Sometimes we make surprising discoveries when we find ourselves in a new environment, out of our usual routines.
Connie was recently on a trip to Utah and ended up modifying what she ate. She ended up not having any nut or seed dressings and no more than occasionally adding a few nuts or seeds to meals. What was surprising was how she shed a couple of pounds without any intention to do so.
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Going SOS-free (no added Salt, Oil or Sugar to dishes) has provided the needed ingredient for many of our clients, and Connie as well, to drop some stubborn pounds. This experience in Utah showed Connie that the amount of nuts and seeds she ate, although very little at home, was still enough to keep a few unneeded pounds on.
When we think about it, we never see animals in nature that are overweight. And their diet is exclusively whole food based. But the amount of fat and protein is really quite small compared to the amount that is available in a typical diet that we eat today.
Our ancient ancestors evolved with a whole food diet like everything else, and back then nuts and seeds were seasonal. Not only that, but in order to eat the nuts and seeds involved a lot of effort. They had to climb the trees and then break open the shells. It was an effort to get very much fat that way. But even these low levels of fat were plenty to keep them healthy.
With today's shelled nuts and seeds, as well as avocado, being available year round and requiring very little effort to eat lots of, it's no surprise that even eating Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) we can end up with some extra, unwanted pounds.
Give it a try. If you're looking to lose some stubborn pounds, see what happens if you drop dressings with oil or sautéing with oil. And if you've already done that, see what happens if you decrease your fat intake from nuts, seeds and avocado. You might be surprised. It's one of the easiest ways to continue losing excess weight.
And if you want to add what can be another boost to dropping unwanted pounds, drop the salt that's added to meals and recipes. It might take some time to adjust to the taste difference, but it can make a difference in easily losing weight and open the door to tasting the sweet flavors all food have.
The recipe is Greens & Beans. It's a great one dish meal and delicious.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Greens and Beans (Serves 2) adapted from Mary McDougall
- 1 onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or minced fine
- 1 cup filtered water or vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon chili paste
- 15 ounce can Butter Beans or Cannellini Beans, drained
- Large bunch of kale torn from stems and coarsely chopped
Place onion and garlic in a large pot with ¼ cup water or broth. Cook stirring frequently until onion and garlic soften.
Add remaining broth, chili paste and beans and bring to a boil. Then add the kale. cover and simmer 15 minutes or until kale is tender.
Note: When the dish was cooked, I added 1½ cups cooked brown rice, one zucchini and one yellow summer squash cut in medium pieces, and ½ cup raw cashews. This makes it a very filling one-dish meal.