Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Make it a Taco Tuesday!

Happy Tuesday--or in this case, Taco Tuesday! Tacos have become a pretty big staple in our house, probably because they are one of my husband's favorite foods (right up there with bacon and skittles), so as often we can, we like to make our Taco Tuesday tradition happen! This past week we took it up a notch.
I've always wanted to try making mango salsa, so with the little extra time on my hands ;), I went for it with a couple recipes I found on Pinterest!  I did two variations. One that included strawberries--yum!    Considering it was my first time cutting a mango and making salsa from scratch, I think they turned out pretty well!

And when we added this salsa to the 'carne asada' (slab of meat) my hubby had marinated and the other fixings, it was a divine combination! Now, I did have to make a couple modifications of my own to stick with my elimination diet, like avoiding cheese, tomatoes and any kind of sour cream, but by turning it into a taco salad on spinach and adding some avocado slices .... it was mighty tasty. There was enough flavor in the flank steak alone to make my mouth water, and I'm not typically much a of a red meat eater!

Here's a few other updates from this past week on what this elimination method has been like:

  • I'm truly enjoying the opportunity to spend more time in the kitchen and try out new recipes. One night I made my new favorite, roasted sweet potatoes, along with trying a new spin on asparagus and also tried a dry rub on chicken that follows my guidelines. My husband fired up the grill to cook the chicken and dinner was ready in no time.  The end result (pictured right) was delish!
While there were a lot of up's this past week, there were also a few challenges I faced.
  • We went to a Tiger's game one evening and the selection of foods I could eat were pretty slim. I knew there wouldn't be anything sold at the concession stands for me but we had been invited into a suite that night so I figured I'd be okay. First things I see are chips, pretzel sticks, hot dogs, quesadillas and mac'n' cheese--not to mention there was a big jar of M&M's--one of my all-time favorite candies-- in front of my face several times throughout the night. Luckily there was also a salad, some cut veggies and fruit, and meat I was able to salvage and add to the salad.   It was SO hard for me not to eat the M&M's though....I had to tell the people around me that it was my goal not to eat them in order to hold myself accountable, and somehow I managed to do it. Phew.
  • Another day while shopping at Target (on a nearly empty stomach) I found myself strolling the snack/chips/sweets aisles. Everything I saw I wanted to eat! It was torture. At one point I even had a bag of chocolate covered cherries in my hands, tempted to buy it. But I knew those had some ingredients, mainly tons of SUGAR, that weren't going to help with what I'm trying to work towards and it would be impossible to avoid them once they were at my house. So I put them down and walked away. Another win for me! 
  •  On short notice, my husband's plans to golf one evening had changed, resulting in him being home for dinner. I had to sit across the table from him and watch him eat thin crust pepperoni pizza that looked delicious, as I begrudgingly ate some leftover salad from lunch. My will power was really being put to the test this week!
  • On top of that, what started out as a gorgeous week turned into a gloomy/grey/rainy weekend and between that and some symptoms I experienced from supplements I started taking, I was feeling pretty crummy. I took it as a sign to slow down a bit and get some rest. Maybe it was my body's way of making me do so, because I even attempted some exercise a couple times and I could just tell it wasn't making me feel well. 
Focusing on the bright side of it all, I was able to resist some major temptation, make a couple new recipes and I remained active throughout the week which all resulted in me feeling good about my decisions and my progress.
These kinds of tests and temptations are going to happen in life on a regular, almost daily basis. Eating out with friends and family, going to sporting events, concerts, parties, etc., and being around people who are not eating the way you do. It's always going to be more challenging to make the healthier choice. I mean if you have a pizza and salad in front of you, isn't a piece of pizza always going to look/sound more appetizing than a salad? Yes. But I had to remind myself again why I'm doing this. If I want to FEEL my best I have to start with doing my best to eat right. And good things come to those who work their asses off and don't give up (not to those who wait, in this case)!

Now get out there and enjoy what's left of your Taco Tuesday ;)




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