Day (ONE) is done

Day is done, day is done, day is done. Gone the sun , gone the sun, gone the sun...

So the sun has set on Fasting Day One of Thirty. And today was dang near uneventful, to be honest. But, I learned a couple of things...

1. Like I mentioned previously, prepping the veggies and fruit ahead of time or after the kiddos head to bed will likely make for smoother juicing.

2. Beets. No matter how small. Taste. Like. DIRT. I put a 1/4 beet in juice earlier, and I swear I am still tasting the durn-thang. I am not going to put the kibosh on beets, but I do want to find things that will drown their taste out!

3. adding savory spices to a predominantly vegetable juice concoction, and then heating it on the stove, gives the juice a more substantial meal feel...put it in a bowl and eat with a spoon--wah-lah "soup"!

I did not experience much by way of headaches today... I am crediting the fact that a few weeks ago I began cutting calories, adding more veggies and fruit for meals (i.e. apple for breakfast, steamed broccoli for lunch) and then capping the night off with a dinner of some sort--thoughnot always as healthy as the meals during the day.Currently, I do have a somewhat dull ache, like a "hey i am a bit hungry here" right now. I am guessing that's because about now is the time my body is used to the dinner portion of the day. So I am sipping on my "soup" and drinking like the hundredth glass of water for the day.

I tried a few juices today that I am sure I will drink again.

1. this morning I had the cantaloupe, sweet potato, and pear--yum...and best of the day.

2. lunch time I juiced up about 5 apples, and 8 bulk sized carrots...decent...definitely could drink these often this made about 20 ounces.

3. around mid-afternoon I tried 5 pieces of celery, a large sweet potato and about a bag of cuties (oranges) that my mom brought over that needed to be used up. I was surprised at the strong taste of the celery. The fresh orange juice was loved by my daughter, but she wouldn't try it all mixed together...my two year old son on the other hand...lets just say i didn't get to finish this snack because he ran off with it!

4. and now, dinner time, I am spooning hot juice from a bowl acting like the delicious thanksgiving left overs in the fridge don't even exist. tonight's soup special is a tsp of garlic, lemon pepper, and black pepper with a dash or two of Worcestershire sauce added two one small bell pepper from the hubby's garden, a few handfuls of grape tomatoes, one piece of celery and 3/4 of a Gala apple. Good but nothing to blog home about...I am sure if my hubby were to read this he would be surprised that I chose the savory veggie juice to wind up the day, he knows I am a sucker for sweets at night. I read on a blog Juicing For Jesus ( similarities in blog name are a coincidence, althoughIi like this gals style! She did a 70 day juice fast and lost 46 pounds or something crazy like that--wowzer go girl!)

I totally took a bunch of selfies today...you know the classics with the sports bra and yoga pants. I even took a few with a sports bra and bikini bottom--gotta get the full affect of the thigh girth ya know... I am thinking I will keep you all in suspense and wait until the end of the fast to unveil today's photo shoot. This way, you can see a side by side of where I started and where I ended-- I am super anxious to see the changes God is going to put my body through. we all should strive to keep our bodies healthy and pure, since that honors He who gave us said bodies...Even though I know no matter what I look like, He adores me, His word says so in 1Samuel:16:7 " For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart." 

Holy sweet potaters & Merry Juicemas too!! Fasting, Day one

Fasting, Day ONE of THIRTY...

So this is coming from me--the 32 year old woman who balks at trying new foods...the 32 year old woman who makes her foodie hubby bat sh!t crazy with her non-foodieness...you know, the 32 year old woman who has never tried pumpkin OR pecan pie, EVER. (I probably never will either, it's kinda like now that I have come so far without it why bother? right?)

Well what I am getting at here is that I have got to confess--I am one juice in and LOVING it! News flash--Juicing a sweet potato, cantaloupe and two pears is friggin' delicious!! Had you asked me what I thought about that combo, say a week ago, I would've turned green picturing a "science" concoction my 8 year old might make out of  random backyard bits...But truly, now that I have tried it, I may drink this everyday!

Since maybe 8th grade I have been basically drinking my breakfast--Carnation Instant breakfast (chocolate flavor of course)--every, single, day. Had I ever imagined that random fruits slurry-ed together ever tasted so good, I might (might) have tried it sooner.

Here is day one's morning stats:

AM weigh in 150.5 lbs. I am 5'2" so I am riding about 30-35 pounds heavier than I should be to be healthy (so proclaims the US government). This weight was put on by having two babies within a 2 year period, and honestly, not eating healthy really ever. Add to that my lack of real caloric expending exercise, well you get me (and not to mention higher health insurance rates because I am considered obese).

Upon wake up I had about 10oz of hot water with .5 lemon squeezed in. I read on justonjuice.com that this is a great way to jump start your morning, plus help clear the digestive track. My mom has been drinking hot water her whole life practically, and she has been told she has the colon of a 20 year old, so there has to be some truth to the miracle of a little hot water....God is a genius, no?

An hour or two later juiced 1 whole cantaloupe, 1 whole (and seemingly large) sweet potato, 2 large pears. This made 32 ounces of juice. I put half in my Cheer Mom tervis type cup (shout out to my sister, I love that cup) and the other half in the fridge for later. The cost of this 32 oz juice is Cantaloupe $1.88 + Sweet potato $.25 + pears $1.43= $3.56. Now this appears to be a bit on the expensive-ish side. But I have split it into two servings...so not bad for 2 meals.

IDK what else I will juice today. Note to self though, I should probably prep my juiceables the night before after the babies are in bed...the first stab at it this morning was chaotic with demanding babies hollering at me!

Juicemas Eve

I must have eaten a ton of my grammy's cookies today, plus seconds on turkey, plus a half dozen mimosas. Add to that the bbq pork and pico I ate when I got home from the in-laws-- shout out to  the hubby for leaving that deliciousness in the fridge for me... UUggghhh...I am stuffed. I mean STUFFED. Probably, even if I wasn't starting a juice fast, I could go for days without eating. I am sure I over did it today using the "better eat it while I can" excuse...having my fast start the day after Thanksgiving has a Mardi Gras ring to it no?

Are you wondering if I am having second thoughts?...oddly enough, I really haven't had an apprehensive momement since I survived the anxiety attack I had in the check out line the other day. In my mind its pretty matter of fact that I am going to do a 30 day "just on Juice" (www.justonjuice.com)...thats how I know it must be God moving me in this commitment.

I am looking forward to trying new things...especially this juicer the sis in law loaned me! it looks dangerously fun. I am also excited about the health benefits I will gain. Most of all I am truly looking forward to the work The Lord is going to do in me during this time. Each day that passes, each insite gained and each inch lost will be to His Glory.

I hope each of you had a Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Juicemas Eve y'all!

Bacon, Brown Sugar, and Bread

This blog is intended be a daily record of my trials & triumphs during a month long fast from Friday November 29th until December 31st.

So, I have been called to fast...

But first, here is a brief back-up synopsis: In 2010 I married the man of my dreams. With this marriage came a sacrifice that I had never imagined having to face--giving up deep seated traditions I have loved my entire life. You see, my husband, his parents, and his sisters do not celebrate Christmas (or Halloween, or Easter for that matter). No, they are not Jehovah's Witness, and no, they are not Jewish. Their decision to separate themselves from these celebrations goes back to when my husband was very young. They believe all celebrations related to Christmas, Halloween and Easter are blasphemous, and that God's word says not to falsely worship Him with acts that stem from secular or pagan traditions. (admittedly)There is a secular and or pagan notion to nearly every aspect of human traditions, so my in-laws made a decision for their family and  ick-snayed those 3 holidays completely.

Growing up in a Christian yet traditional American home, I have many memories filled with trick or treats, Christmas trees and egg hunts. Leaving these traditions behind and following my husband as the spiritual head of our home--1 Corinthians 11:3 ESV But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God.-- has been an incredibly difficult challenge for my worldly heart. I am sure throughout this journey I will get into more details about how I feel about this...but for now, the key thing for you to know is that the Friday after Thanksgiving until New Year's Eve is a very challenging time for me.

Ok. Fast forward to Sunday night...I was praying regarding the approaching holiday season.  I believe I was lead to look into fasting. In my search I found a website filled with Christian fasting resources--www.Freedomyou.com. I explored the website, and decided to prayerfully consider allowing the Lord to walk me through a 30 day juice fast.

 The answer to pursue this fast, came quickly, and today I found myself wandering the produce section of HEB stocking up on fresh "live" fruits and veggies. I think today's shopping trip was the first enlightening moment of this journey, and the fasting hasn't even begun! As I gathered my "juicables", it was as if I could hear God's words from Genesis 1:29  "Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food."(NLT). I picked up, bagged and placed in the cart, fruits and vegetables of every color--ones I would have NEVER picked on my own accord. Honestly, until today, I had no clue what a fresh/raw beet looked like, or whether a yam was the same as a sweet potato!

I swung through the frozens, picking up spinach (me, picking up spinach? crazy) and some other frozens of out of season freshies-- I am going to test these for juicing. I am not 100% sure about the "rules" of juicing...frozens may be ludicrous in the world of juicing, for all I know...if you know one way or another, please fill me in! From the frozen food section I meandered down the  packaged/processed meat, baking, and bread aisles, adding to my cart bacon, brown sugar and bread.

While unloading my goods onto the checkers belt I noticed how odd my lot must have seemed. Most baskets full of fresh fruits and veggies do not include bacon, bread or sugar. I sent out a few texts to my sister and a dear friend--reaching out for a dose of confidence. I tell you what, waiting in that line was trial number 1 of many to come! I could feel my flesh weakening, doubting, I was actually trembling! If I weren't surrounded by Thanksgiving shoppers, I bet I could have cried right there...what was I doing? Could I really give up bacon, brown sugar and bread? not to mention all the other delicious comforts that would be left behind once the fasting began--how will I sleep without my nightly dose of ice cream?! I was in the middle of a jam packed check out line, and inside me there was a body vs spirit battle  raging...all I can say is it was an intense wait to get rung up!

BUZZZ, my phone went off. A text and then another from my sister: "Don't be nervous." I needed to hear/read that.  Nerves calmed (triumph no.1!)...with a deep breath out and wallet open, I purchased my "juicables." All the while Paul's words to the Philippians ran through my head, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Phillipians 4:13)

So with shopping completed, I am another step closer to my adventure into Juicing with Jesus...