More discoveries...

1. I'm spending so much less money, it is ridiculous! I guess I just didn't realize how much I spent on food--mainly fast food and food already prepared.

2. My favorite canned soup (Progresso Chicken and Wild Rice)...just doesn't taste good anymore after making homemade soups for the past month. I had some for lunch the other day...blah.

3. The dishwasher is not being used as frequently. Mainly because I'm just a few things over and over, so it seems easier to just handwash them and have them ready again. I've always hated to handwash dishes, but I do it without even thinking of it now.

4. My grocery lists are much shorter! Of course it stands to reason that they would be, but it is quite freeing to just breeze by everything up and down aisles and not even give consideration to 95% of what is available.

5. I continue to be amazed at the energy level I have with only having lost about 1/6th of my goal. I had no idea that so much fat was affecting my brain function to the point of causing malaise.

6. I've noticed that every recipe (soup or meat/fish/chicken dinner) out of the book I'm using calls for 1 md. sweet onion. I've never eaten so much onion in my life!! Of couse, you've probably noticed, too, that they seem to call for tomatoes also. Granted, I've usually cooked with onion, although in a lesser amount than these recipes call for, so I was curious to see if there is some sort of nutritional benefit from onions that I'm not aware of (we all know about tomatoes--which Lisa and I consider the perfect food). It seems that onions are low in calories, and virtually absent of sodium, fat, and cholesterol. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, as well as vitamin B6 and potassium. Onions also have the flavonoid quercetin, which studies have shown to be extremely useful in helping to prevent cancer and reduce symptoms of cardiovascular disease. Some onions are also an excellent source of Vitamin C which can reduce the symptoms of asthma sufferers because it acts as an antioxidant and powerful anti-inflammatory. Also of importance in regards to the health and nutritional benefits of onions are the compounds commonly found in most onions that can help stimulate insulin production and reduce sugar levels. Consuming large quantities of onions has been proven to effectively lower blood sugar levels in individuals suffering from diabetes. Some of you have probably heard of using onions as a poltice on the chest of a person with a bad cough, but you can also use it as a topical remedy by putting a slice of onion on an insect bite to relieve irritation and itchiness. One can also deeply inhale just sliced onions to unclog a stuffy nose.

Ok...that's probably more than you wanted to know, but that satisfies my curiousity about why onions in all the recipes.