RECIPE | how to eat chic

As I acknowledged in the previous post, 2014 was a crazy year for me. I spent much of May-December working twenty-hour days, seven days a week, and survived on my love of coffee, substituting sugar for sleep, and replacing home-cooked meals with takeout. (Pretty good takeout, but takeout nonetheless.) This was not the healthiest routine to pick up, and was certainly a drastic change from my usual generally balanced eating and living habits. Though I am not generally one for making New Year's resolutions, I have to admit that it is the perfect time to reset and go back to the lifestyle that once kept me healthy, energetic, and sane.

This post's recipe is not for an actual dish, but rather a recipe for "eating chic." Despite people throughout my life mistaking me for a vegetarian or vegan (I still don't know whether I should take that as a compliment or not), I do not follow any dietary restrictions other than the fact that I only eat actual food, and eat it mindfully. In my opinion, processed food that is engineered to be addictive by adding salt/sugar/lab-created ingredients is infinitely more harmful than a bowl of carb- and gluten-filled homemade pasta (unless you have an actual gluten-intolerance, of course).

This is not a diet or way to fit into your skinny jeans by the end of the week (those are passé anyway), but rather a way of living that lets you enjoy real food, avoid neurotic tendencies toward food and weight, and actually enjoy what you eat. So without further delay,

HOW TO EAT CHIC: a recipe

EAT:
1) mindfully
2) mostly plants
3) unprocessed and organic where possible
4) low sugar* and low alcohol
5) three meals daily (snack on fruit and nuts but only if hungry)

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES:
1) drink a lot of water throughout the day
2) exercise at least 30 minutes, 4-5 times a week
3) sleep at least 6 hours a night

[Please note that I am not a nutritionist or diet expert - this is just the way of living I have followed naturally for most of my life.]

After the most extreme life change I've experienced to date temporarily caused me to lose sight of these guidelines for much of 2014, I am recommitting to #eatingchic in 2015. I'll elaborate on each of the guidelines in future posts, in addition to sharing more recipes and highlighting my favorite places for chic eats. 

*Including sources like maple syrup, honey, dates, etc. I do not demonize refined sugar to the extent that many food bloggers do today; I just treat any form of sugar as a special occasion and enjoy it sparingly.