Sushi for dinner last night was INCREDIBLY hard because I could probably eat sushi every single day. However, I stayed strong and had some seaweed salad, cucumber roll and avocado roll. I don’t like the vegetables rolls because of the carrots…mind you I love carrots, just not in sushi…don’t ask. Anyways, we ate at Sushi Axiom, which is a favorite of ours. If you haven’t been to the new one in Montgomery Plaza, you must! The atmosphere is fun and lively, and the fish tank behind the sushi chefs is, as Miley would say, Pretty Cool! http://www.sushiaxiom.net/montgomery-plaza/location.html I skipped on the wine last night and replaced it with my favorite martini ever (besides the classic grey goose straight up with 2 olives), the Mount Fuji Martini. It has lychee liquor, a lychee fruit, and whatever alcohol goes in there. Fabulous! What’s a lychee you ask, well, take a looksy here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lychee My first encounter with lychee was from a homeless guy on a subway in NYC with one of my besties, RJP.
So, prior to starting my exile of meat, I began to keep a food journal. One of the first things many dietitians/nutritionists ask their patients/clients, before even giving them their diet plan in most cases, is to keep a food journal for a week. In this journal, you are to write down every single thing you consume throughout the day, including beverages, and at what time you eating. Now, many people who are dieting think “I don’t eat a lot, why can’t I lose weight”, or “if I stop eating, I’ll lose a lot of weight”. Well my friends, a food journal will most likely open your eyes to things you didn’t even realize you were doing. Some of us eat more than we think we do, some are eating too much of the wrong thing, and some are eating too little. Yes, too little! Not eating to lose weight is the worst thing you can do for your body – it completely slows down your metabolism, therefore making it harder to lose weight (I’ll probably have a blog later on about weight loss tips).
My meat fast was not started as a way for me to lose weight, but if that’s a side effect, I’ll gladly take it! I have never been one to cut food groups from my diet, because I am of the belief that any food is ok in moderation. Case in point, the last four mornings for breakfast, I have had a huge slice of King Cake. Every year on Fat Tuesday my mom ships all her loved ones King Cakes from the best bakery in Louisiana…Meche’s in Lafayette. King Cake is probably the one sweet I truly enjoy. I’ve always been more of a salty eater, but these cakes can’t be beat. They also have a cool history (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_cake).
I have always thought, and said, if you are going to eat junk food, you might as well do it at the beginning of your day so that you have the next 12 hours to burn it off. That way, I don’t feel so guilty when I do indulge in something that I know is unhealthy.
My challenge for everyone over the weekend is to try and keep a food journal. Monday I am going to have tips about what foods to eat, when to eat them, and how they should be eaten. I think it will be a fun little project. I use the MyFitnessPal on my iPhone…they have an enormous database of foods, and you can even enter your own if you eat store bought. You can access it online too, if you don’t have an iPhone at www.myfitnesspal.com. This is better than a written journal because it gives you all the nutrient values you consume throughout the day so you have an idea. You can also set an “ideal weight’ and it will tell you how many calories you should take in. Also, it’s free, so why not!
Here are a couple scrumptious vegetarian recipes to get you through the weekend!
Chickpea Salad
Ingredients
2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped
A few ribs celery and leafy tops, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced or grated then grinded into a paste with salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons rosemary, finely chopped, a few sprigs
3tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Combine chick peas with onions, peppers, celery, garlic, red pepper flakes and rosemary in a medium bowl. Dress salad with vinegar and oil, salt and pepper.Mediterranean Stuffed Eggplant
Ingredients:
4 small Italian Eggplant
2 medium Bell Peppers, Chopped
1 medium Onion, Chopped
2 tsp Minced Garlic
1 14.5oz Can Diced Tomatoes
1C Water
1 C Pearl Barley
2 C Spinach
3 Tbsp Basil, Chopped
2 Tbsp Grated Romano Cheese
Directions
Line rimmed baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray
Cut eggplants in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh, leaving ½” thick shell
Coat eggplants with EVOO and place flesh side down on tray
Chop the eggplant flesh that was scooped out
Preheat skillet and add bell pepper, onion, chopped eggplant and garlic and cook for 4 minutes…reduce heat to low and add diced tomatoes, water, and barley
Preheat broiler and broil eggplant shells for 10 minutes until lightly charred and soft. Turn once at 5 minutes mark, then remove once finished and let cool on tray
Stir spinach and basil into the mixture in the sauté pan, and then spoon into the eggplant shells
Sprinkle the halves with Romano cheese and serve
*Feel great, act great, and approve of yourself*
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