juice, the other white meat.

So one night my husband and I couldn't' find anything on TV. So we searched Netflix and after a few minutes of bantering back and forth, we found Fat Sick and nearly dead. This changed the entire way we look at food. We knew we had to do something and were motivated to start our new year with a new attitude about eating. I am southern and Baptist and we have a saying down here that Baptist eat first then pray second. Food is our religion. We love it. I love it. And the thought of giving it all up and changing how I eat has been terrifying for years. When I became pregnant for the first time, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was sent to a nutritionist and put on a special diet. I was miserable! I cheated, a lot and really got a glimpse into what it must be like for someone with a diet or food issue. It's really hard! And even during that time I knew I needed to change my eating habits. But I kept on and kept on pursuing bad habits. I have always been skinny so I never really had to diet. But being skinny isn't the same as being healthy. In fact when I decided to begin this challenge people actually said to me, "Why are you going on a juice fast, you're skinny."

For me, this wasn't about losing weight but about FEELING better! How many days do we drag around wishing we were still in bed? We wake up achy and tired and go to bed achy and tired. This isn't normal! STOP thinking this is normal and you are just getting old. Remember the old saying, "You are what you eat!" And I am sick of being a greasy cheeseburger!

So...Here was my week!

Day 1: I'm starving! Seriously, I poured out a can of spaghetti O's for my daughters and I wanted to lick the can! I also can't sit around thinking about it so I have cleaned out bedrooms, picked up toys and cleaned toilets. Today I want a buffalo chicken sandwich with fries. Jeff isn't doing too well. He's been chocking down the juice and sleeping. He wants to murder me.

Day 2: Last night Jeff and I discussed how much we relate eating to our emotions. Today is our first day back to work after the winter break and we were both already feeling the stress. It was SO hard to not order a pizza last night, but we didn't and life goes on! I didn't feel hungry when I woke up and I didn't sleep well last night either. I have heard insomnia can be a side effect. I had an apple juice today and it was amazing. I am never buying store bought again!

Day 3- I feel terrible, headache and exhaustion. Jeff and I both are having a hard time trying to remember why we did this. I want fajitas! I have to keep reminding myself that once this is over it will be so much easier to move into a plant based diet. I can do this. I can do this! Only 2 more days!

Day 4: I woke up feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I had a headache, body aches and just felt terrible. I juiced and suffered through the morning then took a nap during my lunch break. After my nap, I felt a lot better. I am waiting for this 'amazing' feeling to kick in! Today I want sushi so maybe that's a good sign. You will also urinate a ton during this. Which I hate because I hate getting out of bed at night! But I'm hanging in there. I keep thinking, I need to be healthy and while my children are still young (3 and 4) I need to get them on the healthy train!

Day 5: Today I don't feel so bad. I woke up in the middle of the night (to pee) and I felt awesome. I was tired but I felt good, like younger. I remember what it felt like to not be exhausted all the time and achy and just give out. I remember that feeling and for just about 10 seconds in the middle of the night, I felt it! This is our last day so I had my hot water/lemon first then my breakfast juice. Around 1pm I caved and ate a spoonful of peanut butter, which I normally hate. Like, I really hate peanut butter unless its in chocolate. My husband has stuck his finger in it before then smeared it on my face because I hate it that much. And after 4 days of nothing but juice, it was the most amazing bite of my life. My taste buds have changed if I can eat this. No idea why this is what my body is telling me to eat but it was really good and after a few more spoonfuls, directly out of the jar, I was good and made another juice! My husband and I went on a date this night to celebrate and we couldn't eat much! To-go boxes were stuffed! But it was really amazing!

Movies to watch during your juicing week-

Fat, sick and nearly dead

Fat, sick and nearly dead 2

And if you are really brave-Vegucated and Food Inc

Things I learned this week- I really tie my emotions to food and I never knew that. I have this instinctive craving and hunger during stressful periods and the late afternoon. Each day around 2:30 I just crash. This is normally the time I would reach for a snack- chips, candy, soda, etc.
Food is everywhere! And we live in a society that constantly throws it in your face. You don't realize it each day, its just your normalcy. But once you go on a fast, you realize so many things about the food industry that is so messed up!
About every 3rd commercial is food based and its food that isn't good for you. Why can't we have commercials that show how sexy carrots are?
I can smell things I never smelled before. The girls were eating Ritz crackers and I could smell them, from like the other side of the room.
I never knew my body could do this. Each day I wake up surprised that I am not dead.
I can't remember conversations or where I placed things. I have to really re-trace my steps and think. That is really scary to me that cleansing my body is affecting my brain this much (in a good way)!
I am becoming much calmer and patient with everyone. Either I am a really impatient person and this is helping, or having all that junk in my body was causing stress and anxiety in my life. Weird.
Your body tells you what it needs if you just listen. I have never listened to my body before, but I knew when I wanted water, when I wanted a nap and when I wanted peanut butter!
My husband and I are both really reliant on caffeine. We are coffee and coke people and we really feel that this helped us be able to do without those things now.
We both had more energy in the evening this week. We didn't binge on the couch as much and actually spent time with our kids, reading books, playing, talking, etc.

I am also really lucky in the fact that I have a partner that totally support this crazy idea. I know many people out there don't and I am so very thankful. I wouldn't be able to do this if everyone around me were eating cheeseburgers. You really need to have a support system in place to complete a juicing fast. Which brings me to my next point, kids. I have 2 and they still need to eat. That was difficult during this week. I still made grilled cheeses, chicken soup and waffles. I didn't try a bite, I just made food and served food and tried not to think. It was hard at first but got easier. And by the end of the week, I felt terrible that I was drinking healthy juice and my kids were scarfing down processed junk..but that is another show.

Update- I still drink juice daily. I really like it. I feel better and healthier. I also grocery shopped for lots of fruits and veggies and got the girls to eat their first soy dog! YAY me! I haven't had caffeine or much sugar. I haven't eaten meat since Friday Jan, 2. I don't miss any of these things. It feels really good to put really good food into your body. I knew going into this that my ultimate goal was to eat better and that taking these extreme measures was probably my last hope. I feel better, lost about 3 pounds (Jeff lost 7) and know I will have days where I slip and eat candy but I think the ultimate goal of living a better life will always come out on top!

The 12 days of a mom's Christmas

It's the most wonderful time of the year...or so they tell me. Christmas is my favorite season. I love the lights, sounds and smells of the holiday season. I feel people are nice and smile more than usual and this makes my heart happy. BUT Christmas also brings about its challenges for moms, who usually are the ones that make Christmas actually happen.

Here is my life during the holiday season. I am not complaining nor trying to martyr myself cause the good Lord knows I love it, but please just be a little kinder and gentler to moms this season because this is really what we go through!

On the 1st day of Christmas my husband said to me, "here's the card don't be so spending happy!"
On the 2nd day of Christmas I started shopping, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 3rd day of Christmas we got a Christmas tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 4th day of Christmas I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 5th day of Christmas I started watching TV, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 6th day of Christmas I did more shopping- more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 7th day of Christmas I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 8th day of Christmas we put up Christmas lights, "I don't think we have enough," I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 9th day of Christmas I need to start planning the dinner, maybe just chili this year (Hey, it did win an award), we put up Christmas lights, "I don't think we have enough," I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 10th day of Christmas I started wrapping all the gifts, how did it cost so much?, I need to start planning the dinner, maybe just chili this year (Hey, it did win an award), we put up Christmas lights, "I don't think we have enough," I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 11th day of Christmas when's it going to be January? I started wrapping all the gifts, how did it cost so much?, I need to start planning the dinner, maybe just chili this year (Hey, it did win an award), we put up Christmas lights, "I don't think we have enough," I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happy!
On the 12th day of Christmas I relaxed..just kidding, I cleaned out my closet, when's it going to be January? I started wrapping all the gifts, how did it cost so much?, I need to start planning the dinner, maybe just chili this year (Hey, it did win an award), we put up Christmas lights, "I don't think we have enough," I sent out Christmas cards, more Frozen crap, Christmas vacation and now a musical where Elf sings, I swept up pine needles from the tree, 2 Frozen watches and don't be so spending happeeeeeeee!

Merry Christmas from the Wrights and in case you didn't' get a Christmas card this year, send me your address for crying out loud! What do you think, I just know where you all live! Geeeez!

* Our first attempt at our Christmas card picture*

This Moment

None of us truly lives for ourselves. You can't. Unless you are alone stranded on some island, most of the things you do each day is for other people. When you were growing up, you attended school because your parents made you. It was for them. Then when you went to college it was for your future self, still not for you at this moment in time. Now, who are you living for? Family, friends, co-workers, perhaps still your future self? None of us truly lives for ourselves. What I mean by this is that each moment that passes, each day that was spent thinking, worrying or focusing on something other than our own happiness is a day wasted. And how many days have we already wasted? Of course we can't be 'happy.' We are too busy dealing with so many other aspects of life. We work tirelessly to keep everyone around us warm and safe and happy that we forget we have to make sure we are living for ourselves too. But how do you do that in such a connected, over sensitized world with very little emphasis on each passing special moment?

I feel like each day of my life flies by and I have no idea what happened. All I can do is focus on what needs to get done the next day. And so many people will tell you, "Oh that is just having kids and a family." Maybe. But how do I break free from the cycle. That is what no one ever tells you. Even before we had kids, I was in this cycle. Get up, get ready, work, eat, bed. Now it's just a little harder doing this for 2 other people but it's still the same concept. So to make sure I am living, even if it's just for 5 minutes of the day, for myself then some changes need to be made. You can't walk around saying, " I wish things were different," but have no plan to change it.

Bye, Technology. And no, I can't throw my computer out the window, I need it so I can pay my bills! But I don't need all this crap on my phone that constantly shows me other people's life moments. I have no problem with Facebook and emails and instagram, etc and I will be the first to admit I am probably addicted. But that is was addiction does, it robs you of happiness. When you hear the word 'addiction' you probably think of alcoholics, drug addicts maybe over eaters. But all of us have addictions, some are just better at hiding them than others. When I am on my phone, I am missing my daughters discovering a new leaf, hugging, or simply just standing in the sunlight. When I am on my phone I am missing my husband walk in the door from work, arms wide open as his kids rush to his arms with excitement. I miss clever and witty things Mattie says and I miss that mischievous smile of Gigi's. All because I was on my phone. I need a phone to call people and for people to call me. Even if I have to go to Wal-Mart and sign up for a Jitterbug. And I heard a long time ago, before I was even born a man invented a camera that takes pretty good pictures. I am missing life, my life that I am trying to live for and it's my fault I am missing it. I can check Facebook and instagram later at night on a computer like we used to do way back in 2005. But time, THIS time is fleeting and I am missing so many moments.

I have to get off the couch. My name is Alison and I addicted to the couch. It's driving my husband nuts anyway. He got off the couch about 6 weeks ago and started running again. I say again because before we were married with kids, my husband and I ran together. We really enjoyed it. We had goals of 5Ks and 10Ks and I think we both did a 5K at some point but then we just stopped. I know how hard it is to just want to lay down and watch a good show and that is fine from time to time, but it has become my second job. Anything you can do for 5-6 hours straight is your second job. Plus my husband may leave me if I don't end this relationship. But I do love you couch, I promise it's not you, it's me.

Perspective- I need perspective. I don't know what the opposite of this word is. Let's call it un-perspective. I need to be able to handle disappointments and set backs a little better. I need to be able to dust myself off, say "Oh well that sucked," and move on. I can't do this. I am addicted to un-perspective. I need to dwell on things that went wrong. I need to focus on those things for days. I need those unhappy events to linger in my mind constantly robbing my present moments of happiness. Sounds crazy, right? Yes it is but I honestly don't' know any other way except to be more aware of this when it happens and make a conscious effort to move on. Maybe this is just a woman thing. I hope so, otherwise I seriously might be crazy.

I may try eating more salads. I'm not going to take this one too serious. It's just a suggestion for now. I live in the south, so salads around here are only served with biscuits and gray.

I know this may sounds like a New Years resolution and maybe it is in some ways, but why wait until New Years to try and change your life today? I want to be in each moment more. I want to look back at my life and actually remember events and details, not Kim and Kanyes break-up (cause you do know that is coming, right?). I think it's really difficult to live in this world today and try to focus on your life and happiness with so many distractions that have been incorporated. But if I could choose this life or being stranded on an island alone where all I had to do was focus on my self and happiness, I would choose this life any day. Besides, I doubt they have couches on an island.

Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.