Eat healthy.

It is no secret that my diet took a dive in 2009. I did eat a lot of fresh and local foods, but I also turned a lot of those fresh and local foods into breads, muffins, crisps, bakes, and so on.

Not only did I increase my baking uptake, but I increased my junk food intake. Convenience foods became necessary staples in our house, and I'm embarrassed to say how many times our family ate at McDonalds last year.

Let's face it: it's cheap, convenient, and easy. As a family that experienced a lot of moving and packing, a lot of running around, and a lot of really long drives in 2009, McDonalds became almost a way of life. There was just something so appealing about quickly feeding a family of 3 for less than $10.

But that diet has taken a toll. Weight has been gained (notice the passivity of that sentence :-). I simply don't feel as good as I feel when I'm eating well. So Joel and I decided to ring in the new year with a two-week fruit and vegetable fast.

A number of years ago, we spent the first 3 weeks of January following the Daniel Fast. Following this fast had a great impact on me spiritually, mentally, and physically. The thing I remember most is how great I felt - especially considering this is the time of year when the Minnesota Winter Depression sets in. It hits a lot of people and it most definitely hits me. The best thing about this fast was that some serious health ailments that I had been dealing with since the birth of my child cleared up during this time.

Joel and I talked about doing the Daniel Fast again, but felt that 21 days was a long time to commit to preparing separate meals for ourselves and Rosemary. So we decided to do a shorter, more vigorous fast/detox.

I have to tell you ... so far it hasn't been very difficult at all. I feel like my body is so full of junk from the past couple of months that it is actually relieved to be processing these healthier foods.

When our 2-weeks are over, we are going to continue to watch our weight. We haven't completely made a commitment, but I'm guessing we'll follow the weight watchers plan since I've done it in the past, know it well, and have had good success with it (I'm great at losing the weight, not so great at keeping it off ...).

photo taken from flickr.com