Category Archives: food

Feb 04 2013
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basics, food

Time is Money

Well, maybe in business.  But my theory is that the less I take care of my body with food and exercise, the more money I’ll spend on trying to fix it with medications and doctor visits.  Just my theory – take it or go to another blog.

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how I “find time” to cook for myself at every meal. Apparently, this is an issue for a lot of people so I thought I would touch on it a bit.

Let me just make something clear first.  I don’t cook at every meal.  I am a big advocate of cooking food in bulk.  I probably learned this from my mom considering she only knows how to cook for 7 or more.  Not to mention, it is hard to cook for one person.  No recipe on the planet is designed for one serving and I definitely can not be bothered to do long division when I’m elbow deep in ground beef.  I usually set aside about 2-3 hours during one day of the week to get my cooking done.  It will take a little practice, but eventually you will be able to bust out a week’s worth of dinners in about 2 hours.  Here’s a little insight to what those 2 hours might look like for me in order of how I complete them:

  1. I pre-heat the oven to desired temperature (I cook everything on 400 degrees to save time).  While it’s heating up, I go ahead and season, cut, and prep my meat.  This whole process takes about 10 minutes
  2. Once I throw the meat in the oven, I know I have about 30 minutes or so (depending on what I’m cooking) before it will be done.  During this time, I chop all my veggies.  I like to dice up raw onions and peppers so I can throw them in my omelets even when I’m sleep cooking or slice cucumbers ready for munching.
  3. I toss all the veggies I want to keep raw into tupperwares and throw it in the fridge (put the veggies you will use together in the same container to save space and time).  Anything I am prepping for cooking goes to the side.  Once the meat is done cooking, it definitely needs to cool off before storing.  While it’s cooling, I go ahead and cook my veggies.  Good thing the oven is already hot so this will take no time at all!
  4. The last thing I prep while my meat is cooling and my veggies are cooking are any snacks or condiments I might need for my meals – my “quick foods.”  This includes little snack bags of homemade dressings to throw in my lunch box with my salads, portioned out bags of almonds, or anything else I plan on having ready to go when I am running short on time.  (By the way, tuna salad is an amazingly quick protein source you can whip up in bulk and have ready to eat).
  5. Usually when I am done with that, my veggies are ready to come out of the oven.  I pack up my meat, my veggies, and all my quick foods and throw them in the fridge!  Only thing left to do is clean up the tornado that just came through your kitchen.

For me, this multitasking in the kitchen seems very natural, but I understand it isn’t for others.  Hopefully this helps you with your time management and can make your healthy lifestyle simpler and easier to manage.

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Jan 23 2013
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food, paleo Video

Fat Head Revisited

I feel like I am having a bit of déjà vu as I write this, but If I haven’t mentioned it already, you all need to watch the documentary “Fat Head.”  The basic premise of the low-budget film is the health benefits one can attain from reducing their daily refined carbohydrate intake.    Despite the narrator’s monotonous voice and cheesy graphics, I absolutely loved this film when I watched it a couple years ago - not just because a “low-carb” diet is something I have always believed in, but because I felt like he made a complicated subject very easy for people to understand.  I think a lot of the reason why people struggle with nutrition is because they don’t really understand what they are supposed to do or why they are doing it.  This film made the low-carb case extremely user-friendly.

Fast forward about three years to today and the “Fat Head” documentary has been revisited!  Tom Naughton, the original director of the film, found it necessary to revamp his original stance.  After the filming of “Fat Head”, Tom continued to live the lifestyle he preached to the masses but unfortunately was a sucker to anything with a “low-carb” label, including all sorts of processed breads,  ice-creams, and snacks. 

(By the way, in my opinion, marketing gimmicks are the biggest reason why people fail to achieve their goals.  100 Calorie Packs ring a bell?  There is nothing healthy about 100 calories of processed Oreos or low-carb sandwich bread.) 

 If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you know my nutritional mantra:

AVOID PROCESSED FOODS AT ALL COST!!!!

Needless to say, Tom has revamped his life and has since eliminated all processed foods from his diet.  This may seem like a small change to some people but is incredibly difficult in this day and age.  And it should be noted that this change in Tom’s life must have been significant enough for him to re-film a documentary that was already successful.  I hope this short clip leads to a full-length documentary because I would love to compare it to the original.  Take a few minutes to watch and definitely check out the original documentary, “Fat Head”, if you haven’t already!

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Nov 20 2012
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food, weight loss

this type A goes overboard

I would consider myself a Type-A personality.

Type A

The theory describes a Type A individual as ambitious, rigidly organized, highly status conscious, can be sensitive, care for other people, are truthful, impatient, always try to help others, take on more than they can handle, want other people to get to the point, proactive, and obsessed with time management. People with Type A personalities are often high-achieving “workaholics” who multi-task, push themselves with deadlines, and hate both delays and ambivalence.

That’s a lot of words.

Let’s just say I’m obsessed with structure.

I like to plan my day in time increments.  I like to organize things.  I like to make lists.  I like to count … anything (especially money).

usually what i look like

So when I experimented with diets that involved counting my macronutrients (things like protein, carbs, fats, etc.), I instantly latched on to that sense of structure and …

became completely and utterly OBSESSED.

I’d like to go ahead and add in that, not only was I counting my macros, this diet also included a time structure for when I would eat.  I won’t get into the details.  That would probably bore you to death.

Regardless of the plan I was on, I find that counting your macros has a huge place in the health and fitness community.  Everywhere I turn for information, I see the same things.

Count your calories

Pay attention to your macronutrient ratios

blah blah blah more counting

Frankly, all this counting made me absolutely obsessive over my diet.  And don’t get me wrong.  I love to obsess about things.  I’m obsessed with flossing my teeth, for example (but that is probably a good thing).  I am also obsessed with anything Justin Bieber comes out with.  Also not harmful in any way.  (HE’S OVER 18 NOW, OK?!)

hey you! don’t even deny singing ‘boyfriend’ in the car.

But it was all I thought about during the day.  I was so worried that my carb/protein/fat ratios were going to be skewed for some reason and I would dive head-first into a metabolic meltdown toward the muffin-top abyss.  Every day was spent weighing and measuring my food followed by logging it into a program to determine my exact macronutrient counts.  I just couldn’t take it anymore.

I don’t know how those health and fitness people live like that.  It’s exhausting.  No wonder people hate the idea of dieting or getting healthy.  No one wants to look at their meal and feel anxious not knowing if it will blow their calorie count for the day.  The entire situation made eating a stressful event and it wasn’t even worth it.  The results I was getting were so slow and practically unnoticeable.

Anyways, I just wrote a ton of nonsense just to tell you that I am back to my paleo ways.  I enjoy the intuitive eating style that I seem to fall into when I eat this way.  I am able to be more productive during my day because I am not constantly thinking about the next meal.  It just works for my lifestyle and my body and I seem to get great results from it.  And anyways, I have plenty of other things in my life to obsess over.  I don’t need to take the enjoyment out of my favorite pastimes – cooking and eating.

Sorry for the anticlimactic ending to this extremely late blog post.  Just thought you should know what I’ve been up to.

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Aug 04 2012
4 Comments
food, recipes

Recipe: Fresco Quinoa Salad

I had a few dinner parties during my last few days in Madrid and I was on the hunt for an easy and quick dish to bring.  With the scorching temperatures in Spain, I knew I wanted to bring some sort of cold salad that my meat loving and vegetarian friends could all enjoy together.  Trying to use up the remaining items in my cupboard, I came up with this refreshing quinoa salad that makes an amazing side dish at your summer parties!

Fresco Quinoa Salad

This recipe makes a large batch, perfect for serving at a party of 10-20 people

Ingredients for Salad:
2 cups quinoa
1/2 of one large white onion
4-6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1/2 of one red bell pepper
1/2 of one green bell pepper
1/2 of one yellow bell pepper
1 can of black beans
1 can of sweet corn
1/2 cup of cilantro, minced (you can increase or decrease based on your liking but I love cilantro!)

Ingredients for Dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
juice from 2-3 limes (I like extra lime juice so 3 for me!)
1 Tablespoon of cumin
1 teaspoon of salt
dash of hot sauce

To cook the quinoa:
Combine 2 cups of quinoa with 3 cups of water into a pot.  Bring water to a simmer and cover with a lid.  Allow quinoa to simmer until all of the water has been absorbed (about 20 minutes).

While the quinoa is cooking, you can prepare the other ingredients in a large serving bowl.
Chop the onions and peppers and combine in the bowl with the minced garlic and chopped cilantro.  Drain the corn and beans in a strainer and rinse thoroughly.  After rinsing, add corn and beans to the bowl.

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a small separate bowl making sure to mix thoroughly.

When the quinoa is finished cooking, set aside for it to cool before adding it to the other ingredients.  Once cooled, add the quinoa and dressing to the pepper mixture and mix thoroughly.  Cover with plastic wrap and allow to chill in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving.

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The great thing about this recipe is you can change it every time.  I don’t like tomatoes but my roommate loves them so he could substitute tomatoes for some peppers.  Or add more corn or more beans.  Whatever you like!!  Experiment in the kitchen and make this recipe your own!

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Jul 04 2012
2 Comments
food, friends and fun, life, living in madrid, random things i eat, restaurants

Pride and Pig

So this has been quite the eventful weekend here in Madrid.  Some big things took place during the past few days:

1.  Spain won the European Cup title

2.  Madrid hosted one of the largest gay pride festivals in the world

3.  And I experienced a whole new way of enjoying pork

There is not much to be said about the Euro Cup Championship other than Spain proved, once again, to be the best football team in the world, and in my opinion, also the best looking.

hello boys

The big win was only the conclusion to a wild and crazy weekend in Madrid.  Every year the city is flooded with men and women from around the world to participate in the Orgullo celebration (orgullo means “pride” in Spanish).  While the celebration lasts about 3 days, the main attraction is the parade on Saturday which hosts ….. pretty much all walks of life.  One thing I loved about this celebration was that even though it is advertised as a gay pride celebration, the entire city got involved to show their support.  It was a really fun event and definitely brought an exciting energy to the city!

Orgullo 2012 – gay pride weekend in Madrid

Lastly, the weekend was made complete by a visit from a few American friends.  As they were ending their European tour, I was excited to show them around the city during the last few days of their month-long excursion.  While completely unnecessary, the boys were kind enough to invite me to dinner with them to Sobrino de Botín as a thank you for the unofficial tour.  In case you didn’t know, Sobrino de Botín is also known as the oldest restaurant in the WORLD.  The specialty at this restaurant is cochinillo,or suckling pig.  And even though it is a six person requirement, the four of us ordered not just a portion, but the entire pig.  I will say that it was a bit odd to have my dinner looking at me while I ate, but the taste of the pork was unlike any I have ever had before.  The skin was super crispy and the meat was tender and juicy and the entire restaurant smelled like bacon sizzling on the stove.  I also took a taste of a couple more unusual parts of the animal that were considered delicacies, specifically the brains and the tongue.  I don’t necessarily recommend getting as adventurous as I did, but I definitely recommend visiting this restaurant if you ever find yourself in Madrid.  Reservations are easily made (we made our Friday reservations for the same night) and the price point is extremely reasonable considering the restaurant’s fame.

cochinillo at Sobrino de Botín

It was a great weekend in Madrid and I hope you enjoyed a little peek at it!!

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Jun 18 2012
7 Comments
food, friends and fun, random things i eat, recipes

Recipe: Meatloaf

I never thought I would write this post.

I never even thought I would like meatloaf.  It just sounds disgusting, doesn’t it?

But after years of cooking for myself, meatloaf has become a bit of a staple in my house mainly due to its convenience, ease of preparation, and price point.  And the fact that it makes great leftovers.

When I decided to host a potluck dinner at my house, my strategy for providing the main dishes for nearly 20 people was this: make it delicious….but more importantly make it cheap.  Have ya’ll heard about the euro lately?  My point exactly.

Enter meatloaf and broccoli casserole.

Little did I know what a huge hit this would be.  So much of a surprise that the only pictures that were taken weren’t even of my poor little loaf.  He was just a mere extra to the main attractions.

….in the photographs that is.  This recipe will definitely be well-loved by your family and friends as it was mine.  I hope you will try it out and let me know how you like it.

Meatloaf

The moisture in this dish comes from the use of mushrooms.  There is no need to add any breadcrumbs to this meal making my version grain-free and gluten-free.

2 pounds of Ground Beef
1 cup fresh mushrooms, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
4-5 cloved of garlic, minced
1/2 cup frozen spinach, chopped
1/2 cup canned pureed tomatoes
2 whole eggs
1 Tbsp Salt
1 Tbsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Oregano

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  In a bowl, combine all ingredients, reserving 1/4 cup of the pureed tomatoes for later.  Make sure to thaw your spinach and squeeeeeeeze out all the water before chopping and adding to the bowl.  It is best to combine these ingredients by hand as to avoid over-mixing (tough meat. sick.).  Once thoroughly combined, add mixture to a metal loaf pan.  Make sure to leave about 1 inch of space from the top of the pan since the meat will extract a lot of liquid.  Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (or until the edges are beginning to look crispy.  At that point, pour the remaining 1/4 cup pureed tomatoes on top and broil for about 10 minutes.  Once finished, the edges should be nice and crispy, the tomato puree should be slightly reduced, and the loaf should feel firm.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and please let me know how it turns out for you!!

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*Disclaimer: I never measure ingredients when I am cooking.  I know that this annoys people so I did my best at estimating the amounts.  I encourage you to tweak the recipe as you see fit!

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May 24 2012
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basics, food, life, paleo, random things i eat, weight loss

Your Best Body: Part 4 – Diet

I can almost guarantee that if I were to approach you on the street and say

HEY! I am doing this series on my website about how you can achieve your best body!  You should read it!

You’d probably think I was a lunatic.

Who approaches random people in the street and tells them about their blog?

Freaks, that’s who.

But let’s assume you don’t instinctively punch me across the face and you actually give it a second thought.  Furthermore, let’s imagine that you actually want to achieve your best body.  I can almost guarantee the first thing you’ll say to me is

OMG! What foods do I have to cut out?  Because I will die without chocolate – absolutely die.  Is bread OK? Because I can’t live without sandwiches either.  I eat one everyday for lunch.  Oh, what about pasta?  Can I eat pasta?  Because my Great Grandmother was Italian and so pasta just a staple in my house.  And do I have to cook every night?  Because I don’t have much time to cook.  I mean, I have kids.  And a husband.  And a job.  And I just don’t have time to do all that.

Whoa, buddy.  Calm the hell down.  Who’s the freak now?

If this sounds like something you would say, then you miiiight want to lay off the coffee. 

I’m hoping some of you have noticed that I am putting the posts for this series in order of importance.  Acceptance of your body, finding your motivation, and building a support group are like foundations of a house.  Without those, the house won’t withstand even the smallest gust of wind.

Your diet is what will turn that pile of cement and 2×4′s into something that actually resembles a livable space.  The bricks, if you will.  This piece of the puzzle is absolutely crucial to your overall health and well-being.  I am no nutritionist, but I can guarantee that you won’t be able to reach your fullest potential if you are eating shit all day long.  You can take that piece of advice to the bank.

So, here is the secret…..EAT REAL FOOD.

Put a stamp on it with a fancy diet name, I don’t care.  It doesn’t matter that I am not a nutritionist or an expert.  I’m pretty sure anyone will agree that eating unprocessed, real and natural foods are optimal choices for your health.  But what does this include?

Vegetables
Fruits
Meats
Fish
Nuts & Seeds
Eggs
Dairy

That’s a TON of options right there!  There are literally millions of combinations you can make for dinner with that list of foods.  The most important thing to note about that list though, however, is that I must stress the importance of those foods being unprocessed.  That means saying no to hot dogs as a protein source.  Or fat-free cheese.  Or little flavored yogurts in convenient little packages.  Or fruit snacks.  These are not real foods, people.

We are starting from square one here.  I am not going to tell you what ratios of proteins to carbohydrates to fats you need.  I am not certified to do that and every person is different.  What I want you to focus on is choosing real sources of food over all else.

But you forgot to list whole grains! We all need whole grains in our diet.

Well, then go out into the field and get you some whole grains, baby!  Because what you see in the stores is not natural and unprocessed so I suggest you stay away from it.  Yep, you heard me.  That whole grain bread and oatmeal is a processed food.  It doesn’t grow out of the earth in that form.  Contrary to popular belief, you can’t just pour boiling water into a field of avena sativa and have yourself a Guiness World Record size bowl of oatmeal.  In it’s natural, unprocessed form, oats look a little something like this…

So if you want to eat it like that, by all means go for it.  And honestly, who likes oatmeal anyways without adding all kinds of sugary shit to it?  Not me, that’s for sure.

Just start there my friends.  As I always say, your health is a process that will last a lifetime.  Don’t get too crazy.  Just make better choices.  Yes, you will have to cook.  And yes, this will be very different from what you are accustomed to right now.  It might seem hard.  I totally understand.  Driving next to a little window where a smiling teen hands you a bag of food is definitely much easier than cooking up a well-balanced dinner.  But it will become part of your daily routine, just like flossing your teeth (which you should all be doing if you aren’t).  Make small changes that will stick with you forever.  Overloading yourself with new patterns and habits will most likely bring you back to where you are right now.  Trust me, I still struggle with that concept in other areas of my life.

One of these days I’ll give you a breakdown of what I think should be filling your plate.  For now, I want you to focus your choices on natural and unprocessed foods.  Your body will thank you for it!

For your viewing pleasure, I have put a slideshow of random pictures from different meals I’ve had.  I love to take pictures of my food.  It doesn’t actually look very pretty most of the time, but it tastes delicious.  Follow me on Instagram for more food photos: @saadatch

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Mar 17 2012
3 Comments
food, living in madrid, paleo in madrid, travel

La Mejor Frutería

One of the best things about living in Madrid is the availability of seasonal fruits and vegetables. I’ve talked about this before but I just felt the need to write about it again after my visit to one of the best local markets in town. This little frutería will probably never be visited by tourists or even most Madrileñas.  Hidden away in Barrio Lavapies, this little market sells some of the most delicious and fresh produce I have tasted to date. They also stock their shop with amazing seasoned Spanish olives and other sorts of pickled vegetables. However, despite the lush racks of vibrant fruits and vegetables, the real reason I visit this little stand is for the eggs. No, they aren’t anything special, but they come in bulk – a concept that is practically unheard of here. For only €2.40, I can buy myself 30 eggs as opposed to the dozen in the normal market for one Euro less. Such a steal!!! Located on Calle Santa Isabela near Aton Martín metro, this market deserves a visit if you ever make your way into Madrid.

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Feb 29 2012
1 Comment
challenge yourself, food

Right on Schedule

If you didn’t already notice from my 21-Day Sugar Detox, I love making schedules.

I love calendars.
I love planning out my day.
I love making meal plans.
I love order.
I love structure.
I love lists.

As a matter of fact, I might be a perfect candidate for the military.  I could really thrive in a setting where my entire existence is planned out for me.  If only I had a better shot….

Anyways, as I normally do, I love to keep track of dates.  So for those of you who have been paying attention to every detail of my life, you would know that today is the 4th day since my little revelation.  The thing about “starting over” is that no matter how familiar the process may be, you still feel a bit out of your own skin.  I have been living and breathing healthy eating for over a year now, but returning back to it 100% after a small stint of sugar-laden-craziness has been a bit strange.

It’s like I forgot everything I know about eating healthy.  I mean, I didn’t.  The knowledge is there.  I am using it.  But it feels weird.

So as I normally do, planning out my meals has been especially helpful to get through these first few days of relieving my body from the toxins I loaded it with recently.  As always, you all will be updated with any progress or life-changing ideas (which I seem to have quite frequently)!

What are some ways you manage to get back on track after a slip-up (or two. or three. or ten.)?

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Feb 25 2012
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basics, food, living in madrid

Excuses and Cheating

For the purposes of this post, I will consider these words to be mutually exclusive.

Excuses

Hello.  Remember me?  Probably not.  My name is Sarah and I am the owner of this little blog.  If you scroll down a bit, you will see some (self-proclaimed) inspiring and down-right hilarious posts all about health and fitness.  That’s because it is my passion.  Makes sense right?

  Not knowing how to turn your passion into a career (yet) = make a blog

So here you are (thank you for coming) and you might be wondering, “Well, why haven’t you been posting regularly?  This is your passion, right? Don’t you have anything to say?”

‘No.’ would be the simple answer to that.

I have literally had the worst writer’s blog of all time during the month of February.  I would literally think about my cute little site everyday and go blank.

‘I have nothing to write about.’

I was completely uninspired and for that, I apologize.

(Notice I tried to make up for it by uploading a picture in my last post.  Poor form, Sarah.)

Cheating

So after my 21-Day Detox, I was feeling great!  I was feeling healthy, fit, and inspired.  I was also feeling slightly leaner and more focused in the gym.  You can read all about that here.

But…. (you knew that was coming)

But, the sights and smells and tastes of Europe got the better of me.  Passing by the pastry shop everyday on my way to work is no easy task, and I dare even the strictest of Paleo followers to not just consider stopping in.

Make that a double dare.

As you might expect, I did stop in once.  And then twice.  And then before I knew it, the “control” over my sweet tooth had sprinted out of my body, nowhere to be seen.

The past month I have found myself really struggling to battle the evil sweet tooth.  It sounds dumb but for those of you who love sweets, you know what I am talking about.  It’s like another person in your brain making excuses for why it’s acceptable to indulge ‘just this once’.  But it’s never just once, is it?

So maybe those two words are not mutually exclusive after all….

I think I was having trouble being inspired to write because I was feeling a bit out of control of my health.  It’s hard to write a health blog when you aren’t living a healthy lifestyle.  Anyways, this post is serving not only as an update for you as to where I have been, but as a reality check for myself.  An honest update about why I haven’t been writing.  There. I said it.  Moving forward.

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