Curt's Clean Bill of Health & Clean Nachos

For a lot of men (and ladies too), kicking back and watching the game is an excellent way to chill out. Curt Suda, today's guest blogger, shares his approach to Clean Nachos for game day, and how family health scares got his head in the Eating Clean game. Sound like someone in your life? Don't forget to share his story. 

Curt on his Eating Clean journey...

My adventure with Eating Clean began with my wife who suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease.
After years of trying different medications and steroids, she decided to try a holistic approach and sought out the advice of a respected “alternative” doctor. After a few tests my wife was put on a very restrictive, anti-fungal diet to try to get her “gut” back in check. Since this was a major change for her, I decided to be as supportive as possible and followed the same diet.  This meant drinking coffee black (no dairy), eating fresh vegetables, no snacks of any kind, no alcohol and little to no grains. We quickly found that a great side effect of this new way of eating was weight loss. I thought, “This isn’t too shabby and it’s not that hard.” I was glad I was doing this with her.

To be honest, I wasn’t very healthy at the time either. My doctor had told me that my blood was thick like jelly because I was so unhealthy. I weighed over 300lbs. and I had developed sleep apnea. I was inactive and I ate every kind of chip, pie, cake and fast food out there.

After seeing the initial positive results of a Clean and holistic approach to my wife’s disease, I wanted to learn more about Eating Clean. I decided to do some further research and purchased Tosca Reno’s book The Eat Clean Diet Recharged. I knew I could do this with a few additional changes and really help us to live even healthier lives. I started eating primarily Clean and healthy foods and incorporated a regular workout routine that is a mix of weights and cardio. I have dropped over 30lbs, no longer have high cholesterol or high blood pressure, and all of my lab results are perfect and within range.  I no longer need to take medications to keep my health in check and I don’t have to wear a mask to keep me breathing while I sleep. Why I didn’t do this earlier, I don’t know, but I’m grateful that I did. I just turned 40 and I’m in the best shape of my life. There is no doubt in my mind that the Clean foods I’m eating are a huge reason why.

Have I had some hiccups along the way? Absolutely! It doesn’t destroy me and I get right back on track with no issues in a few days. I’m a father of three girls under the age of 10, I work full time, I exercise regularly and I still get the yard work done! I do 90% of the food shopping, so it’s not a hard thing to undertake. It starts with a little research, a shopping list and a trip to the store.

I have included one of my favorite recipes for this time of year, FOOTBALL Season! I love nachos when I watch my team play on game day and this is what I came up with as that perfect game day snack!

Suda’s Touchdown Nachos
Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:
1-2lbs of grilled chicken breast, lean steak or ground turkey (cooked)
6 Food For Life Brown Rice Tortillas
1 tsp red chili pepper (add more if you want it hotter)
½ tsp sea salt
1 cup organic black beans
1-2oz Cabot’s 75% FF Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Taco seasoning spice mix (use your favorite)
Extra-virgin olive oil, for coating nachos

Optional Items (add to your liking):
Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapenos, Green/Red Peppers, Fresh Salsa

Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Shred your chicken or steak using two forks while it is still hot or if your using the ground turkey make sure it is in small pieces. Place the meat in a pot with the black beans and season to taste with your taco seasoning and simmer on low heat until it is heated through.
3. Cut the frozen tortillas into chip-sized triangles. I find it easier to cut them while they’re still frozen. Spray these with some olive oil and sprinkle with the red chili pepper and the sea salt. Place in the oven for 10 minutes or until browned and crunchy.
4. Once the chips are done and the meat is heated up it is time to layer your nachos!! Start with a layer of chips, then a layer of your chicken and black bean mix, then finish with your toppings. I like the works so I add lettuce, diced tomatoes, onions, jalapenos and some cheese. If you have some fresh homemade salsa it is perfect to add to this and add hot sauce for some kick.
5. Kick back, watch the game and enjoy!!