Well, I wasn't sore after Zumba as I thought I was going to be. But MAN, was I hungry!! And I was craving a banana or SOMETHING!! Something that would rush into my arms, legs and body with a wave of energy. I felt so weak. So I had coconut oil. I LOVE coconuts!!!! ....let me say it again... I LOVE COCONUTS!!! SUCH a great food and nutritional source....I must have a greenhouse for tropical plants so I can grow coconut trees HAHAHA! And hubby was home again today (starting working on Monday, cuz it was too cold...he'll be working outside).
For breakfast I made him oatmeal pancakes (just eggs, oats and cinnamon, with some mashed banana and berries on top...made something similar for the boys but used blueberry syrup...I think I have a plan in mind with doing that...or its by design ....but that's another story) and I made a turkey stir-fry with onions, garlic, chinese cabbage, bok choy, and broccoli. It was good and filling. Hubby had some shopping to do and I wanted out of the house (and I want to maximize as much of this one on one time as possible) so I went with him and was in the moment all day long....while shopping for workboots.
As we were driving, he began to do the Homer groan for chocolate...."mmmmmm....Chocolate!"
I didn't say anything, I just wanted to see where he was going to go with that. And then he said,
"....Mmmmmm chocolate strudel....coffee and muffin...."(all the things he was used to eating outside the house)
"Wanting foods that aren't good for you is like sin. We know it's not good for us, but we still think its so good..."
And I agree, back to the post I did about lusting for foods on Day 6 (that we can't have, for one, and wanting foods (or whatever) that we know serves us little or no benefit.) There are so many levels to this connection between food and sin or in the metaphor of how we eat and how we live. This came to mind from my current study of the book, Pursuing Purity and Spiritual Beauty: A Beauty Treatment for the Soul...
..."Therefore, since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. " ~ 2 Corinthians 7:1
The promises above are mentioned in 2 Corinthians 6 (16-18 with emphasis added)..."For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will live with them
and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they will be my people.”
17 Therefore,
“Come out from them
and be separate,
says the Lord.
Touch no unclean thing,
and I will receive you.”
18 And,
“I will be a Father to you,
and you will be my sons and daughters,
says the Lord Almighty.”
Since, as disciples of Jesus, we are a temple ("God with us" as mentioned in Matthew 1:23) for the living God. And he promises to be with us, and for us to prosper and live full lives (Jeremiah 29:11*, John 10:10*), we should consider ourselves as that temple and keep it clean.
And I can think of no better way than starting with the Elimination Diet. Choosing not only to "eat clean", but choosing foods that do not leave a toxic or negative affect on the body and optimizes and unburdens your body's systems and pathways for maximum performance......and enjoyment of life.
SO, back to the conversation....
I then went on to say that...
"Yes we can avoid the foods that cause us to get fat and feel gross, but being that they are enjoyable, we will still want to eat them. But when we do, we should just enjoy it, and not attach things like guilt and blame to them. Then we eat the guilt along with the food and it robs us of the enjoyment that we were seeking."
Huh?
So am I saying that it is alright to just have whatever it is that we want and just enjoy it? No. Not everything that we want or desire if for our benefit. We need to put some thought into what it is that we are eating/doing, keeping in mind our ultimate goal of health (or spirituality). This is a process (or a journey down the road of life). And as we grow through the choices we make (supportive or unsupportive), our convictions will strengthen and grow as well. The truth will always prove to be long lasting and fuller in results. I have been doing the ED on and off for 4 years and the difference I feel from being on the ED compared to eating unsupportive, processed foods is HUGE! That's why for the most part I have adopted a more ED friendly way to each in my day-to-day meals, even after the 30 days are over. It's a tricky balance (especially if you eat out or you are not in control of what's going into your food), but at least when you fall off you know what it feels like to be on track and can get back to it again, even in the next meal.
There are ways to have what you want and enjoy them and still be continuing to be clean in your eating for the most part. You can choose to have that item as a treat (the 80-20 or 90-10 rule, where you eat clean 90% and 10% you eat less supportive choices) knowing it will taste really good, but may leave you with side effects afterward. And it will not only serve its purpose for temporary enjoyment followed by pain (good lessoned learned through experience...and man, is it an experience you may not forget), but also encourage you to enjoy the healthier foods that much more....OR (which is what I tend to do) go back to basics with the bare ingredients and make the foods you want more ED friendly (that is, as you can or if even possible). Now keeping in mind, alcohol will always be alcohol. And the JUNK that causes our bodies to degenerate (destroys and ages us from the inside out) that are found in processed foods will never change for our benefits (some things are just not good for you no matter what you try to do), BUT you can find a way to make healthy food your enjoyment....keeping in mind good food can also become a "bad" thing if you attach a "bad" thing to it. As in my side of the story....
BANANA!!! Mmmmmmm! I could definitely eat a banana! It's ED friendly! It's a clean food. What harm is there in a fresh-from-the-skin-still-slightly-green banana?
BUT, it goes against my intention of having a low carb day while on the Wave (going against the good that YOU said you would do creates its own toxins, but that a topic for later). Can I not WAIT until Sunday to FULLY ENJOY the banana???
Not only knowing the banana will taste good, but that I have:
- stuck to my intended goal
- persevered past temptation
- put a reward in the future to enjoy for a job well done
- spurred myself on to further fat loss and success
- refining my character with the fruits of the Spirit ("...love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:22-23)
- having long lasting enjoyment that spreads to others through my example
WOW!! Now THAT'S the way to enjoy a banana! HA!! So I will wait until Sunday and celebrate with the banana instead of just enjoying it for the moment (or idolizing it...but again, that is another story for another time)
And tomorrow, we measure!
*
Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
John 10:10 ~ "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full."
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