Level 1 - Day 113

More Motivation To Drink Water

I think most of you know that it's important to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water per day.  But, Suzanne recently posted the following information on her web site regarding additional benefits and a surprising suggestion.

"Water is a very important part of the weight–loss process because it goes a long way in aiding digestion. After all, what do you think saliva and digestive juices are largely made of? That's right. Water. Timing is important too: To maximize digestion, try not to drink too much water with your meals; it can dilute your digestive juices. Your stomach acids are strongest right before you eat. If you dilute them with too much water, it'll be more difficult to break down solid foods before they're passed on to the intestines. Too optimize those essential gastric acids, it's best to hydrate between meals or to eat at least half your meal before you drink water."

Breakfast - Leftover quinoa and non-fat milk topped with agave nectar.

AM Snack - Fruit salad

Lunch - The last of the Chicken Cassoulet from Day 111.

PM Snack - Another yummy Zucchini Muffin that I made yesterday.  To keep them fresher, longer, I stored them in the refrigerator.  Then, before eating, I popped it into the microwave for 20 seconds.  The heat really brings out the flavors.

Dinner - Jalapeno Chili (from SS web site).  This soup was another winner.  But, I must warn you that there's lots of ingredients . . . and thus, lots of prep work, and lots of steps.  It took me 50 minutes, plus an additional 10 minutes of cooking time after the last ingredients were added.  However, it's worth it because the recipe makes 10 servings!  Maybe more.

Also, to move this Level 1 dish closer to the Detox level, I substituted the one glass of red wine for water.  Also, I'm not a big fan of cooking with wine.

On the other hand, I love chili and enjoy spicy food so this recipe sounded very appealing.  And, it didn't disappoint.  However, I was pooped by the time on got it on the table as I didn't anticipate so much work.

There's lots of chopping involved.  And that means lots of pre-washing, too.  Plus, there are 3 kinds of meat to cook . . . hot and sweet Italian sausages plus ground chuck.  In hindsight I wish I had pre-washed the veggies the night before, as there's lots of them.  Or, at the very least, sliced and cooked the Italian sausages the night before while I was making dinner.

But, if you like chili and want to experience a delightful twist with lots of zippy flavors, this soup is worth the effort.  And don't forget to top it with the garnishes; sour cream, shredded cheese and scallions because they really add some extra excitement.