Eating Clean

The importance of eating clean is a common theme on X-Weighted. If you've spent years relying on processed foods for sustenance, the idea of changing your diet to a more natural one can be a daunting prospect. The book "Clean Food", by holistic health counselor and food educator Terry Walters, is a fantastic resource for those who want to learn what clean eating is, and how to do it. Not only are there delicious and healthful recipes, organized by the season and what should be available at each time of year, but the book is also filled with wisdom and guidance. Walters has very kindly given us permission to share with you her ways to improve health and well-being, as published in the book:

While the concepts below may seem simple, the cumulative effect of ignoring them creates excess stress on the body, contributes to acidity and becomes the basis of imbalance and disease. I find that life has a way of pulling me away from these ideals, and an occasional review is a helpful way to get back on track.

1. Chew, Chew, Chew! The more you chew the slower you eat, the more digestive enzymes you secrete, the less stress on your digestive organs, the more nutrients you absorb from your food, the more easily you eliminate…I’ve known people to shed pounds simply by increasing their chewing.

2. Practice Good Habits. Take the time to sit down when you eat so you have more energy for proper digestion and nutrient absorption. We also need to eat regular meals to fuel our metabolism and daily activities. The more we practice good habits, the more automatic they become and the better an example we set for our children and others.

3. Stop Eating Three Hours Before Bedtime. Digestion is directly linked to movement and exercise. When we sleep, everything slows down – including our digestive functions. If you go to sleep with food in your belly, your mind may sleep, but your body works overtime all night long. Over the long term this regimen makes the body weak, out of balance and less able to maintain good health.

4. Don’t Buy It If You Don’t Want to Eat It. It’s much easier to have strength and willpower once (in the grocery store) than every time you open up your cupboard! Do yourself a favor – fill your kitchen with nourishing foods so that you can’t help but make a healthy choice.

5. Color + Taste = Balance. A balanced diet includes a full spectrum of color (not just white) and all five tastes: SWEET, SOUR, SALTY, PUNGENT, and BITTER. Go for variety and start adding tastes and colors that have been missing from your palette. Make sure to put extra emphasis on green – the color of healing.

6. Listen To and Honor Your Body. At the end of the day, as you rummage through the kitchen looking for the perfect snack to fill that elusive need, ask yourself, “Am I hungry or thirsty, or do I need connection, touch, an emotional outlet, some pampering or sleep?” Answer these questions instead of reaching for the snack and discover how to truly nourish and nurture your inner self. Sometimes a massage, a foot bath, time alone with a journal or early to bed will do the trick; other times a bite of chocolate is simply the only answer!

7. Change Slowly. Go easy on your body, your lifestyle and even your sense of taste. Too big a jump from processed to unprocessed foods can bring uncomfortable side effects. Changes made too quickly can put added stress on the body and are more likely to backfire. Gradual changes allow your body and your life to adapt more easily and are more likely to be long lasting.

8. Make Peace with Your Food and Your Choices. Ultimately, life is just a series of choices – one at a time. Every choice nourishes some part of us – whether physical or emotional. The goal is to accurately identify the need and then nourish it as best as possible. The more ways we have to nourish ourselves, the less we use (and misuse) food, and the happier and healthier we can be.

9. Let Go. It’s just food, after all. What you see isn’t always what you get, and we can’t make good choices unless we have good information. But overemphasis on food and diet isn’t healthy either. Don’t let the food control you. Put it in a healthy place, and nourish yourself lavishly with all that life has to offer.

The book also has an amazing collection of recipes, to suit all levels of skill in the kitchen. Here are 2 recipes from the book for you to try:

Quinoa Pilaf with Toasted Nuts and Seeds

This recipe comes together quickly whether you’re making it from scratch or doctoring up leftover quinoa (which is how this recipe originally came to be.) Marinated onions are available in many natural food and gourmet stores and are even starting to make regular appearances in the cheese department of many conventional grocery stores. If you can’t find them, substitute red onions. For variety, add fresh herbs, your favorite roasted vegetables or soaked and drained arame.

1 cup quinoa

1 ½ cups water or vegetable stock

¼ cup currants

½ cup marinated or roasted cipollini onions, quartered

¼ cup diced fennel

¼ cup toasted pumpkin seeds

¼ cup toasted sunflower seeds

¼ cup toasted sliced almonds

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro or flat parsley

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 teaspoons ume plum vinegar

Rinse and drain quinoa and place in pot with water or stock. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until all water is absorbed (about 15 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes. Fluff with wooden spoon. Gently fold in currants, onions, fennel, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, almonds and cilantro or parsley. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and stir to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

SERVES 6

Golden Split Pea Soup

This beautiful, golden, high-protein soup gets better and better the longer it simmers on your stove. Serve it alone, over basmati rice or with a side of leafy greens for a satisfying and simple meal.

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

4 garlic cloves, minced

4 stalks celery, diced

4 carrots, diced

2 cups chopped tomatoes

1 potato, peeled and diced

¼ cup mirin

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

½ teaspoon powdered mustard

4 cups golden split peas

10 cups water

½ teaspoon sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

In large soup pot over medium heat, sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add celery and carrots and sauté another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, potato, mirin, vinegar and mustard and stir to combine. Rinse and drain split peas and add to pot along with remaining ingredients. Bring soup to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer at least 4 hours, adding water as needed to thin. Remove bay leaf and serve.

Note: For a smoother texture, lightly puree soup with handheld blender before serving.

SERVES 8

This post is a repeat, but look forward to more original content to come in the future.