Hello there my friends!

Introduction...

I am really excited that I just published my first blog post! I have had this site up for quite a while but have never really the time to write it until this week. I am actually recovering from a surgery I just had last Monday (14 September). I hope this is the last surgery I will ever have to do for my breast cancer.

Yes. I survived breast cancer 2 years ago. I just passed my 2-year milestone on 17 August 2009! Woohoo!!! Ever since, I have “revoluntionalized” the way I cook and the way I eat. On the one hand, it makes perfect sense to me while on the other it gave me back a sense of control over my life that I lost during the time when I was going through treatment for my cancer.

Who would have known that a strict diet order from my Chinese physician was able to unleash my creativity in cooking! :)… but I have and am enjoying the journey. The discoveries along the way have definitely kept me going.

Vegetables + Fish...

I used to eat everything and anything. I lived by the rule of everything in moderation. I still do. But now I am primarily vegetarian.

Well…I thought I would use the word “primarily” because I still eat my fish. Fish is good for you. They are high in omega 3 fatty acids that are essential for brain health and heart health. Eat happy fishes and you will be happy too. And happy fishes are the ones that get to swim and socialize freely in open waters.

In other words, always go for wild caught fishes (without farming “value-add” i.e. antibiotics, coloring, growth hormones etc.). Other than that, I do indulge in my favorite prawns once in a while. But I am not happy when I get shrimp when I am expecting prawns hahaha…because shrimp are smaller than prawns and they don’t give you or I should say “me” the same kick when I eat prawns. Oh, by the way, prawns are good for you too. They are high in protein and low in saturated fats, the kind that raises your bad cholesterol. They also contain high levels of vitamins and minerals that are important for maintaining good bone and skin health - vitamin B12, zinc, iodine, phosphorous, potassium, selenium and iron.

Dairy...

I have also given up on dairy and these include animals’ milk, cream made from animals’ milk, cheese made from animals’ milk, butter and margarine.

Some people classify eggs as dairy but some don’t. I don’t because “dairy” by definition is a facility for the extraction and processing of animal milk. So yes, I still eat my eggs but I am very selective in the eggs that I eat. I go for eggs from hens that are fed with a vegetarian diet without growth hormones and antibiotics and are raised cage-free.

Refined Carbohydrates...

I also stay away from refined carbohydrates such as refined sugar, white flour and their products. Why? Because all these things do (if nothing else) is to fill up your precious stomach space (plus the calories) without giving your body anything to be excited about. So I was thinking, if I need to fill up my stomach, which is limited, why not fill it up with the most nutritious stuff?

Oil...

Anyways, besides the types of ingredients I use in my cooking, I also changed the way I cook. I don’t cook with oil anymore. The lubricant that I use in my cooking is water. When baking, I use parchment paper.
Oh, but don't get me wrong, I do take olive oil raw in my salads, on my bruschetta, in a homemade pesto sauce and as a bread dip. Olive oil when eaten raw is very good for you. Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid, beneficial for maintaining heart health.

Processed and Artificial Foods...

I also try to keep my hands off processed and artificial foods because they almost always contain things that I cannot pronounce and these are the things that your body is not going to be able to recognize naturally as well, let alone trying to digest them.

So here’s a quick summary of my “cooking and eating principles”:
1. No red meat and poultry
2. No dairy
3. No refined carbohydrates
4. No heating of oil
5. No processed and artificial food

I have been cooking and eating this way for more than 2 years now and I have nothing but good things to say about it. It may not be the solution a particular medical problem but it definitely is the right step towards a healthy lifestyle.

That’s why I have decided to start this blog so that all the healthy eating people can come together and share ideas and I can also share with you my friends, some of my favorite recipes which I have developed over time.

So ya! Let's have fun cooking and eating like a princess! Yeah!