Are You Eating Right?

My son told me a joke.  I'm sure I won't get it perfect here but it goes something like this:  A man walked into a Doctor's office.  He had a cucumber stuck up his nose, a carrot in one ear, and a banana in the other ear.  He complained, "Doctor, can you tell me what is wrong with me?!"  The Doctor replied, "Of course, I can.  You're not eating right!"  Funny.  I know.  But true.  Most of what is wrong with every human can be summed up in that statement:  You're not eating right!  There are so many examples of people who have turned their health around simply by changing their eating habits.  And books, upon books, about their stories.  So why don't we believe it and change?  It's too hard.  It's not fun.  It's not pleasurable.  But that's where we're wrong.  It is work, but it is enjoyable.

That's one thing I love about the Daniel's Fast!  You eat right and it's enjoyable!  Every thing that I have cooked as evoked this response from my husband:  "This is sooo good!"  It's like it's a surprise every time.  And the next time we do this I promise I will take pictures of these things I'm cooking.  They are really pretty!  I'm surprised!  So, for this post, I'm going to tell you about some of the things I've been fixing.

Let me say this first, I think I'm finally coming through the detox stage.  I finally was able to go to sleep last night without my low back, hips and legs hurting.  Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!  I've thought about the fact that the Fast is 21 days, or 3 weeks.  There has got to be a significance to that.  I'm absolutely sure there is a spiritual significance but I think there is a physical one as well.  Every dietary law that God had in the Old Testament had to do with our health.  I mean, think about it, God made us.  He made our bodies to work how they work and He also knows what is good for us!  If you ever read the book The Maker's Diet you will find proof of this.  Now God allows us to eat other things but the Principle that should control even that is Moderation.  So.... the 3 weeks?  From my experience, on a physical level, the first week is detox and water loss.  The second week is repair or healing and the third week is regeneration or growth.  There obviously is some blurring of the lines of demarcation between weeks and what is happening in our bodies as individuals, but, basically, this is the process.

So what are we eating?  First, some treats that might make it easier for you.  I love peanut butter.  One of my favorite snacks is an apple with peanut butter.  This is an excellent snack for a diabetic so I eat it even when I'm not on a Fast.  However, just regular peanut butter is not what you need.  Regular peanut butter has sugar added and other things.  Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter is just that.  Natural.  Peanuts and salt.  Because it doesn't have all the preservatives and such, it does separate.  All you do is stir it up (a little difficult but make sure you get it all stirred up) and then store it in the fridge.  Awesome.  I know there are other brands but I like Smuckers the best.  And you can buy that in any grocery store.  Another store-bought item you can use is Tostitos Baked Corn Tortilla Chips.  Here again, you are Fasting.  Don't pig out!  Dried fruit is wonderful!  Stay away from dried cranberries (Craisins) because they have sugar added.  Raisins, Figs, Dates, etc. are all great.  Try to find unsulphured apricots.  Need something to add a little sweetness?  Date Honey is your answer.  This is not store-bought.  Here is the recipe:

1 cup pitted dates, 1 cup water, 1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pour dates and water into a small saucepan, making sure the dates are completely covered.  You may have to add more water.  Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to low and simmer 45 - 60 minutes or until dates are very soft and broken down.  Allow to cool slightly, about 15 minutes.  Pour into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Sprinkle in cinnamon and stir well.  Store in a sealed container in refrigerator.  Use in recipe, with sliced fruit, in oatmeal, etc.  Delicious!  Really.

Remember the book "The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel's Fast"?   That recipe is in it along with the recipes to these yummy items that we have cooked:  Banana-Fig Oatmeal with Almond Butter, Coconut Fig Bars, Black Bean Dip, Corn Muffins, Guacamole with a Kick, Tuscan Soup, Black Bean Chili Bake, and Chipotle Black Bean Burgers.   I have really enjoyed cooking during this time because my husband is pitching in and we are cooking together.....and cleaning up together!  What fun!

One note:  for those of you who have those in your household who are not participating in the Fast.  That can be difficult and can cause you some stress.  We have my uncle with us and he is not fasting.  He drinks his coffee (which doesn't really bother me) but when he toasts bread or pops popcorn that can be a little tough.  He is eating everything that we eat along with his "delicacies", which makes me have to pray a little harder at times.  Just a little.  Be encouraged.  Know that you are doing what is best for you and, if they partake of any of what you are preparing at all, at least they are getting something healthy. 

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

 Well.....we are in the middle of the 5th day and things seem to be going .... okay.  Actually I'm seeing some very positive things.  One of the very first things I always see when I'm on the Daniel's Fast is the decreasing of inflammation.  This is probably what makes people feel like they lose weight very quickly at the beginning.  It is, indeed, weight, but water weight for the most part.  But that increased fluid that we carry around is in the form of inflammation in our joints and it causes us some problems!  A huge part of the "normal" aches and pains that people have is due to inflammation.  Just imagine your body being a water balloon.  The more water it retains, the tighter and tighter the balloon (your skin and joints) gets.  Your hands, feet, and legs swell.  My ring gets tight and leaves an indention around my finger.  It gets painful to make a fist.  Clothes don't fit like they used to.  And you hurt all over more than anywhere else.  The Daniel's Fast is marvelous for reducing inflammation.  Your body is flushing out those toxins and your increased (hopefully) water intake helps with that process as well as getting rid of excess fluids.  Did you know that drinking enough water will help keep you from retaining water?  Amazing, isn't it?  We are definitely fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of our Creator!

In my searching for answers and for ideas and recipes to make the Fast more palatable, I found this book during our last Fast:  The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola on Amazon.com. 

The Utimate Guide to The Daniel Fast by Kristen Feola  
I used some of the information in it sparingly at that time but I began reading it in earnest just prior to us beginning this fast.  It is a wonderful book with a lot of information about the fast, a multitude of recipes, meal planning, and shopping lists as well as a wealth of spiritual insights about fasting and prayer with scripture references and a daily devotion section to be used while you are on the fast.  I have been using that section every morning and it is really encouraging and uplifting.

The recipes are awesome.  I'm sure I won't cook everything in the book but I've already tried several and I'll share a few of them on here, as promised, but you really should invest in a copy of the book for yourself.  You will use it over and over again.

Before I get into that, I need to say something about the Bad and the Ugly.  One of the symptoms that I have had the last several times we have done the Fast is a terrible aching in my lower back, hips, and down my legs.  It was usually during these times that I would begin searching the internet for answers and I would think that I should have blogged about our Fast.  Well, true to form, it came....in waves.  I'm sorry to say that I still don't know why.  I do know, however, that I'm not the only one who has experienced these symptoms.  My husband, my daughter-in-law, my mother have all had a certain amount of these symptoms.  I have to confess that it was so bad last night that I had to take some ibuprofen.  I hate it but I was not going to get any sleep if I hadn't.  Prayerfully, that won't hinder the results of my fast too terribly.  Today has been a little better but I am still having pain.  Last night it went from my low back, down my hips, down my legs and even my big toes were hurting.  I don't know if it is from partial dehydration from not drinking enough water and if it is just a normal part of detox.  Who knows?  However, I do know, from experience that it will go away.

Back to the Good.  Yesterday, I made a wonderful Black Bean Dip from the book and I served it with semi-homemade corn tortilla chips.  (The "semi" simply means I bought corn tortillas and cut them into triangles and baked them in the oven.  The book says you can use Tostitos Baked Tortilla chips but I couldn't find them in the store.)  Here's the recipe:  1 Tblsp extra-virgin olive oil, I cup diced onion, I cup diced red bell pepper, 1 clove garlic, minced, 1/2 cup water, 2 15-oz cans black beans rinsed and drained, 2 Tblsp fresh parsley or 1-1/2 tsp dried, 1/2 tsp dried crushed rosemary, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper.
Heat oil in a lg skillet over med heat.  Add onions and red peppers and cook until onions are soft and translucent.  (I wanted to eat those right out of the skillet.)  Stir in garlic and cook for 30 secs, stirring constantly so garlic doesn't burn.  Place water and 2 cups of beans in a food processor or blender.  Process until smooth.  Pour pureed beans into the skillet and stir.  Add the remaining beans, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper.  Reduce heat to low and cook 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm.  You can serve with Tortilla Chips, use as a topping for baked potatoes, and/or add 1/4 cup salsa.  I won't try to put the recipes on here of these two items for space sake but they were extremely yummy:  Apricot-Nut Breakfast Bar and Banana-Fig Oatmeal with Almond Butter.  If you want the recipes, comment on here with your email address and I'll be happy to share.  Or better yet, get the book!

Hopefully there won't be too much more Bad and Ugly and all I'll have is Good to report!  I am feeling better and my energy is returning!  The time I'm spending in the Word and in Prayer is wonderful as well.  I'm excited for what is to come!