Sunday, November 7, 2010

Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Salad

Something you may not know about me is that I'm probably an alien. After years of discovering strange things about myself like my lack of fingerprints, my ability to turn on and off lights just by walking past them, and my skin bleaching all of my clothing, my friends have decided that the only explanation could be that I'm an alien. As much as I'd like to sit back and blame my strange discoveries and health issues on being an extraterrestrial, I've decided to finally take some action. Although changing my diet may not magically bring me fingerprints or help me with my knack for messing with technology, it will definitely help with my skin and stomach.

When I first discovered that my skin was bleaching my clothing, I learned that this is likely due to my extremely acidic body. The high levels of acidity setting up camp in my body not only led to the bleaching of my clothes, but acne issues, and terrible stomach and heartburn problems that would arise when I did not balance my body with alkaline-rich foods. For years, I would go back and forth pigging out on highly acidic foods that I knew were bad for me, and then eating properly for a few days, just to go back to the danger foods. It wasn't until very recently when I added Joy McCarthy @joyoushealth to Twitter that I decided I needed to make a change. Joy is a registered holistic nutritionist and writer for her own personal blog Joyous Health, as well as numerous other websites. Joy provides helpful tips, tricks, and recipes for creating a healthy mind, body, and soul. Joy's recent post stating that a highly-acidic body is like a magnet for disease, thankfully shook me into seeing just how harmful I was being.

It was at this point that I made a personal vow to make conscious and healthy choices about what I'm putting into my body. No, I'm not going to up and change my entire diet overnight, but I am going to begin taking small steps in the right direction. The first step I took was committing to change what I eat for lunch. Everyday I bring a packed lunch to work, and although it's more healthy than the pizza, chips, and pop many of my coworkers bring, it can certainly be improved. My Bacon Cheddar Broccoli Salad was the perfect start to my new diet. True this broccoli salad has cheese and bacon (two ingredients that Joy isn't too fond of) making it a little bit of an indulgence, but it's certainly a step in the right direction compared to the previous lunches I was making myself like sandwiches with processed meats, cheeses, and lots of spreads. Broccoli (along with other dark, leafy greens) is an alkaline-rich vegetable making it the perfect star ingredient to my lunch. This salad is bursting with flavours and textures, making it easy to forget the lunches of my past...and let's not forget how fast and easy it was to prepare!

It's easy to feel discouraged about making changes, thinking of all the sacrifices you'll have to make, but even little changes make a difference. The first steps are always the hardest, so take them one at a time. Those little changes will become healthy habits that will add up over time. Follow @joyoushealth today to begin making your own changes towards a better mind, body, and soul!

Tip: Hellman's 1/2 the fat is a great alternative to regular mayonnaise. You can't taste the difference at all!

Ingredients:
1-2 heads broccoli
1/2 cup red onions or scallions, chopped
6 slices bacon
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup vinegar

Directions:
1. Fry bacon until crispy. Pat with a paper towel to remove excess grease, and cut into small strips. Set aside.

2. Cut broccoli into bite-sized pieces, using both the broccoli flowerettes and stems. Place them in a large bowl.

3. Add the cheddar, cheese, onions, and bacon to the broccoli and toss.

4. In a small bowl mix the mayonnaise and vinegar together. Pour over broccoli mixture and toss to coat.

Listening To:
Joy Division - Disorder

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4 comments:

Natalie Suarez said...

that looks so yummy! love it :)

natalieoffduty.blogspot.com

Pam said...

Oh, I've never heard of this but it's good that you figured out what is going on with your body and are eating healthy. It sounds like your on the right track! Your salad looks delicious! Ummm, bacon, cheese and broccoli. I'll have to give it a go!

Pam said...

That's you're on the right track!

redkathy said...

Oh my gosh I never heard of such a condition. I remember a girl from the neighborhood had a bad skin condition. She looked as though she was always had sunburn. Kept skin coated in oil, very hard for her. It is good news you found why and how to help yourself. Good luck, God speed!
As for your salad, a trio that is just perfect!