It's Not A Diet

       A few years ago Melanie (my amazing little sister) had her adorable and wild son Matthew. After recovering from the birth and getting back to work she sent out a plea - the baby weight needed to go and she didn't want to do it alone. I was out clothes shopping when her text dinged. I took one look at the offer, one last look in the dressing room mirror and eagerly responded "when can we start?!" BEST. DECISION. EVER. One of the first things I did was call up a good friend of mine who is a personal trainer and asked about diets. She told me not to go with any of the diets, but instead change the way I look at food. She steered me towards Tosca Reno and her popular Eat Clean Diet. She immediately added "It's NOT a diet! It's a way of life." If you haven't checked this out yet, you should! The biggest most important message is about moving towards whole grains and natural healthy foods and cutting out processed foods full of sugars and empty calories. This means smarter shopping and more home cooked meals - and as my friend added "only treat yourself once a month" so no more packaged or fast foods. This "diet" is surprisingly easy, very satisfying, good for the whole family, and honestly a bit of an adventure! I didn't realize how many basic foods I've never even tried. Trying new rice alternatives opened up so many options I just wasn't familiar cooking with - and I have so many favorites! Here is a favorite from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook:

MAUI BLACK BEAN SOUP 

In a large skillet, heat 2T olive oil over medium heat. Add 2 ribs of celery (coarsely chopped), 1 fat carrot (peeled and chopped), 1 small purple onion (peeled and chopped), and 1 red and 1 green bell pepper (cleaned and chopped). Sauté until onion becomes translucent, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cloves of garlic (through a garlic press), 1 tsp. dried cumin, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp chili powder. Cook another 2 minutes. Add 4 cups stock, 2 (15 oz) cans of black beans, and 1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20 minutes. Using a blender, purée soup to desired consistency (some chunks are nice so don't blend 100% without trying it first.) Add 1 cup fresh corn and let simmer another 5 minutes. Serves 8