Hallelujah Diet Challenges
Won't Stop Your Success!

Hallelujah Diet challenges are similar to the challenges faced by anyone who turns from the standard American diet to healthy eating.

But with prayer, knowledge and support, these challenges can be overcome and you will soon be on your way to Hallelujah Health!

Am I doing it right?

The first Hallelujah Diet challenge is learning an entirely new way of eating. Most of us were brought up on the SAD meat and potatoes diet, eating cooked food for all 3 meals.

Others are being brought up in the fast food generation. If you don't drive through for your food, you pop it out of a box or bag and into the microwave.

To overcome this challenge, you need INFORMATION. And information is readily available free here and at hacres.com , the website of Hallelujah Acres.

Hallelujah Acres' website is full of information for you. Hacres.com offers all of the information you need on-line at no charge. Few diet websites can boast that!

If you can't find what you are looking for, please do contact me here or at the hacres.com forums.

Buying equipment- what do I buy first?

For many, the unfamiliar kitchen appliances and tools can be a Hallelujah diet challenge.

Juicers, blenders, food processors, dehydrators- what do you buy first??

The answer to that question is, "It depends". Let me explain...

It depends on why you chose to follow the diet. Are you currently fighting cancer or some other health issue? Are you basically healthy but looking for protection against future diseases?

If you are currently ill, spend your money on a good juicer. Getting those fresh, enzyme-rich juices straight to the cellular level is your priority.

You can 'skimp' on the blender by buying it from a department store and then upgrade when you can. Same for the food processor. And you can definitely get by without a dehydrator.

If you are healthy now and looking to stay that way, the choice is yours and really depends on your lifestyle. And whether you have a family joining you in this.

If you have a family to feed, you will definitely need to invest in high quality equipment so it will last.

I use my juicer and my Vitamix daily. I use my food processor a few times a week. I would use it more if I prepared more raw dishes other than salads. But I keep my daily diet pretty simple- green smoothies, salads, juices.

While I seldom use my dehydrator, I definitely do not want to part with it. When time allows, I do like it to make some of the fantastic Hallelujah Diet recipes.

A note about food dehydrators: if you are going to purchase one, you really can't skimp on that. You need to have a food dehydrator that has controlled temperatures so you don't dehydrate above 110 degrees. So, if you can't afford the best, don't buy one at all. You are just wasting your money.

The bottom line is, if you are healthy, buy one high quality item- the juicer, the food processor or the blender and skimp on the other two. Then, eventually replace your cheap equipment with the best.

It's hard to find fresh fruits and vegetables.

A major Hallelujah diet challenge is finding decent fresh fruits and vegetables. This challenge is more common in rural areas or smaller cities.

I live in a city with a population of 12,000 and within 10 miles of a city of 36,000. So, even though this is consider small, I am still able to purchase enough to meet my needs and often enough to keep things fresh.

But, if you face this challenge, there are a few things you might be able to do to overcome it.

Grow your own.

Gardening is becoming quite creative nowadays! There is raised bed gardening, container gardening, 'Topsy-turvey' gardening and aerogardening. Ann Wigmore, a raw food pioneer, grew her own food while living in a New York city apartment!

Join a CSA (commnunity-supported agriculture) farm and buy a share of their garden produce.

CSAs are increasing in popularity. And there are CSAs even in the cities! If you can't find one in your city, look in the rural areas. Check here for CSAs in the USA.

Form a buying club in your area and speak with your store's produce manager.

Local demand is what dictates the produce your store carries. Most stores will order case lots of produce for you if asked. Share it with your buying club. Be sure to be dependable in picking it up, though, so the store isn't stuck with food they can't sell.

Frequent farmers' markets when in season.

For the freshest and the best, become a regular at your farmers' markets. The more people buy, the more farmers will join in to sell.

I need to eat 85% RAW food?!

Getting used to raw foods and the 85% raw foods portion is definitely a Hallelujah diet challenge for the typical SAD eater. But you can do it!

Depending on your current state of health, you can transition into eating more raw foods. Here are a few ideas:

• Being by making one meal a raw food meal. Breakfast can be fresh fruit, eating until you are satisfied. Or make lunch a large salad.
• Add a salad to the beginning of your lunch and evening meal.
• Have only fruit for dessert.

Increase your fiber intake gradually to avoid digestive problems such as bloating and excess gas.

The best book you can own for transitioning onto the Hallelujah Diet is "Recipes for Life from God's Garden" written by Rhonda Malkmus. Not only are there great recipes for both the raw and cooked portions of the diet, it is loaded with information on how to do the diet.

In this book is a 4-column page listing the ideal diet, the transitional diet and foods to be avoided for all food categories. If you have this book, use this page to make a transitioning game plan.

How do I prepare a raw foods diet?

This is definitely a Hallelujah diet challenge. Going from three cooked or processed meals a day to 85% raw can be overwhelming.

Having Rhonda's book would be a great start to success. The recipes are easy, every-day kind of food prep.

Use caution when browsing the web for good raw recipes. There are definitely plenty out there.

The problem you may run into is trying so many recipes out you can't get out of the kitchen! Then you end up thinking that the Hallelujah Diet is too time-consuming.

Don't create what doesn't need to be a Hallelujah diet challenge. Believe me, I have been there!

What about the 15% cooked portion?

A couple of questions come up when talking about the Hallelujah diet challenge of the 15% cooked food portion- what can you eat cooked and how do you measure the 15%?

You can eat any food cooked as long as you don't eat the foods excluded from the Hallelujah Diet.

15% is measured as a portion of your daily intake. The best way to stay within your 15% is to limit cooked food to one portion, such as a serving of vegan chili, or a baked sweet potato. Or perhaps a serving of homemade vegetarian soup.

Generally, if you are losing too much weight, weight beyond your ideal weight, increase your cooked food portion. Conversely, if you are gaining undesired weight, reduce your cooked portion. This is just a general guideline.

How do I stay Hallelujah-true while on the road?

Going on vacation can be a Hallelujah diet challenge!

If you are going on vacation, here are the Hallelujah Diet basic essentials you should take:

• BarleyMax
• CarrotJuiceMax
• B-Flax-D
• WaterMax
• A teaspoon for the BarleyMax
• A tablespoon for the CarrotJuiceMax.
• A quarter-cup measuring cup for the B-Flax-D
• A shaker cup for mixing and drinking

What about dining out?

Dining out can be a real Hallelujah diet challenge! Unless you live in a metropolitan area where there are raw food or better restaurants.

But, there are more and more restaurants offering vegetarian if not vegan options. And more are offering salads or salad bars. But, unfortunately, there is a lot of room for improvement.

When dining out, planning ahead is the key to overcoming this challenge. Forget the fast food restaurants. It is practically impossible to find anything healthy there!

For planning ahead, look at the restaurant choices you do have and then go on-line to check out the menus. This will give you time to see what is available and whether you will need to modify your order.

For example, the last time I went out to eat for a large family celebration, I went online beforehand and looked at the menu. I saw that I could easily modify a fresh dinner salad into a vegan one by asking the waitstaff to 'hold' things like the chicken, cheese, etc.

Then, I saw steamed vegetables as a side dish. I knew I could order that in addition to my salad. So, I psyched myself up for that meal, looking forward to delicious food and a great time with my family.

My family won't eat this way.

And speaking of family, what if you have no support? This is perhaps the biggest Hallelujah diet challenge causing many to fail.

Being the only one in your family to want to eat to be healthy can make you feel sad and lonely. It can also make you angry, especially if you are struggling with health challenges and know that the Hallelujah Diet is the answer for you.

The most effective way to overcome this frustrating Hallelujah diet challenge is to pray. And continue to pray. You can follow the Hallelujah Diet even when you are living with a SAD-eating family.

It is really like being the only Christian in the family. You certainly not going to convert your family through force and you're not going to let your family force you out of your Christian beliefs!

You can choose to handle the Hallelujah diet in the same way. Eat the way you need to while continuing to feed your family the way they are used to, making some healthy adjustments to their diet here and there.

If you keep your food preparation simple, you can succeed. Your awesome testimony of healing and health will speak more loudly to your family than your nagging them about their need to change their diet.

Keep it all in front of the Lord in prayer and He will be faithful to answer.

Help, I need support!

Lack of support is a huge Hallelujah diet challenge. Fortunately, with the increasing awareness of the need to eat healthier diets and the Internet, support can be nearby and accessible.

Here are a few ideas for you for support.

• Find a friend who is interested in going on the Hallelujah Diet with you.
• Call Hallelujah Acres to see if there is a health minister in your area.
• Join in on the Hallelujah Acres forums.
• Stay tuned to my-health-minister.com for on-line support being developed!

I keep falling off the diet. I have no willpower.

Staying committed to the Hallelujah Diet, or any diet in general, requires determination. If you are determined, your willpower comes naturally.

Keep focused on why you are on the Hallelujah Diet. Write your reasons down and read them every morning and every evening.

If you fall off, get right back on. It does get easier. Soon it will become your natural way for eating.

And always begin with prayer. God is there and will strengthen you for this lifestyle if you ask Him.

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