My husband, Travis, and I have kicked off 2013 with a resolution to be healthy... Sound familiar? Yes, because that's what we seem to say every year now that our metabolism has slowed down to a mid-twenties pace. I've reached the conclusion that those few pounds of "water weight" that never seem to move on might be here to stay. Fortunately our church, theNorthGate, started a series about the Daniel Fast, which is a cleanse that focuses on your mind, body, and spirit. You are to refrain from meat, dairy, preservatives, sugar, and anything that did not originate from the earth for a whole 21 days. At first this seemed like an impossible task. However, we have made it over half-way through already and are still going strong. It is amazing how much you learn about your body when you detox from things that add no nutritional value to your diet. I have more energy and feel great. I know I will not be able to stick to such a strict menu forever. (I miss an occasional Starbucks Mocha!) However, Travis and I have decided to try to eat as healthy as possible once it ends. You would be surprised at some of the delicious meals you can have while eating "clean". Here are a few of our recent favorites.
Garlic Cilantro Fries
Quinoa and Black Bean Chili
Creamy Avocado Pasta
If you want to give "Clean Eating" a try, these are a few good recipes to test out. The cons of this cleanse are, of course, the preparation. You have to do a lot of cleaning and chopping, not to mention cooking from (basically) scratch most of the time. Another con is that you have to scour nutritional labels for any unfamiliar ingredients (I did a lot of Googling during my shopping trips). However, the pros, besides the fact that you feel better overall, are that once you learn what different ingredients are, (preservatives, vitamins, sugar) it is not as tedious and is quite educational. It is also not as expensive as one might think. In fact, Aldi carries many foods that work! For instance, many of the canned vegetables at Aldi do not contain any preservatives and are only $0.43. Now that's a price anyone can handle! If you would like any more info on any of the things I've mentioned, let me know! I will send you some helpful links! Here is an easy tortilla recipe that is quick, healthy, and tastes better than pre-packaged tortillas that are stuffed with preservatives!
Whole Wheat Tortillas
Ingredients:
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 cup warm water
Preparation:
1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil and stir until well-combined.
3. Add warm water 1 TBSP at a time until mixture starts to pull
away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead dough on floured board for about 3 minutes (20 folds)
5. Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes (this is called resting)
6. Roll dough into the shape of a sausage (cut in half, then in
half again, then each part into thirds) and shape into
little balls.
7. With a rolling pin, roll each little ball into a tortilla
(about the size of a pancake). For best results, roll out
from the center and outward.
8. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas in a dry, stick-free pan
for about 30 seconds on each side for soft tortillas- or
longer for crisp tortillas.
9. Keep tortillas warm by placing them in a tortilla holder or wrap in a kitchen towl.
Yields 12 tortillas
1. Mix flour and salt in a bowl.
2. Add olive oil and stir until well-combined.
3. Add warm water 1 TBSP at a time until mixture starts to pull
away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Knead dough on floured board for about 3 minutes (20 folds)
5. Allow dough to rest for 15 minutes (this is called resting)
6. Roll dough into the shape of a sausage (cut in half, then in
half again, then each part into thirds) and shape into
little balls.
7. With a rolling pin, roll each little ball into a tortilla
(about the size of a pancake). For best results, roll out
from the center and outward.
8. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Fry the tortillas in a dry, stick-free pan
for about 30 seconds on each side for soft tortillas- or
longer for crisp tortillas.
9. Keep tortillas warm by placing them in a tortilla holder or wrap in a kitchen towl.
Yields 12 tortillas
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