Day 4---Breaking Your Fast

So, on to what we eat, when we break our fast.  I am first going to cover what I did for years before we started intermittent fasting, that really helped my health and energy level. I have had several requests from friends for this. In the morning I would have a green drink. This has now moved to a pick me up in mid-afternoon or sometimes my dinner meal.  I'll cover lunch a little later. There are literally hundreds of green drink recipes out there. Just try to use the freshest, most nutritious greens out there. 

 I use kale for two reasons. First, it is packed with antioxidants, and  I just can't say enough about how good it is for you. Secondly, I get it free out of my garden. It takes up very little space and is basically a year round plant. To the kale, I add a fruit of some type to give it sweetness, a piece of fresh ginger about the size of your thumb nail, and various other things that I find out are healthy. So right now, I add a teaspoon of protein powder (probably won't buy this anymore after it is gone), psyllium husks for fiber (but won't buy this after it is gone. I used to eat this a lot when I was not getting eating enough fruits and vegetable), ground chia seeds, and ground flax seeds. You have to grind them (just in a blender) or they will pass right through your body without getting the nutrients. Or you can soak them overnight and add them to salads, whatever.  They are both very nutritious like all nuts,(which are seeds). Then I add turmeric, orange rinds (talk about later), and cinnamon.

 For a liquid I use a variety of things---usually what is on sale----coconut water, coconut milk, almond milk, or even water if you have nothing else. There is no set way. Just find something you like. I stick with this most of the time because I have the kale. But if I am having beets, I will use the beet greens off the beets. There is always celery, cucumbers, etc. Just try to eat anything that is alive--not in a package. If you are intermittent fasting and want to take this with you to work for lunch or afternoon snack, that will work, but it will get thick. The chia seeds and flax seeds will absorb the liquid, so you will have to add liquid to drink it. This does not look like much in the blender, but it is a full 12 oz. glass. Larry and I usually share it. It is very filling.

 As I said, we are on the ketogenic diet. This is the one promoted to avoid cancer and Alzheimer's. It trains your body to burn fat instead of carbohydrates.  The standard American diet is to get your energy from carbohydrates and store the excess fat. On the ketogenic program your body produces ketones and uses that for energy. Now the word diet scares the daylights out of me. I have been on every popular diet out there, and failed at every one because I would get "off" the diet. I would not change my lifestyle and I failed every time. So I don't use the word diet any more.  I follow a pattern of high fat (the good kind), low carbs (the good kind), and make wise choices. I concentrate on what I can have. I can have eggs, avocados, dark chocolate, cheese (although I limit dairy), fish, nuts and their butters, fruit (but be careful here, not too much fruit), beef, coconut oil, low carb veggies, flax seed, mayonnaise (I buy the kind made with olive oil or coconut oil), almond flour, bulletproof coffee, chicken wings, etc. And I can have good health. Don't look ahead and determine what you can't have. Look at each day and say look what I get to have today.  I will talk about this more. It is a fun journey, and I have so much to share I can hardly contain myself. I want health for all my family and friends. In my devotion this morning in Proverbs 9:1-5, Wisdom is speaking about building her house and setting out her foods, and asking the simple (or foolish) people to come eat with her and forsake the foolish way and live and go in the way of understanding. The time has come for me to consider everything that goes in my mouth, and ask the question,---is this food that God created that I am about to put in my body, or is it man made food that is full of chemicals.  I am taking on the challenge of looking for foods I like that God made just for me to enjoy. Can't wait to tell you what foods we are eating that are literally healing our bodies right before our eyes. But that is another day.