Enjoying delicious foods with wonderful sea
breeze...
Welcome back to my blog :). In this article, I
will share about my recent trip to Gili Trawangan, a beautiful island located
near Lombok, Indonesia. Usually, people go on a eating splurge during holiday
and they gain weight afterward. But, as a follower of the principle of Guilt
Free Delight, I always try to choose my
foods smartly everywhere and every time so I am still able to enjoy them
without feeling guilty :D.
During the trip, I had a chance to have lunch in a
nice restaurant by the sea. So I can experience the wonderful sea breeze, the
beautiful pastel blue water, the clear blue sky...yes, all of these...while
enjoying delicious foods. How can I expect to get better than these? It feels
like just too good to be true :D.
For lunch that day, I had a Mexican dish, namely Grilled
Chicken Fajita, perfected with red and yellow peppers, sweet onions, as well as
eggplants. It came with fresh tomato salsa, fresh guacamole
made from avocado, sour cream, and fresh-from-the-oven tortilla wraps. For the
drink, I had the refreshing young coconut.
What are the health benefits of consuming those
things? Chicken, especially skinless chicken breast, is a good source of
protein. Red and yellow peppers contain alpha-carotenes which serve as antioxidants,
protecting our body from the damaging effects of free radicals. Onions contain
flavonoid glycosides which have protective effect towards our DNA. The purple
pigments in eggplants called anthocyanins have some beneficial effects such as
decreasing the risk of cancer. Lycopenes in tomatoes are proven to reduce the
oxidation of LDL (low density lipoproteins) which are bad cholesterols. There
are two types of cholesterols: LDL (low density lipoproteins) which are bad
cholesterols and HDL (low density lipoproteins) which are good cholesterols.
The oxidation of LDL is linked with the increased risk of heart disease and
atheroschlerosis. Avocado is beneficial for weight control because it contains
monounsaturated fat which can speed up the metabolic rate in our bodies. As for
the drink, natural coconut water can help to neutralize toxins contamining our
bodies.
That is the story of my delicious lunch on a
beautiful beach. Let us continue on our journey adhering to the Guilt Free
Delight principle. Stay healthy & beautiful, while savoring the foods &
drinks that we enjoy :D.