Have you seen the joke describing a typical diet day?

BREAKFAST: 1/2 grapefruit 1 slice whole wheat toast 8 oz skim milk

LUNCH: 4 oz lean Broiled chicken breast 1 cup steamed zucchini 1 Oreo Cookie Herb tea

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: Rest of package of Oreos, 1 qt. rocky road ice cream, 1 jar hot fudge

And then of course it gets worse…

Nope, I haven’t eaten a 40oz. bag of chips yet. No whole chocolate bars either. I just do not have the craving.

Yippie!

Honestly I’ve had those days or weeks where I ‘tried’ to give up everything that was not good for me, and sometimes I was even successful for hours or days. When successful, I felt I’d earned a binge – a whole bag of chips – the bigger the better, or ice cream or prime rib till I felt sick. Not so smart, huh…

The difference with the detox (I did the Standard Process SP detox), was for 28 days, though I the recipes did not include sugar, dairy, white potatoes, or gluten containing grains, I did not deprive myself of tasty meats, veggies, fruits, GF grains, and even had some yummy treats.

Instead of focusing on what I could not have, the 28 days were focused on what would taste delicious and make my insides feel better. From the time I awoke each day the focus was to PUT ON what was good, what would fill me in a satisfying way. That made for a happy body and soul, and that put OFF the cravings for being lazy or eating junk. I think I am addicted to detoxing now. I still have a couple of rooms to go, but the house is feeling better too!

The worst part of the detox were hot flashes and itchy skin. The no-sugar headaches only lasted a few days. The best part, besides feeling better inside and out and a loss of 8#, was the change in attitude about food, my body and my possessions, and 20-30 minutes a day in the sunshine reading.

The new habit of releasing what I no longer need in my body and in the house, has me now clearing out the freezer. I have made some healthy desserts using up the naturally high in sugar foods I avoided during detox (dried fruit), replaced the dairy with coconut or almond milk, and chose healthier sweeteners.  Ken was longing for ice cream so I made some from bananas, strawberries and coconut water. We both loved it.

Switching furniture around created space, I found boxes of books wanted by a specific ministry, started a new filing system so that paperwork is dealt with in minutes and I can find my paperwork for upcoming events. I began setting things aside for granddaughters who were setting up house. Two boxes and some small appliances gone already to happy homes and I have less clutter!

Friends from the Good Battles Tour in Israel will recognize the inspiration for one dessert: I love Meyer lemons, and grate the peel, then freeze the lemons. I can thaw and squeeze them later, or grate the whole frozen lemon into recipes.For dessert, I put one of the frozen (peeled) lemons in the blender, added 2 cups of ice cubes, 1/2 cup of Lakanto sweetener, ½ cup of water and ½ tsp. of crushed mint leaves.

Whirl and voila! Lemon mint ice! – Delicious and refreshing.

T

The other dessert using the dried fruit was the dried cherries and pecans sprinkled over a parchment lined pan. Melted chocolate 1-1/2 bars of unsweetened organic 100% chocolate and ¾ cup organic dark chocolate chips, with ½ tsp. olive oil stirred in was poured over the cherries and pecans. On top I sprinkled crushed Chaga mushroom tea. (It’s very mild and does not change the taste of the treat – but it does give calorie free energy!). I’ve sampled delicious marketplace Chaga chocolate bars but the price of $6.00 for a couple ounces, led me to try to make my own.

Ever tried a detox? I recommend it.  As many TV commercials say, It can change your life!

1 Corinthians 10:31 So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.