Thursday, December 15, 2011

Watching that Weight in the Winter

After a major relapse in diet and lifestyle (no surprises there!), I am finally back on the wagon, where I want to eat and live healthy.  The first step is always the cleansing stage, and nothing better than soups, salads and juices to help you with that.  Of course, there is also exercise and meditation, and all that good stuff, but it’s always a good idea to start small, and if I start now, I might be able to reach a reasonable resolution by the end of the year, and actually make that in 2012.  We shall see…
I decided to go with soup for today, ‘cos it's easy and nutritious, thanks to all the fresh veggies we throw in.  My heart (or tongue, or tummy) is saying ‘Gazpacho’, so here goes:
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup yellow peppers
1 tbsp finely chopped cilantro
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
salt to taste
1 cup water
1/4 tsp red chilli powder (optional, for spiciness)




Throw in all the vegatables into a slow cooker, add water and let their goodness simmer and blend.
This colorful soup is packed with fiber, Vitamin A and anti-oxidants.  It is great to have hot or ice-cold and can be made in so many different ways by adding different vegetables, even roasted tomatoes for a subtle flavor, and you can add all kinds of herbs for variety.