EATING at RESTAURANTS/EATING during the HOLIDAYS.....CAN DO ;-)

So a dear friend asked me, "Linda, how are you able to go out to eat as often as you do, and stay on a healthy eating lifestyle?"  And who doesn't like to have a restaurant night out for a special occasion or "date night," or "girl's night out," etc.????

Well, last night was my husband's Birthday, and he loves great restaurants. We call him the 1% of  the population in knowing and liking high end food. So we visited a restaurant called Stanley and Seaforts, overlooking Tacoma, Wa. It is known for it's wild caught seafood, and if you splurge on steak or poultry, it is free range, grass fed, etc. And they use organic whenever possible. So, this is my plate. It is a lovely wild Alaskan salmon done over hickory wood, with a sauce with balsamic vinegar done to reduction with raw sugar, just a hint added. It came with fresh pumpkin cooked and pureed and mixed with risotto, and fresh broccoli. Here's where I eat this heavenly dish, and don't feel guilty at all!

FIRST, I eat only HALF! Never ever do we go out and eat the whole meal. Before the entree',  I ate for 1/2 an hour on a nice healthy salad (the longer you draw the meal out, the more full you become!) I did not have the sourdough bread. The fish was superb. FIVE stars. The risotto is not white rice, nor is it brown rice, it is in between, but with the healthy, YUMMY pumpkin added, it was superb, and I loved it. I didn't eat all the white sauce, just enough to flavor my fish, and had the other HALF of my fish/risotto/broccoli for dinner tonight. I was full, but since it came with the meal, I had a small sized creme' brulee' and took off the sugar crust, (you could eat it once in awhile...no problem)...but I ate just the egg custard with the most delicious fresh strawberries and fresh blueberries and just dabbed my spoon w/ea bite in the fresh whipping cream. When done, I had a dessert plate with a fluff of whipping cream left still and a whole pile of burnt sugar topping and I was still a very contented, full patron!

Lloyd had Etouffee', which is a cajun dish I am thinking. It included all wild, mussles, clams, scallops 4" in diameter and sliced in half width wise to be not too deep and chewy, prawns, and halibut and cod pieces, and two sausage pieces. His was on grits, that had some sprinkled white cheese in them. None of it was overloaded with the fats, was too greasy, just flavorful, until you didn't want to leave, it was sooooo good.

AND he took HALF home. He NEVER ever eats the whole meal. Our stomachs are used to small meals often, so we literally feel ill if we push too much food down in one sitting. It is so important to learn to fuel the body with breakfast, a healthy snack, lunch, a healthy snack, dinner, and then maybe something other than chips or sugary desserts about an hour after eating. Say a string cheese, or some healthy turkey slices, etc. Or if you top the night off with some healthy cold cereal (KIND granola is now out and 2die4) and rice or coconut milk, then so be it ;-)

So the night was a success, and it is easy to go out and eat and pick good choices, but try this! Each restaurant now posts it's whole menu online. We looked at five restaurants, and knew we could find healthy, but gourmet, in a good price range at this restaurant, and we knew exactly what we would be ordering. If you walk in a restaurant, and they serve iceberg lettuce, walk out. You will know they are not into your health at all. It's always true. Decent restaurants, even a small, more fast food one like Chipolte's Mexican, will serve romaine or else mixed greens or spinach. ICEBERG lettuce is always the tip off, and NOT offering brown rice as an alternative if it is Thai, or Asian as well, means that it is likely not into healthy eating! And even if you have the chocolate mousse as Lloyd does, having it as a treat, not every day, is going to keep you in a pattern of wanting to treat your body like the miracle it is, and not going to keep you over your suitable weight. And he even takes half the dessert home. He came this way, "in the package," when I married him, so how fun is this! It makes it SO much easier when you work as a team to enjoy but have routines you use to stay healthy! 

Now with the holidays, never go to an event without eating enough, first, so you are fairly full. That way if they serve refined, all prefab food, you can find something redeemable, and still be happy. I make my worst choices when I am overly hungry. Learn to shrink your stomach so you NEED to box half of your meal home, and you may be looking at eating 1,500 calories vs. 3,000 and up in calories if you clean your plate. If it is buffet, fill up on the salad, stir fry, fish or chicken, veggies, then go for the other not so healthy stuff and you will eat less. We rarely do buffets. At holiday get togethers, bring your favorite dish, that is healthy, but that no one will guess, it is anything but TASTY!  You'll learn how to substitute healthier ingredients for every type food you eat if you educate yourself, and ask questions, eventually!    And remember, the worst part of the holidays, is that eating the extra refined sugar (addictive itself) can trigger you into eating past your limit, causing cravings, and having you feel defeated so you just go full tilt until New Years, and then do the silly resolution thing. Just try some of these things this holiday, and see, they DO WORK! Enjoy eating folks, just make sure you realize, YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. And what you are eating is either creating optimal health in your body, or disease. So whether 20 or 30 or 50, it is always the right time to begin. Your arteries, closing, start the process when you are YOUNG....so don't wait until you need an artery unclogged, or prescription drugs, or even a surgery. Remember our motto, a lot of the good, a little of the bad. That was last evening, and it was still DELIGHTFUL.  Happy Birthday to the man who lives all that I teach.  He is my inspiration. G'nite all!