Roasted Lemon Thyme Asparagus with Sea Salt and Black Peppercorn

I never knew I liked asparagus until I was in my 20's.  I had never even tried asparagus until then.  The first time I tried it I thought, What is this amazing vegetable and why have I not discovered it until now!  From that moment I decided to learn how to cook it and make it as delicious as the first time I tried it.  This is my favorite way to eat it.  (And it is super easy)  I hope you enjoy!

What is your favorite way to eat asparagus?

Ingredients
Fresh asparagus
2 lemons
Fresh thyme (you can also use dried if you don't have fresh, but I like it better with fresh thyme.  You don't need to use as much if you are using dried spices.)
Sea salt
Black peppercorn, ground
Olive oil

Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Wash asparagus and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.  Spritz asparagus with olive oil.  Cut one lemon in half.  Squeeze the juice of both halves of the lemon over the asparagus.  Sprinkle sea salt and black peppercorn over the asparagus.  Places 4-5 twigs of fresh thyme on the asparagus.  Cut the second lime into slices.  Place slices on top of asparagus.  Bake for 9 minutes or until roasted, but not burned.

Intuitive Eating

Have you ever heard of the book, Intuitive Eating?  It has been around for a while, but I just barely heard about it.  I decided to give it a look.

I loved it.

The premise seems to be that your body knows what it needs to stay at a healthy weight.  It talks about being in tune with your body, eating when you start to feel hungry, and stopping when you are satisfied.

The thing that is unique about this is that there are no "restricted" or "off-limits" foods.  It talks about throwing out the "diet mentality."  That is scary concept for someone who has been dieting ever since they can remember!  No off-limits foods?  Seriously?  I can eat anything I want?  Crazy, right?  Sounds like a one way ticket to dramatic weight gain.

I decided to give it a try - as in I actually made a concerted effort to follow the principles outlined in this book.  It has been 2 months.  Remember that I do not have a scale.  Nor do you count calories and worry about weight with this program.  Miraculously, it seems to be working!  I cannot quite understand it, but it does.  I am losing an average of a pound a week.  (Don't worry, I didn't get my scale back.)

The great thing is that the anxiety is leaving in regards to food.  In the beginning I could not think of anything except how what I was eating was going to affect my weight.  However, as I have continued to work on it, the intrusive food thoughts have decreased.  In the beginning I could not tell when I was hungry or full.  Now, my satiety signals are returning.  I am able to stop eating before I am completely sick to my stomach.  It is a great feeling!

I love the freedom to eat what I want.  I find that my body actually loves and leans toward healthy food, with some play foods.  I am also remembering how much I love to move and get regular physical exercise.  It just makes me feel better.

I still have a long journey ahead.  But, I am excited to see where this takes me.

Have you read this book?  What were your thoughts?