Thursday 13 - Changes I've seen since starting this fast

For those of you that are new to this blog this thirteen is about a Daniel Fast I started on April the 13Th. I was going to do the fast for 10 days but decided to continue for a full month or for however long God leads me. If you would like to read more about my adventure look back through old posts. These are the changes I've discovered since starting this:

1. There is now less of me. I'm 14 pounds lighter and 11 inches smaller.

2. Confidence in myself. I am learning to trust myself to do the right thing.

3. A new found love for cooking. I love to cook and I love to experiment so making all these new recipes is a blast. I also cook a lot more than I did before I started this.

4. I have more energy than I did two weeks ago.

5. Confidence in the Lord. God led me to this a few months ago. I did not listen then. Now I am learning to trust Him more.

6. My skin is a lot clearer and has a somewhat "healthy" glow.

7. My hair is shinier and thicker.

8. My IBS is virtually non existent now. My stomach is not as distended and bloated as it has been from all of the stress of IBS.

9. I am not as hungry as I used to be and I have to remind myself to eat sometimes. My blood sugar is probably the most stable it has been in years or ever for that matter.

10. I have an excitement for life now and an even stronger desire to be healthy and be here for my family and to be a light for the women of my church.

11. My clothes are all getting looser and a few things probably don't even fit anymore.

12. I've turned into one of those people I used to think were a little crazy. You know the type: A vegetarian, almost vegan, organic and raw foodie lol. *No offense to anyone lol.

13. I have found a new appreciation for God's food and creation. I feel like I know just how much God loves me when I eat a food that He designed specifically for the health of my body. An apple with all it's little seeds, a carrot with it's beautiful orange color, even an onion with it's distinct aroma; these are all tangible signs of God's love and amazing power.

Tasty Tuesday - Peanut Sauce - includes Daniel Fast approved version

Peanut sauce is traditionally used in asian cuisine. It is used with meat dishes, like chicken skewers, with noodle dishes or even on top of vegetables. Peanut sauce uses a combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors to add to it's unique taste. Because this recipe uses peanut butter and coconut milk it is not really a low calorie sauce, but when it is used sparingly over vegetables it can add some life to your otherwise bland veggies and (whole wheat or tofu) noodles. I am planning to make this over some tofu shiratake noodles (I found these in the organic and vegetarian section at Meijer btw! If you decide to use these be sure to rinse them very, very well and pat them with a paper towel until they are super dry.) and some steamed broccoli.


Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter - chunky or creamy.
2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/3 cup coconut milk - this is sometimes hard to find so you can substitute this with vanilla soymilk or just plain water.

Place all ingredients for sauce together in a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Whisk until smooth. Stir gently until sauce begins to thicken. Add water if needed to get desired consistency. Serve immediately.

I am still following the fast but not as strictly as before because I've added a few more ingredients to my diet like tofu and some canned items that have minimal oil or sugar in them. Here is an alternative version to this recipe that I will be using to stick to my fast:

(Daniel Fast Version)

1/4 cup all natural organic peanut butter or almond butter.
2 teaspoons agave nectar (I may make an acception to this and allow honey for this recipe because the agave nectar is very expensive.)
2 tablespoons all natural low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all natural coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk.

Instructions same as above.

Daniel Fast Final Results

This should have been posted yesterday but I was gone literally all day and did not get home until 10 last night.

From Wednesday (Day 10)

This fast has literally changed my life. I have come out of this with a testimony of healing for my stomach and a new appreciation for the Lord, the ultimate designer. He has designed our bodies to do what they need to do when given the proper fuel. Just as a car cannot run without gasoline neither can our bodies run without the proper nutrients and foods. During the last 10 days I have not only given my body nothing but fruits and vegetables but I have also filled my mind with much knowledge about nutrition and health. I have learned so much. I am feeling a lot better than I was 10 days ago and the best part...drum roll please.... I am now 8 pounds lighter! I have decided that since I am feeling so great and my stomach is not totally 100% better yet (maybe about 90% now) that I will continue the fast for a full month. I will not continue to update or post menus (unless someone requests it) but I will post my final results. I've hit on a good thing here and I don't want to stop and ruin any progress I've made so far. I may continue this all summer long just to totally and completely cleanse my body but for now I am taking it one month at a time. God will show me the way, that I am sure of.

I want to encourage any of you who is wanting to try this for yourself to do so only after much prayer and consideration so that you understand just exactly what it is you will be going into. There were many times that I wanted so badly to eat the other foods I was used to eating, but then in the back of my mind I knew that I wanted healing, health and life more badly than any of that food. If you do decide to do this then know that this is not an easy thing and without the help of God leading me there were meany times I probably would have slipped up.

One bit of advice I can offer is to not balk at the expense. It is far cheaper than a hospital or doctor bill to eat fruits and vegetables and if you want to compare apples to potato chips then $ for $ you will be much better off buying the bag of apples which costs about the same as a bag of chips. It is a large expense at first to buy all of the fruits, vegetables, oils and spices but once you have your pantry built up you will not need to buy the items every week. It does become easier over time to incorporate the foods for the fast into all of your other regular meals. It is all about doing what you feel is best and right for your body. You are worth so much more than a .99 value meal.

Daniel in the bible did not want to defile his body with the foods of the king. In modern times we can liken this to us defiling our own bodies with the foods of the world. God loved you enough to design foods that would take care of your every need, do not disregard His love by filling your body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, with the foods of the world.

Day 10 Menu (Final):

Breakfast - Fruit salad made from sliced bananas, strawberries, fresh blueberries and chopped almonds. 1 cup of carrot juice.

Lunch - Split pea soup

Dinner - More split pea soup (this stuff was really good lol)

Snack - 1 small plum

Wordless Wednesday - Fruit Salad, Yummy Yummy!

My breakfast looked so pretty this morning I had to snap a pic. Like my snowman mug? Yeah I thought so lol.

Daniel Fast Recap - Days 7, 8, 9

Ok so I didn't get to post the updates last night like I thought I would. Thankfully I am in my very last week of college - minus one final exam in may - and I will be FREE! Hallelujah!
Anyway there wasn't anything major that happened over these last few days anyway. I did have one episode with my stomach on Monday (day 8), after going nearly 7 days with no problems, but it was not at all like it was in times past. I am doing much better today and I feel healthier than I have in a long time. I have had many times this week that I have felt the strong urge to overeat and eat things I shouldn't but I persevered and I fought the temptations. I am feeling so good and energetic now. I have been praying about this and I've decided that I will continue the fast for a full month. I will not be updating daily anymore but I will keep you all up to date on how things are going. I just realized that I am feeling really good, my stomach is the best it's felt in a year, and I'm losing weight so why stop a good thing? After a month I will see how I am feeling and then I will take it one step at a time. God is with me in this and I know that my old habits are dying a little each day I do this. I am breaking chains that have held me down for over 15 years and I am seeing that there is indeed a light at the end of this tunnel. Be sure to tune in tomorrow to see my final, day 10, results!

Day 7 Menu:

Breakfast - Fruit Salad made with blueberries, sliced strawberries, sliced bananas, and chopped almonds. 1 large cup carrot juice.

Lunch - Steamed Red Potatoes and parsley, Green Beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil and topped with toasted almonds.

Dinner - 1 avocado topped with spicy mustard.

Snacks - Seedless grapes

Day 8 Menu:

Breakfast - Did not have breakfast

Lunch - Mushrooms, garlic cloves and sliced bell peppers sauteed in olive oil and topped with toasted almonds.

Dinner - Large bowl of corn with salt and pepper. Warm fruit salad (fried in the skillet) made from sliced bananas, raisins and toasted almonds.

Snacks - no snacks.

Day 9 Menu:

Breakfast - No Breakfast (Now that my blood sugar is more stable I am not as hungry as before)

Lunch - Bean Burritos made with vegetarian refried beans, onions, green onions, tomatoes, green chiles, and wrapped in large lettuce leaves.

Dinner - Split pea soup following this recipe. (This turned out totally delicious btw, and I don't even like split pea soup! My husband and children even ate it without complaint - but of course I had to toss some turkey bacon into theirs lol.)

Snacks - Trail mix made from walnuts, almonds and raisins. 1 cup of carrot juice.

Tasty Tuesday - Easy Hummus Dip

I want to apologize for not posting the Daniel Fast update and menu yesterday. I am in the final week of college and things are pretty hectic here. I will post an update and menus for days 7 and 8 later today.

Last week we had a recipe for roasted chickpeas. I bet you didn't realize this but there are lots of uses for those strange little bean things. Here's a yummy recipe for homemade hummus that uses chickpeas. I could eat this stuff all day long. I am especially liking that I'm allowed to eat it on the fast because it is made with all natural ingredients. Hummus dip is very versatile and can be made / eaten in any number of combinations. It is great with olives, sliced veggies, especially red peppers, or you could have this with chips, crackers, pita bread etc. I've even made sandwiches out of this stuff with whole grain bread and sliced cucumbers on top. That is a very refreshing change from lunch meat! If you don't know what hummus is then you are in for a treat. This recipe is non traditional hummus because it is made without tahini. You will need a blender or food processor for this recipe.

Click here to read more about hummus and tahini.



Hummus

1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained.
1/4 cup olive oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I prefer the stronger taste and it is more natural - not processed.)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin (add more or less to taste. I always end up adding more.)

In a food processor or blender add all ingredients and blend until creamy. You may need to add a drop or two more of oil or lemon if your dip is too thick. This recipe is really not hard to mess up and you can really play around with this a lot to get it to your own personal liking.

Serve with some fresh sliced veggies and enjoy this good for you "diet" food!

Daniel Fast Day 6 - Sugar has a way of sneaking up on you.

Recap from yesterday:

This fast has always been about so much more than just wanting to get healthy and lose a little weight in the process. It is also about breaking some personal chains of mine and getting closer to the way the Lord has intended for me to live. I believe with all of my heart that I am being called into this just as I was called to lead the women of my church on a mission to become healthy. I am being called out of my old way of living in a way that on many levels resembles how I was set free from depression.

One personal chain of mine that needs to be broken is that of sugar addiction and binge eating. That is a pretty powerful thing for me to admit online but I think if most people look at me they can see that I have food issues to begin with. I did not get overweight eating salads. It came from years of abusing food - yes I used the word abusing as if I am referring to a drug.

You can be addicted to anything, not just drugs or alcohol. Anything that makes you lose control and forces you to live your life by it's rules is an addiction. Sugar, high carb foods, and just plain bad for you foods are the drugs that have chosen me.

I have had issues with food for as long as I could remember. I have overcome bulimia and anorexia just to fall into the hands of compulsive overeating and binging. I was never thin like a "true" anorexic or bulimic. That is one stereo type that I would like to see smashed. A person dealing with anorexia and bulimia is not always skeletal in appearance - especially when they first start out. Someone you know may be stuggling with this and you would never know because it is a somewhat easy thing to hide.Compulsions with food come in many shapes and forms, and often times if you struggle with one issue you will ultimately end up facing the other issues as well. Food issues in my opinion are all the same: They all have one root cause but are called by different titles.

When I was set free from the depression I began to be healed from my food addictions and issues, but I have always said during this whole process that when God set me free He only opened the door. Once that door was opened I just had to walk right through it. I have felt for the past 3 years since my freedom that I am on the road to recovery but I am just merely standing in that doorway.

This fast I believe will be the completion of my healing and I am starting to see an end to my journey out of my former self. Complete healing does not always come with the sick person immediately taking up their bed (John 5:8 Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.) Recovery is sometimes a slow process where the person may have to relearn how to walk and live normal again. That is how I feel. Like I am learning how to walk all over again, but this time as I am walking, I am held up by arms that are much stronger than I am, the arms of Jesus.

When a person is recovering from an illness they are very weak. It is the same for someone who is recovering from addiction. You are weak. Just as the person who is learning to walk again must stumble and fall along the way so does a person recovering from addiction. It is not an easy road. Some days are more of a struggle than others and sometimes you do stumble and fall. I have fallen many times in the last three years. The difference is that I did not stay down. I got up and continued to walk.

Never was I more sure of my addiction to sugar and issues with food than this morning - the morning after day 6. Last night I had an unexplained episode of wanting to eat like I used to and to binge my feelings away. I did not cave in because I knew that there is a higher purpose in what I am doing right now.

I did discover however that it is possible to binge, even on a diet of just fruits and vegetables. I did not binge like in times past but it was as if I wanted something to eat but could find no satisfaction.

After downing a large plate of stir fried mushrooms and olive oil and a whole avocado I felt very full but still unsatisfied. I found myself very confused by this and very disheartened. I could not understand why after 5 days of eating so good, and feeling so good, and really not even wanting a taste of anything sweet that I would be having these old feelings crop up.

I was extremely down this morning and wondering if what I am doing is right. I knew that I would continue with the fast but I felt very saddened by the fact that my food issues could find a way to pop up even when I am starting to feel so clean and free. I know that satan can, and does, try to come between you and a closer walk with God and will use anything in his power to do so. That tool he used on me came in the form of some dried dates. That may sound ridiculous to you but that is exactly what happened.

I have checked the ingredients on every food I have bought that is not in fruit or vegetable form. I have made very sure to not have anything with added sugar, chemicals or vegetable oil in it. I know that sugar is a weakness for me. It causes my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) to go crazy and causes my binging issues to be worse. This fast was a way for me to rid myself of this sugar addiction.

The other night I purchased a container of dried dates that I double checked the ingredients. I was pretty unsure of them so I checked the container several times. I could not find any ingredients on them at all so I assumed that meant it was just dried dates and nothing else - a lot of "natural" foods do not list the ingredients.

I went out with my children for a few hours yesterday and I wanted a small snack to take with me in case of sudden hunger. I decided to make my own mini trail mix with almonds, raisins, walnuts and these dates. Still in the back of my mind I was having this little nagging thought about those innocent looking little dates. So before putting them in my baggie of trail mix I checked that container again for the 4th or 5th time. I still saw no ingredients. Satisfied with this I went about my day and snacked away on my date infested trail mix.

Fast forward to this morning (day 7). I am still feeling like I want to eat everything sweet in sight, but am determined not to give up. For breakfast I decide to make myself fruit salad with bananas, blueberries, strawberries, almonds and oh why not a few of these dates for added sweetness. That's when I saw it. Right there on the lid of the container in curved writing. Ingredients: dates, dextrose. SUGAR! These things have SUGAR! Dextrose is sugar. Oh NOOOO I've had sugar!..... Ok so I didn't quite panic that much, but what I did feel was an immediate sense of relief.

This was quickly followed by the thought of - did I just ruin my fast? I now feel ok knowing that I'm not going crazy and that the sugar craving was in fact triggered by hidden sugar. But now I also feel a little bit let down by the fact that I unknowingly allowed one of my old foes to come back in during a time that was meant solely for God. I know that I have bad eyes and need glasses most of the time but I do not see how, after looking that container over top to bottom 5 times, I could have missed that. I believe that this was a trick used against me. Satan knows our weakness and if it can be used against us trust me, he will try it. Just look at Job!This brings new meaning to the phrase "being blinded by the devil."

I realize that this mistake was not intentional and I do not plan to end the fast. I do not believe for a second that my time of cleansing has been ruined. This is just another time where I have fallen and must get back up again, rebuke the devil, and continue to walk toward my higher calling.

Those dates were harmless and in all honesty they were far more healthy for me than what I would normally eat. When I go off of the fast I am sure I will enjoy them whole heartedly but for now this time is meant for God and for my body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, to be clean and new for His purpose.

Day 6 Menu -

Breakfast: Mock hasbrowns made from apples, potatoes, diced onion, lime juice, olive oil, and fresh ground pepper and sea salt for seasoning. 1 cup of 100% grape juice.

Lunch: 1 avocado with french's spicy horseradish mustard on top (the only condiment I have found so far that is of completely natural ingredients - plus it's really good!)

Dinner: Very large plate of mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with the spicy mustard again.

Snacks: Too much trail mix made from almonds, raisins, walnuts, and the infamous dates.

Daniel Fast Day 5 - Menu, Recap & This can't be a diet!

From Yesterday:

I am amazed at how well I am starting to feel and only 5 days into this new way of living. I am eating some very amazing tasting foods and my body is starting to feel "alive." I feel like I'm starting to come out of this mental fog. I've eaten some pretty fabulous tasting foods over the last few days that leave me mentally wondering "Am I cheating, and if I'm not then this just can't be health food!" From homemade hummus, to fresh fruit salads to wonderful smoothies I just feel like I'm eating gourmet foods all the time lol. I will admit that it does take a little more work and prep time to make all of these foods. At 10:30 the other night I was up chopping veggies and making hummus in the food processor (Thank you Lord for this awesome tool btw!). I don't mind though because I no longer feel as tired and sluggish. Usually I'm already about dead by 10:30 at night but now I am finding I am staying up well past midnight and am very clear headed.
Speaking of the added prep time and work, I realized that this is actually starting to make me appreciate my food more. When I lovingly take the time to make a meal from start to scratch that doesn't come from a box it makes me feel more in tune to the way God intends for me to live. Apples don't come from a jar and potatoes don't come from a box. They come from the earth and were designed by God's own hand for the loving purpose of caring for our bodies. When I actually have to chop the apples, feel them in my hands, and see all of their little seeds inside that have the potential to grow an entire tree it makes me appreciate all that more the beauty God has given to us in life. There is beauty in life and food, be it natural or spiritual, helps to sustain that life. The fruits and vegetables that God designed specifically for us to live by is absolute proof of His love for us - His love for me! Food should be enjoyed and appreciated. God gave it for us to enjoy, to live, and to grow. Food should not be handed to you in a greasy paper bag through a window and then shoveled in your mouth at the speed of lightning leaving you feeling empty and unsatisfied. I am thanking God for this process. It is about so much more than "being on a diet" or getting healthy. It is a new way of living and appreciating life, beauty and the world God created.

Day 5 Menu:

Breakfast - Fruit Salad (again) made from sliced bananas, apple chunks, raisins, almonds and cinnamon. 1 cup of carrot juice.

Lunch - Sliced red and green peppers. Celery Sticks. Home made Hummus.

Dinner - Baked potato with salt, pepper and chives. Large bowl of watermelon chunks.

Snacks - 5 walnut halves, PURE® Raw Chocolate Vegan Brownie Bar (I will be talking about this in a later post.)

Daniel Fast Day 4 - Menu, Recap and a Testimony

This is the recap from yesterday.

Day 4 and still feeling pretty good. I do have a mini testimony to share and I'm not even half way through this process. Yesterday I left the house for the first time in 6 months without having to take tons of medicine for my stomach hours before hand (aka no Imodium or antacids). I was pretty nervous about the whole prospect of leaving the house without having taken anything for preventive measures. That thought in itself made my stomach a little queasy and jittery (welcome to the world of IBS lol) but everything was a lot better than it has been in the last few months. I actually felt almost "normal" again! If my stomach is already feeling this good after only 4 days I can't imagine what it will feel like after 10. I've also not felt the pain in my left side even one time this week - hallelujah! Another side effect I had not counted on was my skin is starting to look better - to me anyway - and my singing voice is a lot clearer. For the last couple of months, anytime I've had to lead the congregational songs at church my voice would crack and become hoarse before the first song was finished. By the end of the second song my voice was totally done in. Last night I got through both songs without so much as a squeak (I think lol) and I felt like I could go on singing all night. God is so good. I will have to tell you all soon about the dream that helped inspire this and I can't thank Him enough for leading me in this new way of living. As I was praying at church last night I just knew that my previous way of living was finished and that I was completely done with that part of my life. God's ways definitely always prosper over the ways of man.

Day 4 Menu:

Breakfast - Fresh fruit salad made with sliced bananas, apple chunks, raisins, sliced almonds and cinnamon sprinkled on top. 1 large cup of 100% carrot juice.

Lunch - 1 avocado. 1 cup of natural unsweetened applesauce with cinnamon sprinkled on top.

Dinner - Sliced red and green bell peppers, celery sticks, and home made hummus (look for this recipe on Tuesday!). (Yum Yum Yum!!!!)

Snacks - 1 dried fig, 1 small mandarin orange, 1 cup of 100% carrot juice.

Thursday 13 - New foods I've tried recently or will try soon

I'm following a Daniel Fast (Daniel ch. 1 in the bible.) For more information on the fast reread some of my previous posts!

1. Dried Figs - Discovered that I really love these.

2. 100% Carrot Juice - Bolthouse Farms brand is the best.

3. White Asparagus - Haven't tried yet.

4. Butter crunch lettuce - Pretty good but I think I prefer darker greens.

5. Beets - Tried when I was a kid. Made me gag. Going to attempt to try them again.

6. Eggplant - I've cooked this before but it's never turned out right. It's always too soft and watery. I'm going to try this one again hopefully with success this time.

7. Dried Prunes - Ick!

8. Homemade veggie burgers following this recipe. - Haven't tried this yet but I plan to maybe try this tomorrow night.

9. Tossed salad with olive oil as dressing. - I had never done this before but now that I have I am a complete convert. I think I'm going to buy a cruet and start making my own dressings. Yum!

10. Artichoke hearts - Bought a jar of these but they scare me. How do you eat them anyway?

11. Split pea soup without meat - I usually can't stomach this soup without turkey bacon, turkey ham or some other kind of meat in it. I found a simple looking vegetarian recipe that I want to try.

12. Fresh pineapple - I've only ever tried the canned stuff. Every year for Christmas we get a fresh pineapple in a fruit basket from my husband's boss. The pineapple always goes bad before I get a chance to try it - plus it intimidates me a bit. So I want to tackle this spiked fruit once and for all lol.

13. Roasted Garlic Cloves - Tried this once before. Don't remember how it turned out but it seems like it was bad. I would like to try this again.

Day 3 Menu - Daniel Fast

This is what I ate yesterday:

Breakfast: A smoothie made with 2 bananas, 8 strawberries, 4 tablespoons of ground flax (the only grain I'm allowing for the added fiber content), 100% applejuice and ice. 11 whole raw almonds (1/2 ounce) on the side.

Lunch: Baked Zucchini and yellow squash slices coated with olive oil. Seasoned with salt and garlic herb seasoning. (This was super yummy but a word of advice: Be sure not to bake this on a pan with holes on the bottom or you will have oil and seasonings dripping on the bottom of your oven which then will smoke your entire kitchen out, which will make your smoke detector all the way in the other room go crazy, and which will then make your children start jumping and hollering and running around. The house still smells really good like cooking food but all that smoke wasn't fun lol. Yeah, next time I will use parchment paper underneath.)

Dinner: Steamed carrots, broccoli and cauliflower lightly seasoned - I think I am putting this Mrs. Dash stuff on everything lol.

Snacks: 11 Almonds and 1 box raisins. 1 dried fig. A handful of dried prunes (nasty stuff those prunes - don't like these at all but I just thought I'd give them a try.)

Wordless Wednesday - My Grocery Haul

We went to the grocery store on Monday night so that I could stock up on plenty of fruits and veggies for my Daniel fast (Daniel Chapter 1). If you want to know more about why and how I am doing this then read the last 4 posts from this week.
My groceries looked so pretty and still life like laid out on my table that I just had to snap a pic of them. Of course I did help just a teensy bit with the arrangement ;-)

Daniel Fast - What I'm eating

I realized that it might be important to some of you to know what I'm eating so I will be keeping track of that as well on here along with the daily update. Here is the menu for the last 2 days:

Monday April 13, Day 1 (This first day was very small because I had very few veggies in the house. Unfortunately I did not eat enough and became quite dizzy and sick later):

Breakfast - 1 Banana

Mid Morning Snack - 1 can of black olives drained and rinsed well (2 or 3 times) to rinse any salt or preservatives off.

Lunch - 1 can of yellow hominy (corn) again drained and rinsed well.

Afternoon Snack - 1 box of raisins

Dinner - 1 Banana, 3 dried figs (super yummy btw - I never had them before this!), 2 8 ounce cups of pure carrot juice.

Several cups of water.

Tuesday April 14 - Day 2:

Breakfast - 1 Banana, 11 Raw whole Almonds (1/2 ounce)

Mid Morning Snack - 1 apple, handful of sliced mushrooms

Lunch - Large bowl of butter crunch salad greens (about 3 cups), sliced mushrooms, grape tomatoes and about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, ground black pepper, and Mrs. Dash garlic & herb for seasoning and dressing.

Dinner - Baked Yukon Gold Potato (these taste much better than the other potatoes for baking - they have an almost buttery sweet taste), with the skin coated with olive oil to make it crispy. This was then topped with some chopped chives and a little bit of salt.

Evening Snack - 1 box of raisins and 11 more almonds mixed together for a sort of trail mix type snack. (This was very delish btw!) about 1/4 cup of 100% apple juice.

Several cups of water.

Tasty Tuesday - Roasted Chickpeas

The question I know I will be asked more often than not during this "fast" will be "but what are you eating?" Well trust me, I am not living on salads 24/7. If I were this would be an almost impossible task lol. We went to the grocery store last night and I was just in awe at the number of fruits and vegetables available. It is amazing how much food God has provided for us to truly live by and it is even more amazing that we go everyday not even realizing that such wonderful foods exist. I have some pretty basic guidelines that I am going by for this fast. I am eating only natural fruits and vegetables (aka no frozen entrees with added junk and canned items cannot have added ingredients - just the fruits, vegetables and water). I am allowing 100% fruit and vegetable juices if the ingredients are just the fruit, vegetable and water. Dried fruits and vegetables are ok as long as extra sugar or oil has not been added. And I am allowing natural seasonings and spices for flavoring and olive oil for cooking and dressing but I am not allowing any sugar or honey and I am keeping salt to a minimum. I am also allowing raw nuts like almonds without any salt, seasonings or oils added.
Want to know exactly what I'm eating? Well how does all of this sound: Strawberry, banana, and blueberry smoothies with a touch of vanilla. Zucchini and yellow squash slices tossed with olive oil and toasted in the broiler or cooked on the grill. Fresh green salads with large mushroom slices, tomatoes and tossed with olive oil and garlic and herb spices for dressing (just ate this and that was the most amazing salad I have EVER eaten by far!). Spaghetti squash cooked with mushrooms, onions, garlic and diced tomatoes that were sauteed in olive oil for a mock spaghetti. Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and slow baked in the oven to make apple chips. Baked potatoes sprinkled with a little salt, pepper, and chives and with the skins coated with olive oil to make them crispier. Homemade baked french fries made from sweet potatoes and a little salt and olive oil. Ok am I making you hungry yet? See, there is a limitless amount of combinations you could make with just vegetables and a little seasonings. This way of eating is certainly far more delicious than I had anticipated. I never knew eating healthy could taste sooooo good :-)

Here is a recipe that I used to eat on another diet years ago. This makes for a good crunchy and salty snack and is totally compatible with the fast.

Roasted Chickpeas ( or Garbanzo Beans as they're sometimes called)

1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt (optional)
garlic salt (optional)
cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Turn the chickpeas halfway into the cooking time - this can be done by just shaking them around the pan a little. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.