Progress Is Being Made

Today is Day 37.  I started The Virgin Diet on June 25th and had no idea how much it would change me.  I look at food differently; I feel better; and I am beginning to look better.  As of today, I have lost 12.4 lbs.  It doesn't sound like much when I say it but when I rationalize it I am proud of my accomplishment.  I haven't noticed a lot of changes in my size, other than my shorts are sagging and I am able to wear a size smaller in pants.  Yay!  Out of curiosity, I decided to take a selfie today and compare it to a picture of me from the beginning of the summer.  I was really surprised when I looked at the side by side.  Here it is.........

 

 

I still have quite a ways to go but I feel I am well on my way.  This excites me!

Balsamic Chicken

I saw this recipe on Facebook and thought it sounded wonderful.  With a few tweaks and additions it turned out delicious.  As you all know, I am Soy intolerant so Chinese food it out of the question for me.  Imagine my surprise when I tasted this chicken and it resembled a more robust sweet 'n sour chicken.  No, there isn't any fruit or sugar or corn syrup.  It is just good clean ingredients.  I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as my family did.

Balsamic Chicken

2 tsp. Garlic Powder
2 tsp. Dried Basil
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
3 tsp. Dehydrated Onion
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Tbs. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 c. Balsamic Vinegar
8 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
2 Packets Stevia or Splenda
2 Tbs. Arrowroot or Corn Starch dissolved in 1/4 c. water, for thickening

Directions:
Mix together garlic powder, basil, salt, pepper, and onion in a shallow dish.  Coat both sides of chicken with spices.  Put olive oil and minced garlic in crock pot.  Lay seasoned chicken over top.  Sprinkle any remaining spices over top.  Pour balsamic vinegar over top of chicken.  Cook on High for 4 hours.  Place chicken pieces on a serving platter.  Pour liquid from crock pot into a small saucepan.  Add sweetener of choice and heat to boil.  Whisk in the thickening solution and continue to cook on high until liquid has thickened into a sauce.  Once thickened, pour over chicken and serve.

I served this with brown jasmine rice and it was wonderful.  Just add a salad and enjoy!!!

Comfort Food Virgin Style

Last night I was really wanting to eat "normal".  You know, like I did back in the good ole days before I decided that "Eating to Live" was way more important than "Living to Eat".  I wanted the old flavors but I didn't want to destroy all the progress I have made.  So, I figured out a way to accomplish both my goals.

This was my dinner menu:

Hot Dogs
Pan Fried Sweet Potatoes
Baked Beans

......and this is how I did it......

For the hot dogs, I bought Applegate uncured grass-fed beef hot dogs.  I could not find gluten-free (GF), egg-free (EF) hot dog buns, so I used a slice of GF, EF, millet bread from my local health food store.  I topped my dog with sugar-free ketchup and mustard.

The pan fried sweet potatoes are my new favorite.  I melted about 3 TB of coconut oil in a pan, then added 3 sliced sweet potatoes and 1 diced onion.  Then, I generously sprinkled them with sea salt and black pepper and fried until the sweet potatoes were soft and browned.


The baked beans have been a work in progress but I think I finally nailed it last night.  Here is the recipe:

Baked Beans

2 cans Organic Pinto Beans, drained*
3 TB water**
1 small Onion, finely diced
1 TB Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 c. Sugar Free Ketchup
1 tsp. Chili Powder
1 1/2 tsp. Garlic Salt
1 tsp. Paprika
2 tsp. Honey
2 tsp. Coconut Sugar
Dash of All Spice

Directions:
Mix all ingredients and put in baking dish.  Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

*I used canned pintos which are still harder than we like for our baked beans.  Cook them first on the stove top to your desired softness, then drain and add the ingredients. 

**I add water to add moisture back for baking.  You can use some of the pinto juice if you prefer.  We like the flavor of the tomato from the ketchup to be stronger, that is why I drain all of the bean juice which tends to overpower the ketchup.

So, who knew soy was so evil? Not me.....until NOW!

My relationship with soy wasn't one I thought much about.  Before I started The Virgin Diet I didn't even know all the places this stuff was hiding.  If you had asked me before, "Do you eat a lot of soy?"  I probably would have answered, "Well, not a lot. I eat Chinese food, sushi, and edamame on occassion."  I didn't drink soy milk, eat tofu, or eat any of that funky textured vegetable protein you find in the freezer section at the grocery store.  This was one of those items that I thought would be easy to give up, if necessary.

As I reintroduced soy to my diet on Tuesday, I found that this stuff is evil (at least it is evil to me).  I drank my normal protein shake Tuesday evening, only this time I made it with soy milk versus my normal almond or coconut milk.  Well, within 1 hour I had my first headache in about 4 weeks.  Hmmm?  Was it a coincidence or were they connected.  I decided to try it again the next day.  On Wednesday morning I made myself another protein shake with soy milk.  You guessed it; within 1 hour I had a headache.  I took some Ibuprofen and it didn't help at all.  Later at lunch, I had Ahi Tuna with about 2 TB teriyaki sauce.  Within 30 minutes my head felt like it would explode.  I had a full blown migraine and my stomach had started hurting.  This was a major complication because I was in Ormond Beach and needed to drive Kaylea and myself home that afternoon.  I knew the road trip wasn't going to be pretty when I had to stop to use the bathroom before I even got to the interstate.  I won't scar you with all the nasty details of my trip, but needless to say, it was ugly and I had to stop in DeBary and get a room for the night.  There was no way I could make it through Orlando rush hour traffic feeling the way I did.

So, the moral to my story is absolutely NO MORE SOY for me.  I know many of you are probably thinking, "So what's the big deal? Just don't eat Chinese and sushi, that's not hard."  And if those were the only foods I ate that contained soy, you would be correct.  The problem is that soy is in many more things.  It is one of those genetically modified foods that is overly processed and put into almost every processed food out there.  Just to humor me, look at the ingredient list on 10 processed foods in the grocery store and see how many contain some type of soy.  I'm telling you they hide this stuff everywhere.

P.S.  After 31 days I have lost 11.8 lbs

Hola! Un Delicioso Arroz Con Pollo

Yes, friends, dinner was amazing.  I found this recipe for Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken and Rice) on Pinterest.  Talk about comfort food, wow this is it!  I remember my Mom making chicken and rice for Sunday dinner when I was little.  It was always a favorite and one of my frequent requests.  I figured this was a dish I would have to say farewell to.  Mom always used the pre-seasoned yellow rice mix which  I knew was off limits due to the artificial junk in the seasoning mix.  Also, I really need to eat healthier brown rice varieties.  So, when I saw this recipe I thought I would give it a try.

Imagine my shock when I tasted my dinner tonight and it was as good as Mom's (dare I say it was better...shhhhh!)

The only adjustments I made to the recipe were:

1.  It needs salt and pepper (and according to Barry, some Texas Pete), add to taste
2.  I used brown jasmine rice
3.  I stewed my chicken ahead of time versus letting it cook in the rice (I used one boneless chicken breast and 2 thighs)

Next time I make this I will double the recipe. You see, it was all eaten and Kaylea wanted more, and more, and more.


Oh, and I was in the mood for some type of dessert so I made baked peaches.

I didn't have a recipe, so I just made up something.  Basically, I peeled and split 2 peaches.  Put them in an 8 x 8 pan.  Put 1 teaspoon of Earth Balance Soy Free "butter", 1 teaspoon coconut sugar, and a dash of cinnamon on top of each peach half.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

They hit the spot.

All together I think dinner was a huge success!

The Jury Is Still Out on Gluten

Today was my third day of reintroducing Gluten into my diet.  The first meal on the first day didn't set well on my stomach and I thought for sure it was going to be permanently out of my diet.  I tried again the second day and didn't have any stomach issues.  Then, again today, I had no stomach issues.  The only side effect has been my energy level is at ZERO.  I have done nothing but sleep for the past two days and nights.

I guess the conclusion I have come to is this, I can eat Gluten if I have the time to sleep it off for a day or so.  I think I will mostly try to avoid it.  This will be one of those foods that gets grouped with corn, peanuts, and sweeteners.  I will eat it in extreme moderation.

Let the Reintroductions Begin

Why Hello, Gluten.  How nice to see you again!  (At least I am saying that this morning)

Yes, friends.  Today is Day 22 which is an exciting day for many reasons. 

First, I survived the Elimination Phase where I totally removed gluten, soy, dairy, eggs, corn, peanuts, and sweeteners from my diet.  Yes, it can be done and I have survived to tell about it.

Second, today I begin the Reintroduction Phase.  First up is Gluten.  I don't really know what to expect when I eat it again.  Will it send me running for the hills?  Will I feel its wrath tomorrow when I get out of bed?  Will it be a rekindled friendship?  I just don't know.

Third, today was my Week 3 weigh in and I have lost 9.4 lbs.  I feel like this is a healthy pace and I am pleased.

Stay tuned...and wish me luck!


P.S.  Dinner tonight will be Fish Tacos - ON A FLOUR TORTILLA!!!!!!