My dear followers,
I am sorry. I know it has been awhile since my last post, and I don't have any particular reason or excuse, but want you to know I apologize!

Anyways, I am going to shift gears a bit on the blog. In the past, I have mainly focused on sniffing out the new restaurants and then critiquing. Since I have gotten more into cooking, I thought I would share my favorite recipes with you. In the spirit of the new year and my goal to make 2014 my healthiest year yet, I am going to post whole, nutritious dishes that are also not lacking in the flavor department. Please comment and post anything you would like to see or any ideas you might have for my next blog worthy dish. Thanks for your support and back to blogging!

Since recently going through an organic food course, I thought I would fill you in on some secrets. First, I don't know if you have ever noticed at WholeFoods, but next to each price tag for fruits/veggies, there is also a number from 1-1000. This number is called an ANDI score. The ANDI score stands for Aggregate, nutrient, density, index. The highest score is 1000, meaning that particular fruit/veg is extremely nutrient rich. Some of those top ANDI score fruits/veggies are the following: Watercress, bok choy, kale, strawberries. I am going to be putting up dishes with lots of yummy high scoring ANDI ingredients. I am also going to be focusing on a 50/20/20/10 ratio. 50 percent produce, 20 percent grains, 20 percent protein, and 10 percent healthy fats. This is not going to be anything crazy strict, it's just always in the back of my mind when I create dishes.

Eating healthy for me is not to lose weight or 'yoyo' diet. It is not a one-week stand, but on the contrary, an ongoing, consistent, way of life. Sure, I have my splurges here and there, like truffle fries on a Sunday with a bottle of my favorite rose, Charles and Charles. You have to treat yourself every once in awhile. If you constantly restrict yourself of life's little pleasures, you will find yourself one day with no wheels left on your wagon, knee deep in a bag of McDonald's. That is why weekly treats are worth the splurge. We need to remind ourselves that we had a great week of health and we deserve that bit of cherry gelato. Along with treating ourselves, we must maintain portions. I am a firm believer in portion control. There are so many people out there doing everything right, eating healthy, but just eating way too much. In my dishes, I will also go over how much is the correct amount to be eating. No, I am not a Certified Nutritionist, but just someone who is truly passionate about health and feeling my very best. Changing your life style and pledging to eat healthy all the time rather than just sometimes,  is a permanent life change. You will feel your very best, I promise. And when you do have those splurges, like a bottle of wine, it doesn't hurt as near as much because the ground work you have laid down already (the nutrients) are still there to help support your hurting cells.

I am going to go over a few things I incorporate into my daily routine to help me function at a top level and feel my best!
1. Water, water, water. I drink it all through the day.
2. Take a whole food supplement. a whole food supplement is one made from the actual foods where the vitamin is coming from....example, iron comes from spinach so you want a multivitamin made from those actual foods. I love my pre-natal New Chapter ..... I take the pre-natal since I do not eat meat to boost my iron level in my diet....no mom, im not preggers hehe.
3. sweat. a lot of people go on these cleanses to detox...trust me I have been guilty...but the truth is our bodies are perfectly capable of cleansing themselves. sweating in a yoga class or on a run is a great way to get ride of some of those built up toxins. drinking water is another.
4. me time. with our crazy lifestyles, it is important to take time everyday for ourselves. take your dog on a walk, read your favorite magazine, just take at least 20 mins a day for yourself. if not we get tangled in chaos and our minds get bogged down.
5. this one is a new 2014 one for me, healthy skin care. our bodies need to be cleaned from the inside with healthy nutrient rich foods, as well as the outside of our bodies. I started using all natural facial products, and my skin has never looked better. It was quite a change for me, since I have been using the same products for 15 years, but well worth it! There are many natural skin care lines to choose from, but I recommend Acure. They have face and body cleansers/moisturizers/masks and much more. You can find Acure at Whole Foods, Alfalfa's, or Pharmaca. In addition, the products are usually on sale, so please don't hesitate to check it out!

With all that being said, enjoy!
Happy Health,
Ricky and Eddie (Emily)