What if falling off track is actually important for us to stay on track? If we fall off the track and go into guilt and shame about it, it doesn't help us in developing a new lifestyle around Whole Food Plant Based (WFPB) eating.
We know it's tempting to set rules for ourselves when we want to make a change, like shifting to WFPB, but when we set rules, we set up conditions of right and wrong, good and bad, and are constantly monitoring how we're doing.
That isn't much fun. At least for us it isn't.
Join us to hear more.
Our bodies are always changing. And if we eat according to rules we've made for ourselves, we can miss some important signals to eat differently that will be beneficial. Like when Connie broke her shoulder and had the input to have a steak. That input didn't mean eat steak from now on. It meant eat steak today and stay tuned. In two days that was the end of that.
All these 30+ years we've been WFPB our guide for what to eat, when and how much, has come by listening to our body's intelligence. Now, it takes some time to develop a good ability to hear the guidance our bodies give us, and that's what the food guidelines we offer are for. They aren't rules so much as guidelines for us to use and explore what to eat and see how our bodies respond.
An important thing to keep in mind when listening to the body is where the signal is coming from. Is it from the intelligence of our body or is it from an old habit to eat food that brings comfort? There's a way to tell. When the signal is from the body, it's more of a quiet voice, clear and confident. When it's an old habit, there's usually an urgency about it, like, "I need this right now!"
So, back to falling off the track. It's easy to see how often our process of learning something new, like riding a bike, we often don't get it right from the start. But we use each fall to learn a little more about how to find our balance.
It's like that with shifting to WFPB, too. When we go off track, if we don't get lost in making ourselves wrong and vowing to never go off track again, we can reflect on what we did and how we came to choose that. In this, we can see ways to respond differently next time. We can learn from what we did, just like when learning to ride a bike, rather than beating ourselves up, that so often leads to frustration and hopelessness.
It's about leaning, not getting it right. It's about progress, not perfection.
Start the journey and keep refining what you eat by listening to your body. And learn from all your experiences, even the falling off track.
The recipe this week is Red Lentil Tortillas. We've been trying different recipes for something like a tortilla to make wraps in place of flour tortillas or bread. And this one hit the spot. They're easy to make, 1 cup red lentils and 2 cups of water with a few spices. And they come out just like a tortilla, only much more flavor and nutrition. We're delighted to add this to our repertoire.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Red Lentil Tortillas (makes 4 large tortillas)
- 1 cup red lentils
- 2 cups filtered water
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Add lentils and water to your blender and let soak overnight.
Add spices and blend on high until smooth, about 30 seconds.
Let rest for 10 minutes if you have the time. The batter thickens up a bit and is more consistent that way, but you can start cooking them right away, too. I whir up the tortilla batter first, then let it rest while I prepare what I’m going to put in them. See suggestions below.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium heat.
Add enough batter to make the size tortilla you want. After adding the batter, tip the frying pan side to side to move the batter around toward the edges to get the size you want.
Cook for 2-3 minutes, until browned. Flip and cook another minute 2-3 minutes to brown the other side.
Remove from pan and add your favourite fillings.
This batter can be used as a pizza crust as well. It’s nice to make it a thick tortilla for pizza,. And you can air fry it for 4 minutes at 350º if you want it crisper.
Filling options
- onion
- tomato
- red pepper
- jalapeño
- mushrooms
- chives
- kale, chopped fine
- spinach
- avocado (add fresh at the end. Do not fry with the veggies)
- salsa
- sriracha
Add ingredients to a fry pan and sauté. Set aside to add as each tortilla is ready.