in life, and does not allow our feet to slip.

 

Psalm 119:5 

Oh that my ways may be established to keep they statutes!

 

Psalm 147:11 

The Lord favors those who fear Him, those who wait for His loving-kindness.

Journal Entry:
This is what I'm praying for, that you would establish my steps, Lord, and that my way would bring you delight.

You desire to firmly establish me on a rock - Your word and Your path. Your way will keep my foot from slipping. I don't fully understand what that way is yet.  But, for today, it is enough for me to know it is firm. By Your grace, I will not slip, and it will bring You delight.  I will wait on Your kindness in revealing Your plans for me.  I will fear Your holy name.

Journal Notes - Day Five

June 14, 2013

Colossians 2:23; 3:1-17

"These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against self-indulgence."

 

If then, I have been raised up with Christ...keep seeking the things above...set my mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.

 

For I have died - my life is hidden with Christ in God. I will be revealed with Him.

 

Consider my physical body dead to...impurity, passion, evil desire, greed...

 

Lay aside the old self and it's practices. Put on a new self that is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of Him who created me.

Put off what??

>food for comfort

>indulgence - lack of restraint: portions

>food for motivation

>Sedentary living

Put on what?? (replace what I am putting off)

>compassion: letter, phone calls, words and hugs

>kindness: acts of kindness for others

>humility: choose simple things (i.e. water to drink, simple foods), leave the best for others, take smaller portions for myself so as not to feed my pride

>gentleness: in my voice, my face, my actions

>patience: wait for them to get it, expect them to be slow on things, (prevents my anger and stress which leads to indulgence) go with them in their struggle, don't reach for a crutch to deal with the waiting, don't resist the wait - receive it, embrace it, learn from it, see myself in it

>bear with one another: my time, my attitude

>forgiveness: not blaming

>love: the perfect bond of unity

>peace of Christ

>thankfulness: keep a list

>word of Christ dwelling richly in me: memorization of scripture
   >wisdom teaching
   >admonishing one another
   >psalms, hymns, spiritual songs
   >singing with thankfulness

*all of the above in place of temper, anger, frustration, yelling, food and drink to deal with stress, joys, and struggles.

Whatever I do, WORD or DEED, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father. 

Tracy, ask yourself:

Can I do this thing with gratitude to Christ?

Am I doing this in the name of Jesus?

Can I rejoice in knowing it represents Him and His glory?

Are my choices and actions renewing me?

Are they renewing me to a true knowledge according to the one who created me?

The kinds of foods I eat, will they strengthen me to know Him more?

These ways I respond to stress in my life, are they renewing me and helping me know my Creator more?

Are the actions I chose for my free time, my celebrations, my comfort and rest, do they lead me to true knowledge? Do they bring gratitude? Do they reveal the work of Christ?

Am I hidden in Him?

Are my desires, preferences, passions, delights - are these hidden in the person of Christ?

Let me hide in You, Lord. Hide in your gentleness and love. Let me hide in your patience and peace. Let me hide in your compassion and kindness. Let me hide in you as you bear with me in forgiveness, teaching me humility, gratitude and strength in your power and a mind set on those things which are above.

Daniel Fast - Day Three

June 12, 2013

Day Three

Headache is gone today. Thank you, Lord!! Woke up with enough energy to buzz through our morning using time blocks. (30 min. schooling/15 min. choring)  We got a good amount accomplished by lunch.

Didn't wake up with enough energy to take on a new recipe for breakfast, though. I was up early with David and Josh, helping them pack their lunch for work today. We went easy on ourselves and served sliced apples with peanut butter for breakfast.  The children all enjoyed a banana at snack time. 

I rolled out some more flat bread this morning to enjoy with our lunch of taco soup. Everyone raved over the soup and the flatbread. Elizabeth's soup received cheers as well.  I'm thinking they're getting pretty hungry and happy with whatever they receive these days. I'm not hearing a whole lot of complaints anymore.

I let everyone try some pistachio nuts with their lunch today. Most people didn't like them. Honoree', our 3 year old, however, gobbled up as many as we'd give her.  She loved them!  For the price of them, I guess I'm glad they weren't a huge hit.

Hoping to get a batch of carrot cake oatmeal made up this afternoon. I'll be back later with more.  Still feeling that major crash after lunch is eaten. I wish I knew what that was.

*Vegetable stir-fry was super good tonight.  Felt so filling and flavorful.  I mixed some pineapple juice with Braggs, ginger, a bit of water, and some cornstarch for thickener. Added it to carrots, onion, celery, broccoli, mushrooms, cabbage, garlic, and some swiss chard and spinach freshly picked from the garden.  Served it over brown rice. Mmmmmmmmm..... :)

*Today ended well. I was really hungry, shaky feeling, even, this evening. I notice that when I'm hungry, I get crabby and short tempered.  I checked my blood sugar and had a reading of 78 at about 2 hours after dinner. That was lower than I think I've ever seen my sugar before. 

*Something significant I've been thinking on lately.  During the day when I'm feeling like I need a pick me up or something to make me feel special, I usually go for a cup of coffee or a treat.  Now that I can only drink water, I'm realizing how humbling that is.

Instead of seeing myself as someone that *deserves* something for all I do, I now rightly see myself as merely one that is working along with all those around me, humble and simple in my needs and rewards.  That I don't get something other or *better* than anyone around me is an important tool the Lord is using to work on my pride. 

What's funny is that when I mentioned that tonight at dinner, my oldest son teased and said, "Then why didn't you just go on a coffee fast??"  Funny guy. ;)  This is just the beginning of what I'm learning, my boy. :o)

Day 4 Vice-Busting

February 1, 2013 - Day 4

Scripture Affirmation:
God gives me rest when I’m weary and joy when I’m sad.
"For I have given rest to the weary and joy to the sorrowing.” Jeremiah 31:25

I can't say how grateful I am for the rest the Lord has given me today. Enjoying it immensely. I may not be catching up on sleep, but I am doing some reading and letting my brain have a break. But the rest comes from Him. I need to use it wisely and well for HIS purposes, not my own indulgences.


Action:
Keep building the habit of having water with you or within reach. Drink plenty of it. Choose it over other beverages throughout the day.
"It is important that you start to view everything you do as having some impact on your health. When you change your mind-set from one of 'I need to lose weight' to one of 'I need to get healthy and fit,' then you will be taking a strong step in the direction of a lifestyle of health and fitness.

Don't think you can be a part-time water drinker...no one can succeed long term if she is making healthy choices only part time. Your health is your full-time job. It doesn't mean that you always have to be doing something that improves your health, but it does mean that when you aren't, you can't be doing something that is unhealthy. When you're not drinking water (or other health choices) you can't be someone else who eats doughnuts and fast food and drinks soda."

I am not doing well with this today. I am definitely a part-time water drinker today. I had very little sleep last night, so my worn out self is giving in to undisciplined habits. I even indulged in some diet soda with my popcorn snack today instead of my water. I haven't even finished one bottle of water today. Ack.  Here I am doing just what she describes. I'm not proactively working on my health so I'm resorting back to a whole 'nother person that indulges in soda and carbs. I took the day off from my full time job when I never should have. Not every day is going to be easy to make right choices. I need to still make them. I need to still work on this even when I'm resting. I can see where I struggle and that is that I do this healthy living part time. When I do it, I do it well. But, when I take a break, I crash hard. I was even telling my husband today that I wish I could go on vacation just so I could indulge in the unhealthy foods that feed my emotions and stress. Well, if that ain't a tell-all.

Grateful to see this about myself. Putting away the soda bottle and getting refilling my water bottle. Another day I wish I had made myself read this first thing.

The Vice-Busting Diet

Reading a new book The Vice-Busting Diet by Julia Griggs Havey

Introduction:

"Deprivation is not living without certain foods but living with them and being depreived of your true health and happiness."

"I simply looked at my life and decided to change one negative habit (sin) at a time. I didn't do anything too drastic and I didn't do anything that I couldn't stick with for the rest of my life. And I gave up the fairy tale that simply losing weight would solve all my problems and give me everything I wanted. Instead, I focused on taking steps to do what I could do today--because today, right now, was (and is) all we have."

Definition of a Diet Vice: any habitual action that is keeping you from reaching and maintaing a healthy weight. (i.e., specific foods, portions, activity choices)

Chapter 3:

"For any of your goals to become a reality, you must focus on all the benefits of beign fit and living a healthy lifestyle before you begin to take action. Doing so on a regular basis will provide more strength, motivation, and desire to succeed."

"When you take the time to do one thing at a time, you will improve the quality of each task.  You can achieve a major goal by looking at the smallest achievable goals that you can accomplish."

"Actions are the daily tasks you can complete while workign toward your ultimate goal. You can't change your weight today without first changing what you do."

"You may think the scale is a way to keep score--it's not! Okay, it may be a way to note your progress, but it is the least important way. If the scale were the best way to keep track of your progress, you could fool everyone and use unhealthy and dangerous ways to lose weight."

"Think about only working on developing positive habits. And there are two parts to that: positive, which means it must be healthy; and habits, which means you want your actions to become permanent."

"Putting your focus on only your actions, not your weight, and only on one action at a time is one of the aspects of this program that differentiates it from any other diet plan."

"The key to getting over the hump is persistence and patience. You can't speed up time, and you also must be persistent with your intial actions. That means not letting excuses get in the way of doing what you need to do."

"The key to success isn't a matter of following the right eating plan; it is a matter of getting rid of the wrong eating plan."

This is an interesting book. Her premise is simple and it caught my eye because it deals with changing habits and making longterm lifestyle changes. She isn't touting a quick-fix or a formula that involves secrets or key ingredients. She tells you to look at what you do right now and change it. I love the biblical concept behind her method that you put off the old (sinful) self and put on the new (redeemed) man. You do this by identifying the vice (or sin) and replacing it with the virtue that will bring about the actions and results that honor the Lord. She doesn't present it this way in the book. I haven't yet read any mention of faith or the Lord. But, the underlying principle is there and it convinces me that this "method" of weight loss works because it's based on that truth.  As the last quote above shows, our righteousness is not about following a list of rules but living in the grace the Lord has granted. We allow him to purge us of the wrong plans in our lives (sin) and replace them with His grace and power to make those choices that bear fruit.  This applies to all areas of our lives, including how we care for our bodies.

I'm going to give this the 21 day commitment she suggests and see where it leads. Along with her suggestions for the gradual, simple changes to my physical body, I'd like to add in a simple change for the area in my life that the Lord is also dealing heavily with me; my marriage. From the inside out, I want to see the Lord shine His healing into my life.

One aspect of this program is speaking daily affirmations to yourself. The affirmation she lists seems harmless enough, but I can't help thinking how much more effective it will be to speak God's truth to myself daily instead. I'm going to pray and hunt for the right words to keep me properly focused on His truths and their power to change me.

Tomorrow I'll begin with her Day 1, listing my actions and whatever notes and insights I gain from that day's and each subsequent day's reading.

12/12/12 - Last Chance

Today is a unique day. The last day we'll ever be able to match a month/day/year for another 100 years.  Guess I'll take this as a good sign to get back on track with my health and life goals. It feels like it's been 100 years ago that I was here. *rolls eyes*

This past fall I had my gall bladder out. The surgery went better than I expected and I was up and moving fairly normal by the second week. I can eat normally now with the exception of some foods that leave me feeling poorly. Most of those are foods I should avoid anyways. 

That recovery season did a number on me emotionally, though. That and the sleep deprivation I am dealing with right now due to baby's poor habits has me in and out of some pretty dark emotional funks. The last few months has left me struggling to just do the next thing most days. Sleep deprivation is horrible, especially when you feel trapped by it.  My husband has been working hard to help me get extra rest when possible, but it's a season that drives me to my knees. Or, at least it should.

I've gained weight, I can tell by the fit of my clothes. That's depressing enough. I find little time or motivation to exercise right now, feeling a bit overwhelmed by keeping up with schooling and housework. However, a good friend of mine and I are committing to putting our health in higher priority so that we can be better for our families.  We've started an accountability time and have made some goals for ourselves.  Mine are as follows:

>Taking supplements and vitamins daily (started St. John's Wort recently, 5 capsules to start and back off when I see improvement in mood)
>Better focus on nutrition and water intake (I desparately need to up my water intake)
>Add in exercise: I'm working on a walk with my son after lunch daily and a walk with my oldest daughter after dinner daily.
>Focus on daily bible reading, journaling, prayer time, and book reading - morning and evening
>Relationship building with certain family members
>Review and study Super Mom vs. Abiding Mom chart

It's been 2 weeks since I made that list. I've made some improvements in a few areas, but I have a long way to go. They are good goals. I'm embarrassed that they are so simple, yet so hard to meet right now. However, I need to just press on and I'm thankful to have something I'm aiming for at least.

This coming season, I just want to recapture the DESIRE I once had to take care of myself and CARE about how I feel and what direction I am heading. Right now I simply battle such a terrible feeling of complacency, it's causing real damage. I need to keep turning my heart to the Lord and growing in a greater sense of worship to Him so that I can see my heart change.  I am learning, in bits and pieces, that each battle I face is truly a result of a crisis of worship I have in my life.

Please pray I would see the Lord at work and I would join Him in what He is doing in my life.

Gall Bladder Issues

I found some time last night to get in a bit of reading about gall bladders and diets that can keep them healthy.  While I felt like I found some places that gave me some better understanding, I'm still a little unsure on the diet aspect of it. 

This article was helpful in understanding how the gall bladder functions.  Reading through, I'm feeling more confident that I'd prefer to work at avoiding the surgery if I am able.  I liked what I read afa their suggestions for diet. But, it does contradict a tiny bit with some other sources I've read.  I think what it's going to come down to is a bit of trial and error on my part learning what my personal triggers are.  So far, I've noticed these:

Gall Bladder Pain Triggers: (create nausea and/or upper abdominal pains)

Soda (diet or regular)
Potato chips
Pizza
Heavy cheeses

I'm reading in some places that peanuts are very beneficial. Other places tell me to avoid them. :-/ So far, our natural peanut butter hasn't given my trouble, but I'm going to target that food this week and see what I find.

I'm also researching the use of psyllium husk as a preventative tool. The points listed in this article look promising. I plan to contact my midwife and go over the use of it in combination with the other supplements I'm taking and check to be sure there are no adverse affects with nursing.

I'm considering adding fish to my menu. I never serve fish because I find it costly and I'm not confident in how I prepare it. Now that I need to avoid butter, it will be even trickier. But, the fish oils appear to be very beneficial and it would be one of the few proteins I can enjoy in moderation. I'll have to spend some time price shopping what is available here.

That's my research and notes for now. I'll add more as I go.