Spicy Real Food Soup

I wasn't sure what to call this soup as it has so many bits and pieces in it but it's all real food so I settled for Spicy Real Food Soup. Its fabulously warming and packed full of good ingredients. The base for the soup was a packet of chopped veg that I bought in Sainsbury's reduced section, one of the criticisms of a real food diet is that it is expensive and time consuming;  this recipe proves that neither has to be true! Using ready prepared veg sometimes if you are short of time is a really good way of making sure you are still eating a good variety of fresh veggies. If you can find them in the reduced aisle even better! Once you have made the soup base with the uncooked veg, water and spices you can then add absolutely anything you have in the fridge! Adding cooked meat gives you a protein source that will keep you full up into the afternoon.

Soup base:

1 bag ready prepared vegetable broth mix
1 tbsp coconut oil/butter
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp garam masala

I added:

Left over sprouts
Left over cooked minced beef
1 slice good quality ham
Curry leaves
(Anything else you have in the fridge!)

Method:

In a saucepan melt coconut oil/butter 
Add the vegetables, cumin and coriander and mix round the pan for a few seconds
Add 500ml boiling water, season and bring to boil
Simmer for 45 mins 
Add garam masala and any left over cooked meat or veggies (optional), taste and re-season if required and simmer for another 15 minutes before serving. 

Three good reasons why throwing away your scales could be the best thing you can do for long term weight loss....

You might think I've gone crazy telling you to get rid of your scales when you are trying to get back into your skinny jeans again. "How will I know whether I am successful or not" I hear you cry! Well, easily actually, by the way you look, feel and how your clothes fit.

Your weight isn't always the best indication of whether you are losing inches and fat which at the end of the day is exactly what you want to be losing. 

Here are three very good reasons why you should throw away the scales, or at the very least banish them to the loft, if you want to bring about long term changes to your health and weight loss goals:

Number 1 - the number on the scale is not always a true reflection of how your body is changing when you are eating cleanly and doing more weight bearing exercise (which is exactly what you should be doing if you want to be successful with weight loss). I have seen clients who look and feel leaner and are wearing a smaller dress size but they have lost very little weight on the scales. There is a great example in the testimonial below that was posted on my EatRealFoodUK Facebook page by one of my clients.

"I'm very pleased to post that I have now been able to send all my 14s to the loft in disgrace as I am comfortably back in my 12s now !!!!!!! I even brought a bag down which has 10s in and dared to to try them on and could get into a few items, though not to wear comfortably yet............maybe another month ???? Soo pleased with the results...........very strange because I haven't actually lost lots of weight according to the scales but my clothes and mirror certainly tell me I'm doing well. Thank u Julie". Debra

Number 2 - weighing yourself can become how you define yourself and whether you are a success or failure. If you weigh yourself every day and are affected by what you see on the scale - stop immediately!! You are so much more than how much you weigh and this kind of thinking can lead you into a spiral of self loathing that is very unhealthy for your mental health. 

Number 3 - weighing yourself with a target weight in mind denotes a start and end to your efforts - ie "when I am xx weight then I have achieved my goal". This can lead to see saw dieting; once you get to the target weight you return to your old eating habits which led you carry more fat in the first place and so the cycle goes on. 

So, what to do instead of obsessing over the scales and target weight? Cultivate good habits, practice them EVERY day, take small steps and make good choices. Eat mindfully, enjoy your food and treat it like a friend not an enemy! There should be no start and end in mind, just constancy which will lead to long term success! I dare you to liberate yourself from your scales! I'd love to hear how you get on.