Trip to the Farmers Market

So my sis and I decided to go to the farmers market to stock up on some fruits and veggies. We decided to be a little adventurous and try a new farmers market and finally decided on the Flamingo’s Farmer Market. This was more than a farmers market this was a plant Nursery as well. So this was basically a one stop shop kind of place, but we headed straight to the farmer market and stocked up on fruits and veggies for our Daniel fast . The prices were nothing short of the ordinary prices  at the regular grocery store but i did find a deal on beets.  I honestly have to say ,I  never thought i would like beets but i do.When you get pass the color they kinda of taste like earthy carrots. I haven’t juiced them or added them to my smoothies just yet but as a little snack they are pretty good.

On this particular Farmers Market trip I was on a mission to find some avocados.  There weren’t really on sale but i needed them specifically to make my green smoothies extra hearty.  I used one avocado for two 160z servings that i would drink throughout the morning at work.In addition to the avocados, i would add apples, flax-seeds, chia seeds and loosed leaf green tea along with my leafy greens and fruits. These smoothies were so thick that there were days that i would consume the smoothies for lunch instead cause they made me feel that full. I know they say that too much avocado is bad for, which i  really  don’t believe. But after this fast i will be taking a break from avocados only because I’ve gotten tired of it after 20 plus days of consuming it straight.

 

 

Sunday Afternoon (The Daniel Fast )

So it’s day 15 of my Daniel Fast and despite some of the hunger pains i get through out the day I feel pretty good.  Before i started the fast, I’ve been reading the Bible from the beginning (Genesis).  I just happen to be mid-way thru  the book of Numbers when i started the Fast. It really cool to just read about how God had specific plans for the Israelites but it was cause of their attitudes the journey took longer than it really was suppose to. It makes you think about how much things in our lives could have been easier but our attitudes made getting to that point more difficult. It has definitely been an eye opener.

This pass weekend after Church, my sister and i decided to go to lunch .We wanted to stay within the guidelines of the fast so we practically drove around in circles thinking of places we can eat. After 30 minutes of driving  we  decided to eat at Whole foods to make our live easier. We hit the salad bar and tried anything that was vegan and non dairy, we also read the ingredients on each to see if they were natural as possible.

The conclusion was a bowl fill of Tabbouleh, Asian Noodles, Pico De Gallo, Steamed vegetables, Beets with Ginger and a Roasted Tomato Soup. I know the Daniel Fast guidelines suggest water as the only Beverage,but i have a gag reflex when i consume  too much water. Sounds weird i know but that how my body operates. So when eating meals like this i chooses unsweetened Green Tea. It’s not exactly the best tasting drink in the world but it help me to better digest food a whole lot better at the same time getting lots of antioxidants.

Never in a million years would i thought i would be eating this way let alone fasting for 40 days, but this experience has definitely showed me that if i put my mind to it i can do it with God’s help.

Have you ever tried the Daniel Fast? If so let me know about your experience.

The Daniel Fast

Hey y’all, Its day 6 of my spiritual fast and i finally got the hang of things.  Being that this is my first fast i did a lot of research on how to go about doing one. After much thought and research I decided to go along with the Daniel fast which primarily is a vegan diet with more restrictions . At first i thought this would be somewhat smooth since I’ve  been practicing a vegetarian/wholefoods lifestyle for a little less than a year. But these past 3 days have been  tough  but i know at the end of this fast it would be so worth it. I decided to do the fast from 6am to 6pm being that the Daniel fast is typically done for 21 days and I’m doing it for 40. After 6 pm i  eat whatever i want but still try to keep it close to the guidelines of the Daniel Fast.

I’ve came up with a plan that is working for me but as the weeks go i might tweak a few things.

For breakfast I make a big batch of green smoothies that makes about two 160z mason jar fulls with all the vegetable and fruits i want.

To make them hearty as possible i add one Hass Avocado, spoonful of flax-seeds and Chia seeds and Matcha green tea leaves. ( the actual leaves not the powder). I drink a 16oz full jar for breakfast with a banana  and one mid morning with raw walnuts and dried cranberries. Yes these item have a high fiber/high fat content, But don’t be fooled I’m still hungry by noon.

By 12:30 I have a banana, with a salad either a garden salad or  a mixture of any raw /steamed or lightly seasoned vegetable  at hand at the salad bar. I haven’t incorporated  grains yet but i plan to do so in the next couple days.

Garden Salad Lunch

 

So what are the actual specific for a Daniel fast you say? Based on the Book of Daniel  fruits  and vegetable, no meats or wine. But if you want to go into specifics here is a run down on what to can eat and what you should avoid.

Foods to include during the Daniel Fast

All fruits. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned.
All vegetables. These can be fresh, frozen, dried, juiced or canned.
All whole grains, including but not limited to whole wheat, brown rice, millet, quinoa, oats, barley, grits and whole wheat pasta
All nuts and seeds, including but not limited to sunflower seeds, cashews, peanuts, sesame. Also nut butters including peanut butter.
All legumes. These can be canned or dried. Legumes include but are not limited to dried beans, pinto beans, split peas, lentils, black eyed peas, kidney beans, black beans, cannellini beans, white beans.
All quality oils including but not limited to olive, canola, grape seed, peanut, and sesame.
Beverages: spring water, distilled water or other pure waters.

Foods to avoid on the Daniel Fast

All meat and animal products including but not limited to beef, lamb, pork, poultry, and fish.
All dairy products including but not limited to milk, cheese, cream, butter, and eggs.
All sweeteners including but not limited to sugar, raw sugar, honey, syrups, molasses, and cane juice.
All leavened bread including Ezekiel Bread (it contains yeast and honey) and baked goods.
All refined and processed foods products including but not limited to artificial flavorings, food additives, chemicals, white rice, white flour, and foods that contain artificial preservatives.
All deep fried foods including but not limited to potato chips, French fries, corn chips.
All solid fats including shortening, margarine, lard and foods high in fat.
Beverages including but not limited to coffee, tea, herbal teas, carbonated beverages, energy drinks, and alcohol.
When you shop for food remember to READ THE LABELS to make sure the only ingredients in packaged foods are suitable for the Daniel Fast. You will want to be especially aware of chemicals, dairy products and sweeteners – all of which are not allowed on the Daniel Fast.

Though there is a lot of restrictions, this fast is more than just limiting food but getting closer to GOD.  We do this by prayer and reading the Bible and not just reading it but applying it to our everyday lives. I know that this 40 days is going to be tough, but enlightening , enriching and life changing, but i’m soready for it ! 🙂

Salads Galore

Oh how i miss you guys!!! These past few weeks have been hectic but I’m so glad that its coming to an end. Piled with projects after project i’ finally have some down time to update you guys.

Lately I’ve been trying to eat more vegan type foods. I really want to get use to eating raw foods in its naturalness where the ingredients in the product is just a few things i am able to pronounce. So one day for lunch, i stopped by whole foods and decided to try out the salad bar,and picked out anything that looked good and satiating. So i made a big bowl of Lentil Tabbouleh, Cranberry Couscous salad and a Savory Quinoa salad. They all were a bit different but surprisingly not bad. I’ve noticed most of these salads are about flavors and the common ingredients is ONIONS, if you don’t like onions its pretty much unbearable but if you do then this is a great choice. I got to say though it was nice trying something new and experimenting, i wouldn’t switch out to eat these salads everyday but every now and than with some salmon would be great.

Have your tried Tabbouleh or any Grain Salads before? What are your thoughts?

My ode to Caesar (salad)

You ever had one of those days where you just wanted a salad, but not just the ordinary salad? I’m not gonna lie, I rather drink a green smoothie with kale, spinach and collard greens than actually sit there and  eat the actual leaf itself. Knowing me once the dressing hits the salad its no longer healthy, i like my salad drenched in dressing . My favorite salad is the infamous Caesar salad, always has and always will be. But seeing that lately its been  listed as one of the worst salad you can eat I’m slowly backing away from it. So i decided to try this new salad at Publix called Harvest Salad. This pretty much had everything but the kitchen sink in it. This particular salad had lettuce, apples, blue cheese, carrot slaw , candied walnuts, sunflower seeds , cherries and a vinaigrette for dressing.It was a new twist to the usual salads at the grocery store but the vinaigrette was too acidic to my liking. All i could think of while eating this salad was how great it  would be with some Caesar dressing. At that point i realized i hadn’t taken the breakup with Caesar to well. So i wrote a poem to which i call: My ode to Caesar .

My dear Caesar, you’ve truly been good to me. I enjoyed the time we had together . The days, the night we share are memorable bliss. I hope one day , we can meet again and reminisce. Till that day, you’ll forever be in my heart. You’re truly missed .

Summer Smoothie: Mango Madness

Ahhhh the summertime!  Long nights, hot days  and cool drinks…. My favorite thing about summer ,are the mangoes ! We wait all year round for them to ripen ,off our front yard tree.  While we are waiting for them to be hand picked ready, frozen mangoes chunks will just have to do.  Here’s my recipe for a summer green smoothie “cocktail”  that i call “mango madness” in it is 2 handfuls of spinach, a handful of mangoes chunks, and a dash of coconut water dash of aloe vera juice with pulp for sweetness and a cup of water.  And that my friends is a summer smoothie that  is tasty and refreshing all in one. Blend the summer away mi amigos! 🙂

Thought of the day: Alkalizing the body

As Promised, let’s talk about Alkalizing the body. Alkalizing the body is actually a key step to promoting overall health .Eating alkaline-rich foods helps to cleanse the body by flushing out acidic wastes caused by poor diet, environmental toxins, stress, drugs and other destructive substances. Incorporating  salads and green smoothies daily is a great way to alkalizing your body. Leafy greens are said to be the best and high alkaline forming foods,but there are others foods that contain them as well. Check the list below:

Vegetables
Asparagus
Broccoli
Cabbage Lettuce, Fresh
Cauliflower
Cayenne Pepper
Celery
Chives
Cucumber
Dandelion
Garlic
Lettuce
Onion
Peas, Fresh
Red Cabbage
Spinach
Zucchini

Root Vegetables
Beet
Carrot
Potatoes
Red Radish
Turnip

Fruits
Avocado
Fresh Lemon
Limes
Tomato

Nuts
Almonds
Brazil Nuts