Healthy Eating

About a month ago I promised to write out what I was doing that helped me lose 30 lbs, but I was so busy getting ready for my trip to Utah that I put it off till now. The kids are watching a movie and I feel like I have some time to write it out with some recipes too. ;)

So over the last couple years I've been reading books and articles on "Healthy Eating." There is so much controversy on different food groups and a lot of conspiracy theories on government and food. It's all pretty interesting.. I'm not as extreme as some of these people but I think it's wise to really pay attention to what we fuel our bodies with.

I was thinking how the Lord has said our bodies are a temple, so why am I killing myself with so much sugar and chemicals? A lot of the foods we eat are like poison and are slowly killing us. Sugar feeds cancer cells, helps them grow and weakens our immune system. Other foods such as bread and dairy, corn, soy, peanuts, and artificial sweeteners and sugar cause inflammation in our brain, our internal organs which causes us to feel bloated and "foggy minded" and just plain "weighed down." That was how I felt. I felt sick. I would get comments frequently from people asking when my baby was due? My baby, is almost 2.. (when these comments were being made) I'm not offended because who can blame them? I looked pregnant. The other thing was I was craving these foods constantly and I felt trapped. I'm sure there are some of you out there who could relate.. ;)

I decided that I wanted to change.. so I experimented with taking bread, corn, soy, sugar, peanuts, and dairy out of my diet. Within a week I lost 7 lbs! It was all inflammation! My belly went down my brain felt more sharp and I had a lot more energy. It's called the "virgin diet" if you are interested, look it up, it's a really good read and very informative. You go without those foods and then slowly introduce them back into your diet one at a time so you can figure out what your body disagrees with. Mike and I both have a hard time with Dairy and Wheat. So for the most part we've completely eliminated those foods out of our diet. We aren't super strict on it.. but 90% of our week has no wheat, dairy, or sugar in it.

Our diet consist of veggies, fruits, nuts, beans, brown rice, and chicken. It's sounds aweful... You should see the looks I get when I talk about it.. I felt the same way. I had that same "she is crazy" look on my face that you have on yours right now! haha.. but seriously, I love eating this way! It's very simple, less costly, and you learn to enjoy veggies! and I've learned to get creative.. I'm not a master chef but I'm slowly learning.. ;)

We also eat less meat and more beans and rice together.. brown rice that is.  It makes a perfect protein. This is something Mike and I decided to do on our own without reading a book or article on it. I'm sure there are some out there though. Mike lived on beans and rice on his mission in brazil and really enjoyed it. He asked me one night if we could do that a couple nights a week. So I made a crockpot full of Brazilian black beans made with no meat.. just seasonings and salt and we loved it so much, and we loved the way we felt afterwards that I asked Mike if he would be up for meatless dinners majority of the week. I was surprised that he was so excited and on board for it. I really love that he is super supportive of our healthy lifestyle. Even if it's no steak dinner, he treats our meals like they are the best thing he has ever eaten, and I am just so grateful, because it seems boring the way I cook. 

So what I do with the black beans and brown rice: I make taco salads.. lettuce, tomato, peppers, mushrooms, nuts, salsa and lime or lemon freshly squeezed over the lettuce for dressing with a pinch of salt, and avocado. We had this last night, it's one our go to meals and we love it!

I also make a black bean chili. I sauté in a pan, zucchini, onion and garlic, canned chopped tomatoes (just tomatoes, non of that added sugar crap), black beans from the crockpot, and chili seasonings of your choice, with extra garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper.. etc.. This takes me 10-15 min max. I also bake a sweet potato in the oven ahead of time on 425 degrees for about 45 min. I poke holes in the potato ahead of time. One potato feeds both mike and I. When it's done, I cut it in half, add coconut oil, salt and pepper, then I pour over the chili. I don't add sour cream or cheese.. but sometimes I chop up avocado on top. I serve these meals with added veggie. We love Asparagus! I wash one bunch of Asparagus, lightly coat it in olive oil on a baking sheet, salt and pepper them and put in the oven for about 10-13 min on 425 in the oven. They are the best! our kids who are soooooo picky devour them up! I do the same with Brussels sprouts except I cut them in half before baking them so that the oil and seasoning gets inside and give it's an extra crunchy texture. The thing to keep in min though, is to not over cook your veggies ever! You still want as much nutrients in them as possible and cooking them, makes them lose some of those. Just something to be aware of.

I should mention that our kids don't completely eat this way. Abigail will since she is so young.. but Grace and Michael, still like their bread and cheese.. which isn't terribly un healthy, but we are introducing them to more varieties of vegetables than just carrots and green peas and broccoli. So sometime I make them something different than what I make for Mike and I. I just give them a small portion of what we are having on their plate to try along with their "healthy chicken nuggets" and green peas.. haha.. They have really enjoyed beets and asparagus. Those are the favorites right now.

I've really felt inspired to teach our family to eat like this, to be more simple and to enjoy simple foods. I don't know why, but I feel very good inside that we are heading in the right direction this way. but aside from that, the results speak for themselves as far as our health goes. I've lost 30 lbs so far! Mike lost 30 lbs too! I've also gotten comments from strangers on how beautiful my skin and hair is. This lady from a health food store who is a big time homeopathic health specialist told me the other day that she could tell I was very healthy and that I ate healthy because of my skin. (I wasn't wearing makeup either) Which is a huge compliment because I think I look like death without makeup! ;) but those comments really inspire me to keep eating this way, because it's not just for weight loss, it's for a healthy body! I believe God requires us to take care of ourselves, so I think what ever it takes to help our bodies function at their best should be a top priority.. but with that said.. I still eat brownies and ice cream once in a while and I still go out to eat with people. It's all about balance in our lives. I am not an extremist, just more cautious these days. I am a read the food label addict though and really this way of life is super easy! Not the fastest.. but it can be easy! Banana's and almond butter are my favorite breakfast now, I eat a protein shake for lunch that I love! there are quick things out there! you just got to look, do some research.. and if you have more questions on where I get these things (because we also live by a budget) I will tell you all my secrets! ;)

oh, I also only workout 45-60 min a day. 20 min cardio and 30-45 min of ballet exercises. That might seem like a lot to some, but I started off with just 10 min cardio and 20  min of strength.. and was still losing weight like crazy! The secret really is food! I now eat to lose and maintain and exercise to strengthen myself. No  more exercising to lose weight and no  more 2 hours at the gym! :)

Hope you all have a nice day! Also, I will post more recipes as I go.. cause I was just thinking.. I have some other really good ones.. I just need to get them out!