Being Healthy and Whole

This last week was my birthday, another year older. I am becoming more and more aware of how I feel and honestly it hasn't been good. I have been struggling with my weight for the last 12 years, though I have not gained any more weight in the recent years, it has just plateaued to nowhere. The things noticeable to me have been my skin, my hair and my overall mental attitude. I can't focus for long, I don't feel too sharp at times and a lot of times I have gone into a funk. I feel bloated often and suffer from headaches and fatigue. This just can't be how life should be at my age. I just don't feel like it is a quality life. If I don't feel good, everyone in my home suffers from it.

I am not the only one who feels this way though. My husband also feels pretty rotten. Not to mention our sweet Freckles. She herself deals with her weight and feels pretty bad after eating food... For my birthday we went to have frozen yogurt to celebrate. The whole night into the next day, Freckles felt terrible in her stomach. This has been happening often with other foods or junk as well. It kills me inside to see her suffer, not feeling like a 13/14 year old should feel like. I'd like to be the first to say, I didn't think our diet was really all that bad. But as we have thought about what we are eating...Not all of it is that good. We are your good ole average American who loves pizza, burgers, fast food and desserts too. Of course I would make good things too, like lean meats and adding in a good green veggie every so often.... But I do believe that all this sick feeling is coming from the long abuse we have put on our bodies. Slowly in the past several months we have been trying to stick to eating better sorts of foods. 

But we ended up eating junk, because it was purely convenient.

We started reading up on health and watching documentaries on better health and eating and came to the conclusion that we really need to change. We need to be stricter. Especially when our guts feel cruddy, or my hubby having slight high blood pressure or when my head is just pounding all the time where I can't think straight or function. Not to mention the weight is certainly not coming off the way we are doing things right now. I read some great passages in the Bible on health as well...Which really put things in perspective for me. My dear Hubby and I ordered a Vitamix for our 20th wedding anniversary which we celebrated a couple weeks ago, We decided to move ahead and make our health our priority and take care of our vessels in which God has given us. The Vitamix was really a great incentive, since if you are like us, we can only chew a salad so much...But heck, now we can actually blend our salad up and drink it several times a day. By using a Vitamix, you are blending everything up and drinking all the goodness. It is not like juices, where you discard all the pulp and fibers...You actually blend every bit of your fruits and veggies and drink it. That is so doable for us. 

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The diet God gave people in the beginning was fruit, grains, and nuts. Vegetables were added a bit later (Genesis 3:18). "And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed ... and every tree ... yielding seed." "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat." Genesis 1:29; 2:16.

(strawberry, blueberry, banana, chia seed, flax seed and spinach smoothie with banana pancakes)

So, I did a little research on what we would need for our pantry. Went out and bought lot's of spinach, kale, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, avocados, and a bunch of fruit, nuts, chia seeds and flax seed. We didn't buy anything processed. We are cutting out refined sugars and processed foods, grains, corn, bread and dairy products, and will not be stopping at a fast food joint. We are set to eat lean meats, veggies, fruit, nuts and seeds. We will be cooking with coconut oil and seasoning up our food. This could be a great way to find out if perhaps we are allergic to anything. And these are good foods that will clean out and detox your body and your gut. Mr. Darling already feels he has energy and can focus better. We are so excited to make these changes for the better, which will promote a better, clearer mind set, attitude, spirituality and new body.

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"Eat ye that which is good." Isaiah 55:2.

(Spinach, Kale, apple, banana, flax smoothie)

I know it will take time and learning new habits and breaking the old ones will be challenging. But really it is a mind set. We can do this! Even if we don't lose a ton of weight at least we know that what we are putting into our bodies are good for us. America's food is a bunch of junk, not good for you. Filled with chemicals, preservatives and words in the ingredients that you can't even pronounce. Okay, some of it is sure darn good tasting...but most all of it is so darn not good for you. You are what you eat... And I don't want to be junk. We have also decided to do the WHOLE30 challenge. Eating clean and whole for 30 days. If you don't know what that is, you can find info through the web, with how to get started and what to get for your pantry along with recipes. In a lot of ways it is like the Paleo way of eating. Heck, if it makes us feel better, what do we have to lose? Well, I'll keep you all posted as to how our new journey is going. Please keep us in your prayers if you think of us. It won't be easy...and know,  this is not a diet, it is a way of life.

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"Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth." 3 John 2. 

(Apple Pie Fruit Leather)

Okay, so you may have noticed the pancakes a few pictures up. Freckles and I love pancakes for breakfast....But now that we started this challenge, I was like, what about our pancakes and snacks we like to eat. Well, Pinterest has been my friend, as I have found some good recipes that is WHOLE30 challenge safe... The pancakes you noticed are actually just mashed banana with eggs in it then cooked like a pancake. Alright all honesty, it was not a pancake, at least what I am used to...But this stuff was pretty good, with a nice banana flavor, my daughter didn't even know that it had egg in it. I just added a touch of cinnamon and baking powder and voila, pancakes, which surely will be my saving grace..Ha Ha....What about milk??? I cut out milk a while ago, We drink either coconut or almond milk which has more calcium than milk and better for you !!! Oh yeah, snacks!!! Well, we can certainly make spinach and fruit smoothies, nuts and how about fruit leather? We made our own...No sugar added, just the no sugar applesauce with some apple pie spice and cinnamon...It is a nice snack...I will be making other flavors just to switch it up. I will also be dehydrating fruit snacks. I found a recipe for Lara type bars on Pinterest as well...Oh my, if you have not tried a Lara bar go get one...It is wholesome good, with no added sugar, just a nice medley of cashews, pecans, almonds, dates, and dried cherries.

 It will carry us through when we have a sweet tooth.

My body is probably in shock and will go through withdrawls... I just know it will be worth it in the end. I just want my family to be healthy inside and out no matter what.

 I want us to be healthy and whole.

Your thoughts and prayers are coveted!