Food...all of us were created to need it. None of us can live very long without it. We all have bodies that are made up of cells and systems that are created to work well with nutrients from foods.
The best way to get this nutrition is to eat lots of raw plant nutrition. This can be and should be very varied. It works out in my life by eating lots of salads, or simple veggie plates, veggie wraps filled with hummus and raw veggies, green smoothies and on occasion, juice from veggies and fruits.
My family and I choose to get consistent fruit and vegetable nutrition from Juice Plus as well. I am so glad to have found this product in 2013. Just to know that my family is getting that consistent nutrition from plants is such a huge help to me as the keeper of their health.
However, that is not a crutch to use or an excuse for me to consistently let them form addictive eating habits by thinking, "Oh well, they can have (oreos, lots of chocolate candy, fried foods, fast food, highly processed junk) because they have had their fruit and veggie intake for today". No, way. I won't do it.
I am well aware of how addictive certain foods are. I have struggled out of them since becoming aware of the sabotaging effects that over indulgence of meat, dairy, oil, salt, and sugar has on the body. I know how hard the struggle and so I am doing my best to bless my family with wholesome food so that hopefully they will not have to struggle like I have.
I am also well aware of how easily we can slip into the 'convenience food' mode. It's all around us. Boxes of this, bags of that, cans of the other thing. Before we know it, we are encouraging the addictive, disease-producing eating habits that we really didn't want to happen. So that is why in 2014, I have made a renewed pact with myself as the keeper of my family's health, to:
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| photo credit: I don't remember...sorry :/ |
plan ahead
just say no more often (kindly of course!)
be the change I want to see in the world
educate my family and myself more
grow my own greens even tho the snow is flying outside
(yes, I invested in a trio of Tower Gardens and I am EXCITED)
And in the spirit of kicking things off to a good start,
I have gone on a green juice fast
for 2 weeks,
starting today.
I really forgot just how good
green juice tastes!
Extreme?
Absolutely.
Radical?
Most definitely.
Beneficial?
Oh my yes!
I am giving my body a rest. I have not had a bad year of eating,
but I have had some little things here and there that I allowed in
that I just think I want to give my body a cleanse/rest.
For anyone out there wanting to try this, I highly recommend it.
Here is my favorite green juice recipe.
I have a Green Star Juicer and this recipe makes
about 5 or 6 pints.
4 apples
4 pears (don't have to be ripe)
2 lemons
2 inches fresh ginger
8 stalks kale or 8 c chopped kale*
2 cucumbers
4 stalks celery
Wash all veggies and juice.
Store in pint jars in fridge.
Instead of eating for 2 weeks, I'm drinking green juice
and appreciating the rest.
Will I have cravings?
YES.
Will I want to eat a piece of chocolate this afternoon?
YES YES YES
Will I eat a piece of chocolate this afternoon?
NO,
unless I want to publicly inform all of you on here :-)
(which I don't)
Will I experience any detoxing symptoms?
Yes, most likely that is why I have a smallish headache right now
But previous experiences with this have me on good authority
that after about day 3, I will wonder why I ever eat...
my body will feel great and I will want to go on for always
just drinking green juice!
But I will return to normal, necessary fiber-rich plant foods
and enjoy salads in a new way...
By the time I am finished with my cleanse,
a salad with a baked potato with some fresh pico de gallo
and cashew cheese sauce will be what I'm craving.
So here's hoping all of you enjoy good health
in 2014.
I am hoping to keep this blog more updated in the new year.
More what I'm learning/reading/watching in the food world.
More recipes I'm trying and liking.
To health and for good health,
Marcia
Looking forward to your successes this year!
ReplyDeleteI do want to add here that Green Juice is my focus the next two weeks but I am also practical. I am a wife, mother, school marm, seamstress, writer, counselor, Juice Plus representative, friend, neighbor, and whatever other hats the Lord asks me to wear on any given day. SO...I have a back up plan for any days that I cannot get the juice done, etc. :-) But I do aim to have the fast be mostly green juice. If I have to, I will have raw plant foods in a pinch. Just thought I would clarify that.
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