I had nothing that resembled non-fruit sugar today. I ate half a banana. I didn't think about the sugar challenge at all.
Also, I got a fitbit from roommate Rachel. It is AMAZING! It's also magic. I'm convinced it's from the wizarding world.
Monday, January 5, 2015
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Saturday, January 3, 2015
Day 3
On the third day of not eating refined sugar, my true love said to me, "please make some delicious brownies"
You guys. If you find a friend who will live with you, go vegan with you, eat refined sugar, egg and dairy free brownies with you, and watch the same food documentary multiple times with you, hold onto that one!
She blogs over at
http://wishuponsunshine.blogspot.com/?m=1
I found this recipe over at Jillian Michaels' website and oh my. Also, I don't know why I never tried to find her website before. I love Jillian. And her website rocks.
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fit/lose-weight/ultimate-healthy-fudge-brownie
I subbed flax for the egg and added some pecans leftover from another baking endeavor.
Now there is quite a lot of honey in this so it's still pretty sweet but there's also minimal oils and fats. Pretty great stuff.
Today I realized that even skipping refined sugar is full of little annoyances, inconveniences and limitations. But it's good, because it makes me think about why I want what I want and the habits I've created around sugar. Even if it's "just" stuff like soy lattes or flavored coffees or vegan cookies. It reminds me of what Kyle Idleman wrote in Gods at War, his book on idolatry - that we can be enslaved to something without choosing to be so, and even without recognizing it. We can be so comfortable with our idols that they become part of routine for us and we don't know how to do life without them. Identifying these hidden idols brings us closer to the true and living God, revealed in His Son, Jesus.
Profound thoughts for day 3, I know.
First Hike of the Year
Today, I took time to go out on a retreat of silence - a time of reflection on this past season, and vision casting for the new year.
I was gifted with a particularly beautiful day at Rattlesnake Ledge. This is one of my favorite hikes. It's always beautiful, and it's always different. The hike itself is fairly challenging, but it's also short, so you work hard, but not for too long. The top is made for hanging out and staying awhile if you're down for it, and I definitely was today!
There were even chunks of time when I was completely alone up there, thanks to my early start on the day.
I'll share just one or two insights gleaned from today, and keep the rest to myself. These retreats of silence are precious to me, and often very personal.
I've read Genesis seven times in the last couple days. Today I was thinking about how the fall was about wanting to be like God. It's a beautiful thing when you think about where we are now in God's story, and how God in Christ redeems that hard-wired desire. Eve wanted to be like God in that she wanted to know what He knew, to be able to control what He controlled. It was about status and power. So what did God do with that desire? He emptied Himself and came down to get us. Jesus condescended to us, giving up the communion He had with God and the equality He had with His Father, so that we could be transformed to reflect His attributes. In Christ, we become kinder, more patient, more trustworthy, etc. For the Christian, to be made like Christ is the highest goal. The more we want that the closer we are to Him.
On the way home, I teared up listening to Chase That, which is one of my favorite songs
So holla if it hurts
But we were made for greater
Our greatest satisfaction is making His name famous
So if we're never named among the greatest
They don't critically acclaim us
It ain't nothin to be ashamed of
We gave it up for the Savior.
Jesus Christ is able to satisfy our deepest longings. If we have Him, we have everything. There is absolutely nothing to gain by performing or by building up our material wealth or reputation, because there is nothing more valuable than being counted righteous before God. This is what we have in Jesus.
The sun came out on my way down, and oh how beautiful it made the lake look!
Friday, January 2, 2015
Sugar challenge day 2
I'm still in a phase of craving dark green veggies and whole grains. And fruit. If I can stay here awhile, it will make this sugar thing way easier.
The only bummer today was no vegan cookie for me at PCC after ballet, which is kind of my thing. I guess I've made sugar more of a routine than I realized.
I babysat kids tonight who only wanted to eat fruits and vegetables for snack, and watch Bible stories all night. Also, they told me they wanted to go to bed at 7:30. No complaints.
Thursday, January 1, 2015
No Refined Sugar, Day 1
In the effort of full disclosure, I think I ate more sugar in December than several other months combined. The holidays make everything seem so special (and my mom is an AMAZINGLY GIFTED baker/candy lady). Now, I probably ate significantly less sugar than the average American - I didn't eat treats at every meal or plates of sweets at a holiday party; I don't drink soda, and I hate sugary alcohol drinks. Except wine. But wine has a tiny amount of sugar so whatever. I only went crazy by my own standard and probably no one else's.
Now that you know where I'm coming from, I will share my thoughts on day one -
Spaghetti sauce
I went grocery shopping, which hasn't been done in three weeks. I needed food. Specifically, I craved whole grains and colorful veggies. Yes, I crave these things when I don't have as many as I usually do. I like having the option of pasta, so sauce hunting I went. Trader Joe's was closed so I went to Fred Meyer. I headed into the natural section, thinking that would be my best shot. Also, I don't really use too much of the rest of the store anyway. I read every label and found that only 1/3 of the organic sauces had no added sugar. These varieties cost about twice as much as the kinds with sugar. Ever since watching Fed Up, I started paying more attention to added sugars, so I had an idea of what I was walking into, but come on! This is why, even when we want to do better, our country stays so sick. People go and assume this food is a good choice, and it's still full of extra sugar we don't need.
(Ok, yes, I could make my own sauce. And maybe I will do that more often. Buying it is just so much easier. Blah blah excuses).
Bread
I do make bread from scratch, but homemade bread does not store particularly well. Or last long - especially with 3 roommates involved. I like to buy bread sometimes and keep it in the freezer so I can make toast. Toast recipes. Yum. Anyway. Besides the obvious choice of Ezekiel bread, I wanted to do something else because one of my favorite brands, Dave's Killer Bread, was super on sale. It comes in several varieties, and boasts in whole grains, nuts and seeds. Of maybe six varieties, there was only one that had no refined sugar in it. I did buy a variety that contains molasses, because it's January. But February looks like it will be Ezekiel, homemade or nothing. Oh wait. I'm doing that cleanse in February. Different rules all together. Back to the bread of the day. I understand bread making, and that sugar can play a role in activating the yeast. And I enjoy a good honey wheat bread as much as the next gal, especially if I'm the one who made it. But I have made plenty of breads with NO SUGAR. It's possible, people. And it's delicious. And not poison.
Other than that, it's day one. You can do anything for a day, right? Not much else to report. I saved about $2.50 by not buying chocolate chips today. Lara bar makes bars with nothing but fruits (including dates!) and nuts, so no added sugar there. Yum!
I am already a bit nervous about next month, but as I told Elizabeth, I think doing no sugar will be easier on the cleanse, because there will already be limits and plans. I have NO CLUE how Eve (Year of No Sugar author) and her family did this for an entire year. They deserve a prize, for sure.
I was only going to blog occasionally, and definitely not today, but I wrote it out in my journal and it was long so here it is. I hope that not every post will be this long. If so, it will be a long month for you.
Quote from Fed Up
"They say skinny feels better, but me, I think food tastes better"*
*I hope everyone knows this is supposed to be funny. It's based on Kate Moss who one time said "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Maybe she had a tattoo? I don't know. This quote is uttered by an overweight teenager and is probably better if you watch it. Which you should do anyway. This particular quote is featured in the bonus section.
Now that you know where I'm coming from, I will share my thoughts on day one -
Spaghetti sauce
I went grocery shopping, which hasn't been done in three weeks. I needed food. Specifically, I craved whole grains and colorful veggies. Yes, I crave these things when I don't have as many as I usually do. I like having the option of pasta, so sauce hunting I went. Trader Joe's was closed so I went to Fred Meyer. I headed into the natural section, thinking that would be my best shot. Also, I don't really use too much of the rest of the store anyway. I read every label and found that only 1/3 of the organic sauces had no added sugar. These varieties cost about twice as much as the kinds with sugar. Ever since watching Fed Up, I started paying more attention to added sugars, so I had an idea of what I was walking into, but come on! This is why, even when we want to do better, our country stays so sick. People go and assume this food is a good choice, and it's still full of extra sugar we don't need.
(Ok, yes, I could make my own sauce. And maybe I will do that more often. Buying it is just so much easier. Blah blah excuses).
Bread
I do make bread from scratch, but homemade bread does not store particularly well. Or last long - especially with 3 roommates involved. I like to buy bread sometimes and keep it in the freezer so I can make toast. Toast recipes. Yum. Anyway. Besides the obvious choice of Ezekiel bread, I wanted to do something else because one of my favorite brands, Dave's Killer Bread, was super on sale. It comes in several varieties, and boasts in whole grains, nuts and seeds. Of maybe six varieties, there was only one that had no refined sugar in it. I did buy a variety that contains molasses, because it's January. But February looks like it will be Ezekiel, homemade or nothing. Oh wait. I'm doing that cleanse in February. Different rules all together. Back to the bread of the day. I understand bread making, and that sugar can play a role in activating the yeast. And I enjoy a good honey wheat bread as much as the next gal, especially if I'm the one who made it. But I have made plenty of breads with NO SUGAR. It's possible, people. And it's delicious. And not poison.
Other than that, it's day one. You can do anything for a day, right? Not much else to report. I saved about $2.50 by not buying chocolate chips today. Lara bar makes bars with nothing but fruits (including dates!) and nuts, so no added sugar there. Yum!
I am already a bit nervous about next month, but as I told Elizabeth, I think doing no sugar will be easier on the cleanse, because there will already be limits and plans. I have NO CLUE how Eve (Year of No Sugar author) and her family did this for an entire year. They deserve a prize, for sure.
I was only going to blog occasionally, and definitely not today, but I wrote it out in my journal and it was long so here it is. I hope that not every post will be this long. If so, it will be a long month for you.
Quote from Fed Up
"They say skinny feels better, but me, I think food tastes better"*
*I hope everyone knows this is supposed to be funny. It's based on Kate Moss who one time said "Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels". Maybe she had a tattoo? I don't know. This quote is uttered by an overweight teenager and is probably better if you watch it. Which you should do anyway. This particular quote is featured in the bonus section.
Resolved!
Jonathan Edwards read his resolutions once a week. I read them once a year, but try to keep one or two resolutions in mind regularly.
Here are my favorites this year
1b. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an oaccasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
I liked more this year than at least the last two years...those are the easily found ones. I probably have records from the two years before that somewhere but I really don't know where. Not on the internet anyway. If you're curious, here's a look back at 2013 and 2014
Here are my favorites this year
1b. Resolved, to do whatever I think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind.
6. Resolved, to live with all my might, while I do live.
8. Resolved, to act, in all respects, both speaking and doing, as if nobody had been so vile as I, and as if I had committed the same sins, or had the same infirmities or failings as others; and that I will let the knowledge of their failings promote nothing but shame in myself, and prove only an oaccasion of my confessing my own sins and misery to God.
17. Resolved, that I will live so as I shall wish I had done when I come to die.
25. Resolved, to examine carefully, and constantly, what that one thing in me is, which causes me in the least to doubt of the love of God; and to direct all my forces against it.
31. Resolved, never to say anything at all against anybody, but when it is perfectly agreeable to the highest degree of Christian honor, and of love to mankind, agreeable to the lowest humility, and sense of my own faults and failings, and agreeable to the golden rule; often, when I have said anything against anyone, to bring it to, and try it strictly by the test of this Resolution.
33. Resolved, always to do what I can towards making, maintaining, establishing and preserving peace, when it can be without over-balancing detriment in other respects.
43. Resolved, never henceforward, till I die, to act as if I were any way my own, but entirely and altogether God's agreeable to what is to be found in Saturday.
67. Resolved, after afflictions, to inquire, what I am the better for them, what good I have got by them, and what I might have got by them.
70. Let there be something of benevolence, in all that I speak.
I liked more this year than at least the last two years...those are the easily found ones. I probably have records from the two years before that somewhere but I really don't know where. Not on the internet anyway. If you're curious, here's a look back at 2013 and 2014
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)