Salad? YES PLEASE!!

I've never been one of those women who order salad in a restaurant as their main meal. In fact, I smirked looking at them. They reminded me of goats with table manners.

Most women eat salad on a constant basis to lose weight. They can't afford to pile on those calories thus the safest bet will be yes, the salad. I don't condone dieting, in fact I think it's silly. It's probably an unfair, uncompassionate and biased sentiment on my part since I know I can get away with eating like a horse thanks to good genes and high metabolism (though mom's willing to bet I'll start piling on the weights once I hit 30! Yea, thanks mom).

The Turks LOVE their salads. Being in Istanbul for over 9 months (geez, and my Turkish's still rotten?!), I've to basically eat what the locals eat. Bread is their main staple food. Though I've not quite acquired the appreciation and love for bread, I've in fact, embraced the beauty of appreciating the simple yet delightful taste of...salad.

I've not replaced my main meals with salad of course. I still have my generous portions of main meals and I eat salad in between. I'll be munching on salads when I'm watching the telly, when I'm surfing, when I'm reading or with an afternoon tea with a friend.

See, the most common misconception people have is: SALAD IS BORING. Aah, this is the part where I shall enlighten you further. Before we proceed, I'll be the first to admit, I'm not a health guru. In fact, I do what I like, I eat what I love and I exercise when I want to.

Generally my diet is quite healthy I think cos firstly I don't have a sweet tooth. Junk food and those sinful chocs and what have you makes me sick to the stomach. I love my meat, I love my rice. Just like most Chinese, I don't take sugar for my tea. I can't drink coffee cos my stomach will get all queasy. I always prefer steamed or boiled meat to fried one. No, these are not a form of discipline, it's genuine preference and likes/dislikes. Anyways what I'm trying to say is, DO NOT take this post as some reliable health advice from a professional cos it's CLEARLY NOT. This is more towards enlightenment reading than informative reading yea? (Too many lawsuits going on, that I just have to be annoying and make myself real clear...certainly wouldn't want anyone suing me for fainting spells)

What are the 4 health benefits of eating salad??

1. Fiber - A high fiber diet helps to lower your cholesterol level and prevent constipation


2. For the fruits and vegetables - this helps to lower your risks of many diseases, particularly CANCER. (I also like munching on those crunchy green and fruit salads cos I'll have fresh breath after, what's not to like?!)


3. To lose weight! - Yes I could imagine women grinning and nodding in approval to this one. (Meanwhile I can't afford to lose weight unless I wanna look like a human linguine) Eating salad helps you to cut those calories. You can afford to eat them guilt free. They're good for ya!


4. To get SMART FATS - Those good fats like olive oil, avocado and nuts are good for you. Olive oil is also said to promote longevity and reduce mortality.

Oh no ladies, the benefits don't end here, you just have to do your own research that's all! Eating salads on a regular basis is a step nearer to a fitter body and nice, glowy healthy skin (THIS - I'm waiting for!) Now back to the part where most would associate salads as boring munchies, well I've got news for you dearies cos fact is... IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE!

You can be as creative as you like to spice up that salad of yours! Add in those colorful vegetables and fruits for variation and appeal! I'll tell you what my fave salad is: SHRIMP & SALMON salad with olive oil and lemon dressing...Oooh la la... (you can find one of the best at 'iSiS' restaurant in Kadikoy, Istanbul for 15lira) I go weak in the knees just thinking about it. I remembered when I was first served that, I held my breath just looking at how pretty the presentation was and I was gushing non stop how beautiful it looked much to the amusement of the waiter. I just have this passion for food and sometimes it can be a bit...loud.

To end off this post, enjoy these amazingly simple yet gloriously beautiful and healthy munchies (I still don't think they should replace main meals) ! Time to dump those triple Cs- chips, cookies and chocs!

xo ;

V