I started this blog almost two years ago as a not only a way to archive my family’s recipes, but to also explore eating health benefits of Asian cuisine and staying fit and healthy.

I have always prided myself on being more on the athletic side, from cross country in middle school to varsity tennis in high school to dancing in college. (Yup, that’s me)

When we moved to the suburbs 2 years ago, I stopped dancing but took up kung fu. After almost a year of training in kung fu, and working my way up to a brown belt, I quit because I realized that I was more of a lover than a fighter.

Over the past year I have relied on my own will power to stay in shape, with my only form of exercise being when I am able to somehow convince myself to go for a run (I hate running) or when I take the dogs for a walk. (I did manage to complete a half-marathon though.) This, combined with an incredible amount of stress from work, not treating myself well and eating like crazy (a side effect of having a food blog).

I finally came to the realization that the reason I was feeling so crappy was because I was slowly gaining weight, pants were getting tighter and I was just was no longer feeling healthy anymore. Even though I think we eat relatively healthy foods in our house, not working out was starting to take a toll on me, both physically and mentally.

So, while this is not exactly a New Year’s resolution (I started a membership at the gym in early December), I am on a quest to get myself back to my high school weight (have about 35 lbs to lose). And I decided that if I share this goal with all of you… you can help hold me accountable for my actions.

Never fear, this will remain a primarily a food blog. Food is one of my great passions, and it is also such a big part of staying healthy and fit. I will throw in a bit of…
- Thoughts about working out… the blood, sweat and tears,
- Workouts that I am currently obsessing over,
- Any races or events that I’m training for,
- What foods and recipes I’m working on that are both healthy but yummy.

It’s only been a month, but I am already feeling happier and much less stressed now that a regular workout schedule has been put in place.

Glancing over at my 101 in 1001 list, here are a few goals that I’m working towards in the health section:

1. Get back to my high school weight
2. Go on a yoga retreat.
3. Go without soda for a month
4. Complete a sprint triathlon

I hope you join me on my journey. I’m excited to see what’s in store this year!

In the meantime, I will leave you with this easy tilapia recipe that incorporates the Chinese cooking “holy trinity” if you will: green onions, garlic and ginger. This dish is easy enough to make for a quick and healthy lunch, but fancy enough for a weekday dinner.

Tilapia with Green Onions, Garlic and Ginger (2 servings)
2 tilapia fillets
1/2 tablespoon canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 thumbsized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
4 green onions, cut into 1/2 inch long pieces

Let’s Cook:
Rinse and pat dry the tilapia fillets, then cut each fillet into 7 or 8 pieces, about 2 inches long.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Then add the tilapia fillet and let cook for about 2 minutes until the side is slightly golden. Then flip the fillets over and add the garlic and ginger to the skillet, sprinkle evenly over the fillets. After cooking for about 1 minute, add the soy sauce and let cook for another minute.

Finally, add the green onions and flip the tilapia fillets again. Let cook for another minute, then remove from heat.

Serve with jasmine rice and enjoy!

“Being green” or purchasing “organic” produce is all the rage these days.  However, you don’t have to move out to the country, become a vegan or bike everywhere to begin to reduce your ecological footprint.  You don’t have to make a drastic change to your life – small, seemingly insignificant actions can really add up.

1. Bring your own reusable bags
I love bringing my own bags when I go grocery shopping.  Aside from the “good for the environment” bit, I love my reusable bags because they are so much easier to carry than those plastic grocery bags, especially when they get heavy and start digging into my hands.

When you cook as much as I do, those plastic grocery bags can really start piling up around the house.  Clutter!

Also, some retailers (like Target) will give you a slight discount per bag that you bring.  I believe it’s 5 cents per bag.  It’s not much, but pretty cool.

There are some really cute reusable bags out there, check these out:

Left: Reusablebags.com  Right: FlipandTumble.com

2. Buy local
The average supermarket produce items is shipped hundreds (if not thousands) of miles.  So, if not to reduce the carbon emission created from the transport of the items… at least check out your local farmer’s market for the fun part of it.  An afternoon spent with your family browsing and sampling tasty, fresh local treat at your local farmers market is sure to be more fun than the routine grocery store run.

Look up your local markets! Most of them should be starting in the early summer.  Here is a small list of the ones in the Atlanta area:

Dekalb Farmer’s Market
3000 E. Ponce De Leon Ave, Decatur, GA 30030

Whistle Stop Farmer’s Market of Historic Norcross
Located along side Thrasher Park on Buchanan Street in Historic Norcross

Morningside Farmer’s Market
1393 N. Highland Ave,  Atlanta GA 30306

3. Pay and receive bills online
Not only does make it easier and faster, especially in this age of technology, it also saves on paper and trees.

4. Plant a tree
…or some plants.  Seem really simple doesn’t it?  And fun!  Just one tree can offset tons of carbon in its lifetime.

5. Skip bottled water
Yes, water is great for you.  But buying bottled water is both expensive and creates waste.  Buy a filter and filter your own water, the filter will pay for itself in no time.

I know I’m guilty of this: When life gets busy  – I immediately resort to eating out at fast food restaurants instead of cooking a healthy meal.

Cooking for yourself and your family is one of the most effective ways to achieve and maintain good health.  But in this modern world, it’s not uncommon to fine yourself working 50 to 60 hour weeks and not having the time or energy to put together a home cooked meal.

As with most things in our lives, fitting cooking into the schedule is just a matter of priority, planning and organization.

1. Plan out recipes/meals for the week
I love trying out new recipes.  Every new recipe I try is like a new adventure.  One of my favorite things to do is to go to my local asian supermarket and pick out a “strange” new vegetable that I’ve never cooked (or sometimes heard of) before and figure out a new recipe to cook using it.

2. Schedule time to go grocery shopping
Once on the weekend and once midweek will usually suffice.  If grocery shopping at your local supermarket get tedious, try out new spots – like a Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s or H Mart during the winter.  Then during the summer, try visiting your local farmer’s market.

3. Use crock pots or slow cookers
Slow cookers and crock pots work by adding all of your ingredients into a pot on low heat and cooking them slowly for many hours (typically 8 hours) until the meal is ready.  On my very busy days, my crock pot is my best friend.  I’ll just do all the prep work and then toss everything in the pot, turn it on and go about my day.  When dinnertime rolls around, I just take off the lid and serve!

4. Build up your list of quick & easy meals
Just because you’re cooking a great meal doesn’t mean that it needs to take hours to make.  Some of my favorite recipes are those that take 15-20 minutes to prep and cook from start to finish.

5. Buy a rice cooker
Mine is my favorite appliance in the kitchen.  It takes all of the guesswork out of cooking rice, and if you cook Asian meals as much as I do – a rice cooker is virtually a necessity.

6. Stock up your pantry
Keep your pantry well stocked with pasta, tomato sauce, rice, herbs and any other ingredients that are a part of your favorite recipes. Pasta with tomato sauce is generally our fall back meal when we are low on groceries and aren’t feeling up to grocery shopping.

7. Cook for two or more
It’s much easier to cook for two people than it is cooking for one.  It’s also just more fun to cook for more people than just yourself.

It’s a given that the vast majority of Chinese take out food is not healthy, especially if it’s fast food.  Items such as sweet and sour chicken, egg rolls, crab rangoons and lo mein  is what comes to mind for a good majority of the population when Chinese food is mentioned.

The majority American Chinese food is heavily battered and deep fried.  Meat and carbs make up most of the meal and vegetables are served as condiments in many dishes, rather than the main focus.  I remember this distinctly when I visited a fast food Chinese restaurant and I watched the server scoop around the vegetables to ensure that I received more meat in my take out container.  Yikes!

American Chinese food was initially developed in the nineteenth century in order to satisfy Western taste.  It was during this process that Chinese chefs developed dished such as General Tao’s chicken, Chow Mein and the fortune cookie.

So what can you do to make your Chinese restaurant outings just a bit healthier?  Here are a few tips:

1.  Choose items that are not covered in breading or deep fried.
There are many options that are steamed, lightly stir-fried, poached and barbecued in Chinese restaurants.

2. Light on the Sauce
The thick sauces that are found on dishes such as Sweet and Sour Chicken, General Tao’s Chicken and Sesame Chicken are laden with sugar, flour and cornstarch.  Instead choose items that come in a light sauce such as hoisin or oyster sauce.

3.  Load up on veggies
Choose dishes that are mostly comprised of vegetables, instead of meat.  For example, choose Chicken with Vegetables as opposed to Sesame Chicken.

4.  Steamed or Fried Rice?
Always choose steamed rice.   A portion of fried rice can set you back approximately 400 calories, depending on how much of it you eat.  (In restaurants) it is laden with oil or butter and MSG .  We will share some recipes on this site so that you can make your own healthy version of fried rice.

The Japanese people have some of the highest life expectancies in the world.  How do they do it?  It’s their healthy eating habits and lifestyle.

Let’s talk about their eating habits.

Not only is the food that is eaten in Japan lower in calories, it is also presented in a beautiful way – arranged artistically in attractive dishes.  By eating this way, you not only consume less calories, your eating pace slows down; resulting in eating less because it gives your brain more time to realize that you are full.

Here are some tips to get you started:

1. Try measuring the amount of food you eat.
The amount of protein that you eat per meal (ex. chicken breast) should be no larger than the palm of your hand.  Start decreasing the amount of high calorie foods that you intake by measuring those items with a measuring cup.  Or try eating your meals on a smaller plate, like a salad plate or desert plate.  Your plate will still look full, but you will be eating less.

2. Add rice to the meal.
By adding rice, you will feel more full but will have consumed less calories than if you had filled your stomach with desert after the meal.  For an even healthier option, use brown rice instead of white.

3. Eat your vegetables
Add more veggies to your meals!  Try out new recipes.  Asian food is laden with vegetables: lettuce, cabbage, zucchini, eggplant, carrots,  green peppers, spinach, bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, sweet potatoes and much more. Try mixing the veggies up and including them in some dishes.  Even if you don’t think you like vegetables, there are so many of them out there you are bound to find something that you enjoy!

4. Fishy fishy
Fish is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are known for reducing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular disease and improve brain health.

5. Fruit for dessert
A typical Japanese dessert consists of fresh fruit.  When I visited Taiwan we had fresh fruit for dessert after every meal, including watermelon, strawberries, litchi, pineapple, ponkan and oranges.

In summary, eat more fish, vegetables, and fruit with some healthy options including rice and tofu.   Serve meals in smaller portions.  Also as a final tip, eating with friends or family will help you slow down when eating and enjoy the food.

Suggested reading:
Japanese Women Don’t Get Old or Fat: Secrets of My Mother’s Tokyo Kitchen by Naomi Moriyama

Did you know that tea is the second most consumed beverage in the world?  Water is the first.

It’s also one of the secrets of the Japanese and Chinese people, how they tend to stick around the longest (life expectancy-wise).  They drink a lot of tea.

Here are a few of the health benefits of tea:

1. Tea has less caffeine than coffee
Actually it has about half the amount.  So if coffee is just too much for you, makes you shaky, gives you an upset stomach – give tea a try.

2. Tea keeps you hydrated
Try the kind with little or no caffeine.  It’s the same as drinking the same amount of water.  And it tastes better too!  (if water is too boring for you)

3. Tea keeps you healthy!
Including lower blood pressure, lower risk of cancer (breast, colon, lung, etc), prevent diabetes, and increases your immune system.

4.  Tea makes you more attractive
There are compounds in tea are capable of killing or suppressing growth of cavity causing bacteria.  So add a cup of unsweetened tea to your diet and look forward to a lovely smile.  Tea also aids in improving skin complexion.

5.  Tea helps relieve stress
Tea can help reduce the stress hormone in your body.  So grab a cup of black tea before bed and have a good night’s sleep.

My personal favorite teas are green tea and jasmine tea.  I generally go to my local Farmer’s market or H-Mart to pick up the tea.  But if you’re closer to say, a Starbuck’s, my favorite teas there are the Tazo Zen and Passion teas.  Unsweetened, of course.