WOW.

It’s day 35 on this 101 days of eating the fruit of my labor.

I have grown everything I have eaten for the past 34 days.  I am over a month into the challenge and each week I am learning something.

If you missed the first few weeks here’s the scoop:

• Homesteaders Food Challenge – What it is
• Headaches, cravings, cooking & starvation – Week 1 Survival
• Can I Grow All My Own Food – A Diet is Born – Week 2
• Never Diet Again – Weight Loss, Sugar Detox & Finding your Ideal weight – Week 3

It’s kinda blowing my mind that I haven’t put any preservatives, additives, sugar, GMO’s, or any other artificial color, chemical, hormone, or other artificial ingredient into my body in a month.

I haven’t eaten any nitrates.  I haven’t eaten any MSG. I haven’t eaten any meat that was fed hormones or antibiotics.  I haven’t eaten any eggs from chickens that were fed GMO corn.  I haven’t eaten any animals that were raised on feedlots or factory farms.  I haven’t tasted a veggie or fruit that was sprayed, sprinkled or genetically modified.

I haven’t had corn syrup, corn starch, high-fructose corn syrup or any of the other 10,000 ingredients made from corn.

I haven’t had soy lecithin, soy beans, soy fillers or any other soy products.

I haven’t put a bite in my mouth that wasn’t good for me.

As I type this and tell you how good I’ve been I feel like it’s time for a couple confessions.  

I haven’t been perfect.

Confession #1

It was hot.  I was in the garden sweating my pants off.  I walked in the kitchen where DH had just set down his ice-cold Corona on the kitchen island.  Without thinking I walked over to the glistening, golden bottle, picked it up and took a swig.  Only to set the stupid thing down and announce, “I’m not allowed to drink that – Mark!”  As if it was all his fault for leaving a cold beer out for me on the counter.

Confession #2

Then, probably because I get too wrapped up in my happy place when I’m in the garden, I proceeded to sweat for 4 hours straight and not drink enough water.  This, ladies, ends badly.

Even though I WAS drinking, it just wasn’t enough to counteract the gallons of sweat coming out of my pores.  I think I went all afternoon drinking, and never peed once.  The liquids were going in my mouth and out my forehead (and arm pits since I don’t wear antiperspirant).

Sorry, if I am grossing ya’ll out.  I promise I’m getting somewhere.

So, lots of water going in, lots of sweat going out,  not much peeing going on.  I woke up the next morning with that horrible, horrible, horrible inkling that I was on my way into a full blown UTI (urinary tract infection). Shudder.

If you’ve been there, you never want to go there again.  Can I get an “Amen”?

I did what any girl in my shoes would have done.  I went to the store, bought 2 gallons of organic, 100% all natural, no sugar Cranberry Juice.

And I drank them.

And they were not on my diet.

No, I don’t grow cranberries or squeeze the juice.  BUT this was life or death, people.  You can call me a dirty cheater and say I didn’t play by the rules, but there was pain, and burning and even more horrible consequences coming if I didn’t gag down some cranberry juice.

So, I cheated.

Yes, I am all better now, thanks.  Sorry for breaking the rules.  I had to.  🙁

Confession #3

There is only one other confession I need to make you aware of.

I’ve caught myself “tasting” things a couple of times.  Mamaw says the reason we southern women are “plump” is because we eat twice.  Once while we’re cooking dinner and the second time with everyone else.  Well, she’s right.  I am really bad about “tasting” while I’m cooking.

I do make foods for my younger children in addition to all the foods we are growing.  Things like pasta, rice and additional fruit (to what we grow).  When I’m cooking for them I tend taste without thinking about it.  I just want to see if their rice is done – I don’t want to eat it.  I have pretty much broken the habit at this point.  Instead of tasting it myself, I just call one of them to come sample the rice & tell me if it’s done.  They’re the ones eating it – if they like it – it’s perfect.  I shoved a bite of rice in my mouth once, but quickly caught myself and promptly spit it out into the chicken bowl.

I also tasted a dip I was making for a teenage party last week.  Technically, it was a diet buster, but I didn’t want to walk into a party with a dish for 45 people that was under seasoned.

Other than those few occasions, I’ve been true blue.

DEEP THOUGHTS After Month 1

I’m still not missing the sugar.  Which is amazing.

I’m still feeling fantastic (other than the small bladder problem I had to address last week).

As I enter my second month I am actually considering eating like this forever.  

I’m sure I will change my mind about Thanksgiving, but I am really amazed at how different I feel and look.  My weight has pretty much stabilized.  I have lost 6-7 pounds depending on how much salt I ate yesterday.  My clothes fit great.  My double chin is gone.  Almost all the fat in my armpits is gone.

I am surprised that such a small amount of weight can have such an impact on our bodies.  I have sprained the same ankle 3 times.  I was in a hard cast for 2 months because it was so jacked-up.  My doctor told me it would have been better if I had broken it.  That’s always comforting.  It has been healing…… forever.  The last time I sprained it was 2 years ago and it still bothers me.

I can tell you the weather with my left ankle.  If rain is coming, I’m in pain for a day.

In addition to my weather predicting ankle, I also have an ongoing relationship with a massage therapist & a chiropractor thanks to my back.  I fell down a flight of stairs when my third child was a baby.  I was holding her & not about to drop the precious cargo.  When I landed I fractured a couple of bones in my back (ribs).  No chiropractor can fix that.  I tend to have back issues off and on because of that injury 11 years ago.

Since going on this “Eat the Fruit of Your Labor” thing I feel almost healed.  It’s amazing.  I don’t know if it’s the lack of chemicals in my diet, or all the nutrients in all the good foods I’m eating, or the fact that my ankle & back are lugging around less weight all day.  Maybe it’s a combination of all the above.

I know I feel great.  I know that I’m different.  I know that this is what I want to feel like forever.

BUT I MISS:

Crunchy things.  I want a potato chip.  I want a pretzel.  I want salsa and tortilla chips.  I want nuts. I really really miss crunch.

Spicy things.  Mexican anything is my very, favorite food.  I’m doing my best to create some dishes with a Mexican flare around here, but it’s just not the same when you can’t have rice, beans, corn tortillas, chips or those fabulous sauces.

Restaurants.  Ugh.  I would LOVE a day off.  Just a day to not cook.  This is the hardest part.  Each meal is prepared from scratch all the way down to grinding up flour if I want to thicken a sauce.  I really would like to just go sit at a table, place an order and have someone bring me some food.

1 month down – 2 to go!

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love,

Candi