Always Buy The Best Quality Meat You Can Afford (And Read This Book!)

October 14, 2013

One of the rules I live by is to eat less meat but better quality meat.
As a health-conscious individual I try to buy only grass-fed, pastured and free-range meat (and fowl and their eggs) — it is said to contain more nutrients and fewer toxins than factory-farmed grain-fed meat.
Yes, it is more expensive and not always easy to find; but it’s worth. Every. Single. Penny.

Always Buy The Best Quality Meat You Can Afford (And Read This Book!)

It’s hard to shy away from huge chunks of wrapped meat from the supermarket — it’s so convenient. But most of the time that meat comes animals raised in factories unable to move, fed unnatural diets, pumped with hormones and antibiotics and living in filth. That alone for me is enough of an incentive not to buy it.
I’m not talking about the ethics involved here, I’m just pointing out that if you care about what you put into your body, you need to choose the best quality meat (and eggs) you can get your hands on. It’s a healthier choice, period.
In addition, it tastes better — pastured meat has a farm-y and robust flavor because the animals are grass-fed, free to roam, and raised sustainably and humanely.
Essentially it comes from animals that have acted and lived like animals.
So a big fat YES to grass-fed, pastured and free-range meat (and eggs).

Almond Chia Recovery Smoothie

October 11, 2013

Almond Chia Recovery Smoothie


This is hands down my new favorite post-workout smoothie.
I recently found the recipe flipping through the pages of Triathlete Magazine.
Just by looking at the ingredient list I knew that this was a total winner. Almond butter, almond milk and banana: Are you kidding me?
I slightly tweaked the recipe and included chia seeds and vegan protein powder. Even more awesome.
This delicious smoothie is perfect post-workout as it’s packed with protein for muscle repair, carbs for glycogen replacement, and essential fats. And it has a great cooling effect on your body too.
After an intense workout our body needs recovery fuel, but as the blood has been diverted from the digestive system to the muscles, digestion can be difficult and food almost unappetizing.
That’s why liquid meals are better tolerated.

Crock-Pot Bolognese Sauce

October 9, 2013

Crock-Pot Bolognese Sauce



The other day I've found paleo spaghettis in a specialty store down the street from where I live.
8 bucks a pack - a tad pricey - but I was so excited about it, I said to myself “What the hell, let’s go for it!”
I decided that my uber-expensive spaghettis deserved a 5-star sauce to go with, so...Bolognese sauce.
You guys know that this traditional Italian meat sauce is called Bolognese because it originates from Bologna in Italy? Ok, probably you do.
But, do you know that there’s only one original recipe for Bolognese sauce, deposited with the Chamber of Commerce in Bologna?
I didn’t know that either, but my friend Francesca told me all about it.
Apparently, in 1982, the Italian Academy of Cuisine recorded and deposited a recipe for "Classic Bolognese Ragu" with the Bologna Chamber of Commerce.
I visited the Italian Academy of Cuisine website and I found the recipe (actually I found two, but whatever).
With the help of Google Translate - which wasn’t at peak performance with this one - I managed to get the one and only original recipe for Bolognese sauce. YAY!
I’ve made this recipe for quite some time already and it’s a total winner. Everybody seems to love it (except for my vegetarian + vegan friends — sorry guys). It's full of depth and so delicious.
I recently adapted it for the Crock-Pot and came out perfectly, with minimal effort. A big high-five to technology!

1-Minute Paleo Choc Chip Cookie (In A Mug)

October 7, 2013

1-Minute Paleo Choc Chip Cookie (In A Mug)

Another Sunday means another late NY Giants collapse and another defeat. We are now 0-5.
Yup, apparently it’s that kind of year.
I’m not even talking about making it to the play-offs; after losing to the Carolina Panthers 38-0 in the third game, I’ve pretty much given up that hope.
What I’m talking about is stop watching the NFL altogether this season.
I mean, when your team is breaking records for being the worst team on the league (such as giving up 182 points, the most allowed by a team in five games since 1961) you’re disappointed, discouraged, even outraged.
You can’t fathom how a team who hoisted the Lombardi trophy just two years ago is now the laughing stock of the NFL. But there you have it. NY Giants are 0-5.
On top of that there’s no more Breaking Bad...arghhh...my Sunday nights just went from bad to worst.
Last night I was so bummed I decided I deserved a treat, something I could whip up in a heartbeat (and possibly paleo-friendly).
That’s how I came up with this 1-Minute Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookie (in a mug).

Spinach Omelette and Whipped Ricotta Cake

October 5, 2013

Spinach Omelette and Whipped Ricotta Cake



My 8-year old nephew Matt was visiting yesterday afternoon. He’s an amazing kid-foodie, meaning that he likes to eat good food, well, he actually demands to eat good food.
I can’t think of something he doesn’t eat. He tries even the most bizarre foods you put in front of him— jelly fish, liver, stinky cheeses, etc.
He tastes everything, and never says no or make a disgusted face. If he doesn’t like something, he just says it's not for him, which I think it's awesome.
Yesterday, out of nowhere, he asked if I could make spinach and cheese ravioli for dinner.
No, not the frozen or canned ravioli, he wanted me to make fresh ravioli from scratch (which is something we had already done together before).
As I wasn’t really in the mood to make fresh pasta, I asked him “What about making a spinach and ricotta cake instead? Something super good that will taste even better than ravioli?”
“Cool” he answered.
So we literally invented this spinach omelette layered cake. True story.

Ginger and Turmeric Carrot Soup

October 3, 2013

Ginger and Turmeric Carrot Soup
Folks there’s nasty cold that’s going around. I haven’t caught it yet but everyone else around me has.
I'm not very prone to sickness, I guess that eating healthy and exercising helps keep my body in good working order and makes it easier to fight diseases.
However, when everybody around me seems to be hoarding tissues like they’re going out of style, I start to worry.
Getting a cold is not the end of the world, I’ll admit it, but it’s a pain in the neck nonetheless. Stuffy and runny noses, sniffing all day or feeling groggy...who doesn’t enjoy that????
Then there’s the part where you have to skip training and I REALLY don’t like that, at all.

(Paleo) Flourless Chocolate Cake

October 1, 2013

(Paleo) Flourless Chocolate Cake



OK guys, I think I just found my new fave sweetener: raw coconut palm sugar.
We all know that white sugar is empty calories with no nutritional value whatsoever; meaning it doesn't have vitamins and/or nutrients, just calories.
So what about replacing it with a nutrient-rich, low-glycemic crystalline sweetener that looks, tastes, and melts almost exactly like sugar, but it’s completely natural and unrefined?
Yep, that’s raw coconut palm sugar.
Raw coconut palm sugar is acquired from the flowers growing on coconut trees. The nectar of the flowers is collected and air-dried to form a crystalline sugar, dark brown in color.
It’s rich in potassium, zinc, iron and B vitamins. There’s quite a lot to it!

Eat When You're Supposed To (and Snack Very Little!)

September 30, 2013

Today, we eat all the time, munching on snacks, convenience foods, or sipping lattes, sodas or smoothies at every hour of the day.
It’s a fact. Just take a look around yourself.
We eat while driving or riding in a car or walking or at our desks or while watching TV. We are snacking more and eating fewer meals.
We do so little eating at the table that sociologists and market researchers - who study American eating habits - report that we have added to the traditional big three meals (i.e., breakfast, lunch and dinner) a fourth one that lasts all day long: the constant snacking meal.
Snacks are less and less the hunger-soothing bridge between formal meals. They have become a meal in their own right.
As a result, we eat much more food than we need and we're gaining weight at an alarming rate.
We’re a nation of overweight and obese people, because we eat too often, not only too much.
The solution? Going back to our roots — eating only at designated meal times and limit snacking.
It’s OK to feel hungry between meals. However, being hungry doesn’t mean you have to eat.
If it isn’t breakfast, lunch or dinner, always ask yourself: “Am I really hungry?
Maybe you’re just bored, tired, distracted, sad, or happy. Try to understand what you’re really feeling before you grab something to eat.

Eat When You're Supposed To (and Snack Very Little!)



Cheesy Chia Seed Crackers (Gluten-Free & Low Carb)

September 27, 2013

Cheesy Chia Seed Crackers (Gluten-Free & Low Carb)


I love crackers, and I love even more making crackers at home. It’s incredible how much better they taste than store-bought.
Whenever my niece is visiting, we usually make whole wheat cheese crackers together. Just like Cheez-It, just better.
She always has a blast doing it. I recently bought a set of animal farm tiny cookie cutters and she cuts the cracker’s dough into cows, pigs, sheeps, etc. Then she places them on the baking sheet in a very specific order, sheeps close together, hens with cows, etc. You know, kids’ fantasy.
When we’re done, I give her the whole batch to take home, so that she can bring them to school for her lunch and MOST OF ALL parading with her friends.

How To Make Super-Nutritious Germinated Brown Rice

September 26, 2013

How To Make Super-Nutritious Germinated Brown Rice


Today we’re talking about my beloved brown rice.
As an athlete, I consume a ridiculous amount of brown rice; it’s an important source of proteins, complex carbs, precious fiber and many important nutrients and minerals.
Brown rice is awesome and you’re getting nothing but goodness in every spoonful.
I was contented with my brown rice, until one day my colleague Sohyoung told me that you can even get more out of it.
She said that if you soak brown rice at room temperature overnight, the rice will germinate and get even more awesome.
Really?
I wasn't convinced, so I looked into that and found out that Sohyoung was right all along.
Sprouted (or germinated) brown rice is the way go!

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom Casserole

September 24, 2013

Caramelized Cauliflower and Mushroom CasseroleSo apparently today it’s the third day of Autumn. Yeah, I didn’t saw that coming either. Mostly because it doesn’t feel like Fall yet; at least in my hood.
With the turn of the season, there are a number of things that change, not only the weather.
Fall crops come into their own just as summer delicious fruits and veggies are packing it in (sigh!)
But there is no room for despair people. Spices, roots like turnips and carrots, cabbages, and of course pumpkins, apples, and mushrooms will helps us coping with the end of summer's sweet corn and sun-warmed peaches.
When temperatures dip and the leaves drop, it’s time to fire up the oven. And that’s when this casserole comes into play.
You see, I am a HUGE fan of mushrooms and an even bigger fan of cauliflower (you probably already know this, don’t you?); so combining the two to make a delicious dish has to be my ultimate food fetish (not foot, FOOD!)

Chia Chocolate Mousse

September 21, 2013

Chia Chocolate Mousse

When you think chocolate mousse, you think of copious amounts of chocolate, sugar, eggs and butter whipped together to create a luscious, fluffy and airy dessert.
My mum used to make Julia Child’s Mousse au Chocolat when we had guests over. She would serve it topped with a dollop of homemade whipped cream and some orange confit.
It was so good, she would win raves. I remember it got to a point where people would actually ask her (more like beg her) to make it when she invited them over for dinner.
I loved her mousse au chocolat, and I still do. To me, mum's mousse au chocolat means home, family and friends.
It’s a special dish, but let’s be honest, it’s a calorie bomb. There’s point no denying that.
Sugar and butter and eggs and chocolate, all natural ingredients, yes, but a lot of them, too much of them.
Once in awhile it’s OK to have it - on special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas; but that’s about it.
So what about the rest of the year? 363 days without mousse au chocolat? How sad...
That’s when this chia chocolate mousse comes into play. This is a great little recipe that has become a chocolate fix favorite in my apt.

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Casserole

September 18, 2013

Eggplant Parmesan Quinoa Casserole


Who doesn’t love eggplant Parmesan? Raise your hands.
Ok, let me check...apparently everybody does, not surprisingly.
Even kids who don’t eat veggies can’t resist their Parm, and never make a peep about the eggplant in the first place - pretty awesome.
Eggplant Parm is pure comfort food, or (let me rephrase that) it’s comfort food at its best.
And as you might have noticed, fall is fast approaching (yesterday morning was like in the 50s ‘round here, brr...) Which means we need warmth and comfort food, like a piping hot bowl of oatmeal for breakfast or something with pumpkin OR eggplant Parm.

Light Egg Salad

September 16, 2013

Light Egg Salad
Originally, this post was supposed to be about a LCHF (low-carb-high-fat) bread I baked Saturday afternoon.
A bread packed with psyllium, flax seeds, shredded coconut and a bunch of other awesome+wholesome ingredients, 100% paleo and (supposedly) delicious.
I found the recipe on a cookbook I received a couple of weeks ago, and TBH my expectations were pretty high.
I meticulously followed the recipe verbatim. My first time trying my hands at a grain-free, gluten-free bread - there’s no room for improvisation.
I wish I could tell you what came out of the oven was worthy of a photo spread in Martha Stewart’s Living. Not so much. The taste was spot on, the texture OK, but it was deformed; NOT looking like a loaf of bread, not even a close relative.
You might say: “So what? It doesn't really matter as long as it tastes good.”
A fair point, but there was just no way I could take a decent picture of it.
I tried different angles, different lights, different composition, but I guess it would take a much more gifted photographer than me to save the day (or better yet, the loaf!)
Ultimately, I gave up.
Plan A failed, so I went with Plan B - Light Egg Salad.

Find 60 Minutes Each Day For Yourself

September 13, 2013

Find 60 Minutes Each Day, For Yourself
Photo credit: nike.com









There are 24 hours (or 1440 minutes or 86,400 seconds or 86,400,000 milliseconds) each day. In that time, we manage to carve out the time to work, to eat, to sleep, to watch TV, to stare at our smartphones, to go out, to bathe and to brush our teeth. When it comes to exercise however, we like to pull out the “no time” card.
Modern lives are busy; there’s no point denying that, and there are some legit reasons for not working out - we’re working very late or recovery from an injury - but often, we’re just talking ourselves out of it. Am I wrong?

Concord Grape Sorbet

September 11, 2013

Concord Grape Sorbet


If you follow me on Instagram, you may remember that last Saturday, at the Farmers’ Market, I got my hands on some amazing Concord grapes from the Finger Lakes District (NY).
But before we proceed any further, let’s make things straight and clear: If you don’t like Concord grapes I’m afraid we can’t be friends. Sorry, it’s not negotiable.
How can you not like Concord grapes? These things are a-mazing. They are tart, strong, and the taste is usually acquired; which is why kids love ‘em.
To me, the taste of Concord grapes is an absolute flavor explosion and a true marvel of nature.
→ Brief historical digression. Do you know that when Concord grapes were first introduced in Europe in the 1800s; Italians, mesmerized by their sweetness, started calling them uva fragola; which translates literally as strawberry grapes. Cool, right?
Btw, ever notice how everything sounds better in Italian? “Uva fragola” v “Concord grape”; I mean, come on!

Tomato Curry with Creamy Coconut Cauliflower "Rice"

September 9, 2013

Tomato Curry with Creamy Coconut Cauliflower "Rice"



Remember when we discussed that exercise not only makes you fitter, it also makes you smarter? (You don’t? Read here!)
Well, turns out it doesn’t apply to me.
Yesterday morning I worked my butt off running, swimming and stretching; 3 hours of grueling training.
I got home and planned to watch football all day long. Which is what I did. But wait, here comes the “me dumb” part.
At around 7:30 PM, after watching New Orleans taking on Atlanta and San Fran taking on Green Bay (more than 5 hours of football) it suddenly dawned on me: All this was happening on a Sunday! I know, breaking news.
Here’s the thing though; during a football game commercial breaks take place after every score, whenever a player is injured, after every punt or kickoff, and when a play is reviewed through instant replay. Did I mention instant replay? Every time that swings into action, you sit and wait for another two minutes or so.
At the end of every commercial break the TV’s scream at you “Welcome back to NFL Sunday football action!” or “It’s Sunday Night football on NBC!” or “....heeeere on FOX NFL Sunday!
Yet in over 5 hours my mind didn’t registered that tiny piece of information: Sunday.

Orange Glazed Salmon

September 7, 2013

Orange Glazed Salmon
Confession time on TheIronYou. Brace yourself because this is going to be a hard one to believe.
I DON’T LIKE FISH. Boom! There, I said it.
To be more accurate, I’ve never liked fish (except canned tuna, which really doesn’t taste like fish).
When I was a kid I remember eating just bread at Champlin’s Seafood in Narragansett (RI) while everyone else was enjoying their fish/lobster dinner.
Those were long summers let me tell you. Every time we would go out for dinner, I dreaded ending up in one of those classic New England seafood eatery where they serve only seafood.
I remember staring at the menu trying to find something to eat, but resigned myself to order either bread or coleslaw. Not even French fries. Because fries, in seafood eateries, taste like seafood.
Period.

What Does It Mean To Be Healthy?

September 5, 2013


What does it mean to be healthy?What does it mean to be healthy?
I know, big question. One that we should have asked ourselves a while ago. After all, this is a blog promoting healthy living; so one could have rightly assumed that we knew the answer all along, before even starting our daily ramblings.
In all honesty, I decided to discuss this topic today, because I recently found out that people are quite confused about the meaning of being healthy.

Sesame Chicken Kebabs (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)

September 3, 2013

Sesame Chicken Kebabs (Low Carb and Gluten-Free)


I hate long-haul flights.
Just to get this straight, I'm not scared of flying. I am not afraid that the aeroplane I'm on will fly into a mountain or crush into the sea because of pilot error, or explode without warning in flight, or that a psychopath will place a bomb under my seat, or prang into another airplane on the ground.
I don’t find flying frightening at all. Over the years I figured that once you get into the aeroplane, I’m pretty much at the mercy of the pilot and there’s not much point in worrying.
I hate long-haul flights because airplanes are very uncomfortable (unless you travel Business or First, duh!). I’m almost 6’3, and unless I get an emergency exit seat, there’s never enough legroom for me.
After a couple of hours my legs turn numb and my back start aching. So I get up to stretch my legs but guess what, when I do so, it's always turbulence time! Thus, I’m “gently” asked to return to my seat and stay put.
And then there’s the boredom factor. You see, I can’t sleep/nap on airplanes. I so envy those people who, even before take-off, are already sleeping like babies in their seat. I just can’t do it, not even if I pop a sleeping pill. I did it once and instead of sleeping, I got totally mental like if I was on drugs or something (yeah, never again in my life!)
My main goal on long-haul flights is usually to simply pass the time. I watch movies, read a book, play video games and I flip through the pages of all the newspapers and magazine I can lay my hands on.
And that’s how I found this recipe.