Mindful eating

When I read about "mindful eating" is when I began truly being conscious of what I decide to eat. It made so much sense to me as to the reasons why most people live unfit lives. We are so modernized, so accustomed to everything accomplished and consumed quickly. We literally forget that in order for us to be truly nourished from the inside out, we must first be able to perceive clearly that what we eat affects us tremendously. When we eat too much starch, maybe pasta servings for consecutive meals then we feel sluggish and unproductive. When we eat too much protein, then we feel blocked, heavy and bloated. My concern is that people who are so accustomed to digesting unhealthy foods are simply unaware of the effects these foods have on the body. Awareness is key.

I heard about "Xtreme Eating Awards 2009" today and found this article online: http://cspinet.org/new/200906021.html

I am not someone who is completely obsessed with eating only foods that are super healthy. As a cook, I can't live without butter... I believe butter is irreplaceable when it comes to turning any dish into a silky delicious meal. I'm a firm believer that anything in moderation cannot be harmful. When I feel like having peanut butter ice cream, I definitely indulge however my brain knows not to consume an entire pint ;-)

In line with eating healthy here's a recipe that I made for dinner tonight.

• 1/2 lb medium shrimp, uncooked, shelled & deveined
• 1 small zucchini, sliced lengthwise in flat strips
• 1 tomato, cubed
  
• 1 persian cucumber, sliced in thin rounds
• 1 bag of mixed greens
• handful of cremini mushrooms
• home made vinaigrette- extra virgin olive oil, chopped garlic, 1 tsp dijon mustard, splash of fresh lemon juice, salt 'n pepper to taste- whisked until thickened
• cajun spice

Pre-heat the grill.
Season the shrimp w/ cajun spice and evenly coat with olive oil lightly tossing to coat. Sprinkle zucchini w/ salt 'n pepper toss in a bowl w/ mushrooms and drizzle w/ olive oil.
Lay shrimp on one side of the hot grill and the veggies on the other side. Pay close attention to the shrimp for it cooks quickly.
When all is cooked, set aside to cool. Cut the zucchini pieces at a diagonal.
Start assembling the salad. Salad greens on bottom of the bowl, shrimp and veggies on top then a good drizzle of the home made vinaigrette.

Happy eating!