Mediterranean Mentality

Today was yet another very successful day of cooking as I decided to make a healthier version of hummus. Usually hummus is around 435 calories for just one cup; however, my recipe is only 91 calories!  Surprisingly, this healthy dip includes very simple ingredients, and is extremely easy to make.  I placed chickpeas, plain nonfat yogurt, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, ground cumin, and ground allspice in a blender, and pureed all the ingredients with water.  When I took the dip out of the blender, it was ready to eat.  Nothing is better than a healthy, fast, and easy recipe!  I am definitely going to make this recipe in the future and maybe incorporate it in other healthy meals. 

One of the reasons I enjoy making my own meals is because I am aware of every ingredient put into my food, whereas if I eat at a resturaunt I may not recongnize the hidden ingredients used.  While cooking my healthy meals, I make sure to use whole foods instead of processed foods because it is proven that whole foods are much healthier.  Whole foods are foods that have not been altered by synthetic chemicals.  They contain nutrients and enzymes, which cannot be found in processed foods, but are essential to the body's health.  Processed foods are infused with chemicals and preservatives, and therefore are mainly artificial.  These processed foods are high in trans fat, refined grains, salt, high fructose corn syrup, and hydrogenated oils, all of which have been linked to serious heart conditions and health issues.  Obviously, processed foods are detrimental to one's health and should most definitely be avoided.

For the rest of this week, I plan to continue cooking, adding a main course and a dessert to my cookbook.  I am going to continue researching the healthiest ways to cook, making sure to use as many whole foods as possible!

RANDOM FACT: In order to lose weight, eat every 2-3 hours to keep your metabolism going fast!