Day 26

No, I did not chunk the whole 28 day detox and fasting plan.  Not one morsel of food or drop of drink that was not supposed to pass my lips… did!  That, my friends is a miracle.  I’m not sure I have ever gone 26 days without chocolate.  Oh, wait.  Do we count the two periods in my life when I was pregnant?  Cause if we do, then this will only be the third time in my life.  You see, both times I was growing a baby I was too sick to eat much of anything.  But, that is a story for another time.

So now that I am at the end, what have I learned? 

·         Change takes time.  It’s important to stick with something even when no results are seen or felt.

·         I have exercised my discipline muscles and they are stronger.

·         There are really good recipes out there that don’t require one to use pounds of butter, sugar, cheese.  Not that those are things that are bad for you all the time.  

·         Moderation, moderation, moderation!

·         For me, I believe that there is a link between what I eat and how I feel.  I have especially seen a decrease in the level of pain from my arthritis.

This weekend marks the last two days.  In Dr. Colbert’s program he actually has juicing only for the last 7 days.  I really didn’t think that would work well for me so I have saved it for this weekend.  I will let you know how successful I am with only juicing for two days.

I have tried a lot of the recipes from the book that I read and have liked all of them.  I highly recommend that you look into this book and try some of the recipes.

Easy Breakfast Wraps

4 medium Ezekiel Tartillas

2 tsp. almond butter

2 cups diced peaches (apples, bananas, favorite fruit)

2 cups diced pears

Cinnamon to taste

Agave nectar (optional)

Warm tortillas in the oven; then spread almond butter on each tortilla.  Add fruit and cinnamon.  Drizzle with agave if added sweetness is desired.  Fold in the ends of the tortillas, roll tightly, and place in heated skillet, cooking until all sides are lightly browned. Serves 4

Granola Crumble

3 cups steel-cut or rolled oats

1 cup hulled sunflower seeds (or nuts)

1/3 cup EVOO

2 bananas, extra ripe (I do not add banana)

1 TBSP agave nectar

1 medium apple, chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Mix oats, sunflower seeds, and olive oil.  Set aside.  Mash bananas and stir in agave nectar and apple.  Add oat mixture, stirring well.  Let sit for 30 minutes.  Crumble mixture onto ungreased baking sheet and bake in oven for 15 minutes.  Cool completely on baking sheet. Store in airtight glass container.

Day 10

Day 10

Wow.  First I typed day 8 but checked the calendar and realized I was off by two days.  I can absolutely tell you that I have surprised myself with this endeavor.  At best I thought I was only going to make 7 days and that was perhaps with some “cheats” along the way.  But no, it’s day 10 and not once have I strayed.  I can’t tell you what this has done for my confidence in my ability to stick to a goal and work toward an end.

Here is what I think has made the difference:

Spent about a month thinking and praying about what I was going to do, researching and reading up on different kinds of fast.

Typed out a grocery list for the first week…way before the trip to the grocery store.

Organized  the menus and typing out my meal plan for that first 7 days.

Talked to several people about the plan and used those conversations as a sort of accountability.

Took one day at a time.

Five-Bean Soup

1 TBS EVOO

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small onion, diced

1 stalk celery

1 medium carrot, diced

1 TBS barley, rinsed

2 cups veggie broth

1 cup each Pinto, black, kidney, navy, chickpeas rinsed and drained (if using canned)

1 cup tomatoes, diced

1 bay leaf

1/4 tps. chopped basil

Sea salt to taste

Heat oil in a stock pot. Saute garlic and onion until translucent.  Add remaining ingredients in order listed. Cover and simmer about 30 minutes.  Serves 4.

I’m not going to lie to you; it has not been a piece of cake…pardon the pun.  I have had to work at it. There has been some reframing of thoughts.  What I can tell you is that I have more energy. 

I have been frustrated that the exercise component has had to be put on hold due to some minor injuries that are healing.

I’m hopeful and feeling better.