The amazing food processor, a STAPLE in my kitchen!

When it comes to "processed foods" my Cuisinart is the only one I trust. I don't buy shredded carrots or diced onions because for one, they are more expensive, and two that's lazy and kinda gross. But it doesn't just stop at shredding and dicing, a food processor does almost EVERYTHING for you at the push of a button!

This is the one I have, with all the different blade attachments.

I use my food processor to slice, dice, shred, grate, emulsify, chop, and mix. I make date paste for baking, shred coconut flesh for smoothies, make my own nut butters, and prep all my vegetables once a week which saves me HOURS! Check it out!

Shredded carrots, chopped spinach, diced red and yellow onions, chopped kale, and sliced bell peppers!

Super easy salsa!

Making pesto is a breeze! 

Now, for the REAL show stopper. Part of eating clean means saying buh-bye to pastas (including those nasty, slimy gluten free kinds...they are still processed!) and rice. But, that doesn't mean you can't still enjoy your favorite rice or pasta dishes. I use my food processor to make squash pasta and cauliflower rice and I NEVER crave or miss the alternative "real" version of either. I'm about to blow your mind!

Left: shredded raw zucchini and yellow squash, pasta
Right: grated raw cauliflower, rice

Two recipes for my two favorite variations of squash pasta plus my pesto recipe can be found here. Amazingness and super easy! But, I want to focus on the cauliflower rice because ever since I've been posting photos of it on my Facebook page I've gotten numerous requests to share how it's done. So, you ready? 

CAULIFLOWER RICE

• First thing you'll need is a grater in the form of a flat handheld one, a box one, or a food processor.

either one of these works but be prepared to make a HUGE mess...get yourself a food processor, it's 100% worth the investment I guarantee it!

• 1 head of raw cauliflower, this will make a LOT of rice
• 1 tbs of oil (olive or coconut)



The food processor makes this SO easy!

• sea salt to taste

1. Chop the cauliflower into pieces small enough to fit through the processor's chute or small enough to fit comfortably in your hand. Grate those pieces up using the rough side (larger holes).  
2. Add the oil to a pan over medium heat. 
3. When the oil is hot, add the grated cauliflower to the pan and cook for about 5 minutes stirring frequently. (Cook it just as you would cook fried rice.)
4. Add salt to taste and serve immediately as an accompaniment or a substitute for any dish that calls for rice.
5. Store cooked leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days and raw leftovers the same way or in the freezer!

Steak and rice...cauliflower style!

Using cauliflower rice in my seafood curry dish.

Eating clean does not have to be boring, expensive, or time consuming. With the right attitude, your priorities in line, and an adventurous and open heart and mind you will THRIVE eating this way. I know because I do, and everyone who is on board with the movement does too! Join me! :)

You + me = shift of priorities?

This can't possibly come as a surprise to anyone. I know you've all either seen it or experienced it because I have seen it and experienced it: two people in love and completely letting themselves go! I see it everywhere I look. In my friendships, in my clients within the health and fitness industry, in families, in strangers, everywhere! We settle down with love and the weight starts to pile on. Why does this happen? Or better yet, why do we allow this to happen? 

Meet Chae, circa 2008. This was me at the peak of my weight loss. I was 185lb (115 down from 300) and I was focused on cleaning up my diet and exercising regularly. I went running every weekend, religiously, and rode my bike to school. I walked a lot because I lived in San Francisco and relied mostly on public transportation. I was single and definitely liked to party! 

Chae, fall 2008

Meet Miki, circa 2007. Weighing in at 115lb and working on self-healing after coming out of a seven year relationship that left her broken and angry. She rode her bike to and from work every day and partied every night. She loved to be outdoors, painted whenever she could, and valued time spent with her friends.

Miki, summer 2007

Miki and I met in January 2009. It was definitely a fairy-tale kind of love, and it was beautiful. I was happy, she was happy, we were happy. We had so much in common while our opposing personalities and character kept us both in check. One passion we shared was food. We both LOVED to eat quality, delicious, top-of-the-line food. So, when we first met, we started dining out on the regular. And with dining out, comes alcohol too. We dined out multiple times per week and after dinner (or during), usually headed to a local bar or club for drinks and dancing. It was heaven on Earth for me! I had drastically cut back on dining out because it played a huge role in me reaching my max weight of 300lb. So, to indulge in and be treated to all of my favorite foods again was amazing. Plus, we were in love and celebrating our love so it didn't matter, right? 

Fast forward about 9 months. Love still going strong, still eating good, still partying on the regular...aaaaand we started ballooning. Both of us were gaining weight but neither of us said anything about it. We both came from a background of depression, body image issues, and problems with self-love and acceptance so there was no way in hell I was going to say anything to her about what was happening, and she felt the same (although at that time I didn't know it). Plus, when you're in love, you don't notice those things right? That's bullshit. People SAY those things don't matter but they do. And people SAY they don't see them in others but they do. Who are we trying to fool? I didn't love her any less but did I notice she was gaining weight? Yes. Did I think it was a problem? Yes, for many reasons but mostly because I saw how uncomfortable she was becoming in her own skin. And I was heading in the same direction. Back to the dark place I had worked so hard to get away from. 

September 2009, at least we both LOVED to be active! 

October 2009

By the time our 1 year anniversary had come, Miki was the heaviest she had ever been (130lb) and had gained 15lb. I wasn't anywhere near my max weight but I was on my way there again. I had also gained 15lb brining me just under 200. We were partying all the time, still dining out at least once a week but I had began cooking at home a lot too. Now, just because you eat at home, does NOT mean you're eating healthy. I cooked a lot of fried rice and pasta dishes because those were Miki's favorites and I wanted to make her happy. We were both tired all the time, unhappy with our bodies, hated our jobs, and loved to indulge in rich food to drown those realities. I was shocked I had let myself get to that point again. But I take full responsibility for it. I never stopped to check in with myself to make sure I was still following the lifestyle I wanted to follow. I still had a life even though I was in a committed relationship, but I lost sight of that. I was "blinded by love."

January 2010

February 2010

June 2010, us at the peak of our unhealthy lives together

In 2011, we both decided that enough was enough. That year was a year of MAJOR change for the both of us as individuals and as partners. Miki quit smoking (we're celebrating her 2 year anniversary next month!), got her weight back down to 115lb, and began the process of quitting her typical-American-office-cubicle-corporate job to pursue a full time professional career in photography. I started cleaning up our diets, joined the health & fitness industry as a certified personal trainer, and lost an additional 25lb on top of the 15 I had gained back in the previous 2 years bringing me down to a lean and healthy (for my frame) 160lb. These changes did not come easy. Miki was very reluctant and took it very personally when I expressed to her my concerns and my plan. She hated that I started buying brown rice to replace the white, whole grain bread instead of white, tomato sauce instead of Alfredo, and rice cakes instead of Cheetos. I stopped buying her beloved Coca-Cola and told her if she wanted to drink soda she would have to purchase it on her own (knowing full and well she wouldn't have time to grocery shop since she commuted to the city everyday and worked all weekend). I told her often how much I hated that she was a smoker and that we drank and dined out so often. I came clean about being unhappy with my physical state (and hers) and the way we lived our lives together. At first, I didn't do a good job of relaying this information to her. Since she wasn't on board, I was angry and expressed that anger with personal attacks. I wasn't loving or supportive about it but instead would say things like "smoking is disgusting, your breath stinks!" As time went on, I learned to express my feelings to her in a different way. I told her that I wanted us to be healthy and happy, together. I wanted to have a family with her but couldn't imagine bringing a child into the world with parents who had the habits that we did. I wanted her to live a long life with me and I didn't want to worry about a future of liver disease and lung cancer. Eventually, she was able to admit that to herself as well. Ever since then, we have been UNSTOPPABLE.

September 2011

Now, Miki and I look back on these old photos of us in utter disbelief. Fortunately for us, our situation didn't stay out of control for too long. We were able to snap back to reality and turn our lives around for the better within a year. For many others, it doesn't happen that quickly or at all. I know couples that have been together for years and are 20, 30, and even 40+ lb heavier than when they first met and they pretend like there's nothing wrong with that. So long as both of you continue to keep your mouths shut about it, the problem will persist. Check in with yourself and find out how you really feel about where you are at in the physical sense. And do the same with your inner self as well. If you're not happy with either, do something about it. If you're scared to speak up and let your partner know, I promise you it's all so much easier when you have the support of the person who loves you most. If you don't have their support, you don't need them in your life. Period. This is your life, your body, your health, and your happiness. Anyone who stands in the way of you living, looking, feeling, and thriving the way you deserve to needs to be knocked out of the f*cking way! 

Miki & Chae, present day

The sh*t you can find on the internet...

The world wide web...I LOVE it. Really, I do. I have met so many amazing folks through social media, seen a lot of really inspiring content, and learned a ton of useful stuff (like how to change my car battery...saved me $35 bucks!). Not to mention the development of my Facebook page which has over 1,000 followers! Woo hoo! 

Hoooooooooowever...there is a ton of CRAP on the internet too. Probably more crap than good stuff. For example, please refer to Exhibit A: 

Exhibit A: posted on my Facebook page by a friend asking me what I thought about it

Now THIS is royal crap. La creme de la crap. It's no wonder people are afraid to eat meat, think low fat diets make you lean, boast about their whole grain intake, rely on cereal for fiber, and snack on string cheese because it's just brimming with calcium. So, what's wrong with the graphic above? Looks clean (although pixelated), believable, important, etc. Let's start with the photos. On the left, the caption reads "4oz ground beef" and there is a thick cut of beef steak pictured. That's not ground beef. But who cares, right? Honest mistake. Beef is beef. Ok, fine! I'll get over it. But I won't get over the following:

• 4oz of LEAN ground beef (which is what everyone should be eating) will put you just under 200 calories. You would have to be eating beef that is at least 80/20 (20% fat) to even get 300+ calories from 4oz. Stupid.
• 24g of protein from 4oz of black beans? PREPOSTEROUS!...I love that word and never get to use it! This "little" bit of false information was the sole source of inspiration for this entire blog. It really pissed me off. You would have to eat about 1.75 cups (14oz) of beans to get 24g of protein from them. NOT TO MENTION this isn't even the same type of protein that the beef will provide you. Black beans contain incomplete protein and beef (and all other animal products) contain complete protein. This also, clearly, pissed me off.  And by the way, 2 cups of black beans would put you at 400+ calories and about 75g carbohydrates. Hello, saddle bags. 
• Yes, beef is an acid forming food. BUT, pairing the beef with vegetables (as you should), cooking it properly, and choosing a lean cut of GRASS-FED ORGANIC beef will help balance the pH and you won't have to worry about the "high acidity." It would only be a problem if you were eating fatty, nasty, inhumanely raised, corn-fed beef. Unfortunately, most people do. 
• Are black beans lower in acidity? Yes. 
• All animal products contain cholesterol. And cholesterol is essential in the body for many reasons. Most dietary cholesterol has little impact on the cholesterol levels in your blood. Fried and processed foods, lack of exercise, genetics, weight, and stress all have a higher impact on your blood cholesterol levels than ground beef does. 
• Do black beans have cholesterol? No.
• Saturated fat...so? What's your point? 
• None in black beans, true. But again, so what?
• No fiber. Ummm, if you're eating meat for fiber, the nutrient comparison of ground beef to black beans should definitely be the last thing you need to be analyzing. 
• 9g of fiber in 4oz of black beans? More like 6 or 7 but I'll give it to them, since they have nothing else going for them. 
• Heterocyclic amines...no one even knows what that is. They just put it in there to sound bad, which it does, so congratulations your plan worked. Heterocyclic amines are compounds found in meats (NOT just beef) which have been overcooked or cooked at high temperatures, especially charred meats. Some believe these compounds can be carcinogenic in humans but research has not reached any definitive conclusions. Beef and many red meats are best eaten nearest their rare state if you can manage it. This is one of the reasons. So, turn down the heat and don't burn your meat! 
• What's a phytonutrient? Sounds better than heterocyclic amines so let's just add that to the black bean list too to hype it up. The dictionary definition: a bioactive plant-derived compound (as resveratrol) associated with positive health effects. Jesus, can you be any more VAGUE? Basically they are chemicals found in plants. NOT JUST BEANS. All vegetables and fruits have them in some form or another and there are thousands of them. 

Whoever spent the time to design and share this graphic should truly be ashamed of themselves. What a waste. They seriously pulled out some big guns to make black beans look like a food of the Gods and beef look like the worst thing you can put in your body. Neither is true. I just have to wonder how many people came across this misleading sh*t and thought it was true. Sad. That is just one example of crap on the internet. I'm sure you have ALL come across your share of it. I can Google "is coconut bad for you?" and this is what I get: an article stating that the oil from coconuts is NOT good for you, that the American Heart Association does not recommend cooking with it, that it raises the bad cholesterol levels in your blood, and that it could harm the health of your heart. Not to mention, the viewpoint of the article flip-flops every other paragraph leaving you pondering life by the time you've reached the end. Are coconuts good for you or not damnit?! 

UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION...we see that this article was written in 2008 by a freelance science journalist. How much does a freelance science journalist know about the nutrients in coconuts? About as much as I know about what it's like to walk on the moon. There's less gravity so you feel lighter? And why is it significant that it was written in 2008? Because nutrition IS a science (kind of, partly, somewhat...) and science changes based on technology, funding, etc. therefore the research and analysis of foods will change with it. We now know that current health reports and research released and reviewed by professionals in the field of diet, health, and nutrition have a different opinion about coconuts and the overall attitude about them is completely opposite to what it is in this article. 

Point of the story? You can't trust everything you read online! Do your own research, ask questions, read books and research articles, talk to professionals. Only about 5% of the content on the web is actually certifiably accurate and honest. 

And yes, I just made that statistic up.

HELP! I don't know how to eat!

So I recently had a conversation with someone who was asking me what kinds of common concerns or issues I see during my nutrition sessions with clients. What I realized was that the majority of people that come to me for help feel like they don't know how to "put a meal together." When I tell them to stop eating shit like bread, pasta, tortillas, and cereal, it's like the brain reverts back to childhood and they are helpless.

All of a sudden I felt my heart rate elevating and my mouth getting dry. I started ranting. Like CRAZY.  It sounded a little something like this:

What the hell? 

People don't know how to eat anymore! 

How did this happen? 

This is bullshit! 

They've robbed us so blindly of our connection to the Earth and real food that now we depend on man-made "food" to feed ourselves and we're all sick and overweight!

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!

Ok, I didn't actually scream but I was screaming inside for sure! I'm sickened by this. Pissed off and disgusted. People fight 'til they're blue in the face for things like education, equal rights, health care, etc but not many people give a damn to fight about how we're being fed. How in the HELL did Proposition 37 NOT pass in CA, you're shitting me right? You want to continue eating GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS?!?! How does that even sound right to you? 

***woo sah***

Alright, this is how the government says we should be eating:

So nicely presented. I remember this from grade school, you do too right? Look at all those healthy grains that are supposed to take up 50-60% of your diet. Yes, because grains are so amazing and give us endless nutrients that can be found no where else on Earth! They are vital, so load up. (NOT!) Hmmmm...did you know the government has subsidies in corn (side note, they put corn in the vegetable section and it's definitely a grain), potatoes, cotton, rice, dairy and wheat? They control that shit and make money off of those farms so OF COURSE they tell you to drink your milk for calcium and eat your grains for heart health. 

Fast forward to the present day and they've "refined" the food pyramid to look like this:

Kudos for including the part about being active. But, the FDA and USDA are still on my shit list. Grains are still in the lead (BOO!!!). And now the dairy section is just as big as the vegetables section. Get out of town! Are you serious??? And Lord, Jesus, please tell me they did not put CANNED fruit and vegetable oil on that list...please! I don't see anything about healthy fats on here. Nothing. No avocados, no seeds, no olives, no fish (canned tuna...really?!), no coconuts or any tree nuts at all. Ok, I gotta stop looking at this, it's making me upset.

Nothing in our lives was ever supposed to be so complicated. In nearly every aspect of thriving we know that simple is better. In business, in design, in communication, in relationships, etc. Why would it be any different for food? When you go to the grocery store, do you take the time to read the ingredients of the products you are buying? Why are you putting something in your mouth that you can' t even pronounce or identify? 

According to the government, this is a well-balanced breakfast (and look it's "healthy" because it's lower in calories and fat!):

INGREDIENTS: MUFFIN MADE WITH HONEY AND WHEAT: ENRICHED BLEACHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, MALTED BARLEY FLOUR, NIACIN, IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE [VITAMIN B1], RIBOFLAVIN [VITAMIN B2], FOLIC ACID), WATER, STONE GROUND WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, YEAST, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, WHEAT GLUTEN, HONEY, CONTAINS 2% OF LESS OF: YELLOW CORN MEAL, RICE FLOUR, DISTILLED VINEGAR, CALCIUM PROPIONATE AND POTASSIUM SORBATE (PRESERVATIVES), LEAVENING (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE), FUMARIC ACID, SALT, NATURAL FLAVOR, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN AND/OR COTTONSEED OILS), YEAST NUTRIENTS (MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, AMMONIUM SULFATE), CORN STARCH, SOY FLOUR. FRIED EGG WHITE PATTY: EGG WHITES, MODIFIED TAPIOCA STARCH, CARRAGEENAN GUM, SALT, NATURAL FLAVORS.CANADIAN BACON WATER ADDED, SMOKE FLAVORING ADDED: CURED WITH WATER, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SALT, SUGAR, SODIUM LACTATE, POTASSIUM LACTATE, DEXTROSE, SODIUM PHOSPHATE, SODIUM DIACETATE, SMOKE FLAVORING, PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED SOYBEAN OIL, SODIUM ERYTHORBATE, SODIUM NITRITE, FLAVORINGS. PASTEURIZED PROCESS AMERICAN CHEESE: AMERICAN CHEESE(CULTURED MILK, SALT, ENZYMES, ARTIFICIAL COLOR), WATER, CREAM, SODIUM CITRATE, SALT, SODIUM 

^^excuse me...what the hell is all of that shit?????  By the way, that is not even the complete list of ingredients. 

According to the government, the way I eat is unbalanced, bad for my heart, lacking in whole grains, and unhealthy. This was my breakfast this morning:

One of my favorite breakfasts! Eggs in a basket over greens! Get the recipe here! 

Ingredients: lettuce, tomato, egg whites, avocado, mushroom, red bell peppers, carrots, red onions, ham (nitrate and preservative free, minimally processed), and a sprinkle of goat cheese.

Now you tell me which is the healthier choice: 

• 60+ ingredients vs. 10 ingredients? 
• Unidentifiable, questionable, and artificial vs. whole, clean, and natural?
• Processed grains and dairy vs. fresh vegetables? 
• Factory made vs. organically grown? 

Any other questions?

Tired? Fatigued? Exhausted? Something more...?

I probably come across upwards of 50 people on a day-to-day basis that I actually converse with, not just see or pass by. More and more, I'm noticing this trend happening:

Me: "Hey   (insert name here)  ,  how are you?"
Person 1-50: "Tired."

Now, when this occurs in the evening, or after a double shift at work, I get it. But, I see it in the early morning, late morning, afternoon, early evening...all day. People are tired all the damn time!

WAKE UP! 

Why are you tired? Are you really "tired" or is it something else? Take a moment to check in with yourself, and see how you're REALLY feeling. Are you sad? Are you anxious? Are you angry?

Go ahead, check in, I won't watch....

Now, let me tell you what I think is going on; we don't do this enough. This self-checking-in thing. A typical person has this kind of day:

1. Get up
2. GO!
3. Get ready
4. GO!
5. Work
6. GO!
7. Home
8. Sleep

Sometimes, a few meals and snacks are sprinkled in there (and often not) but there's more to living than eating. You need MORE! Where's the time for you? What things do you enjoy doing and why are you NOT doing those things? Why are you working yourself to the bone for someone else's dream? What about your dreams? Last time I checked, this was YOUR life! Believe it when I tell you that you have a choice. We are brainwashed to believe that we can't afford to live the life we want, that we are not worthy, that it's not possible, that we have to suffer through depressing and miserable jobs until we're old and crippled and THEN we get to retire and enjoy life....ummm.....WHAT? No, thanks.

Here's a reality check for you: That is bullshit. Anyone is capable of living the life they want. Anyone. We've all heard the stories of people rising from the ashes to live out their dreams. Think that's "luck"? It's not! And it's not as difficult as most people are led to believe it is. Fear is the only thing holding you back.


So, instead of:

1. Get up
2. GO!
3. Get ready
4. GO!
5. Work
6. GO!
7. Home
8. Sleep

Try:

1. LIVE

OMG...I'm skipping breakfast!

Next week, I'm trying something that's counterintuitive and contrary to what most people hear is "good" for you....skipping breakfast! It's part of the "periodic/intermittent fasting" I'll be implementing into my diet.

It's easy to step things up in the gym and challenge myself physically but I'm finding it more and more difficult to take things to the next level with my diet! I've been eating clean for almost a full year now and I have learned SO much about food, nutrition, my body, health, the world...seriously. For those of you who don't know what it means to eat "clean"..it's more commonly referred to as the Paleo diet. Based on looking back to our roots and nourishing the body with unprocessed, whole foods. Tons of veggies, lean proteins, healthy fats, and fruits. It's been the most eye-opening experience, there's no way in hell I would EVER go back to eating the way I did before.

By the way, I have been researching this topic for a couple of months now so it's not just something I heard about, thought sounded "cool" and decided to try it. I encourage people to RESEARCH before deciding to make changes to their diet. Just like you would consult a trainer to step it up in the gym, talk to a specialist or nutritionist to get your diet on track. By the way, I'm a certified fitness nutrition specialist who lost 150lb on my own...start here with me! :)

If you want some basic info about fasting and links to GREAT books and sources, check out Martin's Blog and this article on Robb Wolf's website.

Wish me luck! :)