Açai Smoothie

Açai is a berry that grows in the Brazilian rainforests. Having roots in Brazil, the Açai bowls and smoothies are popular among the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu community. It's something that I have become quite fond of! You can read more about the berry here.

Açai berries are normally found in frozen fruit packs. Some of those fruit packs contain additives and preservatives, so when you're looking for one, make sure to read the ingredients so that you find one that has just the frozen berries with no additives.

There are many fruit combinations you can have to create an Açai bowl/smoothie. I keep mine quite simple though. However, by adding 3 bananas to it (yes, I know, 3!!), it becomes quite filling and is the perfect breakfast or post-workout meal.

açai, bananas, grapes, and raisins - pure and simple 

blended in a glass

poured into a bowl and topped with some homemade granola

Ingredients:
1 Açai pack
3 bananas
1 cup of frozen red grapes (I wash them right after buying and then put them in the freezer so they're ready to use)
1/4 cup raisins (rinsed)

Directions:
1. Slightly thaw the Açai pack and then add to a blender/smoothie maker
2. Add the remaining ingredients and blend.

I sometimes sprinkle coconut flakes on top or some of my homemade granola.

Garlic Shrimp with Zoodles

During the Whole Life Challenge I eliminate a lot of foods from my diet. With no grains, starches, dairy, etc. it can seem like my food will be boring and tasteless. However, it was because I gave up all those things that I have been able to actually taste the foods. A few fresh, organic ingredients prepared simply = a great tasting meal.

This was tonight's dinner.

garlic shrimp with zucchini noodles (zoodles) 

Ingredients:
3 zucchini, spiralized
600 g shrimp
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of red chili flakes (optional)
1/4 cup of parsley leaves (optional)
salt to taste

Directions:
1. Heat a pan, then add 1 tablespoon of EVOO
2. Saute the garlic in the oil until lightly colored
3. Add the shrimp to the garlic, saute for 3-5 minutes until tender and then remove the shrimp from the pan
4. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the same pan and then add the zoodles. Cook for about 5 minutes, until tender but a little crispy. Add the salt.
5. Add the shrimps back to the pan and combine well
6. Add the chili flakes and parsley if using

Enjoy!

Coriander and Chili Chicken Curry

I had a craving for coriander - isn't that a strange thing to crave? I just couldn't get the smell of coriander out of my mind, so I decided to include it in our dinner. The spicy kick from the jalapeno balanced out the sweetness of the coconut milk and carrots. I added lots of fresh coriander towards the end, which gave it great flavor as well as fragrance.

the curry simmering in the pot

on a plate with a small baked sweet potato 

Ingredients
1 onion, medium size, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 jalapeno peppers
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

400 ml coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin powder
1 1/2 teaspoons coriander powder
2 teaspoons curry powder
salt to taste
pinch of cinnamon

4 chicken breasts thinly sliced
3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 bunch fresh coriander

Directions
1) Sauté the onion and garlic in the extra virgin oil until slightly colored
2) Add the jalapeno to the onion and garlic mix and sauté for 1-2 minutes
3) Add the chicken to the pan and lightly brown the breast strips
4) In a separate pot, add the coconut milk, coriander, and spices. Mix and bring to a simmer.
5) Add the chicken and onion mixture to the coconut milk mix. Cook for 5 minutes.
6) Add the chopped carrots and coriander leaves. Cover and cook for another 15 minutes on low heat.

I would have loved to have had this with a bowl of rice or some warm naan, but since I'm on the Whole Life Challenge, I opted for a baked sweet potato instead. Again, the spice from the chili helped cut through the sweetness making it a nice mix of sweet a savory.

Socca

When I was heading to Bangladesh back in February, my mom asked me what I could/couldn't eat as I would have been on the Whole Life Challenge during my visit. I sent her my list and she said to me, oh, you can have gram flour. I had totally forgot about gram flour - which is basically flour made from chick peas. It's actually the main ingredients to one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes for me, which was a total bonus for my trip home.

It's been many, many years since I've used gram flour in any of my cooking/baking. The fact that it's gluten free and vegan added to its appeal. I decided to give it a go. I'm definitely pleased with the outcome.

You can easily make gram flour at home by taking 2 cups of dried chick peas and putting them through a food processor and then running them through a sieve to separate any large chunky bits. You can also pre-roast the dried chick peas in the oven (200 C for 15 min) before putting them in the food processor.

I always associated the use of gram flour with traditional Bangladeshi dishes. However, one of my friends forwarded me an article about Socca which is basically a gram flour based pancake. It's incredibly simple to make.

Ingredients
1 cup of gram flour
1 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil - plus extra for the pan

Directions
1. Pour the gram flour and salt in a bowl
2. Gradually whisk in the water and olive oil
3. Heat a pan and add some EVOO, enough to coat the pan. Add some of the socca batter. Cook for 6-7 minutes then flip and cook the other side for around 5 minutes.

I did a couple of variations of this.

My 1st attempt: pouring 3/4 cup of the batter and making a single pancake.

My 2nd attempt: I added some spices to the batter - 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, garlic, ginger, and turmeric powder. I mixed the batter again to combine all the spices. I then put smaller dollops of the batter in the skillet -- about 2 tablespoons of batter for each. This turned out smaller pancakes.

mini socca pancakes

My 2nd attempt was definitely tastier. I guess it all depends on what you want to garnish the socca with. I added slices of avocado and sweet cherry tomatoes -- it was delicious!

I found the meal to be quite filling and hearty. I'm sure you can experiment with different combinations of ingredients - both to add to the batter as well as for the toppings.

Nutritional info (for the entire batch - makes about 20 small pancakes - based on the original socca basic recipe and not including the extra oil for frying)

475 calories
20.6 g. protein
53.2 g. carbohydrates (9.9 g. fiber)
20.2 g. fat (2.6 g. sat fat)

Fish Burgers

These burgers have been fantastic to have in the fridge during the week. I haven't tried freezing them yet, but I'm pretty sure they'll hold ok. It'll be great to have a batch done over the weekend and then have backups in the freezer for a quick meal.

I've done this recipe with canned tuna as well as with canned salmon. They've come out great both times. They're quite filling. I've had them in different ways depending on how hungry I was feeling - sometimes just the burgers themselves, other times I'd have it with salad, or I've made them a bit bigger and put them over a grilled portobello mushroom.

salmon burger over a grilled portobello mushroom with lettuce and tomato 

tuna burgers with a side salad of avocado and cherry tomatoes

Ingredients: 
2 cans tuna fish or salmon
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon mixed herbs
2 eggs, beaten
3/4 cup mixed vegetables (I like to use a mixture of chopped bell peppers and peas)
generous squeeze of lemon
extra virgin rapeseed oil for frying

Directions: 
1. Beat the eggs
2. Mix together the fish, almond flour, and spices
3. Mix the beaten eggs into the fish mix
4. Mix in the vegetables and the lemon
5. Shape into patties (number depends on how large you want the burgers)
6. Fry

Nutritional info: (per burger; based on the recipe above making 6 burgers and including 2 T of oil for frying) 

Tuna burgers:
210 calories
18 g. protein
5.2 g. carbohydrates (2 g. fiber)
13 g. fat (2 g. sat fat)

Salmon burgers:
185 calories
17 g. protein
5.2 g. carbohydrates (2 g. fiber)
12 g. fat (1.5 g. sat fat)

Cooking Fest!

The weekend plus Monday were full of errands, training, and a ton of cooking! I spent pretty much all of Sunday in the kitchen preparing for the upcoming week and making some new Whole Life Challenge-friendly foods. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun! I'll be posting recipes soon, but in the meantime, click on the link below the photo for the recipe for my homemade granola (gluten-free, sugar-free, totally natural, and suitable for paleo too).

Homemade Granola

Banana Pancake

One of my biggest challenges during the Whole Life Challenge is coming up with different breakfast options. I can eat eggs only so many times a week! A lot of times I would find myself having lunch or dinner leftovers for breakfast. I didn't mind that at all. However, I still wanted something different. After doing some investigating on line, I modified different ones to come up with this recipe for a banana pancake. It's definitely a winner.



Banana Pancake

Ingredients:
1 banana, mashed
2 eggs
2 tablespoons all natural peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon butter

Directions:
1) Peel and mash the banana.
2) Add the two eggs. Mix them together very well.
3) Mix in the peanut butter and cinnamon powder. Mix it really well, though it's ok if it is slightly lumpy.
4) Heat a non-stick skillet pan. Put 1/4 tablespoon of butter in the pan, and then add the batter. I usually put 2 generous tablespoons of batter per pancake.
5) Cook until golden brown (around 2 minutes per side)

Nutritional Information
Banana Pancake (3 pancakes; info below if per pancake)
Calories 170
Protein 7.5 g.
Carbohydrates 12 g.
Fiber 2.2 g.
Fat 12. 5 g.
Saturated Fat 2.7 g.

Coconut Fish Stew

This past week I cooked a batch of fish stew on Saturday to have as my lunch during the week. It really helped to have the meal prepared so that all I would need to do is heat it up once I got home, especially because I'm usually ravenous by lunch time!

I finally sat down and did the calorie count; everything looked fine though the amount of saturated fat is a bit high for my liking. Still, I will make this again. I had the soup over 3 days, but I think there was enough to have over 4 days. For the next batch I may add some more vegetables, such as a zucchini, broccoli, and/or some cauliflower.

Ingredients
2 lb white fish
2 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons lime juice
salt/pepper to taste

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper diced
1 cup peas
2 carrots sliced
1 tablespoon paprika powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 tablespoon ginger powder
1 14 oz. (400 g) can coconut milk (no additives/preservatives and especially no sugar)

Directions
1. Combine the fish, garlic, lime juice, and salt + pepper and set in the fridge to chill while preparing the vegetables
2. Saute the rest of the ingredients (except for the coconut milk) for 5-7 minutes until slightly soft; add 1/4 cup water to help the vegetables cook and the spices to dissolve
3. Remove half the vegetables from the pot
4. Add the fish mixture, and then put the vegetables on top of the fix mixture
5. Add the coconut milk; stir once gently; let it cook for 5 minutes
6. Gently stir the mixture again 3-4 times; cover; simmer for about 15 minutes


Please note: The calorie count is for the following recipe (please note that the actual calorie count may vary depending on your particular ingredients; these numbers are based on the ingredients that I used).

Nutritional info per serving (serves 4)
350 calories
22 g protein
12.5 g carbohydrates (12.5 g fiber)
22.5 g fat (7 g saturated fat)

Egg Muffins - My Breakfast of Champions

This breakfast recipe is based on one that is in Oxygen magazine. I've modified it to suit my taste. I usually prepare the vegetable mix on Saturday night and combine it with the eggs on Sunday morning (my weekend is Friday & Saturday) and then pop it into the oven. By the time I'm ready to leave the house, it's ready and I've got breakfast prepared for the week. I eat them cold (after I finish my morning workout). They're filling and tasty. I eat this pretty much every single morning during the week. 

Ingredients
2 whole eggs
2 cups of egg whites
1 zucchini diced
1 1/2 tomatoes diced
8 mushrooms diced
1 orange bell pepper diced
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
dash salt
1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ginger powder
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions
1. Sauté the vegetables in the olive oil; add spices and a dash of water to let it all mix together; sauté for about 10 minutes
2. In a bowl, mix the 2 whole eggs plus the egg whites together
3. Add in the vegetable mix (after letting the vegetables cool for a while - about 15-20 minutes)
4. Pour into lined muffin pans (spray the muffin liners w/a non-stick spray); bake for 30-35 minutes at 200 degrees C

I eat 3 muffins with half an avocado and 1 tablespoon of walnuts every morning for breakfast during the week.

Nutritional Info per egg muffin:
50 calories
6.25 g of protein
3.3 g carbohydrates (0.8 g fiber)
1.5 g fat (0.43 g saturated fat)

Calorie breakdown for 3 egg muffins + 1/2 avocado + 1 tablespoon of walnuts
320 calories
21.25 g of protein
18 g carbohydrates (8.75 g fiber)
19.8 g fat (3.3 g saturated fat

Baked Salmon with Puy Lentils

While I was cooking this, I wasn't happy with the way the puy lentils turned out. There was something missing ... and then I decided to add coriander powder and it totally turned the recipe around. It was so hearty and satisfying. There are perhaps 1 or 2 things I might tweak [mainly I would like to try this out cooking the lentils from scratch vs. using a can and would definitely prefer using fresh tomatoes instead of canned -- although these were good in that they had no preservatives or sugar added] in this recipe, but I think it's quite good as it stands. I really love that I was able to make this without using any oil aside from spraying a bit of olive oil at the bottom of the baking dish.

I had never cooked with puy lentils before (also called bijoux verts). I really enjoyed them. They had quite a meaty texture. There were times when I felt like I was having minced meat!


Ingredients:
Salmon
3 4 oz salmon fillets
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Lentils
1/2 cup diced onions
1 clove garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced

1 400 g can puy lentils (bijoux verts lentils) - rinsed and drained

1 400 g canned tomatoes with juice

1 1/2 teaspoons mixed dried herbs (oregano, thyme, basil, etc.)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 
For the salmon
1. Place salmon fillets in a baking dish (coat dish with olive oil cooking/non-stick spray). Sprinkle the salt, pepper, and lemon juice over the salmon. Let it marinate for a while (though this is not necessary - you can bake it right away).
2. Bake fillets for 20-25 minutes in a preheated oven at 200 C (400 F)

For the lentils
1. Pour tomatoes along with the juice in a sauté pan and break tomatoes up so that they are almost flaked. Let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Add in the onions, garlic, and carrots. Stir and let cook for 3-4 minutes.
3. Add in the lentils as well as the remaining spices. Stir well. Let the mixture cook and simmer for 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf prior to serving.

Serve the salmon over the lentils.

Nutritional Info: (per serving; recipe above serves 3 - salmon + lentils)
340 calories
31 g. protein
25 g. carbohydrates (6 g. fiber)4.6 g. fat (1.2 g. saturated fat)

French Bean & Roasted Tomato Salad

I've been meaing to post this recipe for a while. It's really simple and a lot yummier than it probably looks. It's a good salad for winter because the French beans and tomatoes are warm. I've had a piece of grilled salmon with this as well just to add some more protein, but usually I just have the salad. It's actually got more calories than I realized - mainly because of the olive oil. You could reduce the amount of feta to lower the calorie count, but it really does add a nice change of texture to the salad.

Pictured without the pine nuts or dressing

Ingredients:

4 cups lettuce/mixed greens

1 1/2 cups trimmed French beans

4 tablespoons feta cheese

2 tablespoons toasted pine nuts

10 cherry tomatoes

2 bay leaves

sea salt & pepper to taste

2 teaspoons + 1/2 teaspoon of extra virgin olive oil 

Dressing

1 tablespoons whole grain mustard

1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

1. Slice cherry tomatoes in half. Place on a baking tray (spray with olive oil before placing on tray) and sprinkle sea salt and ground black pepper on top. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the tomatoes. Also crush 2 bay leaves over the tomatoes. Bake at 225 for 45 minutes.

2. Top and tail the French beans; slice; boil for 5 minutes. Drain.

3. Make the dressing - combine all the ingredients together and blend well. 

4. Toast the pine nuts in 1 teaspoon of olive oil. 

5. Mix the salad ingredients - lettuce, French beans, roasted tomatoes, pine nuts, and feta cheese. Add the dressing.

Nutritional Info: (calories per serving/serves 2 - including the salad dressing)
550 calories
19 g. protein
56 g. carbohydrates (16.5 g. fiber)
28 g. fat (4 g. saturated fat)

Bean and Shrimp Salad

This recipe was adopted from a recipe I saw in The Men's Health Big Book of Food. The original recipe said that it made 4 servings. However, I found the servings to be huge, so I've divided the nutritional info into 6 servings, which is what I ended up serving. Even the smaller serving was filling enough. No added sides necessary. The leftovers the next day tasted just as good. The combination of flavors is great!

Ingredients: 
Hot Pepper Dressing 
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lime - squeeze out juice
2 jalapeno chilis, minced
1 clove garlic, minced

Salad 
1 can (15.5 oz) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 lime - juiced
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons chili powder

2 cups frozen corn, thawed 1-2 min
1 red bell pepper
1 avocado, diced
8 cups mixed lettuce/spinach leaves


Directions:
Dressing
1. Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until well combined
2. Let it sit for 10 minutes before mixing into the salad

Salad
1. Drain liquid from the can of beans and lightly rinse before putting into a bowl and mixing in the cumin, salt, and pepper. Let the mixture marinate while preparing the rest of the salad.
2. Toss the shrimp with the lime juice, olive oil, and chili powder. Add salt and pepper to taste if desired. Let combination sit as the grill pan heats. When the grill is hot, grill the shrimp until opaque, about 4 minutes each side.
3. Add the corn, red pepper, avocado, and mixed lettuce leaves to the bowl with the beans and toss.
4. Divide the salad among 6 bowls, top each with the grilled shrimp, and serve.

Nutritional info: (calories per serving/recipe serves 6)
Salad + Dressing
484 calories
22.8 g. protein
28.7 g. carbohydrates (9 g. fiber)
12 g. fat (2.7 g. saturated fat)

Salad only
385 calories
22.7 g. protein
28 g. carbohydrate (9 g. fiber)
12 g. fat (1.1 g. saturated fat)

Dressing only
99 calories
0.1 g. protein
0.7 g. carbohydrates (0.2 fiber)
11.3 g. fat (1.6 g. saturated fat)

For more recipes, click here. 

Mexican Bean Salad

I love this salad - the mixture of beans make it feel like comfort food and the bell peppers give it a yummy crunch. The salad dressing is also nice and tangy. The prep does take some time, but it makes a big portion (that keeps for about 4 days) so I think it's worth it.

Ingredients:
Salad
1 can black beans
1 can cannellini beans
1 can kidney beans
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1/4 cup cilantro
1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 green bell pepper (diced)


Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 tablespoon Splenda/sugar/sugar substitute
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 clove garlic minced


Directions:
Dressing
1. Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well.
2. Let it sit for 15 minutes before mixing into the salad

Salad
1. Drain liquid from the cans of beans and lightly rinse before putting them all in a bowl
2. Add the corn kernels and cilantro
3. Dice the bell peppers and add to the mixture
4. Add the dressing - toss well and let it sit for at least 15 minutes before serving. It should be served cold. {The dish actually tastes better the following day after the beans/peppers have absorbed more of the dressing.}

Nutritional info: (calories per serving/recipe serves 8)
300 calories
11 g. protein
38 g. carbohydrates (9 g. fiber)
14 g. fat (2 g. saturated fat)

For more recipes, click here.

Cauliflower Soup

A few days ago I made cauliflower soup for the first time (from scratch). It was delicious!!

The recipe is incredibly simple. What I love most is that it doesn't have cream or cheese in it (which is the problem with a lot of hearty, thick soups).

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 onion (diced)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

1 L (4 cups) vegetable stock {I used homemade vegetable stock to reduce the sodium}

1 large head cauliflower

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute the onion and garlic in the tablespoon of oil.

2. Add the stock and bring to boil.

3. Add the cauliflower and let it simmer for 15-20 minutes.

4. Allow the soup to cool and then blend in small batches.

The original recipe called for Parmesan cheese, but I omitted it. I also used just a bit less than 4 cups of vegetable stock as I wanted the cauliflower puree to be a bit thicker.

Before serving I added 2 tablespoons of peas to add a bit of color and break up the texture a bit.

It's a very simple recipe. I mainly did it to use up my cauliflower and I did not have very high hopes for the recipe. However, it tasted so good ... I'm sure I'll be making it again soon!

Nutritional Info (calories per serving/serves 4)
125 calories
8.7 g. protein
18 g. carbohydrates (6 g. fiber)
5.75 g. fat (2.5 g. saturated fat)

Chick Pea Curry

I've always liked to experiment with cooking on my own. This recipe, however is one that my mom gave to me -- and it's one of my all-time favorite dishes to cook (and eat). It's not the 'freshest' recipe, but it really is tasty - very filling and low in fat. 

Ingredients:

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced onion

1 tablespoon of each of the following spices: turmeric, cumin, coriander, ginger, paprika

1 can of tomato sauce

1 can chick peas

1 cup water

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1/2 cup peas
1 tablespoon garlic powder

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and then add the diced onion. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes until slightly brown.
2. Add the spices. Mix well. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to loosen the spices and help them cook. Stir and let cook for 3 minutes
3. Add the tomato sauce, chick peas, water, and tomato paste. Mix well and let it cook for 35 minutes on low heat. Stir once or twice every 10 minutes.
4. Add the peas (can be from frozen) and the garlic powder. Stir. Cook for another 5 minutes. 

Nutritional Info (calories per serving/recipe serves 3)
235 calories
8 g. protein
41.5 g. carbohydrates (11.5 g. fiber)
7 g. fat (1 g. saturated fat)

Busy Day!

I've been really good at getting my workouts in over the past few weeks. I am so desperate and ready to see a change in my weight that it is my absolute priority. I'm not one of those people that can just cut down on calories and drop some weight. I have to do both - cut calories (eat healthily) and exercise.

However, the downside of making sure I'm at the gym for each workout is that a lot of other tasks get left undone. I've been postponing several errands/tasks for ages -- I can't do it anymore. I've got to get a move on and get things sorted.

So, this morning, instead of rushing out the door at 6:30 this morning, I stayed home. I had already woken up at 4:40 a.m. (yes, I'm an early riser; blame the insomnia) and I didn't need to leave for work until 9:20, so I had a good chunk of time to get stuff done. I tell you, it felt great emptying boxes, throwing stuff out, putting things away etc. My dining room (which hasn't been used in forever) is no longer the storage space it had become (it has been neglected since just after Christmas!). It now looks clean and fresh! I'm so pleased!

Of course in between sorting out the dining room I was doing the dishes, figuring out what to cook for dinner, and putting the things that were in the dining room into the storage room -- in other words, I may have had 4 1/2 hours this morning at home, but I did not get a chance to just sit and put my feet up (will try that the next time around!)

Work was terrific today. Dealing with 43 students in one class can be daunting, so I decided to do debates in class. The focus -- health and fitness! All the students I work with are 1st or 2nd year medical students, so health and fitness is right up their alley. Most of the class was spent with them preparing their arguments - we only had time for one proper debate. The question was: For most illnesses, if a patient smokes or is overweight, more often than not, one part of their prescribed treatment will be that they should quit smoking and lose weight. What if the doctor prescribing the treatment was overweight and/or a smoker. Does the doctor have the right to give this advice? Should doctors be required to be non-smokers and of healthy weight?

We had some great discussion over this question. Most students immediately said YES - Doctors have a responsibility to be a picture of good health and be a role model for their patients. The group that was arguing NO (they didn't have a choice, I assigned each team which side they would be arguing) had a bit of a tougher task to convince the audience of their point, but they did a really good job. They focused on the fact the primary task of a doctor was to help the patient, so even if his personal habits are bad, as long as he is not compromising the care/treatment of the patient, it shouldn't matter.

I could write about this for ages, but this was the gist of the debate. It was great to see the whole class engaged in the discussion. Both sides argued their points well -- and what was interesting was that when I asked the same question at the end of our discussion, instead of the majority saying Yes, the reaction was about half/half.

Stay tuned for more debate topics :)

After class I rushed to the gym - got in my 10 km on the cross-trainer. I'm not officially starting to train for the 10 km until mid-May, but I am going to try and see what I can do to somewhat prepare. It wasn't difficult, though about two hours later my legs felt quite sore! I did 15 minutes of abs and that was it for the day.

I'm really struggling with what to have for lunch these days. After finishing at the gym I only had 40 minutes before I had to head out to get my mom from work ... I had a cup of rice with some veggies in the freezer, so I just defrosted that and inhaled it before rushing out the door. I try to be prepared, but sometimes it just doesn't work ... to rectify that, however, I have a big pot of lentils cooking right now. I'm going to throw in some veggies later. I know that the recipe is low calorie and can be measured up and frozen for future rushed afternoons!

Back home to prep for dinner, grade papers, and catch up on a few emails.

Dinner tonight is tofu with bell peppers -- I'm cooking this up for the first time. I'll post the recipe etc. if it turns out good.

Tuna Loaf with Caprese

This is a quick, easy recipe that can be prepared beforehand -- just take it out of the fridge 10 minutes before you want to bake it (while you preheat the oven), pop it into the oven for 40 minutes, and you're good to go! (The picture didn't come out too well - but you get the idea!)

Ingredients:

Tuna loaf

2 cans tuna (in water), drained

2 slices whole wheat bread

1 egg

1 green bell pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

dash pepper

1 tablespoon breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon parmesan cheese

Caprese salad

1/2 tomato

3 thin slices mozzarella

1.5 teaspoons pesto

drizzle olive oil

dash pepper

Directions:

Tuna loaf

1. Crumble bread into a bowl

2. Add egg and mix well

3. Mix in tuna fish (I use my hands to really get the mixture ground up properly)

4. Add the bell pepper, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, and black pepper

5. Just before putting into the oven, sprinkle breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese on top

6. Bake for 40-45 minutes

Caprese salad (I guess this doesn't really need an explanation, but still ...)

1. Slice tomato into rounds

2. Slice mozzarella into rounds and layer on top of tomato

3. Drizzle olive oil on top and add the pesto and pepper

Nutritional info: (calories per serving/recipe serves 3)

Tuna loaf:

230 calories

33 g. protein

14 g. carbohydrates (1.7 g. fiber)

4 g. fat (1.5 g. saturated fat)

Caprese salad - recipe given is for 1 serving

145 calories

6 g. protein

6 g. carbohydrates (1 g. fiber)

11 g. fat (0.3 g. saturated fat)

Spinach Chick Pea Salad

I'm not a fan of making salads, but today I was just in the mood. I just grabbed a few things out of the fridge and started to chop them up ... this is what I came up with.

Ingredients:

1 hard boiled egg

1 1/2 cups chopped spinach

1 medium red bell pepper diced

3 large mushrooms diced

1/2 cup chick peas, rinsed

2 tablespoons feta cheese

12 halves walnuts

2 tablespoons Ken's low calorie raspberry walnut dressing

Directions:

1. Combine all the ingredients together!

Simple enough directions ... but you've got to make sure you have enough time to wash and dice all the veggies.

It came out much better than I thought it would. I hadn't intended on adding the boiled egg (I don't even remember the last time I ate a boiled egg ... plus it's usually just egg whiles for me, but today I ate the yolk too). I was also hesitant about adding the feta and walnuts, but they really did add flavor. All in all, quite delicious and very easy to make!

Nutritional info: (1 serving)

383 calories

24.3 g. protein

48.1 g. carbohydrates (11 g. fiber)

32.9 g. fat (6.5 saturated fat)

Shrimp Stir-Fry

I have been obsessing about getting more protein lately. So last night I thought I'd make a shrimp stir-fry. Lots of veggies + 200 grams of shrimp = delicious!

The photo shows just a small portion of the stir-fry served on a low carb spinach tortilla. I had intended on having the stir fry in a wrap but in the end decided against it. The calorie info below does not include the tortilla.

It did take some time to dice all the veggies, but it was totally worth the time. The different flavors and textures came together really well.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/3 cup onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon ginger powder

mushrooms (100 g. diced)

zucchini (85 g. diced)

broccoli (40 g. diced)

carrots (90 g. thinly sliced)

bell pepper (140 g. diced)

1/3 cup corn kernels

200 g. shrimp

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a wok

2. Add diced onion and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes

3. Add the vegetables and saute for 5-7 minutes

4. Add the ginger powder - mix well (can add a dash of water)

5. Add the shrimp and saute for another 10-15 minutes

It's as simple as that!

Nutritional info: (calories per serving/recipe serves 2)

225 calories

20 g. protein

20 g. carbohydrates (5 g. fiber)

8.5 g. fat (1.2 g. saturated fat)

Marrakesh Vegetable 'Curry'

I put the 'curry' in inverted commas because as a Bangladeshi, I wouldn't really refer to this as a curry (not much gravy) - but that's what the recipe I slightly modified this from (found on allrecipes.com) called it, so I have followed suit.

One of the main changes that I made in the recipe is that I dropped the amount of oil used (they used way too much in the original recipe in my opinion). I also omitted the spinach as I didn't have any at home.

Overall, it was really delicious. I didn't eat it with any bread/rice or other starch - just added 1/4 of fat-free yogurt to add a bit more protein and break up the flavor a bit. Chopping up the ingredients takes a while, but it also lasts for a few days, which is good because you can keep it in the fridge (or freeze it) for those days when you're in a hurry and can't be bothered to cook something healthy.

The protein content isn't as high as I would like it to be. Perhaps next time I'll have it with some fish to increase the protein but not add to the carbohydrates.

The picture below shows 2 servings of the curry plus yogurt.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoons curry powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 sweet potato (medium)

1 green bell pepper (medium)

1 red bell pepper (medium)

1 cup eggplant (diced)

1 cup zucchini (diced)

2 carrots (diced)

1 (15 oz.) can garbanzo beans, drained

2 tablespoons raisins

1 cup orange juice

1/4 cup fat-free yogurt

Directions:

1. Heat oil and add onion, garlic, and spices - saute about 3 minutes (add one or two dashes of water to prevent burning/sticking to the pan)

2. Add all diced vegetables, except the zucchini, and saute for 5 minutes

3. Add the garbanzo beans, raisins, and orange juice. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, covered. Serve!

Nutritional info (calories per serving/recipe serves 6)

180 calories

5 g. protein

27.3 g. carbohydrates (6 g. fiber)

7.2 g. fat (1 g. saturated fat)

Quarter cup fat-free, plain yogurt

35 calories

3.5 g. protein

4.7 g. carbohydrates (0 g. fiber)

0.1 g. fat (<0.1 g saturated fat)