007 what I'm eating/fitness routine

As a fellow foodie, I am always fascinated by what other people choose to consume and what recipes others find worth sharing. I'm that person who does NOT find it annoying when when people post pictures of their meal, I truly enjoy creeping on their chow. If you feel the same way, these posts are for you. It's time for another installment of what I've been eating. I also wanted to briefly cover my fitness routine for some insight.

BREAKFAST

When I wake up I am rarely ever hungry and I hate forcing myself to eat any type of meal. I try to stick to something light to get some nutrition in my body since I do my workouts in the morning. Working out on an empty stomach is no bueno for me, I get light headed and feel nauseous when I do so. I usually opt for a protein shake, something I REALLY had to adjust to. I used to be very sensitive to the taste of the protein powder and despised it but now I can't even taste it.

If you feel the same way about protein, I suggest gradually adding protein powder to your shakes. For example, when I first started out I started with only half a scoop. I continued this for about two weeks and then moved on to 3/4 of a scoop and so on and so forth. Also, bananas are your best friends. They cover up the protein taste and thicken up the shake. For my shakes I add a mix of almond milk and water, a heaping scoop of mint chocolate protein powder, half of a very ripe frozen banana, ground flax seed, wheat germ, psyllium husk, and a little pro-biotic powder. Flax seed and wheat germ should be easy to find at health stores or places like Vitamin Shoppe or GNC if you want convenience but if you want more bang for your buck suggest looking for a bulk retailer online. Psyllium husk can be found anywhere, I get mine at Walmart for cheap. It looks like THIS.

As for actual food, to be honest I rarely eat in the mornings. Like I said, my body is still processing being up so the last thing I want to do is to eat. If I am up for a while and don't have places to be, I will eat steel cut oatmeal that has been soaked in almond milk overnight. I'll add honey, cinnamon, and some walnuts to make it tasty. This is the only way I will eat oatmeal! I hated oatmeal before I did this combination. There is also my favorite snack of greek yogurt with fruit, honey, and some kind of granola.

LUNCH

Lunch is when I first start feeling hungry. I bulk up on vegetables, incorporate a lean meat or seafood to feel fully satisfied, and I always like to finish off with some kind of fruit. Any salad with chicken is a common choice with me. Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and feta with balsamic is my go to and fail safe choice. Sometimes I'll switch it up and bulk up on vegetables a different way, such as shrimp ceviche. Soups I'll do now and again, pictured here is Ina Garten's roasted tomato basil which I highly recommend trying out. I'll also meet up with friends for lunch and do pho. Sandwiches I'll do on occasion depending on my mood and how quick I want to throw something together. Pictured is a turkey bacon BLT I made up (wheat bread, red onion, tomato, turkey bacon, avocado to replace mayo) which I extremely enjoy. I thought I was going to hate turkey bacon but it has the same flavor as bacon! It does not have the satisfying crumbly fat texture though.

DINNER

Dinner I stick to the same philosophy of bulking up on vegetables and having some kind of lean meat. I am also a firm advocate of carbs as I feel like they give me energy and keep me full longer. My favorites are sweet potato, quinoa, and brown rice. I tried out THIS recipe for a creamy avocado spaghetti squash dish which is pictured in the middle and I would not recommend it. It just made me want to eat guacamole and I don't think it complimented the squash well. I won't strictly stick to healthy choices, if I crave pasta I'll whip up the classic one pot pasta or if I feel like white rice I'll make it and eat it with a stir fry or boiled meat and vegetable dish.

INDULGENCES

My body is to the point where if I go overboard with anything unhealthy I feel sick which is surprising to me since I never thought I would get on that level. Even so, weekends I tend to indulge and not hold back on anything within reason. I drink beer, I try out restaurants in my area, etc.

FITNESS

This is about a 4.5 month time gap. I started out the first two months doing 1 hour gym sessions but I found that was too hard on my body and I was constantly sore/in pain so the last two months I switched to 30-45 minute workouts. I run and do weights about 4-5 times a week. My current workout starts off with a 15 minute run which usually ends up being 1.5-2 miles depending on my mood. After that warm up I do weights, I switch off between arms and legs every other day. I just use the weight machines provided at my gym.

I'm not a health expert and everyone is different but this is what has been working for me. I do have a pretty decent metabolism, which I am very thankful for, so keep that in mind. I think what helped me most was jump-starting my physical activity as I was never, EVER, EVER physically active before. Getting my ass up and around was a tremendous lifestyle change. Diet of course is a big factor but I don't like focusing on it and I don't like depriving myself since food brings me great joy. I still eat chips, pizza, burgers, pork belly etc just not as often as I used to. I would say I also eat less than I did before which was very hard for me in the beginning but my body adjusted with time. Had a few hangry moments in the beginning!

I also think shakes or some kind of supplement is a defining factor in my change as I don't believe the food we have access to has the proper and full nutritional value our bodies need. I don't see the protein shakes as meal replacements, I see them as a boost in covering all the nutrient holes I have in my diet.

If you have any questions about anything, feel free to ask. I'm pretty open about everything so don't be shy!

006 what I'm eating

I haven't done a "what I'm eating" post in quite some time. I have been trying out some new recipes that have been tasty while also trying to be semi healthy so I thought I'd share what I've been consuming for my fellow foodies to enjoy.

SNACKS

1. A bit of a twist to the traditional Vietnamese style Do Chua. I made mine with white vinegar, fish sauce, and added some leeks, garlic and chilies. I have been obsessed with this; it is crunchy, sour, and can be added to many dishes. I eat it plain, add it in soups or sandwiches, and even rolled some up in a simple spicy tuna sushi roll.

2. Another obsession, mini crunchy peanut butter and banana sandwiches. I saw on a Pinterest post that someone added a couple dark chocolate chips in the middle, genius!

3. I made a batch of kimchi for my mother for Christmas and I saved a bit for myself as well. I followed this recipe. It isn't the best kimchi I have ever had (not sour enough for me) but still, it is better than store bought! Another versatile item to use: by itself, in soups, with eggs, in fried rice, etc.

GREEN

4. A twist on lettuce wraps. I normally use chicken but I felt like pork that day. Saute ground pork, carrot, and green onion. Season with salt and pepper, fish sauce, lime. After the heat has been turned off, add in fresh cilantro (I do this to preserve the zingy freshness of the herb. Cooking it wilts it and demeans that flavor). Pile on leafy romaine hearts and chomp away!

5. I am not a fan of shakes as meals and rarely do it. This one pictured had avocado, spinach, kiwi, almond milk, and banana. It was ok, mostly because of the avocado. I have yet to try a shake mix that I truly enjoy. I mostly make them to see if I will get an "Aha!" combo that will convert me.

6. Tomato & arugula were meant to be together forever. Super simple crostini that I just made up on a whim based on my cravings. Soak a medley of tomato types, red onion, and arugula in salt and balsamic vinegar for about 15-20 minutes. While it soaks cut some crusty bread, rub olive oil and a nub of garlic all over the surface and finish off with a sprinkle of mozzarella. Broil until brown and toasted. Add your vegetable mix on top and eat immediately to avoid soggy bread.

SEMI UNHEALTHY

7. I have been wanting to try out cauliflower replacement recipes and my first attempt was making pizza. I followed Tasty Kitchen's take on it. It is a tasty recipe but don't be fooled, real pizza is superior. I still recommend you try it though, especially if you are craving pizza, are gluten intolerant, or just want to trick someone into eating more vegetables (kids, eh?)

8. Beer! Ah how I love beer. Everyone has their calorie cheat preference, mine is beer. Empty calories but I prefer it over sweets any day. My boyfriend and I recently found a neat local place with a vast variety in stock. Recent tries have been Bell's Hopslam, Victory Golden Monkey, and Southern Tier Oat Imperial Oatmeal Stout.

9. This has become a breakfast staple. Adapted from The Londoner, but I made a few changes. I added spinach and white onion to bulk up on vegetables, ditched the chorizo for pepperoni instead since that was all I had on hand, and skipped the bread for dipping. Still ended up superb. Highly recommend you try it. Not only is it flavorful and filling, it looks quite beautiful.

I've also been obsessed with guacamole with Wasa crackers. Easy, healthy snack to whip up. And nothing can stop me from getting my fix of Greek yogurt combos. I either do my favorite of pineapple, slivered almonds with honey or a newly discovered mix of frozen berries, half of a smashed up Nature's Valley maple brown sugar granola bar, and honey. Funny, I used to hate Greek yogurt but now I prefer it over the regular stuff.

What has been on your plate lately? Any Greek yogurt combos that you love that I should try? Or shall we discuss beer favorites instead...

eating clean: my not so thrilling endeavor

I consider my overall diet pretty well balanced; I eat plenty of vegetables/fruits and like all types of meats & seafood. I don't eat out too often nor do I rely on processed foods. I don't drink soda and I don't care much for desserts or sweets. My biggest concern is that my meals are too large and I am not physically active. I also drink alcohol quite often. So as a challenge I decided to change up my eating habits by "eating clean". Cut out alcohol, carbs, fried foods, and red/fatty meats. I'm still eating cheese but limited amounts.

I know, so trendy and obnoxious of a decision, but I really wanted to push myself to do something I consider REALLY difficult since I am such a huge food enthusiast. I planned to do this for the month of June to see what sort of impact it has on my body. So how have I been doing so far?

BREAKFAST/LUNCH

For breakfast I'll scramble one egg with onion, tomato, and a handful of spinach. I also cut up half a zucchini into slices and rub some Good Seasons Italian Seasoning and EVOO onto them and grill them. Those seasoning packets are the BEST. I have been using them for salads and rubbed onto vegetables for years and haven't found anything that is nearly as tasty.

For lunch I'll usually do some sort of salad with chicken breast. The body of my salads usually comprise of romaine, spinach, tomato, cucumber, and feta. I have two dressings that I alternate between. One is lemon juice, crushed garlic, with salt and pepper. My personal favorite though is balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a sprinkle of the Good Seasons packet. I could drink balsamic vinegar by itself, so tasty! My favorite brand is pictured above.

SNACK

I crave fruits pretty often so I like to have a different type on hand each week. I especially love tossing it with nonfat Greek yogurt (I like Fage), silvered almonds, and honey. My favorite is with pineapple but strawberry also tastes good. I find the Greek yogurt makes me feel pretty full even if it is only one dollop. I also like eating unripened mango slices with dried pepper flakes.

EXPERIMENTS & EATING OUT

I don't mind raw carrots but I don't care for cooked carrots at all. I saw a recipe for roasted balsamic carrots and was intrigued. I tried it out and they tasted a bit like sweet potatoes. I'm not sure if it is something I would make again but it certainly wasn't unpleasant.

While visiting family I went to a gathering and picked out healthier options to eat like Papaya Salad and Chicken Larb (pronounced "lahp"). Both are lean and full of flavor due to the seasonings and herbs mixed in.

NOT CLEAN!

Well I am only human, I did slip up and eat a piece of pork and chicken with some purple stick rice. I can't be near purple sticky rice without indulging since I rarely get to have it! That shit is my crack, glutinous and satisfying. I felt bad at first but the surge of carbs actually helped with prolonging my endurance for my jogs.

Overall I have been eating pretty decent. The first week was BRUTAL. My stomach felt empty since I was eating MUCH less than my body has been used to and I wasn't filling it with the normal amount of meat I consume. I had lots of hungry unsatisfying days. The second week and beyond has been much easier. My stomach finally got used to the amount of nutrition I was providing it and now I don't get the hunger pangs. I drink plenty of water and hot tea to help fill up my stomach.

I also have been averaging about 5-6 miles of running per week. It isn't much but I do feel myself getting stronger and creating a higher endurance each time. I incorporate sets of lunges and burpees into my routine as well.

I have lost around 7 pounds so far from these changes. I'll update again at the end of June to reflect on the challenge and voice my thoughts and plans for maintaining. Now I'm off to dream of pizza and burgers...

my travels: toronto, canada

This past weekend I tagged along a spontaneous trip to Toronto Canada with some friends. It was a short and sweet vacation with good company. Here are a few photos from my travels.

1. rooftop view of Toronto at Sky Dragon Chinese Restaurant 2. night time view from the CN Tower 3. CN tower 4. sister and me inside the CN tower 5. looking downward and through the glass floor in the CN tower 6. no spiderman allowed in the CN tower

1. pretty Canadian money 2. Chinatown cuttlefish and duck 3. fresh greens in Chinatown's market 4. unknown and beautifully colored root in the market 5. pipe dragon inside Tea Shop 168 6. Chinatown wares

1. dumpling making ladies in Chinatown 2. duck, wonton, noodle soup from King's Noodle 3. roommate, sister, myself ready for a night out 4. crispy pork, greens and rice from King's Noodle 5. seafood, wonton, noodle soup from King's Noodle 6. hot and sour soup from King's Noodle

1. inside the Guvernment club 2. the lucky bridge inside Pacific Mall 3. my sister in the air puff security sensor in the CN tower 4. arcade fruit ninja inside Pacific Mall's arcade 5. wanda's Belgian waffles with ice cream and chocolate syrup 6. wanda's nutella strawberry crepe, we liked her waffles more!

1. Chako korean bbq 2. bland mango salad at Com Tam Pho 168 3. com suon at Com Tam Pho 168 4. surprisingly tasty pho at Com Tam Pho 168 5. fish ball and tripe stick snacks from Pacific Mall 6. my first time trying Tiger beer. decent!

A FEW THOUGHTS:

+ I noticed a trend with Toronto beggars, they all have pets! And they use their dogs/cats to attract attention. I have never seen this tactic before and I was perplexed.

+ The people I traveled with only wanted to check out the Asian cuisine and scene. I wish I could have tried a variety of other foods and scenes! There's always next time :)

+ The CN Tower was very touristy but we just couldn't resist. It isn't very expensive for admission like other tall buildings (*cough Empire State Building) and the view at night is very pretty. Their security air puff machine was neat, it blew puffs of air along the length of your body.

+ Chinatown in Toronto was bigger than I expected. I wonder what they marinate their cuttlefish in to make it such a magnificent shade of fluorescent orange? I didn't think any of the food there was spectacular. But I was very jealous of their markets. Tons of variety of fresh produce, dried roots and seafood, and much more.

+ The Guvernment was a neat place if you are into going out. They mainly play house music but I believe there are other levels that open up with other music depending on the night.

Thanks for the good time Toronto. I'll be sure to be back, this time to hunt out your other foods beside Asian.

philadelphia

i recently took a trip to new york and during my stay there i ended up taking a couple days away from the big apple to explore the historical city of philadelphia. i am not a huge history buff if i am being honest, but i can respect our country's roots and can say overall i had a pleasant time. it is worth a day trip if you are near the area and want to experience part of our country's origins. some food spots are really great, not to mention the old buildings are stunning and are at every corner you turn.

a few things:

+ the famous love sign! this was in JFK Plaza, aka Love Park. the fountain normally isnt pink, they changed the color for the day for breast cancer awareness.
+ being in philly and a huge foodie, i HAD to try out the philly cheese steak sandwiches (with cheese whiz of course). we tried the two top competitors: pat's king of steaks and geno's. pictured above is pat's, which was my favorite of the two. the meat was juicier and the bread was more flavorful. the cherry peppers were free (and yummy!)
+ the famous rocky steps are picture below the cheese steak. can you believe i have never seen the movie?
+ my favorite part of my philly trip (besides the food i ate) was visiting the eastern state penitentiary. it was fascinating! the surgical light pictured is the actual authentic one used that was left behind due to the bulk
+ the japanese house & garden was closed when we went unfortunately. i bet it would have been really neat inside.
+ if you are ever in philly you MUST try Barbuzzo. i was very skeptical of the place as the menu seemed a bit "healthy" and not very meat lover friendly but every single thing we ate here was so fresh and delicious. highly recommend the goat cheese dishes!

005 what im eating

bed of mixed greens (romaine, spinach, green onion, cilantro), tomato, cucumber, grilled beef (overcooked, i like my beef rarer than this) with lime chili + garlic vinaigrette. craving beef but had to do it in a healthy way!

004 what i'm eating

half pesto, half (homemade) marinara. toppings of choice: tomato, mushrooms, pepperoni...all baked on homemade naan. i have been obsessed with naan! it goes with everything...pizza, eggs, cheese, gyros...endless possibilities!

003 my world according to my phone + thanksgiving

just a few photos to show you what ive been up to: eating, reading, and playing. mmm mrs. field's chocolate chip cookies...i wish i knew the recipe for these(does anyone?)!

i went black friday shopping (nothing crazy, i went during normal people times) and came across all three shady lady palettes at tjmaxx! amazing. unfortunately volume 3 had huge gouges in some of the shades so i only picked up vol 1 and 2....more on that in another post.

i love the muppets, but i thought the movie was a bit boring. i dont recommend it. i do, however, HIGHLY recommend these dark chocolate bavarian twists. salty/sweet goodness. totally addicted.















hope you all had a great thanksgiving!

new york trip part 5: times square, china town, little italy & final thoughts

the last post! i forgot a few pictures that i should have put in part 4 so i will include them here...









































































a few things:

+ times square is always full of tourists. i understand why new yorkers shudder and probably avoid this area. but...it IS pretty & cool if you have never seen it. especially at night. it is full of street performers...like mr. candyman here.

+ we HAD to stop by inglot. i actually didnt know there was a location right in times square, another accidental find. i ended up picking up an eye shadow quad, you can see which shades HERE.

+ yummy noodle...wasn't that yummy. it was rainy and we were hungry so we just picked a random place. the noodles were ok, the squid was bland, and the congee was disappointing (and seriously lacking cilantro.) i hate when congee isn't good because i love congee!

+ is little italy always outdoors like this? when we stopped by it seemed like a festival was going on. we were so full from the disappointing yummy noodle so unfortunately we didnt get to try out any italian restaurants. we did get a canoli cream, which i thought was just ok. i am part italian, so i am quite partial to my grandmother's canoli creams. i did manage to get sausage and peppers on the go to eat later (which was absolutely delicious!) so at least i got to try SOME food.

+ we only stopped by max brenner's...we didnt buy or try anything. this place was seriously packed so i am guessing it is pretty good? you new yorkers tell me!

+ we went to the famous ramen restaurant, ippudo. this place has so many rave ratings on yelp...and i have NO idea why. i am not a ramen expert but i dont get the hype. we had to wait over an hour for the table since it is really popular...and they don't take reservations. when you go in all the staff greets you heartily by shouting something in japanese (wish i knew what!) and the atmosphere is really nice and modern. we got baby octopus, the pork buns, a spicy ramen, and some pork broth ramen. the baby octopus was really tasty and had a very nice chewy texture. on yelp almost EVERYONE raved about the pork buns, which weren't impressive. it tasted like pork slathered in mayo...so if you like mayo you will like the buns. as for the actual ramen...i wasn't wowed. it wasn't horrible, don't get me wrong, but it just wasn't hype worthy to me.

+ haru was very nice. i loved everything we ate here except the mochi (i am very picky when it comes to mochi.) the fish tacos were my favorite part of this meal!!

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well, if you made it to the end of my trip, i congratulate you! this was a very long series of posts. to close out this series i thought i would give my final thoughts on nyc...

+ food in new york is phenomenal. seriously, phenomenal. i have only been to a few states and countries...but so far in my travels new york food beats everything i have come across. i ate so much good food that when i got home i went on a salad and clear broth diet for over 2 weeks because i indulged too much!

+ although the food was phenomenal...it was also expensive. not even just the fancy places...in general everything is more expensive than what i am used to. be prepared to spend lots of money, no matter where you decide to go. the portions are smaller too which i didnt mind because the small dishes almost ALWAYS had a lot of flavor. ill take small portion w/ big flavor over huge portion and bland any day!

+ you know how they say new yorkers are always in a hurry? it is true. people are constantly moving and you can bet your bottom dollar that their normal walking pace is equal to your speed walking pace. also, new yorkers are the rudest/angriest/audacious drivers in the world! constant honking, yelling, and impatience. avoid driving downtown at all costs, trust me.

+ the metro is your friend. it is cheap and gets you where ever you want to go! taxis are expensive and not as fast. go with the subway.

+ there are people everywhere, anywhere, at all times of the day. you could go out and see a million different people every day. there is no such thing as personal space...or space in general. new yorkers really know how to utilize their space! it is actually impressive how many tiny crammed rooms i saw.

+ new york is so diverse! i knew that already but to actually see so many ethnicities everyday...it was a breath of fresh air. i have always lived in towns were whites are the majority...not the other way around.

+ i already know i need to go back to new york because i miss the food already, i didnt get to see a lot of places i wanted to go to (central park, fifth avenue shops, soho, brooklyn flea market, etc), and i would like to meet up with Julie someday!

HUGE MASSIVE thank you to Julie, she recommended about 95% of the things i ate, saw, and explored. this girl knows what she is talking about and has spectacular taste. every thing she told me that was good or overrated she was absolutely right about. thank you, truly, for your outstanding guide and advise Julie!

the end! back to beauty related posts until my next trip...