Roach Soup:
Here’s a fabulous, flexible, and nutritious vegetarian soup recipe:
Start with the dried beans from 1 bag of 15-bean soup. (Throw the seasoning away…WAY too much sodium!)
Soak the beans overnight, OR cover the beans with water, bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and let sit at least an hour. Pour off the water, add more fresh water and simmer. (You can also use low-sodium vegetable broth.)
While the beans are simmering add your choice of veggies. Some of our favorites:
Fresh Roma tomatoes
Canned cubed tomatoes (you can get the low-sodium version)
Diced: Celery, green pepper, carrots, onions
Mushrooms
Spinnach (fresh or frozen)
Season to taste. We like these: Garlic, Mrs. Dash, curry powder, pepper blend
Try to avoid these veggies as they are very high in carbs:
Potatoes
Sweet Potatoes
Corn
Simmer until the beans and veggies are tender.
We used a big pot and a serving-size of 2 cups. Our pot made 11 servings at about 230 calories per serving. The protein and fiber make it very filling so you don’t get hungry very quickly.
And the following missive is from Coach Nicole, Orange Team: Great inspiration for all of us!
Last week I started telling you about What to Eat by Luise Light, .S., Ed.D. I summarized the first 5 guidelines, which are in line with what Jodi Smith (our nutritionist) told us during the past two weeks and are as follows:
1) Eat a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.
2) Eat whole-grain pasta, rice, breads, and cereals.
3) Eat certified organic foods.
4) Eat natural fats/avoid synthetic fats (trans fats)
5) Avoid refined starch and sugars.
The following is the next five guidelines as listed in Luise’s book:
6) Eat wild fish and meat and eggs from range-fed, antibiotic-and hormone-free animals. – Luise states that eating more protein and fewer carbohydrates may help you lose weight more efficiently. Toxins are stored in the fatty skin and tissues of animals (as they are in our bodies) so you will consume fewer toxins and fewer calories when you choose leaner protein foods. Wild fish from the sea are preferable to farm raised fish because they are less likely to contain heavy metals and pesticide residues.
7) Eat several good sources of calcium. – She states that good sources of calcium are milk or cheese, canned fish with soft bones, leafy greens such as kale, mustard greens, turnip tops, and bok choy, tofu (if made with calcium sulfate) and tortillas made with lime-processed corn. Read each ingredient and nutrition label to ensure that the foods provide at least 150mg of calcium per serving.
8) Avoid too much salt and salty foods. – Americans consume twice as much salt daily as is recommended by leading health experts. In Britain, American food manufacturers (Heinz, Kraft, McDonald’s) have reduced the sodium content of their foods in response to a government campaign to reduce sodium consumption by one-third. Why isn’t our government doing the same?
9) Avoid processed and additive-rich foods. – AVOID when possible Artificial food colors, Nitrates, Sulfites, MSG, Food preservatives, Synthetic flavors, food waxes, plastic packaging, heat-processed soy, and Genetically modified foods. The reasons are too numerous to list here, so read the book for more info.
10) Drink plenty of clean, filtered water. – Water is the most abundant essential substance your body needs. 70% of our bodies are made up of water, and all the chemical reactions continuously underway in our tissues and cells must take place in a watery environment. Don’t wait until you feel thirsty because that is a late signal of your body’s need for water replacement.
Other Health Promoting Habits Luise recommends:
Eat Moderate Portion Sizes
Exercise Daily
Get Enough Sleep
Use Fresh Herbs and Spices Often and Natural Supplements as Needed
Let’s keep our energy high for week 7…keep striving toward the goal!
namaste,
Wendy, John, Chris, Nicole, Laura, Tom, Vanessa, Sarah and George
