By Pholosho Matondolo
A new year, a fresh start and lots of New Year’s resolutions. Aren’t we all in the same boat around this time of the year? And I think that one of the most popular New Year’s resolution for most is to lose weight, right? A lot of us have picked up so much weight during the festive season, so much that we are not so comfortable with it. Our favorite clothes no longer fit, moreover the mirror and the scale have become our enemies, like a no-go zone.
We avoid friends or family members, dreading hearing the words: ‘you have gained weight!’ Words that frustrate and hurt. Then again, I asked myself, if one constantly chose to follow a healthy living lifestyle, losing weight would not make it to the list of New Year’s resolutions.
I personally do not believe in diets. I believe in a healthy living lifestyle and have been doing this for a couple of years now, but I must say it has not been always easy. However, I have to say that I have been doing well and it is because I chose not to deprive myself. I do have my cheat days, those days where I just indulge in my favorite high calorie foods.
For me, healthy living is a lifestyle and I would like to challenge you this year, family, friends, colleagues, and you, the readers, to choose to live a healthy lifestyle and not “ losing weight”… Can we introduce this, this year and for good? Can we?
Here is a fresh start to motivate you, try my yummy apple, strawberry and mixed cheese Salad. So easy, so fresh, so healthy and so colorful. A good salad to start with your detoxing period or making that choice to start a healthy living lifestyle. All of the ingredients are raw, except for the cheese… sooo yumilicious raw and healthy!
Try it out, drink a lot of water this year, eat healthily, and enjoy!
Ingredients
Serves 2 to 3
100g green frilly lettuce
¼ cup strawberries, sliced
1 large pink apple, sliced
1/3 cup mixed cheese, crumbled (blue cheese & feta cheese)
1/3 cup raw walnuts, roughly chopped
Handful, sliced red cabbage for garnish
Instructions
Lay all ingredients in a salad bowl, starting with the lettuce as a base, refer to the image for guidelines.
For dressing (strawberry vinaigrette dressing)
1/4 cup sliced strawberries
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp honey
5 to 6 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper for taste
Blend all ingredients together except for the olive oil, lastly whisk in the olive oil.
Pour a bit over the salad, serve and enjoy.