Be My Guest: Stephanie Kerry

Welcome to the very first 'Be My Guest' blog, where each week on The Real Slim Shandy I invite a special guest to blog for you and me. The first guest is Stephanie Kerry from California, USA. Known as The Airplane Food Critic on her essential reading blog You Covet My Ice Cream Bar, she makes wine for a living, is quite the traveller and I am very proud to be able to call her my friend. Here is her blog, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did:

Stephanie Kerry

A healthy lifestyle does not mean a bland, boring lifestyle. It does not mean you are working out at the gym, miserable and sweating. It does not mean you are eating carrot chips and plain baked chicken breasts. It can be fun, it can be tasty and it is doable for everyone. The key is to keep it simple. If you begin to do things you dislike in the name of health, you will begin to resent a healthy lifestyle.

An example for me is running. I really really really hate running. It is terrible for my knees and joints and I feel like my chest is going to seize up. When I first attempted to become more healthy, I took up running. That lasted about a week. I gave up and begin to despise the thought of being healthy. It was not until recently that I learned one does not have to do something as extreme as running to be healthy. Look at our friend, Jase, here. He hasn’t gone out and joined a gym. He has not taken up running marathons but he is still consistently becoming healthier. What I did was find an activity I actually enjoyed. My activity is hiking or swimming. Jase has taken up walking. Some people may like using a video game or a yoga video. As long as you are adding some kind of activity to your normal routine you are on your way.

Along with exercise you need to focus on nutrition. This is another topic that can turn people off. There are stigmas around the phrase “Healthy Diet”. First, the word ‘healthy’ does not mean rabbit food and no flavor. And the word ‘diet’ does not mean an extreme, flash in the pan attempt at losing weight by eating only grapefruits for a month straight. Healthy means well rounded, regular meals with minimal bad fats, pesticides and preservatives. Diet means whatever you are putting into your body. You read in a magazine that a bear’s diet is fish and berries. That does not mean the bear is trying to lose weight, that is simply what he eats.

A healthy diet should consist of lean proteins, whole grains, fruits and vegetables and, your body permitting, dairy products. If you are not skilled in the kitchen, you may feel your only option is to have plain rice, baked fish and steamed broccoli for dinner. Boring! I have a little rule of thumb about how to layer a meal so it is flavorful with minimal effort or skill. To have a balanced meal combine a protein, a grain and a fruit or veggie. Then, layer on your spices and seasonings. Some great lean proteins are tilapia, salmon, ground turkey, skinless chicken breasts, shrimp, eggs and legumes like beans or lentils. The best veggies and fruits are the ones that are in season. Buy the freshest produce and try to get organic when you can. The pesticides, waxes and processing of fruits and veggies can cause you to feel under par. It is also nice to support your local farmers. If there is a veggie you do not like, do not eat it just because you feel you have to. The best grains are whole grains like wild rice, brown rice, bulgur wheat and quinoa.

Once you have chosen your protein, choose to either bake, grill or pan fry or stir fry in light oil. Add your veggies or keep them on the side. Make a rice or grain. One you have your plain main ingredients it is time to flavor them up with healthy flavoring choices. Some of my favorites are lemon, sun dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, cayanne pepper, cumin, onion, ginger, garlic, cilantro, oregano, basil, soy sauce, curry and jalapeno. Pick your favorite combination of flavors and put them on your meal. Remember that a little fat is very good for you so do not be afraid to add avocado, olive oil, olives, dry cheeses and nuts.

If you put only good foods into a meal you are guaranteed to create a healthy meal, no matter how delicious it is! I, again, refer you to our friend, Jase. He began his journey with no knowledge of cooking and now we see the yummy looking foods he can create.

Begin by doing and eating the things you love and you will learn to love your healthy lifestyle!

Thank you Stephanie for being the very first 'Be My Guest'. Don't forget to check out her blog You Covet My Ice Cream Bar for recipes, ideas and tales of her travels.

If you'd like to be a guest blogger here on The Real Slim Shandy then please check out the information on the Be My Guest page. Thanks.