Healthy Recipes

Do all Mondays have to drag on and on?

NOPE!

For the first time, in a long time, I woke up looking forward to the new week! My weight loss progress has started, I’m beginning to be much more active and my kids have noticed the change.  Sunday night, My daughter said to me: “Daddy, I’m really glad you are back in the gym. I like you being healthy.”  Those few words meant so much to me.

She noticed, and reinforced my decision.

Monday started off with a healthy breakfast:

Coffee, 2 eggs scrambled, oatmeal with strawberries and plain wheat toast.

After an early start and productive morning, I chose to workout over my lunch break.  45 minutes on the elliptical later, I burned 736 calories and kept my heart-rate noticeably lower than the previous days.  The muscle pains were subsiding and I had more energy.

Crunches, I must do crunches.

Keeping a promise to myself, I finished off my workout with 3 sets of crunches.  This time I did 18 per set.  I will learn to like these things yet!

I’ve started to notice how others look at me while working out.  The really fit women in the gym almost look disgusted.  It’s as if their eyes are saying “How could he let himself get so fat?” or “Please don’t get on the machine next to me.”  The bulky-buff guys pretty much look through me, as they have to walk around me.  Then I get mixed signals from some of the overweight people doing just as I am.  I notice those who are clearly not trying and just going through the motions, while reading a magazine, to make themselves — or someone in their lives — feel better.    Then there are others, like myself who are clearly sweating, giving me the thumbs-up.

I look at the senior citizens in the gym and am amazed.  From the frail, grandma-like woman walking on the treadmill to the former-drill-sergeant looking man in better shape than most of the guys there.  I applaud them for their effort and dedication to staying healthy so late in life.

Monday finished off with a really healthy, and organic, dinner.  I decided to make stuffed green peppers.  For this I needed to get a little creative.

Stuffed Green Peppers

Here are the ingredients:

• 4 medium-sized green peppers
• 1/2 yellow onion chopped
• 1lb ground turkey
• 1.5 cups cooked brown rice
• 3tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 box POMI strained tomatoes (26oz)
• 5 leaves fresh basil
• 1tbsp dried oregano
• 2tbsp minced garlic
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup water

To start I made a fresh tomato sauce.

Heat 2tbsp Olive oil on low in skillet.  Sweat minced garlic until it sizzles, then 15 seconds longer, making sure not to brown or toast the garlic. Once you smell the garlic add the strained tomatoes and stir.  Add oregano and basil (break/rip by hand before adding).  Heat to a boil, stir and reduce to simmer.  Cover for 30 minutes. stir and remove from heat.

Brown the turkey, adding the onion half way through. drain and set aside to cool for a few minutes.  After cooling, combine turkey, onions, 1 cup tomato sauce and brown rice into a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Next, prepare the green peppers by cutting off the tops and removing the seeds from inside.  rinse.  In a pot, add enough water to fully cover the peppers, add salt and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, add the green peppers, making sure to keep them submerged (push them down with wooden spoon).  Drain and remove to cool when full color, bright green (about 3 minutes). Pre-heat the oven to 350

Arrange the peppers in a glass baking dish, standing up. add remaining olive oil to inside of peppers. Spoon turkey and rice filling into each.  Top with a spoonful of tomato sauce on each, adding the rest of the sauce and water to the base of the dish.

Pop in the over for 40-50 minutes @ 350 and enjoy.

I hope you enjoy this recipe.  I don’t know the exact nutritional info, but if I had to guess it’s about 350-400 calories per pepper, with tons of protein!

You will notice I post a lot of recipes, and maybe even some pictures of my creations.  I do enjoy cooking and if I can create a healthy meal along the way, even better!

How are you doing on your progress?  Have you decided to start your resolution early and change your life?

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