I learned a big lesson the other night! My diet has evolved over the years to be relatively clean and healthy (uber/over-the-top healthy in my husband’s eyes,) but suffice to say that I generally avoid the kinds of foods that I know will make me feel bad after eating them. I’ve gotten so used to this way of eating that when I over-indulged the other night by eating a huge plate of fried food followed by a massive ice cream cone (what was I thinking?), I felt absolutely terrible – and not just for a few hours, but for a couple of days. My digestion was off, I felt bloated (could that have been the insanely delicious bread basket?), and I just didn’t feel my usual sparkling self in the energy department.
This little experience led me to take stock of the foods that I have slowly but surely eliminated from my diet over the past decade, and why perhaps I feel sooooooo much better than I would, were I to consume processed/fried/sugar-laden foods on a daily basis. Moreover, I have a big reunion coming up and want to look my absolute best. I know that certain foods can cause: dark under eye circles, facial puffiness, bloating, and many inflammatory skin conditions such as breakouts, rosacea, and rashes.
Here’s what I try NOT to eat: dairy products (with the exception of the occasional little bit of goat or sheep cheese), meat, refined grains, refined sugar, and for the most part, gluten. Oh, and I don’t drink alcohol at all. Now, many of my friends – especially back in England, would probably throw up their hands in horror after hearing me reel off this list, “What the —- do you eat then?” they’d say. Actually, my friends – I eat the most delicious food imaginable. I love cooking, and I love eating, and I’m so incredibly grateful that here in Los Angeles there is an abundance of fresh, healthy and organic food (and long may it last, which is now questionable because of the severe drought we are experiencing.) Eating clean and healthy is actually a really simple and easy way to go. Take for example one of my standard lunches: A gluten-free wrap/tortilla, hummus, and stacks of fresh crunchy veggies.
65% of consumers now want healthier options, especially when eating out, and the great news is that healthy restaurants are cropping up all over the
country, and even healthy fast-food restaurants.Here on the West Coast we are really fortunate because we have the Veggie Grill chain expanding all over the place, which I’m obsessed with because they offer affordable, delicious, comfort-style vegan food that even my husband raves about. We also have the Lemonade chain, which offers a huge selection of delectable salads – I’m over the moon that they’ve made their way into LAX airport, which is seriously lacking in the healthy food department. What are your favorite healthy/vegan restaurants? Have you seen any good fast food chains opening up in your city, region, or country. Have you tried The Veggie Grill yet? We need to know if there are yummy, healthful chains in your city, too.
The primary reason why I’ve chosen to eliminate these foods from my diet for quite a while now is that all of them can cause or exacerbate inflammation, which has now been found to be the root cause of a plethora of degenerative diseases. The way I cook and prepare my food also plays into how well I will digest and absorb the nutrients. I love to eat a lot of raw foods for their enzyme content, but I also gently steam, saute and bake a lot of my food because certain foods are easier to digest when cooked. My favorite way of cooking my veggies is to “steam” them in my 360 cookware, which is honestly the best investment I have ever made. My Mom was visiting last week and she’s now obsessed with these pans because she saw how I can steam a head of broccoli or cauliflower with just 2tbsp of water in just under 4 minutes because of the special “vapor-lock” technology. The really great thing is that the veggies remain crisp with all their nutrients intact because the steaming process is so quick.
A primarily plant-based diet (I do eat fish occasionally), helps me to look and feel my absolute best. I will not be eating another bucket-sized portion of fried food ever again. What’s up with the portion sizes in restaurants – seriously? My Mom said that the portion sizes in the UK are a third of what they are here. And ice cream? Not so much! If I do indulge, it’ll have to be vegan and sugar-free. And, BTW, I’m about to post my amazing recipes for sugar-free coconut ice cream, so stay tuned.
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