Caution: Before you read this post you should know that it’s a very self-absorbed, shallow, and possibly dramatic articulation of my recent weight-gain.
I’ve gained 15 pounds in the span of 1 year (pause and gasp for dramatic effect). It’s sad, but true. I blame it on the nut butter obsession that I’ve acquired, but the rest of the world is telling me that it is due to old age …I’m 28. People are just mean. Apparently, your metabolism slows down when you get “older”. Why didn’t anyone tell me this?! I suppose this means that I can’t eat half a jar of nut butter in one sitting anymore, and unless I want to look like I could birth a baby whale, I can’t eat 3 helpings of pasta for dinner. What’s even more depressing is that gone are the days that I could fall asleep with a smile on my face after eating 2 slices of pie! Instead, a worried expression will take over my face whilst a dark cloud of impending doom illuminates the prospect of chubby cheeks. I mean these are the terrors that will manifest my thoughts before bed. That’s not a happy or healthy way to live so drastic measures must be taken. Therefore, I have started my first diet and it’s called the ‘Fast Metabolism Diet’ created by Celebrity Nutritionist Haylie Pomroy. It’s been 3 days and I’ve lost 2 pounds! You say water weight. I say progress. The idea of the ‘Fast Metabolism Diet’ is to keep your metabolism guessing by rotating the food groups that you eat throughout the week in a deliberate and specific way so that your metabolism works as efficiently and quickly as possible. I like it! And I’m going to give it a try for a month (if I have the discipline). I ate this lovely Vegan Thai salad for dinner and made it un-vegan by adding salmon (gotta add that protein for phase 3 of the diet). Check out her book, even if you don’t want to go on a diet because it’s incredibly informative and describes in a simple way how human metabolism works! Enjoy!
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of Thai Basil – loosely chopped or you can just pull the leaves off of their stems
- 1 bunch of Mint – loosely chopped
- 1 bunch of Cilantro – loosely chopped
- 1 bag of Spring Mix Lettuce
- 1 large Red Pepper – chopped
- 1 large English Cucumber – chopped
- 1 cup of peanuts chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1/3 c. oil (I used safflower oil, but sesame oil would probably work wonderfully!)
- 1/3 c. Liquid Amino’s
- 1/3 c. lime juice
- 1/2 tablespoon Coconut Sugar (or any unprocessed sugar)
- 1 tablespoon of minced Ginger – if you have fresh ginger just peel the skin off of the ginger root and grate the root with a fine cheese grader.
- 2 cloves of garlic – minced
Directions:
In a jar mix all of the dressing ingredients together and shake well.
To assemble the salad place lettuce on the bottom of the serving bowl, add a handful of Thai basil, half a handful of mint, and a generous sprinkle of cilantro. Top with cucumbers, red peppers and a sprinkle of chopped peanuts. Add desired amount of dressing. Enjoy 🙂
Healthy Simple Cooking 