Daniel Fast, Week 1

The first week of my Daniel Fast is officially over.  One week down, two to go.  I started this fast because I needed a spiritual "boost" to get moving on my goals for this year.  My number one goal is to be a little more spiritual, and what better way to begin working on that than by fasting?  The typical way our church fasts is to skip two consecutive meals during the course of a day, but I honestly know that doesn't do a whole lot for me on a routine basis.  I already routinely skip a few meals a day because I'm sick all the time and just adding prayer to that wasn't exactly my idea of spiritually kick-starting my New Year.  Plus, I'm pregnant and when I do get hungry I need to be able to eat or I just get sicker.  I needed something that would require extreme obedience while providing my baby-factory with the necessary nutrients to grow a healthy Sasquatch.  I first noticed the Daniel Fast from Facebook posts by friends that attend different local churches.  I did some research and thought it would be a perfect fast for me.  The fast is based on the foods eaten by Daniel in the Old Testament, and the length was three weeks.  No meal skipping at all, just firm limits on the types food that can be eaten.  And I knew I needed it to be longer than a day in order for me to see any sort of results spiritually, so it sounded perfect for me.  

The basics?  Eat only 100% whole grains, seeds, beans, fruits, vegetables, and water.  That's IT.  No sweeteners at all (artificial or natural), no soda, no dairy, no meat, no eggs, no yeast or leavener (baking soda or powder).  Nobody really knows exactly what Daniel ate, but that's a pretty good guess based on what the scriptures tell us.  I know for sure he wasn't washing down Rice Krispie treats with caffeine-free diet soda.  

Justice eagerly volunteered to join in with me, and I was happy for a variety of reasons.  I was glad to have the company of course, but I had another motive as well.  I have wanted for some time to test the "ADHD Diet" theory with him, which cuts all sweeteners, processed foods, and artificial colors out completely.  This was going to be a perfect opportunity to give it a shot.  As he is getting older, his ADHD is getting worse, and I'd do just about anything to find something other than more medication to  help control it.  

I dug out all my old Vegan cookbooks, and we started!  I was especially worried about the "whine factor" from Justice, but he really surprised me.  He didn't balk at anything I cooked for him, and ate everything happily and with gusto.  I don't buy pre-sweetened cereal anyway, so breakfast was not an issue for him at all.  He alternated his mornings with unsweetened Malt-O-Meal or a smoothie made with only fruit, soy milk, and oatmeal.  For lunch he took a 100% whole wheat tortilla wrap with all-natural peanut butter and banana, some rice cakes or air popped popcorn, and fresh fruit and veggies.  He always takes a water bottle to school anyway, so he wasn't missing milk or juice at lunch. 

I would have died without my favorite cereal in the whole world... Luckily for me, it is 100% natural and all the ingredients are approved for the fast.  Slap a banana on top and serve it with unsweetened almond milk and it's my favorite breakfast ever.  It's also SUPER healthy.  Tons of fiber, no added sugar, and lots of protein.  

I've only mentioned to a few people that I'm fasting right now because I always get the same reaction.

"That's not safe, you are pregnant.  You are going to hurt the baby."

No, No, No.   It's perfectly safe, extremely healthy, and I'm helping the baby more than hurting him.  My diet is LOADED with good food.  Me on the other hand?  I'm hurting.  It only took a couple days to realize that I was craving sugar in a bad way.  I was missing my good old fashioned Kool-Aid made with Splenda and Stevia, and I was desperately missing my once a day caffeine free diet soda.  But what I missed the very most was my morning cup of Teeccino, otherwise known as "herbal coffee".  The one thing I did notice though about what I was craving was that it was all bad for me, so it was OK to miss it!  

The second question I always get is "What are you EATING for dinner?"  Like a meal without meat is not a meal?  We ate some really good food last week, and here are some pictures for proof.  Although some of you might think these are gross, nobody can argue the health factor!

100% whole wheat pasta with fresh roasted homemade marinara sauce.  4 cups of fresh veggies per bowl.  

Mexican Pizza with homemade salsa and a homemade 100% whole wheat and cornmeal crust.

Fried Rice (made with brown rice) with Tofu.  

Black Bean, Sweet Potato and Bell Pepper tacos.

100% whole wheat noodles with stir fried fresh veggies, tofu, and peanut sauce.  My favorite. 

Snack of pregnant champions.  All natural peanut butter, banana and raisins on a whole wheat tortilla.  

I also snacked on roasted and unsalted peanuts, pistachios, and almonds.  

And yes, I got PLENTY of protein.

Justice is a champion.  He started to struggle around Wednesday, and he readily leaned on prayer and his scriptures to get him through the tough spots.  He also kept a journal about his fast, and he said that helped him, too.  He's such a spiritual kid, and I'm so thankful for it.  His testimony is rock-solid, and not just a canned-answer testimony.  He lets me read his testimony journal and sometimes I even get emotional by the things I read.  I pray every single day that he doesn't get led astray as he hits his teen years.  On Friday, I had to make Justice stop fasting.  He cried.  He was very unhappy with me.  He is already very very thin, and he lost four pounds by Friday.  There was absolutely NO WAY I could allow him to continue.  He works out with weights and runs, and he needed fat in his diet, and he wasn't getting enough in the things I was cooking.  It's impossible to cook unhealthy foods if you follow this fast.  No dairy, no cheese, no sugar, no eggs, no frying=no fat.  He was eating a lot of nuts and seeds during the day, but it wasn't enough to keep the weight from coming off.  I am happy for his accomplishments, he definitely got something out of his week spiritually.  I noticed ZERO difference in his ADHD cutting all the yuck out of his diet though.  Maybe a week wasn't long enough?  I can at least say that I've tried that and it didn't work for him. 

The first week really wasn't that hard.  I struggled a little yesterday when we went to a birthday party at a friends house.  There was plenty of delicious appetizers, cake, and ice cream.  I didn't waiver though, I only ate from the veggie tray.  

As I begin the second week, I know it will be tougher.  I am really missing some foods and the thought of being without for two more weeks makes me a little grumpy.  I have spent much more time on my knees in prayer and with my nose buried in my scriptures the past week, and that was definitely part of my goal.  I actually WANT to pray and study, rather than just going through the motions.  I feel like I NEED to pray and study.  Wahooo!!!