Healthy Eating

We're really trying to get back into the swing of working out several days a week and eating healthy. It's been difficult because of all the stuff we have going on, but we're really trying. I went to the new park in town and ran 4 miles on Tuesday, but yesterday I was so sore from the run that I didn't exercise at all.

I'm buying all natural foods in an effort to keep us eating right. I'm totally on a "no artificial ingredients" kick. It's hard when you're out in the country a bit and the only grocery store you have is located in a Walmart. It drives me completely crazy to look at other people's carts while I'm in the checkout. They are filled with chips, hot dogs, pre-made dinners, high sugar cereals, and no real fruits and vegetables. I know everyone is busy and I know it's really hard when you work and have children to take care of, but I wish we could get back to the basics and try to cook meals from scratch to avoid all the preservatives and artificial ingredients. I used to love Lean Cuisines and Lean Pockets, but now I just feel like I'm eating lower calorie junk food.

I made tortilla soup last night. I poached 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts in water. I took all natural corn tortillas and put them in the oven for probably 15 minutes, until they were crispy. Then I put olive oil, onion, jalapeno, garlic, bay leaves, canned tomatoes (drained), chicken broth, lime juice, cilantro and salt and pepper in a pot. Once the tortillas were done, I put about half of them into the soup and saved the other half for garnish, then I shredded the poached chicken and added to the soup. For a little richness, I added a small amount of shredded cheese towards the end and some cut up avacado. It was delicious with a salad and a glass of red wine.

I'm hoping the weather clears up this afternoon so I can go run again. I will take the dog this time and hopefully TW will go too.