From the Inside Out

For those “foodies” out there, it’s time to rejoice because this week is Restaurant Week in Dallas. What’s Restaurant Week? It’s a week when over 100 restaurants will offer three-course meals for the fixed price of $35. The meal includes an appetizer, entree and dessert. Since many of the participating restaurants are four- and five-star rated, this is a steal. Don’t feel bad for taking advantage of these fine restaurants, though, because it’s all to raise funds for local charities. A portion of the price will be donated to the North Texas Food Bank and Lena Pope Home.

Restaurant Week begins on August 11 and runs through August 17, but some restaurants are extending the offer through August 31. Reservations and required, and availability is limited. When calling, you need to request a Restaurant Week reservation.

For more information and to view a list of participating restaurants, click here.

It has been well documented that eating right can help you lose weight and enhance your health, but does it also boost your mood and ease depression? That’s what respected nutritionist and author, Dr. Susan Keiner, suggests.

Dr. Kleiner’s book, The Good Mood Diet, offers tips for eating to feel good. For example, did you know that:

• Milk raises serotonin levels, helping you relax
• Broccoli and blueberries can increase energy and happy feelings
• Turkey reduces anxiety
• Regular intake of fish oils can lower anger in aggressive adults (no more anger management courses required)
• Egg yolks are high in a substance that enables nutrients into the brain and toxins out of the body
• Bananas reduce blood pressure

 By simply changing how you eat, you can improve your energy level, attitude and mood. Eating the right foods can even impact how you handle stress.

In my own life, this rings true. When I am eating healthy, I have more energy and my digestion issues cease. When I fall back into the dark pit eating junk food and fast food, the issues return — almost immediately. By simply watching what I eat, I can significantly impact my health — and my mood. Amazing, huh?

Never before has the saying been more true…you are what you eat.  I wish I had realized this truth a few years ago.

After church today (see previous blog), we did some shopping and then headed to Hibachi Rock in Allen for Clarissa’s birthday.  She turned 13 this week.  I can’t believe she’s already that old…how quickly time flies. 

With this birthday, Kathy is now the mother of a teenager, and my prayers go out to her.  *smiles*  The odd thing for me was the realization that if I’d had a child at the same time as Kathy and Laura H., then I would also be the mother of a teenager — isn’t that a weird thought?

Anyway, I’d never been to Hibachi Rock before, but it was great.  Hibachi Rock is a sushi bar and grill.  None of us are sushi fans, so we opted for the “grill” part of the restaurant.  It’s a Japanese steakhouse, similar to Benihana.  Dinner started with salad followed by miso soup.  Then the cook came out and put on a great little show for us.  The kids loved it and so did the adults.  The food was outstanding — a little pricey, but good.  If you are looking for a fun dining experience, you should check it out.

It’s the year of the rat.  To celebrate, farmers in Thailand and the Phillipines are serving up the little rodent for dinner.  People searching for a non-traditional culinary experience are feasting now on grilled rat, rat stew, rat with rice and poached rat (ah, my personal favorite).  Apparently, it’s become quite popular.

For those of you who are carefully pondering what to cook for that special meal on Valentine’s day, may I suggest the newfound delicacy of rat meat?  Before you dismiss it, think of the benefits.  It’s cheap and exotic.  Eating it is adventuresome.  There is only minimal clean up required afterwards — the leftovers can be eaten by your cats.  What more could you want to spice up the holiday and put some excitement into your relationship?  Without a doubt, serving up rat would offer an entertaining experience that is both unique and unforgettable. 

To help you prepare, check out some of the recipes online.  The enchiladas should be popular for those in Texas.  Be sure to select only healthy rats.  If your Valentine prefers chocolates, then you may want to consider chocolate covered rats.  I hear they are delicious.  

C’mon…it’s the year of the rat….live dangerously. 

Today was pretty much your standard Monday.  You probably know the drill: wake up, go to work, eat lunch, stop working, relax for a couple of hours, go to bed and then repeat the entire sequence all over again.  In my case, I work from home, so I just walk to my office which is only a few steps away from my bedroom.  It’s nice not having to get up early and battle rush hour traffic.  Plus, who doesn’t love being able to work in your PJs?  Anyway, most of my day was spent on conference calls, and there’s nothing more mind numbing than sitting on conference calls for 8-9 hours straight!  Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day.

Tonight, we decided to go out to dinner to a local restaurant in Allen, TX – Ricardo’s.  It’s a small Mexican food place, but the food is excellent, and the atmosphere is relaxing.  If you live in the area, you should check them out.  Try the Pollo en Crema.  It’s outstanding.

Afterwards, it was time for the weekly shopping trip.  Now that we’re trying to eat healthier, we are cooking more which requires weekly trips to the grocery store.  That’s not something we’ve ever done before.   All right, I’ll say it…I used to be a fast food junkie.  I loved the stuff, especially Taco Bell and Whataburger.  I would eat at almost any fast food joint — regularly.  I’m not overweight so I felt like I could do it without harm.  To make matters worse, when I wasn’t eating fast food or pizza, I would eat take out or high-fat restaurant food.  And don’t even get me started on the number of sugary sodas I would consume during the course of one day.  It was pathetic.

However, all of that changed last year.  I adopted a healthier lifestyle, and now that I’m eating real food, a strange thing has occurred.  I can’t stand the taste of fast food.  I never thought I’d see that day come, but it did.  Last Saturday, I was craving Taco Bell so I caved in and got some — a decision I would quickly regret.  It tasted nasty, and it made me sick.  A similar thing happened the last time I ate Whataburger.  It had a bad “fried” taste to it.  I read that fat is an acquired taste, but up until now, I didn’t really believe it. 

Now, it’s the healthier foods that are appealing to me.  And, they make me feel better — the improvement in my digestion alone is amazing.  For anyone wanting to adopt a heathlier lifestyle, I wholeheartedly recommend it.  Kick the fast food, sodas, and unhealthy lifestyle to the curb, and you will feel better.

A good book to read to get you kick started is ”You, the Owner’s Manual“.  It will really open your eyes to how food can affect your body.  It changed my my life…maybe it’ll change yours too.