Stocking Your Kitchen and Being Prepared For Every Meal

In order to be prepared for every meal, there is certain food I like to keep on hand at all times.


Fridge

• Meat
  Chicken, beef, fish, turkey. I prefer to eat a verity of meat, but stick with a leaner meat with most meals.

• Vegetables
  I always have lettuce, spinach, broccoli and parley. These green vegetables are loaded with nutrition which is why I like to eat them on a daily bases. Since they make a great addition to a salad, my fridge is often packed with bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, mushrooms and carrots. Loading your salad with a verity of vegetables makes it more enjoyable to eat.

• Fruit
  Fruit is great at breakfast, part of a salad or as a dessert. I limit myself to 2-3 servings a day, sometimes 4.
  
• Eggs
  Eggs are a great way to get your morning protein and the yoke has a lot of nutrition. 

Pantry

• Dried fruit with no added sugar
  Dried fruit without added sugar is hard to find. It is important to stay away from food with added sugar. Fruit is already very sweet and dried fruit is even sweeter since the water is removed. Adding sugar to it only makes it sweeter and causes your blood suger to rise more than it should. Since raisins don't have added sugar, I keep them around. Raisins are really sweet, so be careful on how many you have at once.
  
  
• Nuts
  Even though they are high in fat, nuts are a great addition to a diet. The fat they contain is a good type of fat, and fat is needed in a healthy diet. I most regularly eat almonds, but also keep other nuts around for verity. I have at least one serving a day.
  
• Nut Butter
  Nut butter adds verity and is very good with fruit and vegetables.
  
• Seeds
  Seeds are a great addition to a salad, stir fry or any mix of vegetables and fruit. As I stated in my previous post, Quinoa is a new addition to my diet and I now keep this seed in my pantry. I also like to keep flaxseed.
  
• Cocoa
  This is 100% cocoa, chocolate without the added sugar. You can buy this in the baking section as cocoa powder or 100% cocoa bar. Yes, it is bitter, but in my opinion, very tasty. Once upon a time I couldn't stomach this. However, when I stopped eating food with added sugar I started to enjoy the taste of 100% cocoa. I keep it around because I love chocolate and when I want chocolate this is what I eat. Sometimes I go for the 85% or 99% cocoa as well.
  
• Honey
  Honey is a great natural sweetener.
  
• Canned Tuna or Chicken
  You come home from a long day of work, didn't plan dinner and need to eat now! Grab a can and mix with some vegetables, quinoa and olive oil.
  
• Olive Oil
  A heathy fat to add flavor to your meats and vegetables.
  
• Spices
  Great addition to salads and meats. Be careful about the spice mixes you purchase, a lot of them have added sugar. Always look at the ingredients.
  
• Vinegar
  Another great addition to salads
  
• Hot Sauce
  Most hot sauce consists of dried peppers, vinegar and salt. This is another great way to add flavor to your meals. Again, take a look at the ingredients to make sure there isn't any added sugar.
  

Freezer

• Meat
  Fish, beef, chicken, etc. Cosco sells individually wrapped wild caught frozen fish which has been a life saver for me. They defrost in 20 mins and take 20 mins to cook. This makes for a great back up meal for the days you don't have any fresh meat on hand. You can certainly do the same thing with chicken or beef.
  
• Vegetables
  I personally never keep these frozen because I always have fresh. However, I believe that frozen vegetables are great to keep around for the days you may run out of fresh.
  
• Fruit
  Frozen fruit makes a great dessert.

Swimming and Quinoa, My Two New Discoveries

Swimming
I decided to add swimming to my routine after a friend offered to observe me during her practice once a week. According to her, I would need to devote three 15-20 minute secessions a week, one day with her and two days on my own. This would be a great opportunity to cross train, so I decided to substitute it with time I previously devoted to running.

Every swim I feel an improvement. Previously, the only “skill” I had in water was keeping myself from sinking. I tensed up using too much energy to maneuver myself through the water, fighting rather than working with the water.

Sometimes the things you resist/fear the most are often things you end up enjoying the most. Today my dogs, who were very skittish about running water, learned to enjoy playing in the sprinkler.


Quinoa
Quinoa is a seed from the quinoa plant. I discovered quinoa this past year and it is an exciting addition to my diet. This seed is cooked just like rice and can often be used as a replacement for rice. Though it’s main calories source is from carbs (having 39g in once cooked cup, 156 calories from carbs), it also has a significant source of fat (4g in a cooked cup, 36 calories from fat) and protein (8g in a cooked cup, 32 calories from protein). It is also lower in fat than many other seeds.

Here is a comparison between quinoa, born rice and white rice. The nutrition information I found on the quinoa varies a little bit by source.
1 cup cooked:
Quinoa – 4g fat, 39g carbs, 8g protein
Brown Rice, medium grain – 1.6g fat, 45.8g carbs, 4.5g protein
White Rice, medium grain – 0.4g fat, 53.2g carbs, 4.4g, protein

I use it as a side dish adding a little extra protein and a verity of protein to my meals. I really enjoy the texture and the taste and find that others I introduce it to also enjoy quinoa, health nut or not.

My mom and I decided to make stuffed grape leaves using quinoa as a replacement for rice. I can honestly say my mom’s stuffed grape leave recipes (meat and vegetarian) are the best I have ever tried. The results of the substitution were satisfying.

The meat turned out to be good. The texture and the flavor were good being in par with the rice version; The rolled leaves did not fall apart while eating. I will definitely make these again. The vegetarian filling with the quinoa was extremely yummy. However, the rolled leaves fell apart while eating. Next time I would use the vegetarian filling to stuff something else, like a pepper, or just eat the filling alone.

Below are the recipes. Try them out and let me know what you think or if you have any ideas.

Meat Stuffed Grape Leaves
2lbs Beef
2 cups Quinoa
Lamb bones, chops or whatever (optional). Enough lamb to make one layer on the bottom of the pot.
1-2 jars Grape leaves
7 spice – eyeball the amount
1 small can of tomato sauce or an equivalent amount of fresh chopped up tomatoes.
Juice of 1 lemon
Water
Big pot

Mix all the above together except for the tomatoes and the lamb meat/bones. Put one layer of lamb on the bottom of your pot (optional). Fill the leaves with the meat. See link below to an instructional youtube video. Layer the leaves in the pot, tightly packing each layer. Pour the tomatoes on top and add water until it covers the grape leaves. Put an upside down plate on top of the leaves to keep them tightly packed while cooking. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer 30-45 minutes. When the quinoa is cooked, they are finished. Five minutes before finishing add juice of one lemon.

Vegetarian Stuffed Grape Leaves
1 can garbanzo beans, mashed
1 cup quinoa
Juice of 1/2 - 3/4 of a lemon
Olive oil – about 1/2 cup, but to your own liking
Water
Big pot

Mix all the above together, except water. Fill the meat with the leaves. See link below to an instructional youtube video. Layer the leaves in the pot, tightly packing each layer. Add water until it covers the grapeleaves. Put an upside down plate on top of the leaves to keep them tightly packed while cooking. Cover and bring to a simmer. Simmer 30-45 minutes. When the quinoa is cooked, they are finished.

Youtube video on how to stuff and roll grapeleaves.

Your Time, Your Money, Your Health

The number one reason people give me for not working out and eating healthy is that they don’t have time. There isn’t any time to cook, shop and workout. I often wonder if these are the same people who spend a couple hours a night watching TV, every night out at the bar or spending too much being non productive.

I don’t understand why someone would rather spend their time watching unrealistic made up stories on TV over making time to take care of themselves. I see nothing wrong with doing these things in moderation. However, when someone watches every TV show that is aired and then states they don’t have time to take care of themselves, I see something wrong.

I understand that some people truly have a very packed schedule. Between a full time job with kids, possibly being an only parent and having other responsibilities. I still believe everyone should make time to feed themselves properly. Eating is the most important thing we do. It does not take long to cook chicken in the oven, cook steak in a pan, scramble eggs, steam vegetables or put together a salad. Preparing a simple meal is faster than going out to eat. Eating health is very simple and fast. The key is to plan and make sure you always have food on hand.

I also hear a lot of people tell me that eating healthy is too expensive. I often wonder if these are the same people who pay for cable TV, go out to eat every day, buy pop, candy, cigarettes, spend $2 on a cup of coffee and over pay for snacks in a vending machine every day. Packaged food cost more in the long run. All the added sugar makes you more hungry which makes you eat more. Packaged food doesn’t give your body the proper nutrition and causes health problems over time. When buying unprocessed whole foods, you get more bang for your buck.

Taste is also a factor. Lots of people say that they enjoy junk food more. They believe that it taste better than healthy food. Really? Meat, vegetables, fruit, seeds and nuts do not taste good? I find it hard to believe that one cannot find a variety of things they like is these categories. The only reason someone thinks junk food taste better is because sugar is addictive. Once I cut processed food out of my diet I realized I was addicted to sugar. I feel like a drug addict who finally cut my self off of an addiction, realizing I feel better without the drug. I also can taste real food better now, realizing that it taste much better thank junk food.

For the people who don’t have time to go to the gym. I can understand this. If you start with changing your diet first and try to be a little more active in your daily life, that is a great start. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away, take walks on your lunch, make cleaning your house into a workout or plan active activities with your family and friends. Once these changes are made, you may find more energy to include additional activity in your life.

Many people simply don’t like working out and/or going to the gym. This is understandable, not everyone has the same interest. However, I encourage these people to find something active they enjoy. It is important to keep muscles strong to support the skeletal system. When one’s body becomes weak they lose their independence and are prone to injury. It is not desirable to lose the ability to climb stairs, get off a chair, lift heavy items or lose the ability to do any daily tasks. When one loses muscle mass they also lose stability, become more prone to falling and breaking a bone. The loss of muscle mass also means one’s muscles aren’t strong enough to support their bones becoming more susceptible to joint problems.

I also hear people say that after or before a long day, they do not have the energy to go to the gym or do something active. Being active actually gives me energy I otherwise would not have. It is also very therapeutic, helps me clear my mind and also helps me solve problems. I believe being active makes my body and mind stronger, enabling me to enjoy my life to a greater extent.

I find that people often put their resources (time/money) towards things that do benefit them. Many of these things hold them back from become a better, stronger and smarter version of themselves. I encourage all to evaluate how we spend our time and money. How can we change how we spend our time and money to work toward a goal?

Using Exercise as an Outlet, because Exercise is My Drug

When my dad passed away it would have been very easy for me to get off track with my dieting and training. Spending long days at the hospital before he passed, an abundance of wonderful homemade food from friends and family after he passed, paired with all the emotions I was feeling. However, I knew all along I was going to stay on track. With my first NPC Jr national competition in a couple weeks I know I had to stay focused. In fact, I know staying on track actually helped me through this most difficult time in my life. Working out is like a drug for me; it always makes me feel better. It picks me up when I am feeling down, helps me clear my mind and gives me energy that I don't believe I would have otherwise. Using training as an outlet, I know, is a more effective choice than overeating and drinking. These things make you feel worse in the long run. Instead of turning to overeating during a bad day or an emotional upset, do something physically or mentally active to help clear your mind and boost your mood. Believe me, you will feel better in the long run.

My Motivation

I wrote the entry below the week before my father passed. I am finally getting around to posting this now.

My dad is sick and has been for sometime. I just found out that a friend's uncle has pancreatic cancer and it has spread. It seems that every day I hear about people having serious illnesses; cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, liver disease, kidney disease, strokes, etc.

I strongly believe that "food" and the lack of real food is a major factor in all our health problems. This is what motivates me not to eat junk "food" and why I am motivated to make sure my body receives the proper nutrition. I know I can't be perfect and I can't stay away from all the toxins in our environment. However, I can try to eliminate what I have control over. I don't want to end up with a sickness/disease where I am dependent on medications. Medication is hard on your body and causes more problems. I see my sick father and I don't want to make myself sick.

I know eating healthy won't guarantee that I won't get sick. However, I know I am not making myself sick by replacing natural healthy food with processed poison. Even if a bus hits me tomorrow, denying the temptation of processed food would have been worth all the discipline because I feel better than ever.

Split Pea and Ham Soup with Pork

Picture below, however, don't judge by the picture.
Split pea soup looks gross, but it is indeed very yummy!

This recipe makes a large pot of soup which is about 9 servings. You can cut in half or a third if you like. Also, feel free to experiment and add more or less of an ingredient to your own liking. This is soup, not an exact science!

• 2 Strips of Bacon with extra fat cut off
• 1 cup chopped onion
• olive oil
• 3 pound dried split peas
• 3 ham hocks or an equivalent amount of ham bone.
• 2 pounds of butterfly pork chops. Trim the fat and cut the pork into bite size cubes.
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large pot over medium high heat, cook bacon. Add onions to cook in bacon grease. If there isn't enough bacon grease add a little bit of olive oil. Remove from heat and add split peas, ham hocks or ham bone and pork. Add enough water to cover ingredients, and season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and bring the water to a boil. Once boiled reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until the peas break down and you have a green liquid, 2 hours. While it is cooking stir occasionally and check to see if more water is needed. You may need to add more water as the soup continues to cook.
3. Once the soup is a green liquid remove from heat, and let stand so it will thicken. Once thickened you may need to heat through to serve. 

Please note that when you heat up your left overs will most likely need to add extra water.

Tis the Season for Cranberry Sauce!

I really enjoy cranberry sauce, however, I do not add processed refined sugar to my food. I instead added honey to my cranberries instead of sugar.


1 bag of fresh or frozen cranberries (about 3 cups)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup of honey
Crushed walnuts, optional for added protein


Bring 1 cup of water to a boil and add the cranberries. Bring water back to a boil and boil about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. All skins should pop. Take off the burner and stir a bit more to bring down temperature of the cranberries. Stir in the honey. Cool and then place in the fridge. Sever cold and sprinkle with crushed walnuts.


*I use raw unprocessed honey. I like to add the honey at the end, instead of with the boiling water in the beginning. This way I am not boiling out the benefits of the raw honey.


*Adjust honey amount to your own liking. I found that just 1/4 cup of honey tasted good to me as well.


*Try using the juice from an orange with the honey. I will try this next time and update with my comments.