Day After Grocery Shopping

Yesterday, like normal, it took all morning to do our grocery shopping with stops at Super Selectos (grocery) and PriceSmart (our Costco.)   However, the day after grocery shopping is almost as big of a day as the shopping day.  Why you ask?  Because you have to wash, disinfect and dry all of the vegetables and fruit that you bought the day before.  In case you've forgotten, here in El Salvador the water is not safe to consume and, therefore, the safest way to be sure the fresh vegetables and fruit to eat are safe is to disinfect them.  

While it has always been a chore, now that I am doing my best to eat healthy, I'm buying so much produce that the process takes the whole morning.  The vegetables/fruits have to soak in the disinfectant water for 15-20 minutes so you can see how multiple batches would eat up some time.  When they're done soaking, they need to dry before going in the refrigerator.  If they are still wet when you repack them, they spoil more quickly.  I learned that lesson the hard way with many bags of soggy, ruined lettuce, spinach and more.

Yesterday's produce purchases included:  spinach, romaine lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, English cucumbers, green peppers, avocados, onions, red onions, limes, tomatoes, jalepeños, asparagus, zucchini, carrots, broccoli, blackberries, strawberries, bananas and apples.  Just look at this spread.

You ask, "where are the strawberries and bananas?"  Good question.  I had to do the strawberries yesterday because I made strawberry shortcake to take to our small group last night.  Bananas with their thick skins can be peeled and safely eaten without disinfecting.  Some people extend that same reasoning to any vegetable/fruit which is peeled before eating. However, since Stephen and I experienced first hand the pain, suffering and weight loss which comes from having a parasite, I always err on the side of disinfecting everything.  

Yep, that was my morning.  Coming this afternoon, packing individual portions and freezing all of the fresh meat and fish I bought.  

Healthy Eating Continues

The good thing about eating healthy is that sooner or later you can tell that you've been eating healthy.  It's been 70 days since I started on this journey and, thankfully, there is less of me these days.  I've had zero difficulty adjusting to the food; giving up sugar, flour and most dairy hasn't been that hard.  

Instead, the hardest part has been the prep work, including planning the weekly menus, grocery shopping, cleaning all the fruits/vegetables, and then cooking.  The entire process takes a lot of time!  Although I haven't found myself craving any particular food, lately I have longed for a chance to eat a meal that required little, if any prep--like maybe a ham sandwich, a grilled cheese or a can of soup.  

Nevertheless, except for a quick lunch at the mall on Saturday, we've been eating every meal at home.  I guess it's just part of the lifestyle change!

It's working

And by that I mean that the change to a healthy diet and a more active lifestyle are working.  Yesterday's lunch was known as "eating the colors of the rainbow."  See for yourself:

Turkey, zucchini and tomato stuffed red and yellow peppers and a purple cabbage "steak." Stephen told me after dinner that he didn't prefer this type of "steak." Maybe my taste buds have changed because I thought it was really tasty.

Dinner last night was almost as colorful.  I made Denise's (my sister-in-law) gazpacho recipe.  For those who don't recognize this word, gazpacho is a cold vegetable soup which involves slicing and dicing cucumbers, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and celery.  The veggies are mixed in a base of tomato or V-8 juice with a few other ingredients that spice up the soup.  We definitely got in our 5 servings of vegetables yesterday.  

This morning I was happy to see that my scale has noticed that "it" is working, as well.  Glad to be rid of some of my unwanted weight.  Since this is a lifestyle change, not a diet, I recognize that this one of many steps on the path to being healthier.