Motivation by Lentil Loaf

If you are on my mailing list, you already know that last night I sent out a newsletter that contained some very personal and painful details of my own health history.  I sat on that email for three days, hand hovering alternately over the “send” and “delete” buttons.

In the end, what pushed me to “send” was a conversation I had with someone about the death at age 29 of Blair River, weight 575 lbs, spokesperson for the Arizona restaurant The Heart Attack Grill.  Yes, that is the name of a real restaurant and you can read about it HERE.  The conversation went along the lines of “well, I could get hit by a bus and die tomorrow, so I’m going to at least enjoy my life while I can.” And by “enjoy my life” this person meant:

Eat whatever I want and not exercise.

Boy, that rattled my cage.  So my newsletter was an impassioned response to that.  It basically pointed out that being overweight and out-of-shape and “eating whatever I want” was the worst sort of existence I have ever experienced and I detailed all the gory points of it.

It garnered a lot of responses.  Many folks wrote expressing love and admiration.  Some told me it inspired them and got them thinking.  One person said she hates me and I should never email her again (not kidding). Another unsubscribed from my mailing list.

But a few wrote variations of the following (not a direct quote from any one person):  Emily, it is understandable that because you were suffering so much, it was a no-brainer for you to want to change your life.  But really I am just a little overweight or not overweight at all, and it doesn’t bother me so much.  My cholesterol is just a little high.  My blood sugar has risen steadily each year, but it’s still OK.  I am not so uncomfortable and therefore, just can’t find the motivation to do anything about it.

Yes, I understand that.  But here’s the thing.  I didn’t realize how much of the suffering I had back then had anything to do with my weight or my eating habits either.  I knew I was obese, but had no idea my wild mood swings, cracked heels, or chronic heartburn had anything to do with what I was eating.

Only when I started eating better and exercising did I look back and say “Wow!  I had no idea how GREAT I could feel!”

So, maybe it is a leap of faith for you now, but let me tell you, how you will feel on healthy food and regular exercise is FRICKIN FRACKEN ROCK THE CASBAH AWESOME!  All those little aches and pains and random annoying things you are just kind of living with will go away.  If you have done my 30-day detox, you will know how different just 30 days can make (and if you haven’t, what are you waiting for??)

So yeah, know what?  You can feel that good

All.  The.  Time.

OK, now go make some lentil loaf.  Because it is delicious and astonishingly healthy and will help you get to Awesome.

PS: If you are not yet on my mailing list and would like to see what all the hub-bub is about, then go HERE and fill in the form for the free starter kit.  You get put on the newsletter mailing list that way and yes, obviously you can unsubscribe when I offend you.

The following recipe is from ohsheglows with minor modifications.

Lentil Walnut Loaf

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dry lentils
• 3 cups vegetable stock or water
• 3 TBS ground flax seed
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 medium carrot, grated
• 1/3 of an apple, peeled, grated (makes 1/3 cup grated apple)
• 1/4 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 cup regular oats, ground into a flour in the food processor
• 1 tbsp ground flax seed
• 3 slices of toasted whole wheat or spelt bread, ground into breadcrumbs (3/4 cup total)

Sweet Glaze

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar
• 1 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp apple sauce

Directions:

Cook lentils:  In a medium sized pot, add the lentils and 3 cups of water or stock.  Bring to boil, and reduce heat to low and simmer until liquid is absorbed and lentils are tender (about 40 minutes). Once the lentils are cooked, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Preheat oven to 160C and line a loaf pan with parchment so that parchment paper hangs over the edges by 2 inches.

Walnuts: Toast 3/4 cup of walnuts at 160C for about 6 minutes and then set aside to cool.

Flax egg: Mix 3 tbsp of ground flax with 1/2 cup warm water and stir well. Set aside for at least 5-10 minutes so it can gel up.

Prepare vegetable mixture: In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté onion and minced garlic for about 5 minutes on low-medium heat, being careful not to burn. After the onions are tender, add carrot and sauté for 2-3 minutes over low heat. Add grated apple, raisins, and chopped walnuts and sauté another minute or two.  Add thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.

Process 75% of lentils and Mix everything together: Once the lentils are cooled, take 75% of the lentils and place into food processor. Process until mostly smooth. Plop processed lentils and whole lentils into a large bowl. Add the breadcrumbs, flax egg, veggie mixture, oat flour, and ground flax seed. Stir well with a spoon and then remove the spoon and mix well with your hands, pressing it through your fingers. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.

Dump the mixture into your loaf pan and spread out with a spoon. Press it firmly and evenly into the pan.

Preparing Glaze:  In small bowl combine all glaze ingredients.  Spread evenly over loaf and bake, uncovered 45 minutes at 160C.

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