Sand Through the Hour Glass

There is not much left to the year 2011. Another 26 hours and we will be counting the seconds until the arrival of 2012. Hopefully I will be wise enough this time around to sleep the new year in instead of to stay awake and stumble through the next day in a fog.

I have been considering New Year's resolutions... It seems every year they are about the same; eat better, exercise more, and lose weight, along with be more thankful, smile more often, and forgive more faster. ;) (Yes, I do know that's bad grammar.)

My treadmill remains in my daughter's basement. I miss it, but there isn't any extra space in my living room. (It once lived here in another room, but that now belongs to my mother...) Is there hope for this now middle aged woman? (I'm talking about me.) I am not liking what I see either in the mirror or in photographs... Maybe I need to go on a soup and watered down juice diet. That would cover my fluid intake and be lower in calories!

The Arctic Blast

It's here, the arctic blast. I'm sure it has mellowed some as Minneapolis appears to be quite a bit colder than Rochester, but it is still very cold.

I had a very unproductive day, one where I had not planned anything and therefore nothing much happened. It would have been a great day to bake, but since we are still on the "fast" it seems rather pointless. Maybe I will bake something tomorrow in spite of it. I'm sure Ben and Hannah wouldn't mind. They like cookies and banana bread.

We have been enjoying a nice variety of veggies the past couple of weeks; sweet potatoes, asparagus, Brussel sprouts, mushrooms, sweet peppers, salads and fixin's. We aren't losing any weight, at least nothing significant, after all we've also been enjoying extra virgin olive oil, whole grain breads, and too many nuts and dried fruits. I'm thinking next week I may add eggs in to my diet. They're sounding really good right now.

Going Nuts

Have no fear, we are getting plenty of protein. We are not only eating lots of fruits and veggies, but we've gone a little nutty in the process. We have raw almonds and cashews on hand, some roasted peanuts, and two jars of natural peanut butter. The peanut butter goes great on celery or that yummy whole grain bread, which is also packed with protein. We've also polished of a container of mixed raw nuts (cashews, almonds, pistachios, and macadamia nuts) and raisins. We won't likely lose much weight eating dried cranberries, banana chips, and raisins but maybe we'll be fooled into thinking we're healthier. The key here is practicing self control, bringing those fleshly desires under subjection and saying no to our wants for a time. My biggest challenge in the whole thing remains drinking enough water.

Are You Hungry?

Since last January when I stupidly fed Jasmine a venison bone which got stuck in her intestines, we have been mixing a spoonful of canned dog food in with the dry when we feed her. It was originally to make sure she kept eating, now it is because she would be severely disappointed if we didn't. Unfortunately, this practice has created an obnoxious couple of dogs twice a day. No sooner do I arrive downstairs in the morning than I am greeted by staring, hopeful puppy dog eyes. They don't give up until they have been fed. Around four in the afternoon the process repeats itself and I don't feed them until five. Today, because of a little snowstorm which turned the afternoon unusually dark, the begging started around three thirty. I long for the days when I filled Jazzy's dish, she ate whenever she felt like it, and I only had to make sure the dish wasn't left empty, but I fear those days are gone. Our dogs are not so much different than us. Give me a little bit of sugar in the morning and I want to eat it all day long. I've actually been enjoying this "fast". I've not been too hungry, yet I've cut out all the bad stuff I've always had such a difficult time resisting. The headaches are finally gone and I'm feeling pretty good.

Do Something, Fast!

The holidays are over and it's time to stop eating garbage. Bethany called on Saturday afternoon to ask me about the "Daniel Fast" and what we are allowed to eat. It's really more about changing dietary habits and allowing our bodies a chance to throw off so many of the toxins we've built up over time than not eating. If we coose to participate in the fast we can still eat but we are cutting certain things out of our diets. I told her that we are eating fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, and whole grains. "No milk?" she asked.

"It's really your choice," I said, "but there are reasons for cutting milk out of the diet too."

"Oh," she replied, "So, it's kind of like becoming a vegan for a few weeks."

I guess that's it, becoming a vegan for a few weeks,.. but really it's more about excercising the practice of self-control. Not eating those foods that so entice me and learning to say no to my mouth and stomach will help strengthen my resolve when it comes to saying no in other areas of my life. Isn't it kind of funny that food is what got the human race into trouble in the Garden of Eden and we still have such a hard time resisting today? And, of course, fasting wouldn't be fasting if there wasn't a time to seek God in prayer and reading His word. As we fast we look to Him to provide direction, encouragement, and salvation. He is in the business of answering prayers.

So, I did have a whopping headache last night, for anyone who may be curious, but I'm feeling better today. I'm still drinking tea (no sugar), feasting on fruit, crunching carrot and celery sticks, and popping walnuts and almonds here and there. I'm feeling okay and even made a very nice vegetable soup last night with no beef or chicken stock. Two days down 19 more to go!