HELLO AND WELCOME

Hello all and welcome to my new blog! I am very excited to get started and share my passion for healthy living with anyone who is willing to listen.

So here's how my blog is going to work- I am going to give myself a $75 budget per week to make 3 meals a day for the 5 days of the work / school week. Thats 5 bucks a meal- cheaper than eating the two slices of bread and rat meat you get at most places around your school or work. But here's the rub- my meals are going to be healthy, delicious, and easy-to-make. 


I will post my grocery list at the beginning of every week on Sundays. Throughout the week I will post the meals and recipes made with that grocery list along with pictures of the highlights. Expect updates a few times a week with meals and recipes. I might even add some fitness and style tips throughout the week, if Im feeling particularly saucy.


This is a blog for busy people looking to eat delicious, healthy meals on a budget.


So lets get a few things on the table (before we get our food on the table)!

Who Am I and Why Would You Listen to Me?
To start, my name is Miles and I am a second year law student (thats "who" I am, not why you should listen to me). I am also a former college football player who has been involved in all areas of physical fitness from playing organized sports in high school and college, to doing p90X with my buddies, to Yoga, to running. You name it, Im willing to try it. In order for your body to be able to do what you want it to do, it is essential to give it proper fuel. There is a misperception out there that eating healthy means starving yourself and being miserable all the time because you can't "enjoy food." Im here to show you that healthy eating doesn't mean starvation, it means eating ALOT of healthy, delicious and nutritious food, consistently throughout the day.

Healthy eating does not mean doing some fad diet that is infeasible and leaves you starving, frustrated, and ultimately defeated. If it was, then this blog would be a lot easier. I would post the same recipe for cabbage soup every meal, every day (an actual advertised diet). Healthy eating means eating well-balanced wholesome meals. It means listening to your body and giving it exactly what it needs to function at its highest level. It means putting in a little extra effort into your daily routine in order to be healthier and happier.

So why would you listen to me? I have no idea, but I truly believe what I am saying and I have found that, at least in my own experience,  quality of life DRAMATICALLY increases when you are eating right, exercising, and living healthy.

Why Am I Doing This?
1. I Am a Health Nut
    Contrary to popular belief, I am not a health nut because I am narcissistic and love staring at myself in the mirror (though I will admit it is nice to admire the fruits of your labor from time to time). I am a health nut because I feel physically, mentally and emotionally stronger when I am eating right, exercising, and taking care of my body. MIND AND BODY ARE ONE-  that is more than just a meaningless mantra.

2. I Love to Cook
    Now I must admit that I have a particular cooking style that I rarely stray from. You won't see a lot of (any) heavy creams, sauces, sugars, etc. in my dishes. Obviously, these things can turn wonderfully healthy ingredients into a caloric disaster. But more importantly, it is my firm belief that eating and cooking should be simple and fresh. I believe in using super-fresh ingredients, well-seasoned to compliment the natural flavors, and perfectly cooked. Its that simple. I draw largely from Napa Valley style and Catalan traditions. At the foundation of almost all my dishes is a fresh piece of meat, seasoned or marinated to compliment the natural flavors of the meat, and cooked at a temperature which maximizes moisture and taste. This style of cooking is healthy, simple at its core, and actually doable for those of us with busy schedules.

3. Its Been a Goal of Mine- and Goals are Good
    Several of my friends and my sister have awesome blogs and they inspired me. I am also a "goal-oriented" person. So by setting the goal of being dedicated to this blog I will force myself to stay on budget, eat healthy, and try new recipes. I have found that when you are accountable to someone or something outside of yourself you are far more likely to succeed. So even if no one reads this blog (which is a serious possibility) I am still benefitting because I have a weekly goal to meet.

4. I am Selfish
   I must also admit that I hope other people will read this blog and respond with their own recipes, ideas, and tricks. I already steal ideas from basically everywhere (Friends blogs, Men's health magazines, infomercials, etc.) So if you read this and want to share you ideas with me, I WELCOME IT!


5. I Need a New Hobby
    I'm not a 1L anymore, I have time for things like this now!




A Final Word of Caution
Everyone's nutritional needs are different and vary according to size, weight, activity level, fitness goals, etc. I am not claiming that this is a way to gain weight or lose weight or ANYTHING. All I am claiming is that this is a well-balanced approach to eating that will support a variety of different lifestyles. If you are looking to lose quick weight before some big event, this is not the blog to follow. This is a slow and steady approach to healthy living- THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.