Spinach and Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches

We had an awesome weekend at the Water park of America. Five of Seth's six siblings were able to join us for a fun weekend of waterslides, games, food and a late, late night.

After checkout on Saturday, we spent an hour or two at the Mall of America. That translates to lunch, and two stores. And if you know us at all, you won't be at all surprised when we tell you that the two stores we chose to visit, were Rybicki Cheese (a Packer store), and Games by James.

We're huge Settlers of Catan players, and my brother and sister-in-law recently introduced us to The Struggle for Catan, a Catan inspired card game. I smell another game night in the not-too-distant future.

Since starting my juice fast, I've been collecting some healthier recipes I thought my kids might eat. All I can say is, thank the Lord for Pinterest, where healthy recipes abound! We tried one of said recipes for supper tonight:

Spinach and Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches, courtesy of wearenotmartha.com

The link will take you right to the recipe, but if you're like me, clicking on a link could potentially cause you to get sidetracked and never come back. So as a favor, I'll post the recipe for you. You're oh so very welcome. :)

7 hard boiled eggs
2 avocados, peeled and seeded
4 oz plain greek yogurt
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 c. baby spinach, chopped
whole grain bread
salt and pepper to taste

Smoosh the avocados and add salt and pepper to taste. Add spinach and celery to avocado. Smoosh the eggs into the yogurt. Add the two smooshed mixtures together. Smother your bread with the delicious combined mixture. Enjoy.

If you decided to click the link that brought you to wearenotmartha.com, you'll notice that she added some of those peppery things some people put on their pizza. I didn't like that idea, so I added a few diced tomatoes to my sandwich instead.

You might also notice that my bread is far from whole grain. This is because I opened my whole grain bread and discovered that it was moldy. I guess that's what happens when one avoids breads and drinks only juice for twenty days. Consider yourselves warned.

I have to say, I thought this recipe was really good! And I love the idea of subbing fatty mayo with healthy greek yogurt. This is definitely one I will make again.

Day 20-It Was A Good Run

To be completely honest, I feel really good about making it this far. I feel so much healthier than I did three weeks ago, & have so much more energy.

This is a fast you have to want to do. After Seth finished his at day 15, I no longer wanted to fast anymore. It was a great run, and it was great while it lasted, but for me, "That's all she wrote".

I worried a little bit about "reentry", because i've read some horror stories about the first time a fasting person eats cheese or anything like that...let's just say I wanted my first real meal to be a lasting one...

So this is what I chose:

^That's pretty much all veggie. Mmm. Cucumbers, red peppers, carrots, cabbage, onions. All good.

Tonight's supper was enchiladas, and I knew that if I ate it, I'd regret it, so after two bites, I decided to eat my lunch leftovers.

I still fully intend to juice at least once a day. Breakfast especially. (I'm not usually a big breakfast eater).

For us, doing this fast caused us to look at the things we were accustomed to eating, and reevaluate. I can't really speak for Seth, but I know it also gave me a greater appreciation for a lot of the micro-nutrient foods. However, while we were eating (drinking rather) all good things, our kids were still eating junk. You see, when you're trying to avoid eating foods, it can sometimes be really hard to prepare it for others. Sometimes. So our kids were left with convenience foods. Pizza, mac n cheese, etc. Not that they were complaining :). Now that we're all masticating again, we will be trying to prepare healthier meals. The challenge will be finding things our kids will actually eat.

Does anyone have any recipes that might fit the bill?

Day 17--Persevere

“If you can just find a way to keep going, either metaphorically or literally, whether you’re running a marathon or facing financial problems or have bad news to deliver or it’s tough at work or whatever, if you can just find a way to keep going, then you will discover that you have potential within yourself that you never never realized,” --Felicity Aston

Felicity Aston is a 35 year old British woman, and the first human being ever to scale the vast continent of Antarctica, on skis. That's right, she spent 59 days (sound familiar?) skiing across the coldest tundra on the planet. Solo.

You can read about her harrowing journey here.

Seth finished his "contracted" 15 days on Sunday. To say that this is going to make it more difficult for me to finish 60 days would be an understatement. Most people have NO idea how hard it is to watch your family sit and enjoy French Toast, while you sip your cocktail o' produce. It's pure. torture.

Yesterday at work, I mentioned stopping my juice fast after day 30. You would have thought I had proposed to walk onto the set of American Idol and belch the National Anthem or something.

Now, I'm not really sure how my juice fast could elicit such emotion from people, but I wouldn't be exaggerating if I told you that by just throwing that idea out there, I darn near started an argument.

I get that people passionately want me to persevere to meet my goal, but is it anyone's business but mine?

While there are no plans at this time to quit my fast, I'd be lying if I told you the thought hasn't crossed my mind a lot in the past few days. I'm not saying I'd dive into a deep dish pizza, but a nice sandwich with plenty of veggies would be a great alternative, in my opinion.

If Felicity Aston would've decided at day 15 that she would unfasten her skis on day 30, she wouldn't have broken the record she did.

I'm not going for any broken records, but for now, I'll keep reminding myself that there are more difficult ways to spend 59 days...

“Keeping going is the important thing, persevering, no matter how messy that gets. I mean, for me, sometimes I’ll be sitting in my tent in the morning bawling my eyes out, having tantrums. It’s not been pretty. But I’ve kept going, and that is the important thing because at some point in the future you’ll look back and just be amazed at how far you’ve come.”--Felicity Aston

In the Land of the Alone

Whew, almost done with day 14, which means tomorrow marks the end of the first quarter!!

To celebrate this milestone, Seth and I went shopping for clothes. For me. :) What's even better, is I scored two shirts for <$10. Total.

I'd be lying to you if I said the past couple of days weren't REALLY hard for me. Thursday was the worst. Despite having my husband right there, encouraging me, motivating me, a fast like this one can be really isolating. There just comes a point every now and then when I just need some encouragement. And prayer. Definitely prayer. I thank the Lord that I am blessed with great friends who intercede for me, and offer prayers to God and encouragement to me...you know who you are :).

I am now getting to the point where it's not just about gulping down this concoction, but I'm beginning to feel a little more daring when it comes to "experimenting" with different juice recipes. In fact, I found a couple of soups I'd like to try!

If I feel they're any good, I'll post them.

Stay tuned!

Day 10- And day 2 of Exercise!

Yay! I did it! My first BIG milestone! I'm officially 1/6 of the way there.

My energy level has stayed pretty high, considering my calorie intake has been greatly reduced this past week and a half. Because of this, I decided I'd start exercising. Another step towards a healthier lifestyle. :)

If you've been following my blog for awhile, you might remember that a few years ago, I did Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. It's a nice workout, in that it's short (only about 20 minutes), and it covers everything: strength, cardio and abwork. It also has three different levels, so doing it consistently won't result in muscle memory if I switch it up a little every now and then.

It's this program that I decided to start again yesterday morning. Surprisingly, it wasn't too hard to get out of bed to work out. I couldn't have said that the last time I did the Shred. Another surprise to me was that I'm not as out of shape as I thought I was.

Last year at this time, I was going for 1/2 hour runs 3-4 times per week. I knew I was going to regret ever quitting that lifestyle when I started this one. But my body hasn't forgotten how to work hard and push past the pain, and persevere.

I've also figured out that although I can't eat any solid foods right now, I LOVE talking about delicious food, and smelling delicious food. For the first several days, I couldn't stomach being around food, just knowing I couldn't eat any. But I'm figuring out that I feel full even just smelling different foods. Now's the time to do a bunch of cooking and baking :)

Does anyone have any great freezer meal recipes?

Day 8-Bittersweet

Today's post would've been a lot more exciting had the Packers pulled their heads out, and pulled off the win against the Giants...

But I digress.

Day 8 is finally complete! I'd have to say today was the hardest, thus far.

We watched the game at the home of some friends of ours, and whenever we hang out with friends, there's usually food galore. Today was no exception. Chips, dip, Pickles in a Blanket, cookies, you name it. But none of it for me.

Eight days into a fast like this, there's a lot of self talk going on:

Negative Thought: "I could just have ONE chip, and it really wouldn't "undo" everything I've done for the past 8 days--right?"

Positive Rebuttal: "Remember how I felt on day 2?? Do I really want to try to have ONE chip, and find out if I have to go through that again? Besides, let's be honest; I wouldn't be able to stop after ONE chip."

Negative Thought: "Sixty days is a long time. No one would fault me for quitting after 8..."

Positive Rebuttal: "I'd fault me. Plus, I'm not doing this for anyone else, I'm doing it for me. If anything, I am curious to see how I look and feel after 60 days...if I quit now, I'll never know."

Negative Thought: "For argument's sake, let's say that one teeny-tiny little cheat wouldn't set you back. One little Packer Playoff Party wouldn't hurt anything."

Positive Rebuttal: "Maybe you're right, but I choose to look at it this way: If I partake in the delicious smorgasbord today, I'll be satisfied for a moment. All of my cravings will be quenched, and my taste buds will thank me. But tomorrow, when I'm back on my cleanse, I won't be thinking, 'I'm really glad I caved yesterday. That was a great decision.' I'll be regretting it. 100%."

"But if I stay strong, and drink my juice and water instead, not only will I feel great that I conquered the temptation, but I'll be that much closer to my goal. And you can't argue with that."

Negative Thought: "Touché, Positive Rebuttal, touché."

Day 6- TEN PERCENT!!

Almost done with day 6! Only 54 days to go.

Dislikes:
Temptation- Doesn't matter what I'm making my kids to eat. If I'm touching it, smelling it, looking at it, I want it. It takes a lot of willpower not to lick my fingers when cooking for my children!

Tonight I'm going to my sister's to hang out with some friends. I'm SURE there will be yummy food there, and everyone else will be eating it. I'll have to bring an extra drink to curb those cravings.

No Chewing- When I first started, I didn't think I'd miss mastication that much. I thought it was overrated. But now that I haven't taken a bite in almost a week, I find myself craving foods with crunch, like garlic toast. Mmm.

Negativity- I know some people might think what we're doing is weird, but please don't tell me that. If you want to say something to me about my decision to change my eating habits and lifestyle, how about some encouragement? A little bit goes a long way. I believe in what we're doing, and I'm excited about the changes that I'm noticing. Please don't ruin that for me.

I also know that 60 days is a long time. Help me count down, instead of counting UP.

Likes:
Energy- Even when I'm tired, I don't have that fatigued feeling. I can still be productive. Also, I haven't suffered from any "food comas" in almost a week. :)

Health- I know that by the end of this, I'll be healthier than I've ever been. That statement is probably even true today.

Body- I'm down 6 whole L.B.s! (I actually hit 6 yesterday, and must've plateaued a little bit, but I'm not complaining!) My clothes are fitting better, and I can see my middle disappearing little by little. I have a long way to go, but seeing results right away is really encouraging.

Relationship- I feel like doing this with Seth has only brought us closer together, and the fact that he is willingly joining me in this endeavor only makes me love him more! And he's such a servant-he makes all the drinks, and even cleans up the juicer and the blender when he's done. He is all mine.

Structure- I like not having to wonder every day what I'm going to have for lunch. I know that every meal will be some variation of the same. If it makes sense, I don't think about food as much. I didn't realize how much of my day is consumed with thinking about food. I also never really realized that I was rewarding myself with food: At home, I'd complete a task, then have a snack, complete a task, eat something. What an awful habit.

Drinks- They're really not so bad. I've read accounts from a few who have done this fast before, and they say they actually crave the juice. I guess I'm not to that point yet, but I'm no longer dreading mealtimes because I don't like the drinks. And Seth and I call them Smoothies. Because that's basically what they are. We run our produce through the juicer, and it separates the juice from the "pulp". We then put all of the juice and the pulp in the blender, and that's our meal. Some people who juice like to strain their juice, but I like the thicker consistency.

ONWARD!!

Day 4!!

They say that once you make it through three days of this fast, that the rest is smooth sailing.

Or something like that.

Monday was my day two, and as the day progressed, I started feeling more and more ill. The thought of drinking another glass of juice made my stomach churn. Seth brought a glass of juice with us to Bible Study Monday night, and as we were climbing into the car to leave, I caught a glimpse of it in the cupholder. I almost had to get back out to hurl. Once we got home, I pulled a sweatshirt on, with the hood over my head, and laid down on the couch for the rest of the night. It was awful. I thought I was coming down with something. But I had to remind myself that my body was withdrawing from all of the nasty junk I've been putting into my body for my entire life.

It wasn't going to be easy.

Tuesday morning was a little better, but I still had that nagging feeling of nausea for much of the morning. By lunchtime, though, I was feeling a lot better, and my energy even started to noticeably increase.

Seth was making a new juice recipe when I got home. And when I say recipe, I mean, he was dumping an original combination of fruits and vegetables into the juicer.

One particular ingredient he chose last night was the Leek.

Have you ever tried Leek? Until last night, I hadn't. While shopping for fresh produce Sunday afternoon, I was intrigued by it, and thought I'd give it a try.

If you've never seen a Leek, it looks like a giant green onion.

And it smelled like a giant green onion.

Let me tell you something: If a vegetable looks like a giant green onion, and smells like a giant green onion, It's probably a giant green onion.

Seth took the first gulp of the juice, and promptly gagged.

"Oh great," I thought, "If Seth can't stomach it, I sure as smell wouldn't be able to."

So I did what any mature, sophisticated, refined adult woman would do.

I stood in front of the sink, plugged my nose, and started gulping.

It wasn't so bad when all I could taste was the onion aftertaste.

Until I finished the glass and unplugged my nose.

Let's just say that that concoction was even worse the second time, if you know what I mean.

After supper, we took the kids to the park, and--get this--actually played TAG for a good portion of an hour! To think that 24 hours prior I was sure I was on the brink of death, and now I was chasing my kids in the sand.

I can do this.

Day 2

It's really kind off amazing the kinds of crappy foods your body craves when you deprive yourself of junk for 24 hours. You would think, that with all of the delicious nutrients I'm packing into my body, the cravings wouldn't be so bad.

You would think.

And it's not like I'm craving the good stuff, like a piece of grilled chicken, or a nice, lean fillet of fish, or even some peanut butter. No. I want to shove a gigantic spoonful of Macaroni & Cheese into my biggest facial orifice & polish off an entire box.

Please don't judge.

Aside from the obvious food cravings, (if I was scared of that, I never would've signed up for this gig), the only qualm I have currently is a bit of a headache. The kind that makes you want to shut your eyes until tomorrow. Which is exactly what I will do...

Right after Bible Study, where dessert will most likely be offered.

Pray for me.

It Starts...

This was my lunch today. Well, half of it was my lunch, half was Seth's. (he's offered to stick it out with me for the first 15 days. Isn't he sweet?!)

I have to say, it wasn't too bad...but it wasn't good either. Oh, let's be honest; I didn't even want to finish it...

I mean, look at it:

And it wasn't the flavor that was the worst.

To tell you the truth, I don't think I can even pinpoint it...


It was thick.

It was warm.

Blech.

i don't think we'll be trying that one again.

So Seth chose the recipe for supper:

It was like candy, that one.

I think that's going to become a staple in our house for the next 60 days...just sayin.

To say, "It's been awhile", when referring to my blogging activity, would be an enormous understatement. And to try to catch up on all of the changes and new developments in our lives would be a huge undertaking, not to mention slightly unnecessary. Because if you're reading this now, you're probably someone who's been involved in our lives for the past year, and therefore have an idea of some of the things that have been going on in our lives. And if not, you might not even care. :)

So instead of a recap, or a snapshot, or whatever other "cheeky" little things I could call it, I'm just going to put the past behind us, and start today. How does that sound?

I've been reading a little bit lately about diet and health & wellness, and have come to the conclusion that I'm probably the least healthy now that I ever have been. In my entire life. I no longer work out, and I would consider eating at Subway a healthy food choice. I drink coffee every day, and although I vowed to drink less soda in 2011, and was pretty successful, I'm not really replacing that with better things.

I'm also beginning to notice that as I grow older, my body doesn't want to do the things it once was able to do so easily, like sit on the floor with my kids. Especially if I try to sit criss-cross-applesauce. When I get up, I definitely feel it. I have also noticed that my energy level is quite lack-luster. I used to blame it on baby horomones, but that excuse is no longer valid, in my opinion. (The baby is FOUR!!)

So it is with all of this in mind, that I have decided to do a juice fast. All of the above, coupled with the fact that I've recently watched the documentary, "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead", have inspired me to make a few changes.

I convinced my husband to watch the documentary as well, and to join me on this quest. The quest for better health. And for me, it's going to start with a "system re-boot", if you will. I'm committing to only drink homemade pure fruit and vegetable juice. For how long, I'm not quite sure. I'm going to set my goal for 60 days. Right now, that seems REALLY lofty. I made Seth promise to stick with me at least 15 of those 60 days, so after that, I'll have to see what kind of momentum I have going.

I went grocery shopping today, and left with a cart full of fresh produce. Seth and I chose a recipe that we thought sounded palatable, and started juicing!

Hold me accountable, Y'all!