As some of you know, this blog is about getting more fit, being healthier, etc. To save some of you from having to go back and read, I quit a very stressful job in August 2021 and went back to the floor to work. I wanted to get healthier: cardiovascular/physical health, mental health, the whole shebang. That’s one of the reasons I started hiking. It seemed like something I could do and enjoy.
At this point however, I really need to do something about my diet. I feel like I know too much about diets, and not enough about what is right for me. There is a LOT of information out there! I have a couple of favorite diets, but I really wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing for me. So, I emailed my doctor. I asked her what the best was. I’ve done paleo and primal, low cal/low fat, low carb, and I have read up on the Mediterranean and plant-based diets. Her answer: Do the diet you can sustain.
Don’t you just hate it when somebody makes sense, and so simply?
She did tell me to limit processed carbs (flour, sugar, etc.) as well, which makes sense to me. I thought about what kind of food I enjoyed the most and how easy it would be to sustain. For me, this is a low-carb diet. I love the food! I get happy when I’m shopping. I get colorful, vibrant vegetables and love to experiment with new recipes. An added plus is that I poop much better as well (Hey, I’m a nurse! We talk about poop!) My doctor also encouraged me to do intermittent fasting, which I have been doing for a while now.
I went to the store today with chicken enchiladas in mind. Since I’m trying to avoid processed carbs, I went for the paleo tortillas. I’ve tried many kinds in the past, but paleo foods have been advancing a lot recently. I got a couple of kinds to test them out – one made with pumpkin seeds, and one made with almond flour. The almond flour tortillas are higher in carbs, but they’re good-for-you carbs, and I have had little carbohydrates today. I also got enchilada sauce made locally (and with excellent ingredients!) and started making the enchiladas.
I like a lot of flavors, so I added spices to the (cooked) chicken mix, fresh onions, canned green chilis and jalapenos, and some black olives. My husband like the more traditional corn tortillas, so I made half of the batch with those and then the rest with my two types of non-traditional tortillas.
I apologize for the next picture – I didn’t think about getting a picture until we had eaten…
Am I extra liberal with cheese? Yes. I like it like that. My friends, these enchiladas were fabulous! So flavorful! The onions weren’t all the way cooked through, giving a nice crunch. The sauce was wonderful, and the tortilla shells worked just fine. Of course, it’s hard to go wrong when they’re smothered like that.
So, I may post about food sometimes. This is my journey to becoming healthier, and food/diet is a part of that. I know some people say, “It’s not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.” Yeah, well… it’s a diet if I’m not eating everything I want. Haha! But I’m determined to enjoy it to the fullest. Kind of like life in general.
The Happy Viking 