Day1 Green Smoothie

Quick post from my mobile, sorry the lay out is not pretty! :)

I committed myself to the instagram.com/SimpleGreenSmoothies 30 day challenge and will try to have a green smoothie first thing in the morning. It might be a bit difficult on the first week since I'm heading to SG tomorrow for a family bonding trip, and we're the type to eat wherever we find food. Fight! 

500 ml: 7 grams spinach, 2 green pears, 1 green apple, 1 red apple. 

Infused waters

The easiest and yummiest drink made around our house is infused waters. Just cut the fruits and dump it in the water, then drink your way to a healthier body. Pitchers of it lie around our house so it is easy to fulfill our daily required water intake. Health for the lazy.

Below are the benefits to help with detoxification and hydration. Put as much fruit as you like and let the water sit for at least 30 minutes before drinking. You can put more water on the same fruit but you must discard it after 48 hours.

Green Tea, Mint and Lime - fat burning, digestion, headaches, congestion and breath freshener

Muffin Frittatas

Thanks to Su, I have another easy go to healthy meal: frittatas! It's so easy and healthy I was done in 30 minutes. Su advised on her blog that I go crazy, so I did!

Healthy Frittatas, adapted from Makan Musings

Vegetable Tofu (with Broccoli and Carrots)

I get creative when planning home-cooked dinners with my mom because she is into healthy, organic food.  We can't eat chicken because they are raised in a coop and fed manufactured food. We can't eat fish because they are raised in a cramped pen and are fed unspeakable chemicals. Beef and pork are not allowed for elders. The only option left for us to eat is vegetables. I don’t want to float any discussion on the growth conditions of vegetables because we might end up eating nothing.

One of the dishes we keep coming back to for dinner is Vegetable Tofu. It has everything I want and it meets my mom’s standards for edible, healthy food.

Vegan Coffee Butter Almond Ice Cream

I have been reading on equally yummy versions of ice cream that does not require an overdose of eggs, milk and cream, as dictated by the gelato recipe we made the last time. One of the healthy alternatives that made it to my radar was vegan ice cream.  Making vegan ice cream basically means you make ice cream without using milk and eggs. We got some coconut milk and coconut cream and decided to give it a try (for the sake of our cholesterol levels and the risk of diabetes)

We tried it for the Coffee Butter Almond Ice Cream recipe we found. There will always be subtle differences between simple ice cream, gelato, frozen yoghurt etc, but I'm not choosy as long as it satisfies my sweet tooth. This one came out creamy and not too sweet.

VEGAN Coffee Butter Almond Ice Cream

Adapted from the Cusinart Recipe booklet, our minor renditions incorporated to make it vegan

Anti-Depressant Grocery List

BANANAS, SUN, EXERCISE - my number one tip to friends who are in an emotional rut. Bananas have an amino acid that turns into dopamine, which helps the nervous system activate pleasure and regulate mood. Sunlight helps the brain produce more seratonin, the mood lifter. Exercise give you endorphins; endorphins make you happy. I always have a daily supply of BSE.

I've been doing groceries for my family this past few weeks so it enables me to maintain a happy household. This involves introducing anti-depressant food in our diet (when my brother joins me though, it's snacks galore in our cart).

To explain the science behind my selections, I basically gun for food that stimulate the production of dopamine and seratonin levels. Dopamine is a brain neurotransmitter that is helps the nervous system perform its functions - movement, pleasure, attention and learning, and mood regulation. It provides more energy, motivation and helps maintain a more positive frame of mind.

Here's the basic list of food that make it to my shopping cart, although google can give you more anti-depressant food, whichever suits your preference.

Healthy Options: The New Frontier

Water Dragon 2012 was a very good year. It was a roller coaster ride - the kind that made you feel bad and exhilarated within moments, the one that gave you an adrenaline rush, energy and inspiration to wrestle Water Snake 2013.

A few of my big accomplishments this year included travelling solo in key provinces and regions in West China to check out its development (plus a 1.5 day trek along Haba Snow Mountain - I'll be back for the 4 day trek), getting more exercise (regular badminton, opting for hiking dates), and eating more vegetables. Vegetables are a staple in Chinese diet, so when I ate out with my friends, I was stuffed with vegetables before the meat arrived. Also, when I prepared food for myself in my Beijing flat, I was happy with tofu and steamed vegetables (the lazy yuppie's dinner).

I discovered that while I didn't experience drastic weight loss with my veggie diet borne out of convenience, I started to feel good about my body. Really good. I felt full but did not feel stuffed, so there was still a bit of jump in my step. No more dry skin along my nails (I obsess with ripping dry skin out, so yeay!). I was more gleeful, had a positive outlook, and, well, I felt happy. Maybe it was also because of the combination of 8 hours of sleep, regular exercise and sun exposure, daily banana intake (food for the lazy! Potassium from bananas helps release dopamine, and dopamine makes you happy) but whatever it was, I liked how I was feeling.

People change, and when they do, the things they want for themselves have to change, too. I do not claim to have gone all vegan or strictly healthy. I fell in love with chocolate long before I realized that boys existed. The first thing I look at in a menu is still dessert, and often times, that is the first thing I order. My brother is a foodie, and I always have a bite of whatever he's having. What I will try to do, mostly for myself, is chronicle my story with finding the combination of food that makes me feel good and feel healthy. And yes, sometimes that includes having some dessert, some salad dressing, a stick of that highly recommended lamb kebab.

I want to share the information I learn when reading about how to live healthier (cinnamon increases metabolism - adding it to everything I can), or information that may be helpful to know while you enjoy your food (pan grilled food cooks the meat on its fat, so opt for flame grilled meat). I want to share my struggles on finding food in restaurants that fit my requirements (I learned to sift through online menus, and smuggle in my own veggies and add to my food...)

I've been experimenting on some food I made on my own thanks to my brother, who trained in the San Francisco Baking Institute among professional chefs. The science of baking introduced the idea of how different quantities of different ingredients affect the cake's outcome. Also, how the amount of pre-heat time in the oven can dictate the rise of the cupcake mix. My working title: The Dark Dough Rises. 

I had a few diet adventures and some I'd like to try, in the interest of cleansing my system. I remember having hallucinations on my third day of the liquid diet, but at least I was able to try yummy juice combinations. I also look forward to throwing in a few exercise entries (Current fling: Zumba. Married to: Badminton. Lifelong love: Jump Rope. Unrequited love: Parkour).

I hope that when you do visit this blog, you can pick up a couple of stories or information that will help you live better. =)

Side story: I didn't realize how much I loved broccoli until my uncle slapped my hand when he saw that I ferreted out all the broccoli from the large bowl of salad to share for our family of 14. (It was an unconscious, honest mistake.)