FoodFash

Adventure Begins in the Kitchen

Super Food Smoothie

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I’ve seen wheatgrass advertised from time to time over the years, but never gave it a second thought.  Why?  Simply put, in my experience, the taste was wretched.

But when I saw the lone pallet of grass at Greenwise last week, I felt the need to own it.  And since the impulsive need to own, well, anything is far from uncommon for me, I decided to think about it.  After all, it was a twenty dollar piece of sod.

I used the same methodology as I do with clothes, shoes, make-up, appliances, gadgets, electronics, everything.  If I go home and never give it a second thought, then I must not have wanted said thing all that badly.  However, if I found it was all I could think about and it made an appearance or two in my day dreams and night dreams alike – there must be a need.

I’m somewhat sad to say that wheatgrass crossed my mind that many times in one week that I allowed myself to bring the pallet home.  To justify my purchase, it’s going to be a “green” smoothie kind of week.  And to justify the taste, I’ll keep in mind that one ounce of wheatgrass contains the same amount of nutrients as 2-1/2 pounds of green veggies.  That…  Is a lot of veggies.

Super Food Smoothie:
1/2 Cup Wild Blueberries
1 Sambazon Acai Package
1 Tablespoon Agave Nectar
1 Gala Apple
2″x2″ Square of Wheatgrass
1/2 Cup Water
8 Ice Cubes

Beautifood

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Tonight’s meal inspiration stemmed from an article that was sent to me a while back entitled ’10 Ways to Eat Yourself Gorgeous’.  The article was shelved and I’m not certain why.  But from this point forward, food brain-block or not, I will be referencing it quite often.

My plate consisted of broiled salmon brushed with olive oil and fresh dill and boiled artichoke with dill garlic butter for dipping.  The salmon/artichoke combo created a dish rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids, Protein, Vitamins B/C/D, Magnesium, Folic Acid, and Biotin.  And chances are, if the last sentence bored you, you’re in dire need of a meal like this!

I am beyond pleased.  So pleased, in fact, that I am immodestly giving myself the highest rank on every scale – A+, 5 stars, all 10’s.

Barley & Eggplant, Oh My!

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To aid in sticking with my “high fiber, low glycemic index, minimal animal, minimal wheat” diet, I’ve created a meal plan for the first week of twenty ten. I spent entirely too much time, especially for a Saturday night, picking out recipes, downloading a blackberry shopping list app, and then using the app for my lengthy grocery list. My shopping cart was nothing short of beautiful – I could feel envious eyes wandering from carts filled with processed cardboard to my cart filled with lush produce. And even if that image was all in my head, I loved it just the same.

Oh what a dish, my first home cooked meal of the new year: Barley Basilico and Garlic Eggplant from “The Flexitarian Diet” cookbook. It was refreshing, hearty, and uncomplicated. I must add that I thoroughly enjoy simple meals, meals where you can understand the purpose of each ingredient in your first few bites. This meal was not only pleasant to the buds, but fulfilled the fundamental plan (as you can see below).

The Trifecta of Diet Awesome

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After graduation and the few additional LBs that tag along with a newly acquired desk job, I sampled every diet under the sun. There were many that I hated, few that I tolerated, and barely any that I enjoyed. What I’ve come to realize is that most diets are created from a logical, nutrition-based concept, but taken to extremes in order for people to LOSE WEIGHT FAST! (think Billy Mays).

The diets that were my favorite, uncoincidentally, were the same diets that made me feel my best. Unfortunately, my favorites fall into the extreme category and were difficult to stick to as they tended to make me feel isolated and anti-social. So what were they?

– South Beach / Low Carb (most of 2007)
– Vegan (September 2008)
– Gluten-Free (August 2009 – December 2009)

I was recently tested for food allergies to confirm my suspicions that an allergy must be the cause of a lifetime of stomach mishaps. If it looks like an egg, it must be an egg, right? Wrong. A panel consisting of well over 30 food allergens and I tested negative for every last one of them. Really?? No answers! And so, my quest for optimal health continues…

I fell off the gluten-free wagon about two weeks ago upon receiving my test results AND as holiday goodies started pouring in my office doors. Evil monkeys!

I’m diet-less once again and scheming my next fitness plot. Each time I re-start the scheming process, I’m convinced, I “know” I will find the perfect way to be. So what’s my plan today? The Trifecta of Diet Awesome! The Trifecta will be the result of dissecting the above mentioned favorites, cherry picking them if you will, creating a pro/con list and tossing all the cons. If only boys were this simple!

South Beach Pros: Low Gylcemic Index, High Fiber
South Beach Cons: Use of artificial sweeteners, Lots of Meat, Lots of Dairy

Vegan Pros: Alkaline Diet, Sustainable Lifestyle
Vegan Cons: DIFFICULT TO EAT ANYWHERE!

Gluten-Free Pros: No Gluten = Less Sluggish/Difficult to enter food coma
Gluten-Free Cons: Somewhat difficult to eat out, Limited selection at the supermarket

So it is, my newest mission will be to eat foods low on the glycemic index, high on the fiber list, minimal animal, and very minimal gluten (wheat). If I find myself at a steakhouse swimming in a glorious pool of beef and bread, I won’t freak, but I also won’t venture often.

Wish me luck and happy holidays!