Eating Out Over-rated

When was the last time you ate out and had an amazing meal?  One that equates to great clean food, and wonderful service with no food hangover?

Yesterday, I took Jeffrey out for a birthday lunch to a restaurant in town that boosts sustainable produce and  “clean” protein (wild fish, grass-fed meat, etc. free of hormones) and was beyond disappointed besides spending a fortune.

We rarely eat out since the food we make at home is organic, clean protein and my body is happy later with no food hangover.  So yesterday was a treat with an expectation of a good experience considering all the good reviews of this eating establishment.

I have to wonder if my body is so used to this type of eating that it “rebels” when something alternative is introduced such as too much salt or additives and preservatives.

What’s the solution?  I choose to make great tasty food at home since I can control what goes into it (as much as one can) and use spices instead of salt or very little salt to flavor my food.  I go out on occasion and limit the restaurants I try to those with my principles – a selection of “clean” protein, organic produce, and limits of salt.

However, what do you do if you follow these principles and it does not work out?  What did I do besides writing this blog?

I waited till my body felt better and ate a very small clean meal last night to minimize the backlash.  I wrote my first ever review on Yelp since I needed to vent a bit and I’m keeping my meals small and simple today.  And this week will be the same – simple tasty food that my body likes and rewards me for at the end of the day and on the scale.

On occasion an eating out experience can be amazing and there are some wonderful restaurants in Los Angeles.  However, for now I’m eating at the Dopart-Batchelor establishment and am happy to report no food hangover with great service provided!

Sometimes we think it is a treat to eat out. 

However, the treat of health may be a simple healthy meal from home….now that is A Recipe for Life!

Grocery Shopping in Europe and the United States - Is there a Difference between the Continents?

One of my favorite things to do in other countries is visit the grocery store.  The different types of foods, and the packaging and layout of what is available fascinate me.  On my last trip I must have visited at least 6 or 7 markets.

What are some of the main differences?

Layout (road map) – in America once you’re inside the store you are bombarded by the huge bags of chips or jumbo bottles of soda on sale.  Containers of processed foods full of sugar and multiple ingredients are everywhere, especially on the aisles.

In Europe they still have boxes of cookies and chips but they are contained within their perspective aisles with less variety.  The ends of aisles contain food products that usually correspond with the aisle or a pickup food item for a quick meal such as some cheese, a sandwich or a drink.

Variety (options) – in Europe the amount of foods that can spoil are more prevalent– i.e. more fresh food abounds.  There are many aisles of meats, cheeses, yogurts, fresh fruits, vegetables, etc. which are within the store, not just the perimeter.  In America food that spoils exists but is contained within the perimeter of most stores.

Less Sweet - both countries like their sweets – no doubt about that.  However, in Europe the plain varieties of great tasting yogurts abound.  Yogurts with sugars exist, but are not the norm.  Foods in Europe contain sugar but not to the sweetness of American foods.

Jams and Peanut (nut) Butter – a side point but one of interest.  The Europeans are very into their jam they have on bread in the morning.  America has jellies and jam but not in the varieties and amount in Europe.  If you want peanut butter in Europe you will have to search for it and if you do find it, there may only be one brand similar to a Jiff or Skippy.  I did not find any natural nut butters, at least in the regular grocery stores.

Cheeses (grass fed dairy) – cottage cheese does not exist in France or at least none of the stores I visited.  I purchased something that looked like cottage cheese but it ended up being a whipped cheese that I did not care for.  Of course the French like their frommage and the variety of cheeses are astounding and overwhelming.  You could spend hours educating yourself on the types of cheeses, and each region in France has types that are common or can be purchased only in that area.  The entire dairy comes from grass-fed cows (versus corn fed), which is preferable since grass-fed products contain richer amounts of omega-3 fats.

Ingredients – I spent a few hours looking at labels to compare.  In America a packaged food could contain 50 ingredients and purchasing items with less than five ingredients is challenging.  I found European packaged foods to have much fewer ingredients – somewhere between 5-10 but not at the level in America.

GMO’s (genetically modified organisms) – when Europe heard about the studies related to GMO’s many countries did away completely with GMO’s.  Studies are mixed but this controversy is definitely one to keep in mind.  In America, the 4 major GMO’s are corn, soy, canola/canola oil and sugar (anything not listed as 100% cane sugar).

Is there a take home message in all this? 

Grocery stores in Europe are much easier to navigate with healthier options resulting in a healthier diet.  There are more real whole fresh foods, with less processed foods, and processed foods that contain fewer ingredients.  Unfortunately Europe is heading towards our way of eating more than a few years ago versus Americans going towards the European way.

If both countries embraced the original diet of clean whole non-processed foods with minimal sweets and treats the world would be a healthier place free of many Western disease processes. 

Coming back to America, I will miss the amazing plain organic yogurts and cheeses.  However, since my favorite food is peanut butter if I lived in Europe I’d have to make my own – a risk I’d gladly take living in a healthier eating environment. 

Fresheast brings freshness to Los Angeles

It seems like one of my new evolving jobs is writing restaurant reviews – never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have the opportunity to participate in being an advocate for the public’s dining out experience.  I was contacted by the fresheast in West Hollywood to try their food and write a review.  I was interested since I am an advocate for “clean food” and the fresheast is known for serving food which is solely organic, sustainable with wild, grass-fed and organic protein choices

As with all reviews I had no expectations.  I welcomed going to West Hollywood as a change for lunch since the restaurant choices in Santa Monica are generally anemic with few clean eating options. Jeffrey came along to help taste test and of course photograph the dishes.

About fresheast...

Fresheast’s owner, Ravine Hiranand, is from Hong Kong but of Indian descent.  He is a humble man with a heart for sustainability, organic and fresh food and using recycled products.  The restaurant is a casual sit down or pick up your meal type of place with fun ambience and Wi-Fi if you want to hang out. 

Upon entering the beautiful "boutique" restaurant you senses are instantly peek by the delicious smells and modern artistic design of the space.  The walls are covered with exotic travels of black and white photographs to a library with a few reads.

There is a curved bar area with electrical pug in’s creating a perfect environment for work or casual media.  The overall atmosphere is light, airy and streamlined that is conducive to conversation and good eating.

Is the food truly "clean?"

I was a bit fearful since the food is a combination of cuisines (Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and India) for 2 reasons:  I have not entered a Chinese restaurant for 10 years due to migraines with MSG, sodium and soy and my skeptic hat is ON with mixing different ethnic foods.  I am so sensitive that within an hour I can feel my head hurting, my hands swelling and my need to come home and crash.

Ahead of time I chose a selection of various dishes to give an adequate write-up:

• 5 Spice-glazed Salmon (with baby asparagus and brown rice)
• Yakitori Chicken (with vegetables and quinoa)
• Palak Paneer (Spinach, fenugreek leaves, paneer cheese, yogurt, red lentil dal)
• Shanghai Beef (Braised Harris Ranch Natural beef, star anise, garlic)
• Spicy Garlic Noodles.

I chose some things I normally don’t eat so I could give a fair assessment of their menu.

And the winner?

Right off I would say my absolute favorite and something I would eat a few times a week if I lived close by was the Palak Paneer.  The flavors were the perfect combination of spices and it is the most satisfying vegetarian meal out there since it combines cheese, yogurt, and lentils.  The dish is a slam dunk and I found myself wanting to keep eating more.

The Salmon is wild and was my second favorite dish.  The accompaniment of the baby asparagus and brown rice makes it a wonderfully balanced meal with light flavors.  Fresh East uses organic vegetables that change with the seasons.

The Shangahi Beef was tasty , tender and moist and reminded me of a great brisket if you need a meat fix with spice.  The Jidori Chicken was accompanied by mixed veggies and quinoa.  It was thigh meat and I personally prefer breast meat.  However, it had a nice mild taste and is great for those who want their chicken meat dark.  The veggies, brown rice and the quinoa were tasty, and light with the right textures.

My critique for meal balance is I would have liked to see more veggies and less starch (brown rice/quinoa) on the plate.

I only had a bite of the noodles since I don’t eat pasta – they were made of wheat and very spicy.  Jeffrey loved them and if you need a spicy noodle fix this might hit the spot but not my thing.

They offered me one of the smoothies but since I don’t drink juice I took the coconut – you get an actual coconut with a straw and drink the milk out of it – a few sips was fun and different besides offsetting the spiciness of the noodles.

Before I left I toured the kitchen which was very clean with different sections and pots for meat versus vegetarian or vegan dishes.

And my assessment – if you want a fun environmentally wise type of restaurant that combines ethnicities and does it with style, class and health fresheast is the place to go.  They are budget-friendly and even give discounts to those who bike to the restaurant or drive a hybrid.

Not only do they NOT over salt but the best news was I did not get a headache, my hands did not swell and I happily went to see a movie afterward.  If you are in West Hollywood I recommend you go in for a healthful tasty meal that won’t break the piggy bank.

AND since I am reviewing restaurants I am now doing a rating system on a 5 point scale for: 

1. Clean Food
2. Clean Space
3. Friendly Staff
4. Balanced proportions of protein/carb/fat
5. No Food Hangover

With fresheast getting a 4 out of 5

Hello Harvest Equals Hello Health

A common question on the forefront of nutrition: “is it that important to eat organic produce?”  If you had asked me this question 10 years ago I would have given you a very different answer than today.  The answer is YES!  Organic produce contains no pesticides which can impact your health while providing a higher nutrient value in your food and life.

Besides consideration of organic, it is equally important to purchase local since the distance it takes for the product to go from the farm to your home makes a difference in nutrients, how many hands the produce has gone through, etc.

With these 2 things in mind I started researching companies that provide sustainably-farmed local organic agricultural products.  I was tired of going to Whole Paycheck and seeing organic apples from New Zealand or other remote countries.  I go to the Farmer’s market regularly but sometimes it would just be nice and convenient if that produce showed up on my doorstep.

Well…the time has come.  A few weeks ago I received a call from Ben Darin.  Ben and his sister started a company called Hello Harvest.  After graduating from College, Ben taught English in Africa to people with AIDS.  During his time in Africa he became interested in healthy eating and fresh local produce.  When he returned to the US he started this great company and found 5 farmers close to his business in Santa Barbara who supplied organic produce.

He drives to Los Angeles on Wednesdays and drops off a substantial box of produce on your doorstep.  Last week I received a box filled with delicious strawberries, cherries, plums, oranges, baby string beans, cauliflower, carrots, lettuce and other tasty foods with a small spray of flowers on top. 

The box contained a good variety, the taste and longevity great and I did not have to travel at all.  And the price was unbeatable - $35 for a box that feeds at least 2 people for a week or longer.  I’m still eating things from my box over a week ago.  Different sizes are available depending on your needs, along with a preference or reoccurrence to fit your needs.

I highly encourage you to try this service to save yourself time and money…besides saving your health and life.  What can beat health, convenience and ease?