Going Healthy Ain't So Bad...

We just got the results from my husband's executive medical check-up. Everything looks good except that his cholesterol level increased and he needs to stay within average weight range. Vowing to be healthier, Jojo and I decided to make some changes at home. We understand that it needs to be a lifestyle so we're making the changes sloooowly but surely. Just teeny tiny steps to a healthy lifestyle. ;-) We're focusing on the food choices first. The "exercise" part will come in later. As we all know, that is one that's harder to commit to. ;-)

As for the baby steps, I started by making a balanced and healthy meal for our dinner last night. I didn't want to get us turned off of being healthy. So I knew that it couldn't be a drastic change. Taking a cue from one of Jojo's comfort food, I decided to make a bangus belly dish for our dinner. After all, I know that Jojo can't seem to get enough of the grilled milkfish at Reyes Barbecue. And fish oil, just like olive oil, has soooo many health benefits too. It was going to be bangus belly but I planned to cook it a different way.

To find a great recipe, I relied on this gem of a website: Connie Veneracion's Pinoy Cook. So far, I've already used five of her recipes for Korean Beef Stew, Fish in Chili and Garlic Sauce, Chinese Sausages with Kangkong and Sweet Soy Sauce, Chicken 1-2-3, and now, for Bangus Belly Steak. I mean, I followed each recipe to a tee and none of them did disappoint.
They surpassed all expectations and now, my husband thinks I'm an amazing cook! ;-) I served the Bangus Belly Steak last night for dinner. It was soooo good that we forgot we were eating healthy! ;-) Hahaha! ;-) The dish is ridiculously easy to cook too. When you follow the recipe, you'll be wondering why you'll have to fry and then bake afterwards. Why not just fry the fish and top it with the sauce right? Well, there's a science to it. The sauce seeps better into the fish when it's baked. This whole procedure enhances the flavor. Just follow it through. But you might want to add more onions. Maybe 2 more? The onions go soooo well with the bangus and the sauce. Everything is so tasty! Just make sure to keep basting until all the sauce is gone. And use Knorr Seasoning for the light soy sauce ingredient. It turned out great! Yes, even for an amateur cook like me! ;-)

Now allow me to brag about my kitchen "prowess." ;-) Feast your eyes on my Bangus Belly Steak. Yum!
If Jojo has that cholesterol level to be mindful of, for me, it's more of my circulation. I have a history of cancer on my mother's side too so I really have to work hard on prevention. Another friend suggested that I drink cranberry juice. I researched on it and found out that cranberry juice does not only help cure UTI, but it also acts as an anti-carcinogen, anti-oxidant, and prevents the formation of dental plaque??!?? We are sold! ;-) We rushed off to our favorite grocery store -- Metro at Market, Market. We were a little hesitant to buy just pure cranberry juice. It might be too tart and bitter for our taste. So we thought we'd try out cranberry juice mixed with something else. We found one. We got Ocean Spray's Cran-cherry juice. It's natural, fat-free, cholesterol-free, and very low in sodium! Yay! And the bottle promised that it would taste good too.

So what's the verdict? It did taste good! I know it's a weird comparison. But to me, it tasted like red wine! ;-) I love it! We try to drink one glass a day. Jojo is surprised when I even remind him about it. It just says how much I truly like it. Not just because we have to be healthy and all. But because it's really good! ;-)

Well, so far, it seems like Jojo and I are not making too many sacrifices for the sake of healthy-living. I guess you really don't have to. It's time that we disassociate healthy with "yucky" food. You can have the best of both worlds, can't you? ;-)