Yay!!! I just finished my fast.

We tend to eat fairly healthy, but every few months, I feel the need to detox. I have tried several different methods, but my favorite is the Daniel Fast. It is not a complete fast, meaning I do not eliminate all foods, just some. It is based on the fasting experience of Daniel found in the Bible in Daniel 1 and Daniel 10. Everyone does the fast differently. There are no “set” rules that I have found.

For my Daniel Fast I ate only fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, rice, and olive and coconut oil and drank only water for 10 days. This means NO meat, dairy, bread, sweets or basically any of my favorite things.
Here is a sample menu:
Breakfast: green smoothie (these are actually really good and a great way to get fruits and veggies in your kids, see my favorite recipe below)
Lunch: vegetable soup or salad
Dinner: stir fry or beans, rice, and veggies
Snack: apple with almond butter, nuts, or my personal favorite, homemade popcorn.



I know what you are thinking, “yummy”! But, it is not too bad, well at least for the first few days.
My thought process goes something like this:
Days 1 to 3 – “This isn’t too bad. I can definitely stick with this for 10 days.”
Days 3 to 7 – “This food is starting to taste pretty bland.”
Days 8 to 10 – “I am SO ready for this to be over!”

I am always excited to start a fast and I am always excited to finish a fast.They do make me feel better and are a great way to "jump start" healthy eating habits.

Green Smoothie Recipe:
I start by making orange juice
1 ½ cup water
1 orange
1 T flax seed (optional)
1 T agave (not during the fast, but normally I add this)
5 or 6 ice cubes
Blend for OJ
Add:
1 banana
1 cup mixed berries
2 cups spinach
2 scoops berry greens (optional, but highly recommended)
Blend for smoothie
Note: this makes enough for me and my kids for 2 days!