Teaching An Old Dog A New Trick Or Two

Day 1 of the 30 day challenge was yesterday. This challenge is a lot harder in areas I wasn't prepared for. I was planning on being hungry all day until I got used to it but the reality is I was too full to eat all of what I'm supposed to eat. Another concern I have is that after buying my fruits and vegetables yesterday I find I didn't have as much of a variety as I thought and the amounts I purchased could mean I end up with spoilage that I didn't think about. I'm going to try vacuum packaging smaller amounts of it to see if that won't retard the spoilage some. Some fruits I can dry and package that way.

It also took me twice as long to shop yesterday because I had to read the labels of everything I planned on buying. I did save money that way since a lot of what I normally buy got put back on the shelf. My husband doesn't have high blood pressure, he has Crohn's Disease so he can't eat many of the raw fruits and veggies I need to eat. He also enjoys snacks that I can't eat. I solved the snack issue by buying a melon which we both can eat, some extra sharp cheddar cheese which we both can eat and then in place of chips I bought him Cheese nip crackers that I don't like. He has this habit of wanting something and then having it become stale prior to consuming all of it so I will use ziploc baggies to repackage things once he opens them.

My fear of being deprived of bread was assuaged when I discovered Ezekiel 4:9 products. I can eat whole grains, just not things made with flour or added refined sugar. Ezekiel 4:9 products are made with sprouted whole grains. I bought the sesame Ezekiel which is made with sprouted wheat, barley, millet, lentils, soy and spelt. It isn't sold in the bread aisle in stores, it's found in the freezer section. In a way that helps me out. I seldom buy whole grain breads since they mold before I can eat them. I can pull out the loaf from the freezer, let it set for a couple of minutes, take out what I want and place the loaf back in the freezer.

While reading the requirements for the challenge I realized that I haven't been eating as many different veggies and fruits as I need to eat. For the past couple of years I have been eating healthier most of the time, but I've not used the variety the way I should. For the next 29 days I must eat 3 fruits and 6 vegetables a day. I can have 2 grain products, 2 dairy and 3 animal protein. In order to fulfill the requirements I'm going to have to do a better job meal planning, shopping and storing perishables.

I figured out that the lack of planning and the way I shop make it easier for me to backslide. I also began to understand, while reading labels on things I've bought for years, that foods I consider rewards for good behavior aren't really rewarding me. They may be shortening my life. Being kind to myself may not mean what I've always thought it means. Time for a change in habits and I feel possibly this challenge will teach me the tools I need to live a life that really is kinder to myself. I'm worth it.