Food For Diet Minded People

Got DIET on the mind?  Are you sick of having to think about dieting again?  Here is some brain food for diet minded people.  This is what I have learned after YEARS of dieting… 

1.       Don’t need it!  If I am going on a diet that means I am coming off a diet.  And if I come off a diet the weight will soon follow me.

2.       Influencing the way I see myself.  Why is it that so many people let the scale tell them how to feel about themselves?  If I wake up and the scale tells me I am down 5 pounds I jump for joy… but if the scale tells me I gained a pound I walk away defeated. 

3.       Enough already!  Have you been on every diet known to man and even a few diets more than once?  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  When is losing the weight just to gain it back again going to go OUT OF STYLE instead of being the norm.

4.       Time OUT!  Taking a timeout and becoming aware of what it going on between my ears, allowed me to create a lifestyle that has kept me healthy and thin for years.  It isn’t a pill or a quick fix or special food for diet minded people… It is about getting a LIFE you can live with that has the side effect of losing weight and more importantly being healthy for life!

If you would have told me I didn’t need food for diet to work but just needed to change some habits in my life, I probably would have told you that I am more interested in a quick fix and fitting into that really little dress I am planning on wearing at a wedding.  My motivations were always based on my physical appearance.  After I lost my mom to breast cancer my perception on dieting changed dramatically and I was no longer concerned with how I looked, I was concerned about living past the age of 45.  I was worried about seeing my future children grow up and growing really OLD with my high school sweetheart.  My mom missed my wedding the birth of my children and so much more.  She only needed 2 more years to see these things happen.  I hope you will take a look at your motivations to diet and create a why that will allow you to make some changes in your lifestyle that will have the side effect of looking great, but more importantly, allow you to regain your health.  I only surround myself with like minded people that want to join me in a lifestyle I can live with, not a D.I.E.T. that will kill me.

The Best Healthy Meals I Have Ever Tasted

It smells like hot chocolate and Christmas cookies everywhere I go.  It would be one thing if I only had Christmas cookies in my house but they are everywhere!  When I walk into the bank, at school, at friends homes… there really is no place to hide from the sweet smell of Christmas cookies.  This tradition has been in families for generations.  We make a large abundance of cookies and share them with others that in return give us more cookies and it goes on and on.  If only that loving gift didn’t show up later on our doctors report or on our backsides we would say thank you with a big smile on our faces.  The holidays last for almost 3 months out of the year… every year… and if we continue to carry that 1 or 2 pounds we get each year after 5 years we are looking back wonder what happened. 

I learned the hard way about how important my health is.  I lost my mom to breast cancer when she was only 45 years old.  Through that experience I learned that certain traditions no matter how comfortable and delicious they may be are not worth risking my health over.   The best healthy meals are the ones that are loaded with flavor and loaded with nutrients as well.  NOW WAIT a minute I am not talking about carrot sticks and celery here.  I am talking about the best healthy meals I have ever tasted!  I want to share my favorite holiday dish that will make you come back and beg for more! And it’s so simple…

Roasted Root Vegetables

3-4 medium carrots, peeled
3-4 medium parsnips, peeled
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled
1 medium rutabaga, peeled
2-3 medium potatoes
1 large sweet onion, peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped (1/2 tbsp dried)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped (1/2 tsp dried)
1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped (1/2 tsp dried)
Reserve some fresh or dried herbs for garnish
 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut all of the vegetables into 3/4 inch cubes or wedges so that they will all cook in the same amount of time. Place all of the vegetables in a large bowl. Add the olive oil, herbs, sea salt and black pepper, and toss to coat the vegetables evenly. Add contents to a large casserole dish or baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, until the vegetables are tender, caramelized and slightly crispy along the edges. Turn the mixture once throughout cooking time.  Remove from the oven and garnish with additional herbs before serving.

I don’t want to give all our secrets in one blog so enjoy!  This is one of the best healthy meals for the holidays or any day that I have ever had!