The Simplicity Diet

Before we start, let's talk about words. I've never liked the term “diet.” It often has negative connotations, especially this time of year when people sometimes make resolutions for the New Year in which they will go on a diet, lose weight, and eventually fall back into their former habits. In reality, diet simply means the collection of food that you eat, and that's the definition I will be using today.

That being said, Judah and I will be adopting a special diet for the month of January. Below, I'm going to explain what this diet is, where we heard of it, why we chose to do this, and what we hope to accomplish.

What is it?

So, we have been calling this diet “the simplicity diet” or “the seven diet.” (I'll explain the seven part later.) For one month, we will only be eating spinach, eggs, avocados, sweet potatoes, beans, rice, apples, milk, and dry seasonings. Dry seasonings includes salt, pepper, and other spices. It doesn't include sugar. I had to clarify this because I'm already having sugar cravings and was searching for loopholes… Oh, and we can use olive oil for cooking so we don't ruin our pans.

Where is this diet from?

This diet is adapted from Jen Hatmaker's “Seven: an Experimental Mutiny Against Excess.” (That's where the seven comes from.) In her book, she chronicles her experiments with simple living over the course of seven months. One month, she only eats seven foods. One month, she only wears seven articles of clothing. You get the idea. She worked with several nutritionists to come up with a diet that would still meet her nutritional needs, and we have modified it slightly. Instead of chicken, we are using beans (any kind), and instead of bread, we are using rice (brown or white). We are also allowing ourselves milk and seasonings.

Why did we choose this diet?

To us, this diet seemed like the perfect marriage of physical and spiritual life. Living on only a handful of ingredients is a lot like fasting. It's not quite as drastic as giving up all food for a day, but probably more effective than simply giving up chocolate. So while this diet may have similar spiritual effects to fasting, we are also cutting out sugar from our diet, and eating super nutrient-rich foods (which is important for this breastfeeding mama).

What do we hope to accomplish with this diet?

Probably the main thing we hope to accomplish is reprogramming the way we think about food. We live in a time and place where literally every kind of food we could possibly want is within our grasp, in abundance. Maybe even in excess. We eat junk, we aren't truly grateful for what we have, and we waste a lot. Our attitudes and habits need to change. Here are some of the specific goals we’re hoping to accomplish.

• Become less dependent on sugar.
• Become less dependent on convenience foods.
• Learn to use more creativity when cooking with simple, whole ingredients.
• Develop an appreciation for simplicity.
• Jumpstart a healthier lifestyle.
• Use this month as a time of fasting and prayer.

Some Final Thoughts

Here are some thoughts that Judah and I have had so far:

SOMEONE BRING ME COOKIES.

This dish needs cheese.

Is it February yet?

It’s going to be okay. (while eating sweet potato fries)

This would be so good with cheese.
Why am I eating leaves?
Oh, thank goodness for sweet potatoes.

Am I out of my mind? Probably.

This is going to be a long month...