 A new friend of mine asked me today if Home Chef was a part of my business. Yes, I have offered it as an add-on while mentoring my friends to reach their health goals and I get to give them a discount on their food too. Why? Because I think people use the excuse that they “don’t have time” to eat healthy as a reason they fail at reaching their health goals. Dr Hyman reported that Americans spend more time watching cooking shows than actually cooking. I was one of those Americans. I LOVE COOKING, but I suck at meal planning. So, Home Chef helps me cross that off my list of excuses by delivering whole food ingredients to prepare healthy wholesome meals in my own kitchen. I hope that some of my friends will try it and actually start to enjoy time in the kitchen like I do. Why not bring naturally vibrant flavors to our families’ palates without wasting time spent wandering aimlessly at the grocery store, even if only a few nights a week? Shopping with Home Chef takes 1 tap to open the app and 2 more to edit my weekly cart. I’ve even found ways to amp up the nutrition of each bite by adding my own pantry items to dishes, like avocado oil and Keto Creamer. Adding healthy fats to our dishes help us feel fuller faster and still benefit from the essential nutrients our bodies need for long healthful living. I mean, if I have 40-50 more years left in this body, I might as well give it the right fuel so it can operate on more efficient energy (man, I might as well head out and hug a tree or buy a Tesla). Speaking of trees and other naturally healthy things, some of these essential nutrients are hard to load solely from the food we eat. Maybe healthy life would be easier if we lived on a farm or went fishing every day like they do in healthy Okinawa, but our current urban lifestyle fails to offer these benefits. So, supplements (like It’s Vital Omega-3s and Greens Blend) are vital for a healthy lifestyle. Our bodies thank us for these nutrients that continue to help us survive the flu season this year with less sick days (minus the flu shot that we received in previous years).  But we have to consider what makes our bodies less resilient - hence placing us in positions to seek the recommended immunizations once a year. Thankfully, our physicians did not discourage our choice to opt-out. Of course there are viruses - with two kids in school, tow parents working in hospitals, icky boogies do come home. In previous years, we spent random weeks keeping our kids out of school for days, staying home sick and miserable. But I’m happy to say that our bodies did a great job fighting off any potential predators to our immune systems this season. Maybe spending a day home with fever - a healthy fever that actually proved to fight off the bad bugs. What if we choose more of the wrong foods (like those that are inflammatory or causing sludge in the gut)? We could potentially block our ability to absorb the essential nutrients that we need to fight disease. Are we really getting better at fighting off diseases? I hope so. Dr Hyman wrote how humans are so adaptable that we can reprogram our cells with the right nutrients and exercise to reduce the risk of inheriting the diseases of our family members before us. Could we even stop the cycle of passing on those diseases to the next generation? Imagine that! Mind blown! Nerd alert! Time will only tell if all our efforts are worth it. So far this week, I’ve found beauty in a seared mojito pork chop with arugula salad, even surprised that my children loved the chili-lime salmon with all it’s healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, and enjoyed a new way to prepare roasted chayote - my new favorite high fiber veggie. Can we really treat ourselves guilt-free? I’ll settle for reduced guilt.  Want to try Home Chef?The search for healthy supplements...
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 Since I started this ketogenic lifestyle back in October, I’ve been challenged with cultural issues. I’m an American-born Filipina, and our family loves RICE. If anyone has read anything about ketogenics, rice does not fit the bill. It’s straight-up carbs. Yeah it’s gluten-free and all, but it’s still high carb. 1 cup of steamed white rice has 45g total carbs and only 1.2g of fiber. Dang - not keto friendly at all. It ends up converted into sugar and stored as belly fat. Boohoo. Childhood memories of champorrado...Then, we have our childhood favorite breakfast at Auntie Baby’s house on a chilly Saturday morning in San Francisco after a Friday night sleepover with my cousins. The smell of sweet sticky rice porridge as it’s stirred lovingly in a pot on the stove with swirls of chocolate Nestle Quick... Dude, never even crossed my mind that this could be made into a keto-friendly dish. Until I read about “noatmeal.” What in the hell is that? Well, I read this guy’s blog about using chia seeds and flax meal to create a warm morning breakfast “noatmeal” minus the inflammatory carbs like oats and sugar. I tried a version of his recipe with chia and almond flour and voila! It was DELICIOUS! Plus some extra high-fat-low-carb toppings like ghee and stevia (and even a spoonful of unsweetened whipped cream). This soon became a quick grab and go “noatmeal” to take to work when I break my fast around 11am. Plus my daughter likes it too! Until she realizes the powerful “movement” of all the fiber in the chia. It might be wise to split this into 2 servings for the kids. Not your Auntie’s champorrado...No disrespect to Auntie Baby. I love that sweet sticky chocolate porridge (yes, I would lick my bowl... and the pot she used to cook it if no one was looking). But unfortunately, if I ate that everyday I would be as big as a campervan, with diabetes, hyperlipidemia and hypertension on the way. 30g carbs, 2g fiber and 19g sugar. Ugh! So I was truly inspired to create a healthier version but keep the same concept of a warm and soothing chocolate porridge for those chilly winter mornings. So here’s what I did. I reached up into my cupboard and found some chia seeds, coconut flour, and erythritol. I found some unsweetened coconut beverage from Trader Joe’s for the “milk.” Then added even more nutrients: Keto Creamer to pack a healthy energy punch from the MCT oils, grass-fed butter and collagen, plus Greens Chocolate for a mocha-like sweetness and a balancing superfood blast. Stir altogether in a small pot over medium heat and there we have a healthy version of a childhood favorite. Toppings are optional, but in this picture, I shaved 100% cacao on top and sprinkled an extra spoonful of erythritol. *Disclaimer: 100% cacao is seriously bitter if unsweetened, kinda like chewing on melted coffee grounds. Bleh. So I hope you try this recipe and love it like I do. Tell Auntie Baby I’ll still eat her champorrado - just because I love it when she cooks for me. Love you Aunt B! Keto ChamporradoIngredients: (1 adult serving, two servings for the littles) 3T chia seeds 1T coconut flour 1 cup unsweetened coconut beverage (or any low carb milk of your choice) *Use less liquid if you prefer a thicker consistency. 1T erythritol 1/2 scoop Keto Creamer 1 scoop Greens Chocolate *Optional High-fat-low-carb toppings Stovetop: Combine all ingredients except for the toppings in a small pot over medium heat, stirring frequently. It will congeal quickly! Once the chia seeds have plumped up and thickened, remove from heat, serve in a small bowl and add toppings. ”Overnight” Champorrado: Combine all ingredients except for the toppings in a microwaveable container with a lid. Cool in the fridge overnight. When ready to serve, pop in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or until your desired temp. You can eat it cold on the go too. Feel free to loosen it up with a little more liquid as needed. *Optional toppings: Shaved cacao, erythritol, stevia, ghee (clarified butter), grass-fed butter, chopped nuts, low-carb chocolate chips, unsweetened whipped cream, coconut flakes, blueberries, extra sprinkle of Keto Creamer, and more if you’re so inspired! Nutrition facts (without toppings): 19 Where to shop for these special ingredients? |
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