One Week Down

Update: It's been one week since the experiment began, and I have to say that it's going very well. Heath loves the "diet." I know it's because I'm preparing all the meals for him, and he doesn't have to lift a finger. I am preparing breakfast for all of us before work, usually hot cereal. I am also preparing lunch and something for Heath to take to work with him. It does take a little extra time, but no more than 25 minutes in the morning. I have peace of mind because I know that my family is well fed.

Groceries: I have devised a plan where I write out one week of meals, breakfast, lunch and dinner. I recently got the new 1,000 Vegan Recipes by Robin Robertson. I also use the Healthy Cooking for Kids cookbook by Shelly Null. There are so many interesting recipes in both these books, and I won't need to stray from them for quite a while. I am also surprised that my grocery bill isn't skyrocketing like I thought it would. There are some extras that I am now purchasing:

organic cane sugar, organic confectioner's sugar: I have learned that regular granulated sugar is processed using animal bones. Gross.

Seventh Generation Dishwashing detergent: Heath raised an interesting point about eating healthy but not paying attention to the chemicals that your dishes are washed in...case in point. Switched to a better for the environment/better for the body detergent. Will soon be switching to a friendlier form of cleaning solutions for the house, more than likely.

Goal for this week: Getting as much sun as possible now that it's starting to get nice outside. I have been weaning down my Vitamin D3 to 4,000 I.U. starting today, because the best sources come from the sun. I am amazed at all the research that I find that supports how vital Vitamin D is to our health. Especially the little ones. Below is a link that has a lot of different information about Vitamin D3. There is also a handy guide to decipher how much one should be taking, if not in the sun daily. If in the sun, make sure you expose face and hands to the sun for about 10-15 minutes daily. This needs to be sans sunscreen, because sunscreen blocks some of the rays necessary to absorb Vitamin D. Just a small detail: Laila has been taking Vitamin D all winter long. She has been sick one day. And that was a small cold which she fought off quickly. And yes, she goes to daycare.

Link: http://www.mercola.com/article/vitamin-d-resources.htm

Let's start at the very beginning...a very good place to start.

I have a confession. I eat meat. Yet I call myself a vegetarian/vegan. I should clear this up. I rarely eat meat, maybe once a month. And most of the time, that's fish. So I may be a hypocrite. But, I am mostly vegan, with the exception of the fish. I don't "do" dairy products. I have been "vegan" for about a year, and am very happy to report that my digestive system likes me this way.

I have been attempting a strict vegan diet, but I have a husband and a child who are not exactly on the bandwagon here. Heath likes meat. A lot. Laila loves cheese. And candy. So, occasionally I fall off my plan. Especially when we go out to eat.

That brings us to the decision. We went to Perkins on Sunday afternoon. We ate breakfast. Heath and I got into a conversation about basic health issues. I have a strong belief that diet contributes to a lot of health problems, and that most ailments can be helped dramatically if one's diet changes. I brought up the topic of an experiment. I would find it interesting if Heath would try my vegan/raw food (more on that later) diet for one year. ONE YEAR. He agreed promptly. (Surprise!) So, here we are.

We started yesterday. I am planning on blogging about random thoughts on diet, and will include any results/complaints/general ideas about the progression of this journey.

I am excited to see where this takes us. Faithfully feasting, we strive to please the Lord with our food choices in order that we may be the very best for His Glory.