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I can’t believe it’s over!  I honestly wasn’t keeping track of the ending date and until I received an email from the local Yahoo-group leader who led many of us through this process telling me that it was over, I was totally clueless!

I took a girls trip to the coast – Rockport, TX – over the 4th of July weekend.  I packed my blender and all my goodies and continued the raw journey, even on vacation.  I’ve never LOST weight on vacation until now!  I felt more alive and present to my kids than ever before.  Rockport is a usual destination for our summer vacations.  And with it brought many food memories – like fritos and bean dip, Brach’s pick-a-mix, DQ dipped cones, shrimp & cocktail sauce, etc.  There was something glorious about being free from all those food burdens – those things that sound fun, and taste good in the moment and then make you feel awful afterward.

There are so many little things that I continue to see and realize as the journey continues.  Like, I have nails, and strong ones, for the first time in my life.  I have always bitten my nails to the quick.  But now I have nice, strong, long nails.  So weird!  And my taste buds have changed – or maybe I’ve just changed – but I don’t want junk.  I don’t desire anything less than the best.  I don’t want piece of cake from a box.  I want to make a wonderful chocolate cake with the best ingredients, full of healthy substitutes.

I can see that my kids are changed too.  On vacation, my 7 year old was looking for something to eat.  And since my mom and sister were there also, there were some various sweets and such around.  Ella saw something she wanted and I could see her mouth watering…. and she mumbled under her breath “Oh…. there’s so much temptation.”  She quickly swung herself around, opened the refrigerator and grabbed a peach to snack on.  It was nothing short of amazing.  This little girl is years beyond where I was at her age.  We’ve gotten to have wonderful discussions about temptations – and how temptation is not sin – giving into the temptation is sin and walking away is overcoming sin – experiencing victory!!

This have been such a wonderful experience and I’m excited to see it continue.  While we will be incorporating some cooked foods into our diet, I don’t see the re-entry of meat right now.  I can see on special occasions or when we are out with friends or something, but as part of our daily eating?… I don’t think so.

Final results

Drum roll please…..

TEN solid pounds!  Current BMI – 21.5

I lost 5% body fat (I have one of those fat loss monitors)

Inches Lost:
Neck: .5″
Shoulder: 1″
Bicep: 1″
Chest: .5″
Waist: 2.5″
Hips: 3.25″
Thigh: 2.25″
Calf: 1″

Thanks to GOD, first and foremost, for revealing so much to me about Himself through this process.  Thanks to my precious, precious Made-to-Crave Bible study group.  I have not laughed and learned more with a bunch of girls in YEARS!  Thanks to Maria and the Yahoo-group – without it, I never would have dared to try this thing!

The journey is just beginning as far as I’m concerned.  Excited to keep traveling down this road paved with God’s goodness!

I am completely shocked that I am already 24 days through this detox.  Shocked.  It has not been near as challenging as I imagined it would have been.  I’m feeling strange emotions as we near the end.  I’m not sure I want to stop eating raw.  Many people are asking me the question “….and then what?”  And I really don’t know the answer.  I’m not going to run out and order a steak at Saltgrass or anything.  That doesn’t even sound appealing to me.  So, the answer is “I don’t know.”  This has been a life-changing adventure in the most awesome way.

I do know that I have a house full of groceries that I can’t eat now – like pasta and canned organic tomatoes, canned beans, frozen veggies, etc.  And by golly, we will be eating those things – if nothing else, to recoup some money.  One thing I did not expect about this diet is for it to be so EXPENSIVE!  We spent a ton of money last month on food.  But I don’t know if we just had too much fun experimenting and if that number would calm down if we were to do this diet on a regular basis.  I’m also thinking that we had so many food reserves that we were not able to use that maybe the number was inflated simply because of that – and over time the food bill would mellow.  We’ll see.

There are so many benefits of this diet it’s hard to pull them all together.  A clearer mind, a more open vessel for God to use, a more defined body rhythm (sleep/wake cycles), a happier self.  So many more.  Of course, to really capitalize (poor word choice) on all this food greatness, time with the Almighty is a must.  I have spent some time journaling, reading and praying, however, I know in my heart I have slighted my God with my time.  I have missed Him.  Sometimes even Bible Study can be a distraction from God for me.  It’s hard to nothing before God, to just sit in His presence, when there are still unfilled blanks in your Bible Study book.  And I tell myself, July will be different.  It’s going to be calmer in July.  I sure hope so.

As I type this blog post and brag about my “clearer mind” I realize that there are about 14 library books that that were due back yesterday, which means I need to haul it to the library before they open this morning.  And of course these books crossed my mind about 10 times yesterday and yet I still forgot to turn them in.  I guess there’s only so much raw food can do for me. 🙂

 

Things are still moving right along over here.  We are still learning and enjoying our new array of foods.  I purchased a julienne peeler which makes GREAT zucchini pasta.  For Father’s Day I gave Ben a bunch of kitchen gadgets, like a pineapple corer, an avocado slicer, some bamboo spoons and some salad tongs. I have a new appreciation for the likes of Williams Sonoma and Bed, Bath & Beyond.

Last week, Taffy and I ventured to Penzey’s, one of my very favorite places in the whole world.  I’m in the process of converting all of my spices to theirs.  When I started shopping at Penzey’s over a year ago, I just focused on the blends, and just the smallest jars.  I couldn’t imagine actually using the whole jar.  But as our kitchen prowess has increased so to has our use of spices!  Now I buy the great big bags and refill my little containers as necessary.

My favorite spices, ones I would recommend to everyone are: Tuscan Sunset (Italian blend, no salt), Greek Seasoning, Sandwich Sprinkle (Gracie’s favorite), Bold Taco Seasoning, Northwoods Seasoning, Arizona Dreaming, Pasta Sprinkle and Florida Seasoned Pepper (amazing on Salmon, if you like lemon).

One thing I have noticed on the diet is that the kitchen is nearly impossible to maintain!  We have run the dishwasher an unprecedented number of times in the last 2 weeks.  And still, it’s a mess.  I guess that’s just part of the game.

On the weight front, weight does seem like it’s coming off ever so slowly.  But better than pounds coming off, I’m noticing a big difference in muscle tone.  Like I actually see a little.  Crazy!  A few months ago, I purchased a body fat analyzer.  I got my fat analyzed at the gym, the freebie pressure session that comes with the membership…  and I was around 28%. ugh.  The analyzer I purchased gave me the same dim results, sometimes even heading up to 30%!  Now?  As of this morning – 22.5%.  And I took 3 readings just to sure I wasn’t dreaming! In fact, while the scales might not be moving, stuff is happening!  Saddle bags are diminishing.  wahoo!  According to the Body Fat Chart, I’m in the “fitness” level.  Me and the word “fit” or any derivative of that word have historically NOT gone together.  So THIS is an EXCITING development!

On the agenda today: scrape out the watermelon, puree and put into freezer pops for next week, harvest a young coconut for water, scrape the insides out for coconut whipping cream, peel a pineapple and pick up some fruits and veggies at Costco.

Seriously, if anyone had told me how fun and entertaining this would have been, I never would have believed them!

We have had more fun in the kitchen over the last week than I can ever remember.  I’m surprised and excited with every corner we turn!  Here are some of the fun things we’ve experienced that I am so thankful for:

• Learned about coconuts, differences in young and mature, opened them up, drank the coconut water, experimented with the coconut meat and even made a delicious coconut whipped cream that the girls enjoyed over fresh strawberries!
• Finally made a marina with zucchini noodles.  Simply amazing.  Even had to go back to the store to get more zucchinis!
• Enjoyed a raw food picnic at an outdoor concert.  It was so easy to prepare and everything tasted wonderfully.
• Still enjoying daily smoothies.  The burst of energy is terrific.
• Love, love, love seeing my girls become more adventurous with food.  I call them my “testers” and while the roll there eyes and ask “do I have to?” I know that they secretly relish their new titles.
• Ben has been experimenting with all kind of trail mixes.  We even dehydrated a batch in the oven.
• Really enjoy being OFF of coffee!  I am no longer a slave to the coffee maker.  This isn’t to say I won’t enjoy a cup of coffee every once in a while after this detox, but I never want to go back to the daily morning ritual.  I don’t want coffee to ever again compete with God for my attention.
• Delighted to throw some fruit in a bag on the way to the library knowing we would be out for a while and might need a snack.  How easy was that?  It was fun to be eating a peach on 75 while driving to ballet lessons. (note to self: remember to pack napkins next time!)

There are countless other blessings and enjoyments that are pouring out from this detox.  I feel great.  I feel less stressed than ever before.  Our family has been on time to pretty much everything for the last week. I have no idea what this has to do with the food, but it’s one significant oddity we’ve noticed.  As a whole, life is just smoother right now.  I’m sure the slower paced summer schedule helps tremendously but I feel like the food has somehow attributed to all this pleasantness.  Moods are just better.  There’s less arguing and lots more unity.

Apart from the initial 6 pound weight loss from our practice week and the apple fast, I have not experienced any weight loss.  I pretty much weigh the same weight I weighed on the third day of the apple fast.  But one of the things we heard last week in Made to Crave really speaks to me: Nothing tastes as good as peace feels! So, I have to ask myself, do I feel peace about what I have been eating?  You bet!  And it does feel great!

Day 5 was another easy day.  I didn’t see a change in weight, which surprised me.  I thought for sure I would have ADDED a pound after the apples.  But the weight I lost during the apple fast is being kept at bay.

Ben and I enjoyed making a smoothie together in the morning and I had some peppermint tea during my quiet time.  I’m amazed at how not hungry I am; how just a small amount of food satisfies!  From what I’m reading, the high nutrient content satisfies much quicker than the non-nutritive junk food we so often amuse ourselves with.

Bible Study was amazing this morning.  My most profound takeaway was “Nothing tastes as good as peace feels.” And when I get on the scale, never mind the number… just ask myself, do I feel peace about what I ate yesterday?  Peace is the goal, not being skinny.  Doh!  I feel so much pressure lift off my shoulders when I think about that.  And really, that is my goal.  I desperately want to be relieved from the burden that food creates for me; it hinders my ability to hear God and act on His direction.  It doesn’t matter if I’m 120 or 170 pounds, as long as I am unhindered to do God’s work.  That’s the mission.  That’s the call.

After Bible Study, we took a field trip to Costco for Taffy to pick up some things.  After that, I took her four kids to my house for the afternoon.  At 3 I picked up Matt, Nolen’s guitar teacher, from the train station and he gave Nolen and Makenna back-to-back guitar lessons.  The blender had a busy afternoon.  I made hummus.  I bet it took me 20 runs in the Blendtec to finally get it as smooth as we wanted.  But the final product was out of this world!  The kids couldn’t stay out of it.  I finally had to close the lid so there would still be some left for Ben.

Autumn also stopped by for a visit so we just hung out, looked at books and chatted… and ate some hummus.

The next big mountain to climb was providing a RAW dinner for 8 kids – Taffy’s 4, my 3 and Matt – along with me and Ben…. So TEN in all.

I made a big salad with the spring mix and baby spinach and added strawberries, fresh mandarin oranges, grapes, tomatoes, sunflower seeds and quinoa.  I tossed it with the balsamic vinaigrette that I already had made.  I was so busy in the kitchen that I don’t know if anyone really liked it… but it was gone.  So at least they ate it.  I made Ella, Gracie and Braelyn bowls of Muesli. Ben helped me with two batches of smoothies and that concluded dinner for 10.

I was EXHAUSTED.  Ben took 6 of the kids to the church and I gave Ella & Gracie baths.  After bath-time, we all wrapped up in blankets on the couch and fell asleep to Pride & Prejudice.

 

Today was a total breeze.  Maybe this is just the honeymoon phase, but I have no cravings for any junk or anything cooked for that matter.

For breakfast we had Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli.  We soaked it in almond milk for 10 minutes and topped with fresh bananas, raisins & cinnamon.  It was a hit with all the kids and very filling.

Lunch was this amazing avocado / pico mix that we wrapped in lettuce.  Another winner.

Before I left for work I blended a smoothie for the kids to have a little later.  It was a typical ‘kitchen sink’ mix that turned out quite tasty.

After work, I made some no-bake, raw energy bar thingys.  They are still in the freezer but I really think they are going to be great.  I need fast things for the kids when we are on the go.

This evening, Ben and I grabbed some things at Costco.  Looks like we might be heading there 2 to 3 times per week instead of once every 2 weeks.  Twist my arm.  I love fresh food all over the counters; the colors and variety, makes me smile.  God is creative.

We managed to make almond butter in the blender. This is a cost saver and flavor enhancer.  I’m so pleased we were able to buy a Blendtec last fall.  Little did we know what God would have planned for us and that blender.

Now garbanzo beans are soaking for hummus tomorrow.  YUM!  No formal dinner tonight.  Everyone has been grazing on fruit and nuts.  I’m loving this!  I hope it doesn’t get old.

Day 3 is coming to a close.  Whew!  This was not easy, but I’m glad I did it.  I did make my workout and it was great.  I used lighter weights and didn’t overdo it.  It felt great.  Shortly after the workout we headed to our first day of swim lessons and I spent 45 minutes in the glorious sun.  Did you know that sunburns are rare on a raw food diet?   I’m getting a nice tan this summer.  A couple hours after swim lessons we headed to the library.  28 books later we were on our way to ballet lessons.  Luckily today was full of activity which allowed less time for me to dwell on forbidden foods.

Poor Nolen bailed around 10 a.m.  He was feeling horrible.  He ate an avocado and made a smoothie.  He gets an “E” for effort in my book.

Ben and I spent the last hours of day at Sprouts, getting some goodies for the week and then dragging out random jars, bowls & baskets to make our collection of foods more managable.

Initial results indicate about a 4-5 pound loss.  Not too bad for 3 days.

Here’s what I’m looking forward to tomorrow:

 

 

I woke up with dreams about apples.  I don’t know exactly what was happening in my dream but I was sure feeling deprived, worried and trying to cheat by throwing walnuts in the  blender while making apple sauce.  I hate it when I wake up thinking / dreaming about food because it shows me how not there I am.  Shortly after coming to some sort of minor consciousness, the chorus of Casting Crown’s “Glorious Day” began running through my head:

Living He loved me!
Dying He saved me!
Buried He carried my sins far away!
Rising He justified!
Freely forever!
One day He’s coming!
Oh glorious day!
Oh glorious day!

And then the sting of conviction.  “Ashley, I died for you.  You can eat apples for 2 more days.”  Ouch.  I’m such a miserable, complaining Israelite.

I know why I’m stressed about these apples.  I work out once a week.  Just once right now.  It’s all I can commit to and I’m good with that.  Well, Monday is my workout class which is also the last day of the apple fast.  When I workout without eating something first I easily become light-headed and nauseated.  And I am worried sick that I will feel terrible after working out on Monday.  It’s super ridiculous but I just don’t want to skip the class because I’m also worried that I won’t go back.

Yesterday I read Ch. 9 of 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp.  These were the cutting words I read: “If authentic, saving belief is the act of trusting, then to choose stress is an act of disbelief… atheism.”  I have lived thus far a stressed out life.  And while things are improving, and stress is no longer the defining factor of me, I have miles to go when a little workout anxiety spills over into bad dream.

The rest of the day has gone well.  Fuji is my favorite apple of all.  I took another 3 hour nap today, so it looks like my detox reveals as exhaustion.

I’m incredibly impressed with the focus and enthusiasm Nolen has had throughout the process.  I know that I could never have been so resolved at 14.  I’m so encouraged!

A few weeks ago, I went to the home school convention in Arlington. I have a favorite booth there – Lifetime Books & Gifts. I could spend HOURS looking and rationalizing why I should spend hundred of dollars to the betterment of my family.  While listening to a spiel on a family nutrition curriculum called Nutrition 101 (which I purchased) we ran into Jennifer Cash, an acquaintance of my friend Taffy.

We all starting talking, swapping nutrition information, face care oil formulas, all kinds of wacko, “granola” information that 5 years ago I never would have imagined would excite me.  She mentioned that she recently completed a 33-day detox through a local Yahoo group run by a like-minded, homeschooling mom like us.  When the information was forwarded to my e-mail about a new group starting in June, it just felt right.  I had been praying that God would send me an eating program –  something to take us to that next place in regard to food / healthiness.  I’m helping to lead the Made to Crave Bible study on Wed. mornings at Woodcreek Church – another God-directed step in the journey – and felt like it was essential that I had a plan.  But not being a rules girl, a plan of don’ts doesn’t work.  And while this plan has don’ts, the don’ts make sense to me.

The basic plan involves an apple fast followed by a vegan diet of raw food.  Nothing more than God’s goodness from the earth.  Isn’t it exciting!?  I feel insane for doing this and totally normal all at the same time.  That’s God for ya.  Sometimes that’s how I know I’m doing God’s will…. I step back from myself and whatever it is looks so dang ridiculous – but in the midst of whatever it is, it’s right and smart and protected.  I love that.

So for a recap of our first day of apples – we’re all doing fine.  Limited complaining, leaning on God, realizing how much I constantly think about food.  Ben and  I woke up to an empty house – the girls spent the night at their Aunt Autumn’s and Nolen at his friend John’s house.  By 10 a.m. we had already ridden bikes to Duck Creek, read for 45 minutes by the water, and returned home.  At noon we met up with our kids at the Richardson library for the summer reading program kick-off event and then off to Costco to stock up on some apples.  At about 3 the cravings were pretty intense and I felt exhausted.  With defenses down, I took a long nap.  I woke up and made some apple sauce in the Blendtec.  Next time I will peel the apples so that the applesauce doesn’t have a dry-mouth after effect.

Hoping and praying for 2 more easy days!