There was a lot at stake. My friend and roommate had a jewelry
licensing deal on the line. I was expecting some serious changes and
financial rewards to take place. A fast wasn’t an option. It was a
necessity for spiritual, physical and mental clarity.
Denying yourself dairy, meat, processed foods and any other guilty
pleasures that didn’t grow naturally from the ground seems simple enough
but as we say in church “first in the natural, then in the spirit”. In
the natural we would deny our flesh pleasures that were harming us and
focus on detoxing our minds, bodies and spirits. It also helped that my
girl throws down in the kitchen and climbing this uphill battle would
mean more than me eating bananas and salad for a week.
Here’s what I learned:
- Patience – While you’re on a fast there is no quick run to Wendy’s
when you’re starving. You have to take the time to plan, prepare and
enjoy your food. The first few days were a pain when my soul craved
instant gratification but my spirit served me a slow dose of “wait for
the miracle”. Though I complained through the process, once I got to the
meal not only was it satisfying but tasted even better than I could
have ever imagined. #lifelessons
- Be kind to your body, it will be kind to you – My
morning runs usually begin with a gospel song playing on my iphone, my
Run Keeper app tracking my distance and a smile in my heart for getting
up early in the morning to beat the odds. By mile 1.25 I’m ready to give
up and the Nicki Minaj song is no longer pumping me full of gusto.
While on the fast I reached 2.65 nonstop and walked 2.5 miles back home
with my friend. Clean body. Clean mind. I’ve never ran so far in my
life!
- Anything worth having is worth fighting for – I
could have sneaked a snickers. I could have dipped into those amazing
smelling chicken wings on my date but instead ordered my salad and
pretended like it was steak. I had to hold myself accountable. Not my
friend. Not anyone else knowing what my journey was all about. I wanted
it so I had to work for it.
creative with your meals. Also, pick out a few restaurants you can
gladly pop in to when you’re friends want to go out and preview their
menu so that you know what to order when you get there.
culture yogurt, black beans and a whole lot of seasoning. Garnish this
tasty soup with eggplant and chives.
sauteed onions, grape tomatoes, garlic and bell pepper with spices in a
pan and then added in the kale with olive oil and a little bit of water.
Let it steam. Season it like you would a pot of collard greens and
enjoy.
adding new tastes and textures to my phenomenal salads. I stood there
and drooled. Wouldn’t you?
If you had an "ass" like Kim Kardashian you would be insane too! It's the biggest thing i've ever seen.
I don't know about going on a fruit and veggie fast lol but these are definitely great ideas for healthy food ideas. Thanks! 🙂
Awesome post. Sometimes you have to detox your body and do something different to get it moving again. Once in a while when I remember I do a quick sea salt colon cleanse to remove any extra toxic stuff from my body. But these recipes are amazing and I will have to keep them for the future. Thank you for sharing.
another things I try to do regularly is substitute fruit for snacks. I've been super hungry, ate an apple and the hunger pangs were calmed for at least and hour. It also satisfies my sugar cravings. After awhile, my body adjusts and is just fine with oranges or blueberries instead of chocolate or sweets.
I can attest that a veggie and fruit fast really helps to center your soul and thoughts. I did the Daniel's Fast a year ago and I was able to reach into areas of my heart that were blocked and clouded. A fast is more than watching what you eat, it's about shedding your emotional and spiritual weight in an attempt to become filled and renewed. I believe it is time for me to venture on another fast because I have GAINED so much physical and emotional weight, both of which I can live without. Thank You for this post.
THANK YOU FOR THIS POST!! It's right on time. I've been feeling a little cloudy spiritually (and I feel like I'm getting fat lol). With money being low, I'm not sure if I can go out and do this right now, but in the near future for sure! This really breaks it down for me and i appreciate that sooo much.
Best to you and I ask for everyone's prayers! <3
I love veggies I am diabetic type 1 so I need the protein from meat! My Dietian will be like you need lean meat. I eat even pork and red meat from time to time but not all the time the extra lean versions of them. I eat my nuts and seeds etc. And again lots of veggies raw, cook,steamed yummmy! Oatmeal, and all the whole grains are great too. I exercise 5x a week too!
I would love to do a cleanse with fruits and veggies because I like so many of them but OoWee it would be a serious s.t.r.u.g.g.l.e for me to give up chicken and fish. Plus, it would be difficult to accomplish while still cooking for the fam. I'm ToTaLLy borrowing some of Sherrell's recipes though.
Thanks for sharing!!!
LOL Keisha! I rarely eat pork or red meat for that matter but I AIN'T bout to give up my chicken (or fish for that matter). I tried to do meatless Monday and the What The….from hubby and daughter…uhm, yeah, couldn't get them on board!
I love the kale recipe also. I do one similar to this w/ evoo, carrots, onion, garlic, and kale. It's delish and both hubby and daughter love it.
Same here!
Looks yummy! I will be trying these. Thanks!
Everything looks yummy! I will be trying these. Thanks!
i didn't know beans fed yeast. they do? have you tried some of the candida supplements to help you with your efforts?
what's the kale recipe? 😀
I remember I randomly came up with a veggie (greens) and hummus sandwich on the fly in college…I'd always eat it right before a test because it filled me up, it was yummy and I'd get such a NATURAL and fresh boost of energy. It's why I love eating healthy that "aaah" feeling your body has. I recently fell off and started eating unhealthy food, too much meats, not enough nutrients and I feel like such crap. There has to be balance!
I do need clarity sometimes & it never occurred to me to try & cleanse with just eating veggies/fruits. I eat these things as often as possible, but I tend to lean toward detoxing with a store bought product. Being able to stick to a fast for any amount of time takes commitment & that's something I would really have to work hard to achieve. I will get there one day.
its not unusual to make meals out of just veggies where i am from…squash or broccoli casserole for dinner, greens, beans and cornbread are always staples in my family and there's nothing like a tomato sandwich in the summer for lunch! We eat out of the garden or local farmers market. Veggies and fruit can be just as fulfulling as meat. Southern style prepared veggies can be remixed in healthy ways without sparing the flavor (i love the kale recipe).
Honestly a fruit and veggie fast sounds like heaven to me because you can have a ton of fun with it and fruits are so tasty! But this is after enduring a candida diet (..no carbs (even wheat bread), no sugar (including fruit), no cheese, milk, beans…it's hell…
This is awesome. Very creative and Whole Foods olive bar is on POINT! The olives and sundried tomatoes are great additions to salads like you said or whatever you're eating. Great post.
Thank you for this. I've done similar cleanses using fruits and vegetables, but I became so bored with the typical "banana and salads" like you said lol. I will definitely incorporate some of these ideas into my meals. I sautee` a lot of cabbage with olive oil, onion, garlic, shredded carrots and seasonings and it generally does the trick. 🙂 Thanks again!
LaTresha aka "Tree"
I have done "meatless" days. And the ususal 40 days & 40 nights of no meat for Lent. But I have never tried to cut out processed & meat all together. That takes alot of discpline which I dont think that I have right now. It would have to be something that I ease into over time.