Chili for a Rainy Day

Today was chilly and rainy here. The thing I love about a rainy fall day is how the changing trees pop out against all the grey and green. As the weather transitions, I'm on the lookout for soup recipes to give my meals a complete makeover. I'll still be buzzing up some smoothies but other than that, I want everything to be comforting and warm. 

recipe here

The reason I can't go back to old soup recipes is because my approach to overcoming fatigue is a combination of EMDR and a clean diet. By clean I mean nothing my body doesn't recognize - only things it knows exactly what to do with. I see it as giving my body a helping hand so it can focus on the repair I believe it knows how to do. I'm also upping quantities of foods that are especially healing. 

Here's what I'm avoiding: 

• natural or artificial flavors (because they'd tell you what it was if you'd be okay with it!)
• dairy
• eggs
• soy
• gluten
• corn
• canola oil
• MSG
• citric acid (which sounds like something from citrus fruit but isn't)
• coffee 
• chocolate

Yes, it's a long list and yes, I think divine intervention is the only reason I'm trying this. I had a stubborn line drawn around my diet, really really not wanting to be one of those people. But I was headed toward an autoimmune disease diagnosis and knowing how little help there is for that medically (also inspired by Courtney Carver who's reversed some MS symptoms with lifestyle changes), I felt most hopeful about this path. 

I began this diet in March and found two lovely meals for spring and summer. Changing everything is hard, and one of Courtney's suggestions is to find things you like to eat and eat them often rather than pushing yourself to suddenly have a whole new repertoire. So I had an amazing sandwich and a homemade version of Chipolte's burrito bowl that I'd go back and forth between. Once in a while, we'd make gluten free pasta. It may sound terrible, but when you like the options and you haven't been eating them for months (like I have now), I felt downright lucky to be eating such good food all the time. 

I'm no cook and finding new recipes has been an overwhelming thought. Not all Pinterest recipes are as good as they look, so I was dreading the process. Then friends invited us over and served the amazing chili in the photo. I was too tired to go with my family the day they'd invited us, but they sweetly sent some home to me. I fell in love and finished it off today. 

Who would've thought I'd have the pleasure of enjoying chili on a rainy fall day? That my first soup wouldn't come by frustrating trial and error? I feel like someone gave me a free pass. I'm so grateful. So very, very grateful.