For the past few months I have been suffering with stomachaches and I was not sure why. I went for a checkup to the hospital and also to our family doctor. Our family doctor said that my stomach maybe acidic because of the foods that I eat and sometimes I also skip meals .I was really worried that it may become ulcer if I don’t do something about it. So he prescribed me with some medicines and also recommended to avoid some certain foods such as chocolate, soft drinks, coffee, tea, fried and spicy foods. Basically, I should avoid all of my favourite foods. 😩
If you don’t know, I always have a problem with stress eating. Being a college student, i’m always stressed because there’s a lot of big projects and weekly labs that I have to do. I have to wake up early to go to class and stay up late to finish any homeworks. #collegelife
This past few days, I documented my newly improved diet by cutting myself from eating any foods that may cause my stomach to become too acidic. I chose the Pesco-Vegetarian diet. It means I cannot eat any meat or poultry but I can still eat fish and sometimes eggs. I have to admit I don’t eat much fruits and vegetable everyday. I always got use to eat what is on our table which is usually meat and processed foods. This week is going to be challenging for me….
March 18, 2017
First day
Breakfast: Banana Pancake with Maple Syrup
Lunch:Potato Gnocchi with Pesto Sauce
Dinner: Simple Congee with Tofu and Crispy Garlic
Day 3
Breakfast: Toast bread with Avocado and Poached Egg
Dinner: Spinach and Watercress Soup
Day 5
Breakfast: Toast bread with Peanut Butter and Sliced Bananas
Lunch: Poached Tilapia with Parsley and Spinach Sauce
Dinner: Baked Salmon and Vegetable Cous Cous
Last Day
Breakfast: Sweet Potato Pancake with Maple Syrup and Pumpkin Seeds
Lunch: Roasted Beets with Mache Lettuce and Baked Eggplant
* Since I had my lab class and we are doing vegetarian dishes this week, I decided to have it as my lunch and dinner for this day.
Dinner: Miso Soup with Butternut Squash and Mushrooms
Conclusion
The past few days, making healthy choices was really hard for me. Not because I can only eat plant-based food, but I have to avoid the foods that I was used to eat. It was really tempting for me not to have a slice of pizza or french fries. Even for drinks, I can’t drink anything but water. It’s not really a good pair when you eat a toast of bread with just a glass of water. At the of the day, I haven’t had any stomachaches lately. That’s probably because of my diet and regularly taking my prescriptions. If you had to ask me if I would continue this diet I could probably do it but just like what I have said, It’s really hard for me to avoid the foods that’s not good for me.
This newly diet is not only good for me but for my entire family. My dad is still recovering from his surgery and he is advice not to eat fatty and junk foods. My mom is trying to loose weight and she is also trying to eat healthier foods everyday.
My advice for the people who wants to have a healthier lifestyle is to start little by little. If you’re used to eating meat 3 times a day, try cutting it by 1-2 times a day until you’re use to NOT having meat around. Then try to eat fish instead of meat, which has less saturated fat and has high omega-3. Either its because of health issues or moral beliefs, it’s not easy to be a vegetarian right away. In order to maintain healthy choices, try new and different recipes everyday or every week and choose foods that are high in nutrient density. So instead of eating regular instant oats, choose steel-cut oats.
Recipe for Baked Salmon with Vegatable Cous Cous
Ingredients:
- 200g Salmon fillet
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- pinch of ground black pepper
- 1 cup of cous cous
- 1 1/2 cup vegetable broth
- 1 pc orange bell pepper, small diced
- 1/2 of cucumber, small diced
- 25g red onion, small diced
- 6 leaves of mint, chiffonade
- 1 pc green onion, thinly sliced
Method:
- Mix garlic, thyme, soy sauce, maple syrup and black pepper. Marinate the salmon for an hour.
- Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the cous cous. Cover for 5 minutes and fluff the cous cous with a fork.
- Mix the diced vegetables, mint and green onion with the cous cous.
- For the salmon, preheat the oven broiler for 500ºF. Place the marinated salmon in a pan and cook for 30-40 minutes.
A Journal of my Culinary Experience 