Читать книгу The Laura Lea Balanced Cookbook - Laura Lea - Страница 13

introduction

Finding balance, or even knowing what

balance means, is something most of us

struggle with. I certainly did. I spent four

years in New York City after college, pinballing

between health extremes. I either obsessed

about and restricted food, or I prioritized late-

night pizza and cocktails. Both approaches

left me anxious and unhealthy. With food,

I was either being “good” or “bad”: I labeled

indulgences as “cheats,” and praised myself for

being “clean” when I dieted. I spent countless

hours researching the “hot” nutrition trends:

vegan, raw, paleo, pescatarian, juice cleansing.

I tried them all, but nothing gave me the health

and balance that I desperately wanted.

After four years of this I discovered the

Natural Gourmet Institute in the Chelsea

neighborhood of NYC. NGI is an accredited

chef’s training program that focuses on

nutrient-dense, whole-foods cooking. NGI

offers a variety of approaches to wellness, and

it is not dogmatic about any “right” or “wrong”

way. This was revelatory—the idea that there

is no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to how

and what we should eat. My time at NGI

helped me to realize why my previous food

strategies hadn’t worked. I had been trying to

mold myself into guidelines that were created

by people with completely different lives and

bodies than mine.

The truth is that sometimes I eat “paleo.”

I enjoy meat and veggies and potatoes, and

they make me feel great. Sometimes I eat

“vegan.” I enjoy grains and beans, and they

make me feel great too. I can eat gluten in

moderation without experiencing negative

side effects. I love butter and occasionally

include goat cheese or yogurt in my meals.

I don’t count calories, but I pay attention to

my body’s hunger cues. I like fat, carbs, and

protein, all in different proportions at different

times. I can fit into all of the trendy food diets

and none of them, at the same time.

And I am 100% okay with that.

I finally understood that I didn’t need

to follow anyone else’s ideal diet, despite

how much I admired them. Becoming a

Certified Holistic Chef gave me the confidence

to create my own food “way,” and to share

it with my beloved Nashville community.

Which is exactly what I did in summer

2013 when I started posting recipes on

LL Balanced. The positive response to my

website was, and continues to be, humbling

and deeply gratifying.

I think LL Balanced provides a breath

of relief for those who find themselves

overwhelmed by the nutrition noise, as I was.

People who don’t fall into any specific diet or

program, who want a variety of dishes to feed

the variety of preferences in their household.

LL Balanced food doesn’t reinvent the wheel

with exotic, one-use ingredients. My recipes

are nutritious, creative versions of classic,

familiar dishes. Most are quick, easy, and

meant to encourage home-cooking. The aim

of my cookbook is to make you excited to

create your own nutritious food by removing

the pressure of a dogmatic approach and by

setting you up for success in the kitchen.

I took control of my mental, physical, and

emotional health by learning how to take

control of my kitchen. Now, my kitchen is my

sanctuary whenever I need to regain my sense

of balance, and this cookbook will help you

do the same.