In case anyone noticed (which I doubt), I have deactivated my Facebook account for the time being. Maybe I'll start it up again in the fall when Liz goes back to school...maybe not. As I've said in previous posts, I am trying to get rid of as much negativity in my life as possible. I find that Facebook is a source of much negativity lately. I have an addictive personality and checking my page countless times a day is really counterproductive for me. If anyone really wants to get in touch with me, this blog is an option as well as my email which is cosmicmomma@yahoo.com.
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Daniel Fast--Day 16
Wow! I've made it to the sixteenth day! The time really has gone by quickly and I have only had a couple of times when I actually felt hungry enough to binge....but, I didn't! Big progress for me! I am seeing the weight loss, too...amazing! The thing that makes this work for me when other fasts have failed is the prayer aspect. If I feel I am slipping, I say a rosary or read a devotional message. I really think that if I am vigilant, I can continue this new way of eating indefinitely. I am going to allow myself some days of regular food...just not in the portion size that I used to be comfortable with...smaller portions, healthier foods...who is this person that I am becoming??? Liz has already planned our "big" day next week...my first day of "regular" food...lol My family has been very supportive, especially my Liz. I am so thankful for my family and the words of support that I've received from others...it means a lot to me. The rest of this fast is really just me using up the food that has been leftover from the first two weeks. If I run out, I have some brown rice, beans, tomatoes, and berries...so no obsessing and no big "cooking" day this week...time to enjoy the feeling of finally being in control of this part of my life! I know I will have slips, but I am not going to beat myself up over them...I will just start fresh the next meal and go forward. No more looking back and feeling bad...only forward and positive thinking as much as possible!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Daniel Fast--The First Week
Well, it is now Day 10 of this fast that I've begun...it has actually been a lot easier than I thought it would be! I had a headache on days two and three but it wasn't as bad as some headaches I get and I was a little tired the first few days, but I feel like I have bounced back. The digestive issues that I was worried about didn't bother me, in fact, the opposite has happened! I had stopped eating raw vegetables several years ago except for an occasional salad when I knew I was going to be home for a few days. The cramping and bloating I anticipated never happened! My GERD is nowhere to be found and the other issues have disappeared as well. This makes me wonder if I may have an allergy or sensitivity to any of the many additives and preservatives found in our food today. I have had a few cravings, but nothing that a banana with a drizzle of organic and sugarless peanut butter can't cure. Liz even made brownies and I was not tempted in the least! Speaking of Liz, she has stepped up and started making dinner for the family....bless her heart! She wants to learn how to cook "real" food so John and I have been showing her the ropes. She even made homemade chicken tenders for dinner the other night!
Mentally, I feel different...I don't really know how to explain it other than to say that I feel "lighter" somehow. I am slower to anger, less agitated than normal, and I feel more in control of myself. Maybe it is psychological or maybe it is that I'm taking time during the day to say the rosary and read positive affirmations. Whatever it is, it is good so I am going to keep on doing it.
I don't feel that I've lost a significant amount of weight, but I didn't weigh myself at the start and I don't have a scale to weigh myself now. I am more concerned that my cholesterol is going down since it was over 300 and I can't take the medications for it. I don't ache as much....I still ache, but it is not as crippling as it was before this first week. So, all in all, I think that this fast has been a positive step for me. I am even considering staying on this modified vegan/vegetarian diet during the week for the near future. I do miss my dairy--cheese, yogurt, etc.--so I am going to allow myself a little bit on the weekends as well as some meat...chicken mostly and eggs. Two more weeks to go!
I must be eating less than other people because I still have food left over from the first week. Here it is Wednesday and I am just now working on food for this week and it's half over! I am making a double batch of vegetable soup since the kids thought it looked and smelled delicious last week, paella because I really loved it, Garden Bean Salad, Tofu and Veggie Scramble, and the Daniel Fast Shepherd's Pie. Liz and I went to Trader Joe's last Saturday and I bought some things to supplement what I cook...veggie patties, bean and vegetable burritos, and hummus. How have I missed hummus all these years? Trader Joe's is a great place to find things without additives and preservatives and the prices are reasonable. Everything is labelled so that you can tell pretty much at a glance what is in something. I love that place!
Week Two will be a continuation of the new habits I have picked up and a little more playing with different foods. I hated tofu when I tried it in the late '70's and the kids have assured me that it is better now, so that is my newest adventure...pretty boring that trying tofu is an adventure for me, but I try to make all of life an adventure!
Mentally, I feel different...I don't really know how to explain it other than to say that I feel "lighter" somehow. I am slower to anger, less agitated than normal, and I feel more in control of myself. Maybe it is psychological or maybe it is that I'm taking time during the day to say the rosary and read positive affirmations. Whatever it is, it is good so I am going to keep on doing it.
I don't feel that I've lost a significant amount of weight, but I didn't weigh myself at the start and I don't have a scale to weigh myself now. I am more concerned that my cholesterol is going down since it was over 300 and I can't take the medications for it. I don't ache as much....I still ache, but it is not as crippling as it was before this first week. So, all in all, I think that this fast has been a positive step for me. I am even considering staying on this modified vegan/vegetarian diet during the week for the near future. I do miss my dairy--cheese, yogurt, etc.--so I am going to allow myself a little bit on the weekends as well as some meat...chicken mostly and eggs. Two more weeks to go!
I must be eating less than other people because I still have food left over from the first week. Here it is Wednesday and I am just now working on food for this week and it's half over! I am making a double batch of vegetable soup since the kids thought it looked and smelled delicious last week, paella because I really loved it, Garden Bean Salad, Tofu and Veggie Scramble, and the Daniel Fast Shepherd's Pie. Liz and I went to Trader Joe's last Saturday and I bought some things to supplement what I cook...veggie patties, bean and vegetable burritos, and hummus. How have I missed hummus all these years? Trader Joe's is a great place to find things without additives and preservatives and the prices are reasonable. Everything is labelled so that you can tell pretty much at a glance what is in something. I love that place!
Week Two will be a continuation of the new habits I have picked up and a little more playing with different foods. I hated tofu when I tried it in the late '70's and the kids have assured me that it is better now, so that is my newest adventure...pretty boring that trying tofu is an adventure for me, but I try to make all of life an adventure!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Daniel Fast--Day Two
This second day of the fast has already brought challenges...I'm not surprised as I expected obstacles...no journey is without them. I have had a headache since late last night...caffeine withdrawal plus a weather front moving in....sigh It also doesn't help that Ginger (pug princess) sat on my glasses and they are crooked...lol The readings for today included "Sanctified by Truth" and "School Days". The first reading was about setting the purpose of this fast and fulfilling that promise...to honor the place God has given His chosen people. What do I need to change in my daily life so that I am doing what He wills with my life here. Quite honestly, I need to change a lot of things and I hope that I will but I know that without daily prayer and meditation, it is easy to lose my way. So, this fast is to help me focus on what I can change so that I am a better person. The second reading likened life to school....each day has a lesson to be learned and if it is not learned that day, then it repeats again and again until you are ready to move onto the next lesson. Some days I can clearly see the obstacles in my path and other days....well, it's obvious I didn't learn the lesson. I keep at it, though, and hope that one day I will be a person who, while not perfect, is better than I am now. I had oatmeal with apples and spices for breakfast which was delicious....but I have always loved oatmeal...lolol Lunch was a rosary....the prayers are coming back to me...and veggie soup. The soup was very satisfying and quite tasty...this is one I will make again and share with the family. I had a yummy pear as a snack...it has been quite some time since I enjoyed a pear! Dinner was a stuffed pepper which was okay....I will make this again, but I think I will chop up the pepper instead of stuffing it...I didn't like it as much as my regular way of making stuffed peppers, but it was nutritious and filling.
So much to think about today....changes are hard to make and maintain but I am hopeful that this fast will give me the confidence to make at least some changes toward a healthier, happier, and more spiritual life...........
Monday, June 11, 2012
Daniel Fast--Day One
And so today is my first day on this journey.....I didn't get all the food made last night...my achy joints commanded me to stop. I got all the breakfasts and dinners made and prepped for the soups. I couldn't get to sleep until after 5 this morning...body aches and mind swirling...I questioned whether or not I could do this task I have set before me. I know some people would think this was no big deal...a piece of cake (which I can't have for 21 days!) but, for me, it is a big deal! Learning to recognize my body's signals and learning to have faith again is a huge step for me. For too many years, I have struggled and given up because the task seemed too hard...for now, my mom's mantra..."One Day at a Time". Some days, though, it will probably be one minute at a time but I am going to give it my best efforts.
The first 32-ounces of water went quickly. I almost always wake up thirsty because of my apnea and the fact that I breathe through my mouth (snore!). I read the Daniel Fast Devotional for today and thought about how I need to place God first in my life every day and how I haven't done that in a long, long time. I ate my whole wheat cereal with banana and almonds and I made myself aware of each spoonful...the taste, the texture, and how it was filling my body's needs in a healthier way than sweetened cereal or poptarts!
I am now at our "new" house making as much of the rest of the meals as I can and I am enjoying the preparation with fresh ingredients in a kitchen that makes cooking a joy! I am so used to depending on a "quick fix" for meals that it takes actual thought to plan and cook real food. When John and I were first married, I planned the menus for each week and cooked food in as healthy a way as I could do. As the years have gone on, I've gotten lazy on so many fronts that it is terrible to admit that my family's health came second to the various tasks that confronted me...but I know I was stretched with young kids, a military husband, frequent moves, distance from family, and all that stuff that keeps us from being our best.
I've managed to finish the soups and I'm almost done with the two salads...next package everything up in portions....ugh! I think I'm going to skip making chapatis and roasted chickpeas for this week...John bought some fresh fruit and I will take advantage of it. I am on my third! container of water but I often drink close to a gallon of water a day anyway and (fingers crossed!) no caffeine headache...yet
I ate a bowl of navy bean soup and said my rosary for lunch--so I fed my body and my spirit! Dinner will be paella (and another rosary) and I will probably have 3 strawberries and a little bit of salad later. My devotional reading for this evening is called "Many Rooms" and the focus will be on John 14:2. I hope for some rest tonight so I can start Day Two rested and refreshed..........
The first 32-ounces of water went quickly. I almost always wake up thirsty because of my apnea and the fact that I breathe through my mouth (snore!). I read the Daniel Fast Devotional for today and thought about how I need to place God first in my life every day and how I haven't done that in a long, long time. I ate my whole wheat cereal with banana and almonds and I made myself aware of each spoonful...the taste, the texture, and how it was filling my body's needs in a healthier way than sweetened cereal or poptarts!
I am now at our "new" house making as much of the rest of the meals as I can and I am enjoying the preparation with fresh ingredients in a kitchen that makes cooking a joy! I am so used to depending on a "quick fix" for meals that it takes actual thought to plan and cook real food. When John and I were first married, I planned the menus for each week and cooked food in as healthy a way as I could do. As the years have gone on, I've gotten lazy on so many fronts that it is terrible to admit that my family's health came second to the various tasks that confronted me...but I know I was stretched with young kids, a military husband, frequent moves, distance from family, and all that stuff that keeps us from being our best.
I've managed to finish the soups and I'm almost done with the two salads...next package everything up in portions....ugh! I think I'm going to skip making chapatis and roasted chickpeas for this week...John bought some fresh fruit and I will take advantage of it. I am on my third! container of water but I often drink close to a gallon of water a day anyway and (fingers crossed!) no caffeine headache...yet
I ate a bowl of navy bean soup and said my rosary for lunch--so I fed my body and my spirit! Dinner will be paella (and another rosary) and I will probably have 3 strawberries and a little bit of salad later. My devotional reading for this evening is called "Many Rooms" and the focus will be on John 14:2. I hope for some rest tonight so I can start Day Two rested and refreshed..........
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes and the Daniel Fast
I have decided to make some changes in my life...changes toward a more positive lifestyle. The past few weeks have found me reading about the Daniel Fast and slowly trying to prepare myself for beginning this new journey. I have cut down on snacking and have chosen what I do eat more carefully. I know I need to become mindful of what I put into my body and the effect of that food on both my physical health and my spiritual health. I am not going to weigh myself to keep track of pounds lost even though I do need to lose weight, get in shape, and lower my cholesterol. This first fast, for me, will be a spiritual fast. I have found myself further from God than I want to be and I pray this action I am undertaking will lead me back to a strong faith. When I first became a Catholic, my mother-in-law was a huge influence on me. Her faith in her daily rosary was inspiring and I vowed to say a rosary daily, too. I did keep up with it until my second child was born and then I became overwhelmed with young children and life. Depression followed and even though I got medical treatment, I never went back to my daily rosary. In retrospect, I can see how much that daily prayer centered me, calmed me, and made me a better person. Whatever arguments I may have with the Catholic Church as an institution, the truth is....the rosary and the ritual of it eases my soul and I miss it. So this first time with the Daniel Fast is going to include readings and prayers to help my spirit and the weight loss will be a secondary, though welcome, part of my new routine.
I planned my 21 days of food...starting with easy recipes and lots of protein because I do have some health issues. Later, I will add more vegetables, tofu, and fruit. Liz went with me to the grocery store today and helped me in my hunt for the vegan/non-preservative food that I need. Tonight I will prepare as much as I can and package it into individual servings so that temptation to overindulge is limited. It was an expensive trip to the store, but with practice, I should be able to figure out what I need and ways to get it more cheaply...buying my vegetables and fruit at the roadside stands, for example.
My first week on the fast will be something like this:
~Take my morning medications
~Read the Daniel Fast Daily Devotional
~Breakfast of Apple Pie Oatmeal or Banana Wheat Bran Cereal
~Begin my first 32-ounce container of water
~Lunch of vegetable soup or navy bean soup
~Rosary
~Begin my second 32-ounce container of water
~Snack--apple, strawberries, or pear
~Begin my third 32-ounce container of water
~Dinner of Black Bean and Brown Rice stuffed Peppers or Vegetable and Bean Paella
~Rosary
~Begin my fourth 32-ounce container of water
~Snack of Garden Fresh Bean Salad, Persian Salad, Chapatis, or Roasted Chickpeas
~Devotional reading from "Wisdom Writings for Women" which I downloaded on my Kindle.
John and the kids have said that they would support me in this effort...so I hope that I can finally find some peace and some better health. I love my family dearly and if I continue the path that I am on now, I won't be around as long as I would like to be. Eating mindfully and healthfully should end up in a healthier body to go along with a healthier soul from prayer and devotional reading....at least that is my hope...........
I planned my 21 days of food...starting with easy recipes and lots of protein because I do have some health issues. Later, I will add more vegetables, tofu, and fruit. Liz went with me to the grocery store today and helped me in my hunt for the vegan/non-preservative food that I need. Tonight I will prepare as much as I can and package it into individual servings so that temptation to overindulge is limited. It was an expensive trip to the store, but with practice, I should be able to figure out what I need and ways to get it more cheaply...buying my vegetables and fruit at the roadside stands, for example.
My first week on the fast will be something like this:
~Take my morning medications
~Read the Daniel Fast Daily Devotional
~Breakfast of Apple Pie Oatmeal or Banana Wheat Bran Cereal
~Begin my first 32-ounce container of water
~Lunch of vegetable soup or navy bean soup
~Rosary
~Begin my second 32-ounce container of water
~Snack--apple, strawberries, or pear
~Begin my third 32-ounce container of water
~Dinner of Black Bean and Brown Rice stuffed Peppers or Vegetable and Bean Paella
~Rosary
~Begin my fourth 32-ounce container of water
~Snack of Garden Fresh Bean Salad, Persian Salad, Chapatis, or Roasted Chickpeas
~Devotional reading from "Wisdom Writings for Women" which I downloaded on my Kindle.
John and the kids have said that they would support me in this effort...so I hope that I can finally find some peace and some better health. I love my family dearly and if I continue the path that I am on now, I won't be around as long as I would like to be. Eating mindfully and healthfully should end up in a healthier body to go along with a healthier soul from prayer and devotional reading....at least that is my hope...........
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