Where I was... Where I am... Where I'm going...

I've been absent again from blogging... tsk tsk... I've been spending some serious time praying, researching, and seeking guidance from God and friends about where to take my journey... I've been having a difficult time.... I can't seem to stay on track... even if I log... even if I blog... I can't seem to keep it together... I realize I need structure... I need to be told 'No!'... currently I'm eating what I want and just counting calories and logging my food... that has been working for the most part... I've been losing weight and inches... But I haven't gained health yet... That is what I really want... to be and feel physically healthy...

So I've been praying and asking God to show me where I'm going wrong and what I need to do... Then I was talking to a friend and we were talking about food and how especially ‘healthy’ food is super processed... it has lots of artificial, extra, additives, and well frankly it's junk... so then I think if the old adage is true you are what you eat then no wonder I feel so yucky... I'm eating fewer calories, but at what cost... it's not like I’m just eating fruits and lean meats and whole grains.... I'm eating fiber bars, frozen meals, sauces, dressings, and 'lite' foods... all these foods contain artificial sweeteners and preservatives.... so what if I change this... So i began to thinking about it and pray about it.

God started pointing things out to me… Like after eating something really processed like a roll or candy or certain diet foods I would get really bad stomach pains… Then I started not just reading labels but reading ingredient lists… yeah this is scary guys…. I mean really go to your freezer right now and pick something you think is relatively highly processed and read the ingredients… some of them are things that I would gasp if they were in my dog’s food let alone my own… here is my big example…

I was trying to use up some of the ‘freezer’ food… and in doing so… there were some chicken patties… I tossed them in the oven to make chicken sandwiches… 170cal a patty… that’s not bad considering I’d only be eating one… then I started reading… 1^st ingredient chicken breast meat, 2^nd water, 3^rd chicken skin…. Insert a gagging noise here…. Now that is pretty nasty… I mean I get there is skin in chicken, but to actually add it to something it wasn’t in…. why?!?!?!!? AHHHHHH!!!!!! Also.... notice it contains soy...... in my chicken.....

At that moment I realized that I never wanted to eat chicken patties again… I want real chicken… real things… then I started doing more research… do you know that there is soy in just about everything we eat? …do you know that soy changes the estrogen levels in people… it in its natural form is perfectly healthy and great and tasty… however… it’s used to thicken, stretch, and modify foods… lots of foods… so then you end up eating tons of soy without even knowing it… then before you know it you have breast cancer or testicular cancer… or a hormone in balance… wow…. This is crazy info… if you don’t believe me start googling and start freaking out…

Now…. I love food…. So here is where I’m torn… taste or health… health… or weight…. Weight… or life… life… What if I can figure it all out… What if I can figure out how to make food…. That isn’t expensive… that is easy to make… that is healthy to eat… that doesn’t contain a bunch of added garbage… that makes me feel amazing… and that helps me lose weight… God opened my eyes… this is the direction I need to go!....

So for almost two weeks now I’ve been thinking about this and wanting to head this direction… I wasn’t sure how or when or where to start…. Again God moved things in my life… a friend asked me to do a Daniel Fast with them… well I’ve never fasted before…. I like food and coffee and well I just wasn’t sure… so I prayed and God said yes… do this… lean on her… have her lean on you… cleanse your body and start anew… start without false tastes… taste my food that I’ve made for you…

So here I am… the day before my fast begins… now I know that when you do a fast it is supposed to be between you and God and you aren’t supposed to advertise it or whatever… But here is the thing… God put this blog in my life so that I could share things with you… whether it’s about food, information, religion, or a combination… I need to be open and public…

If you don’t know or understand what a Daniel fast is(which I didn’t until recently)… the nutshell of it is only water, fruit, veggies, beans, whole and natural grains, and nuts…. The concept is based upon the following scripture:

 Daniel 1:8-16 ⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[a] food and drink. Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”  ¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” ¹⁴ So he agreed to this and tested them for ten days.  ¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food. ¹⁶ So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.

So here are some of the foods I bought to eat….. Mostly organic dried fruits… whole organic grains… some unsalted uncooked nuts, 1 bag or apples, 1 bag of tangerines, and some fresh veggies….

Today I’ve sent the day prepping… I’ve made some organic steel cut whole oats with a date puree for sweetness, and a bean and rice ‘soup’…. Tomorrow I’m going to crock-pot a vegetable soup to have for the week as well… I also picked a few Lara brand bars… certain varieties of these bars are approved on the fast as they only contain a few ingredients and are natural…

I do not plan on tracking calories while doing this fast… we’ll see how this works… I’ll either lose or gain a ton… I plan on doing this for the full 10days… after that I will add back lean meat and lean dairy in moderation… I will basically be transitioning to a clean diet… (are you happy now Vikki Morgan you finally convinced me! Now be prepared for questions!)

The biggest struggle I feel I’ll have is the lack of coffee or tea… after the 10days I will add back these two things… in moderation… with no artificial sweetener…

In other areas God keeps clearing things up… He keeps moving the right people into my life at just the right time…  I’m feeling extremely blessed… at times I feel a little overwhelmed with all the tasks in front of me… However I realize more and more that we are to be Jesus’ hands and feet… I need to lead by example with all aspects of my life… I need to eat clean, live clean, think clean, praise the Lord, read the Word, study His master plan…. I need to continue to be a better me.

More about soy:

http://www.businessweek.com/2000/00_51/b3712218.htm

http://www.choosingraw.com/the-raw-truth-all-about-soy/

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100318131025AAdW9jF

Daniel fast:

http://daniel-fast.com/

http://danielfast.wordpress.com/daniel-fast-food-list/

Thank you for stopping by... please pray for me as I begin my fasting journey... I pray all is well with you... xoxo