Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

I love fall.
Everything about it. I particularly love this season's food! Pumpkins, squashes, root vegetables galore! There's something comforting in the heartiness of it all. The temperature is dropping and I'm loving soups and stews! The things with soups is that if not done the right way, they leave you unsatisfied and longing for more in one hours time. That's why I love hearty stews that pack a protein and fiber punch!

This recipe is pretty versatile. You can season it however you wish. Play around with spices!

2 tbsp coconut oil
4 medium garlic cloves
1 white onion
2 celery stalks
2 carrots
4 small sweet potatoes
2 cups black beans, drained
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes/chilies 
4 oz Ground Lean Turkey (Optional)
1 tbsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
Fresh Cilantro
Salt and Pepper to taste!

PREPARATION

1.  Heat your coconut oil in a skillet.  Saute garlic, onion, celery, carrot, and potatoes and then transfer them to your pot.
2.  Add canned tomatoes with juice. Fill the can with water twice and add it to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are soft. 
3. Add your seasonings, beans, and browned ground turkey.
4. Let it simmer.  Add more water if you prefer a thinner consistency.

Serve this with Southern Gluten Free Cornbread for a meal that is certain to stick with ya!

NUTRITIONAL INFO

Serving Size: 1 Cup
Calories: 166
Protein: 11g
Carbs:  29g
Fat: 2g
Fiber: 7g
Sugars: 4g (No added sugar) 

One Week Gluten Free - Almost

I still have not heard the results of my blood tests. That will be Tuesday.  However, I thought I'd give this gluten free thing a shot this week, just to see if I could do it.  I can't really comment on whether I feel better or not, though, due to confounding variables (a) Bryan kept making me "taste" things that most likely had gluten in them and gluten is not something you can do "just a little bit"of if you are sensitive or intolerant to it. Even small traces damage the intestine. (b) Lots of social events that I over-ate my clean/whole/gluten-free foods. Your diet can be good and still make you fat. There are no "free" foods. I can say that I feel much lighter after meals. I don't feel that dense weight in my gut, and I'm generally not as tired after eating. *shrug*

Anywho, what did I eat this week?  Aside from too many bottles of wine, I think there were some meals in there somewhere. I will post the recipes separately

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Stew

Spicy Shrimp Pad Thai in a Curry Sauce

Pumpkin Fries! 

Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Crock Pot Whole Chicken

 In other news this week:

 Kroger Manager's Specials are the love of my life. These little nutrition packed jewels normally cost an arm AND a leg. Thank You Kroger!

This tiny owl oil burner made me go "d'aww" and shell out three whole dollars for another thing I don't need.

And these grotesquely yellow monstrosities are a great representation of why I've grown to despise today's food market.  On what planet does this look appetizing? And, how much yellow dye does a pudding need to convince it's purchasers that it is, most definitely, lemon flavored (yuck)? 

Bryan bought two packages (despite my warnings) of the "apple pie" and "iced cookie" variety. Both of them tasted like vomit. 

How was your week? 

A Work In Progress

So, obviously, the blog is still under construction. 
I have just had no time to post, cook, or anything really! 

In addition to my incredibly hectic schedule, my current health issues are not taking any mercy on me. 

There may be a light at the end of the tunnel.  I have a doctors appointment on Monday that I am axiously awaiting.  I will be requesting a long list of blood panels to search out definitive proof of what I believe to be an ever-worsening thyroid condition. 

I know what you're thinking, "Of course you think you have a thyroid problem because you're overweight!"  It has been the stand-by cop-out of overweight women for years. However, my uncontrollable weight gain over the past year is only a minor concern of mine as it relates to this condition.  It is alarming how many things our thyroid gland is responsible, so if yours is fully functional I recommend you thank it for working so hard every day! Thyroid Respect! I digress. 

The list of symptoms started with a couple concerning things such as excessive fatigue, the weight gain, and the complete whackiness of my menstrual cycle *TMI* but then they grew to include dozens of symptoms that impeded the quality of my daily life.

The symptoms of hypothyroidism may be categorized by Early, Late, and Uncommon. Check yourself for these symptoms!  I have bolded and elaborated on my personal symptoms (from Wikipedia). 

Early

• Cold intolerance, increased sensitivity to cold *Severe
• Constipation *Extremely Severe
• Weight gain and water retention^[10][11][12]
• Bradycardia (low heart rate – fewer than sixty beats per minute) *My resting HR is around 52bpm
• Fatigue *Severe
• Decreased sweating
• Muscle cramps and joint pain *Extremely Severe leg/joint cramps throughout the night
• Dry, itchy skin
• Thin, brittle fingernails *My fingernails actually peel
• Rapid thoughts *
• Depression * The combination of rapid thoughts and depression actually sent me to a nurse practitioner earlier in the year, around the time my dad passed away. They put me on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications which, wouldn't you know it, reduce the activity of the thyroid. JOY! Alas, my symptoms worsened.
• Poor muscle tone (muscle hypotonia)
• Female infertility; any kind of problems with menstrual cycles *I am on my period for 3 weeks at a time! 
• Hyperprolactinemia and galactorrhea
• Elevated serum cholesterol *Unknown

[edit]Late

• Goiter
• Slow speech and a hoarse, breaking voice – deepening of the voice can also be noticed, caused by Reinke's Edema.  *I have had no voice/cracking voice for a solid 6 months. It's like always having a cold.
• Dry puffy skin, especially on the face
• Thinning of the outer third of the eyebrows (sign of Hertoghe)
• Abnormal menstrual cycles *See above
• Low basal body temperature *My "normal" body temperature is 97.0
• Thyroid-related depression *Severe

[edit]Uncommon

• Impaired memory *I forget things so fast! Bryan and I are frequently arguing over whether or not I said something, because I don't remember saying it! 
• Impaired cognitive function (brain fog) and inattentiveness.  *I have the attention span of a gnat now.
• A slow heart rate with ECG changes including low voltage signals. Diminished cardiac output and decreased contractility
• Reactive (or post-prandial) hypoglycemia^[15]
• Sluggish reflexes
• Hair loss
• Anemia caused by impaired haemoglobin synthesis (decreased EPO levels), impaired intestinal iron and folate absorption or B₁₂ deficiency^[16] from pernicious anemia
• Difficulty swallowing
• Shortness of breath with a shallow and slow respiratory pattern
• Increased need for sleep *I could sleep for days and 
• Irritability and mood instability  *I'm a roller coaster of emotions! 
• Yellowing of the skin due to impaired conversion of beta-carotene^[17] to vitamin A (carotoderma)
• Impaired renal function with decreased glomerular filtration rate *Don't get me started on my kidney/bladder problems. 
• Acute psychosis (myxedema madness) (a rare presentation of hypothyroidism)
• Decreased libido *This sucks.
• Decreased sense of taste and smell (anosmia)
• Puffy face, hands and feet (late, less common symptoms)
• Gynecomastia
• Deafness^[19]
• Enlarged tongue^[20]
• Tinnitis *RIIIINGINGGGG In my ears. All the time. 

Needless to say, I have been less than a happy camper lately.  

As it turns out, hypothyroidism is not only attributed to low levels ot Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and is, in about 90% of the cases, due to an autoimmune disorder called Hashimoto's.  If your doctor only tests for TSH4 in your thyroid screening...find a new doctor.  A TSH blood test will not show Hashimoto's as the issue is with the immune system. The doctor will need to run an antibody test to definitively diagnose Hashimoto's.  However, if you feel like crap and your tests come back "normal" and you're realllly convinced it is your thyroid, get a second opinion.  There is still much to learn about the thyroid and autoimmune disorders. Doctors are still somewhat in the dark in terms of treating these sort of things. Also, there is no consensus on "normal" levels of TSH or other hormones in our bodies. What is within the "normal" range for others might not be adequate for your body! 

Waiting for blood tests can be lengthy and agitating.  How can you help yourself manage symptoms in the mean time?  Turns out eliminating gluten from your diet will make a world of difference and once definitively diagnosed with hypothyroidism or Hashimoto's it is strongly suggested that you turn your back on gluten and never look back. 

Alas, my mind has been made up.  I am going to try to give up gluten.  I am already skilled at making substitutions in the kitchen, and live on whole foods the majority of the time, so I think I will be able to manage. However, I'm concerned that I won't have the will power to be as strict as I need to be.  Even trace amounts of gluten are damaging to the system and there will be no "cheating" or "free-days" without consequence. 

I will still post old recipes that include whole wheat and other glutinous ingredients, but new recipes posted will most likely be gluten free.  

I will keep you posted on the results of my blood tests and such! 

Thanks for reading! 

Haley

Welcome!

In the beginning...

There were cookies and cakes.
And all things deep fried.
Butter on all.
And severely chapped thighs.

The journey of this morbidly obese child, adolescent, teen, and young adult has been fraught with defeat, with challenge, with tribulations, but also with triumph.

Over the years I have tried it all.

After 3 years of calorie restriction, treadmill and elliptical machine slavery, and every fad diet on the market, I managed to lose 160 lbs. And following my father’s losing battle with cancer, regain 30. 

I spent precious moments obsessing over my appearance. Lamenting over food. Pounding the soles of my shoes on the pavement. And being my own worst enemy.

There comes a time when you open your eyes to the issue of sustainability.
You can only survive so long beating yourself up.

The Solution?

Re-teaching (or rather introducing) my body to REAL nutrition. 

You followed me through weight loss, through disorder, through tragedy, now follow me as I pick up the pieces.

Join me in my mission for a cleaner lifestyle: a healthier mind, body, and soul.