I've officially been living in the US for only 2 months, but there are a few things I already miss terribly! Other than my incredible family and friends, I've also left behind some great vegetarian restaurants. I really haven't found anything comparable yet - Southeastern American cuisine isn't the healthiest...grits, anyone? So, for lunch today I decided to recreate one of my favourite menu items from Fresh in downtown Toronto - the Beach Bowl.
I worked from memory and didn't have some ingredients but I made it work nonetheless. I used my new panini grill my lovely mother purchased for me as a housewarming gift and grilled a series of veggies, namely red and yellow peppers, zucchini, and eggplant. I also grilled sweet potato slices, although I will bake them next time for the fluffy effect as they turned out a bit chewy on the grill. I cut up some avocado and drenched it in lemon, but totally forgot about the sundried tomatoes I had in the fridge - next time! Earlier today I had purchased brown basmati rice so I set that to cook. Did you know that stuff takes 50 minutes?! The wait is definitely worth it - brown basmati rice is like oatmeal; your body takes a longer time to digest it relative to other carbs, so it keeps you full and satisfied. It's also chewy and perfect with a little dressing. Speaking of which, I whisked a gorgeous one together, with equal parts extra virgin olive oil, honey, and lemon juice, and a dash of balsamic vinegar for a little sweetness. Drizzled it over the veggies and rice, sat on the couch, and forgot about everything but the bowl of happiness on my lap.
This kind of food makes your insides feel good... It makes you feel energetic, healthy, and satisfied. No greasy, remorseful aftertaste and NOT how I felt after trying Five Guys for the first time last week, although it was undeniably delicious. Anyhow, back to the bowl. I can't say enough good things about sweet potatoes, avocado, and brown basmati rice, and the rest of the ingredients aren't that bad either. ;) Give it a try - it will make you FEEL different!
Welcome!
I am super excited to be starting my blog! First, a little about me... I went to university in Toronto, Canada and graduated with an honours bachelor of science in Kinesiology and Health Science. This means that I took courses such as Exercise Physiology, Fitness Assessment and Training, and Nutrition, alongside pure science courses in Chemistry, Biology, and Physics. After graduating, I registered with the Ontario College of Kinesiologists and worked in the field as a Kinesiologist for 2 years, helping injured patients return to full health and mobility. I loved interacting with my patients everyday and seeing real changes. However, in an unexpected turn of events, I relocated to the United States! As a Canadian citizen, starting to work again isn't as easy as it should be, and I find myself with plenty of free time and an intense need for an expressive outlet. So...here I am! What can you expect from my blog? I'm not exactly sure yet, but definitely posts about nutritious, satisfying food, my opinions on new health fads and diets, and, I'm sure, numerous posts about falling off the healthy train - it happens occasionally, but that's normal and totally fine! Living a healthy lifestyle isn't difficult and shouldn't require suffering; by making small changes in your lifestyle, fitness becomes easily attainable, almost sneaking up on you without you noticing! Let me show you how. :)
See you soon!
Alex
