A Brand New Page

Welcome to my blog LETFOODTRAVEL! It took me a while before I was able to come up with a blog name and now that I have, I can't wait to get this blog going and share my exploits about food and travel.

So for my first entry, I'm going to talk about FOOD. Hooray!!! Who doesn't like food, right? RIGHT? Just look around and you'll see a lot of all-you-can-eat restaurants. From buffets to unlimited Samgyupsael, chicken, pizza, doughnut and even bagnet, it is proof that we like LOVE to eat. With these types of restos around, it's not surprising that obesity in our country is on the RICE.

I for one became obese class 1 and was diagnosed with PCOS or Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome in 2015. It's a problem with hormones that causes weight gain, difficulty losing weight, acne, excess hair growth, anxiety, and depression, among other things. Well, you can use google if you want to know more about PCOS. With PCOS, the cells in the body cannot process insulin and the main cause of insulin resistance is obesity.

Photo credit: angelfertilitysolution.com/polycystic-ovarian-diseases-things-you-need-to-know/

I went to different doctors and they all said the same thing: I'm no longer allowed to eat rice, bread, pasta, and anything that has sugar. For me this was a death sentence! 😫 In my mind, they were basically telling me to just eat meat forever and forget about sweets! As a Filipino, this was seriously hard to do because in this country, rice is life and extra rice is lifer. For years, I've ignored my doctors' advice and as a result, my weight kept ballooning. I got scared. I don't want to end up having diabetes so I decided to change my eating habits. I tried different types of diet and exercise but none worked for me. When I heard about the keto diet, I got interested.

Keto diet is perfect for women with PCOS because it's low carb and high in fat. In this diet, all types of grains are not allowed, which is really ideal for people who suffer from PCOS.

The only downside is, keto is not suitable for my husband. My husband likes burgers, pizza and pasta a lot and for this lifestyle change to work, we have to meet halfway. For that, I would have to prepare 2 sets of food every time we eat just to cater to our different needs. However, as the saying goes, "where there's a will, there's a way".

So here's what I prepared for our brunch today. Taduuuuuh!!!

On his plate: Malunggay pasta with meat sauce & bacon cheese bomb. Recipe below.

On my plate: Egg cheese “fake” pasta with meat sauce & bacon cheese bomb. Recipe below.

Dessert: Keto chocolate cake 

RECIPES

Meat sauce 
Makes 3 to 4 servings 
1. Slice 3 tomatoes then boil it in a saucepan. Put salt and pepper.
2. When the tomatoes’ skin start to become wrinkly, add garlic, basil, thyme, onions and half lemon juice in the saucepan.
3. Add 1/4 ground beef. Sauté until it turns brown.
4. Add 1 1/2 cup of water. Boil for 10 minutes in low heat until it becomes mushy.

Egg cheese "fake" pasta 
1. In a bowl, beat 2 medium sized eggs.
2. In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter then, add the eggs.
3. Grate cheese enough to cover the surface of the egg. Add it on top of the egg.
4. Sprinkle thyme and parmesan cheese on top.
5. Turn the egg over and sprinkle parmesan cheese again.
6. Cut the egg into strips until it resembles a flat pasta. It's up to you if you want it to look thick or thin.

Bacon cheese bombs
1. Wash the long green chili peppers and remove the seeds.
2. Fill it with cheese.
3. Wrap a slice of bacon around it and cut the bacon in half if necessary.
4. Fry in oil until golden brown or bake it in the oven until it becomes crispy.

Keto chocolate cake
Makes 2-3 servings
1. Wipe the bowl with butter.
2. Beat 3 eggs then add chocolate powder. I use Ricoa unsweetened.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of melted butter or coconut oil.
4. Optional: add 2 packets of stevia
5. Mix all the ingredients together then microwave for 3 to 4 minutes.

Lemon cucumber juice
1. Slice 1 cucumber and put it in a water jug.
2. Squeeze 2 lemons and pour it in the jug.
3. Slightly mush the lemon and cucumber until the juice turns slightly green.
4. Add mint leaves (optional)
5. Fill the jar with water then mix.
6. You can also add 3 to 4 packets of stevia if you want it to taste sweet.

Enjoy! You are welcome to alter the recipe and please don't forget to share your recipe with everyone. 😄 See you on the next LETFOODTRAVEL entry!