Hi there!
This is a home for many things: recipes, thoughts on health, notes on longevity, and the echoes of my own attempts toward balance between health, happiness, and everything in between when composing one’s own lifestyle. We’ll start with the recipes, the easiest common ground.
How I See Food
Some of you who know me and my regular eating habits may puzzle over why a girl who lives on mostly fruit, salads and smoothies is blogging about cookies and cake. There’s a simple explanation, really, and I’m happy to mention it here because the concepts behind it are important:
- Most things are fine in moderation, even a bite of cake. That, and being too restrictive to the point that it’s stressing you out is probably more harmful than whatever “bad food” you’re worried about taking a bite of.
- I actually eat mostly simple things, but at the same time, I really enjoy creating new dishes…especially for friends, and so I do! I’m one of those weirdos who would rather make food than eat it 😛
- I don’t force my health choices on others. Most of my cooking is for other people, but even so, I do keep everything plant-based, seeing as I can’t make something new and *not* be able to sample it myself to make sure it’s to my standards.
So there you have it. If salad and green smoothie girl takes a bite of cake or enjoys a glass of wine, don’t freak out 🙂
Changing your diet for a health is a choice. You have to really want to do it. That said, my dietary choices have evolved many times throughout the years as a result of reading and watching a lot of information, seeing what works for me, and trying to balance sustainable eating habits with the rest of my life.
“But hold on a minute! I thought you just said you don’t force your health choices on others!” I don’t. Nonetheless:
I do what makes sense to me, instead of following a label.
There are trivial exceptions to most things–and that is fine. Labels are limiting: Self-discover what’s best for you and your goals, whether or not it fits with some label.
And Why
I have a long health history that includes food sensitivities, gut issues, and various types of inflammation, ranging in severity throughout the years. The recipes I have created over the years reflect that. I’ve experimented with many different types of eating styles, seen food sensitivities come and go, etc.
Thinking for yourself might generate a lot of disapproval, but there’s no replacement for being honest with yourself.
Don’t necessarily do what I do! (You know…because I’m not a health professional; don’t take my advice; talk to a qualified expert, etc. etc. etc. disclaimer) But for the curious, since you guys have asked, here are some general principles I personally find work best for me:
- Eat when you’re hungry. Don’t when you’re not.
- Try to eat green vegetables at every meal.
- Assume that a whole foods, plant-based way of eating is the ideal goal
- Begin each meal with something containing protein and/or fiber to help with glycemic impact
- Maintain an eating window of 10-12 hours each day, and don’t eat when it’s dark outside
- Get moderate activity, including strength training, almost daily, preferring these types of exercise over super intense workouts
Thanks for reading 🙂