Have You Tried Pork Steak - Filipino Style?

Unlike most of Western cuisine, Filipino dishes are more on the sweet and salty variety. Filipino style pork steak recipe is an amalgamation between the sweetness of the pork and brown sugar, paired with the saltiness from the soy sauce for that savory goodness.

In this recipe, I use pork chops because the fat content gives the lean meat its buttery taste, which adds more flavor to the dish. You can also use other pork cuts or slices if you want. Just make sure to pick marbled cuts or slices that include the fats (it's pork after all). Pure lean meat can dry out quickly when cooking.

With that being said, try this recipe out and get back to me afterwards with your comments.


Bon Appetit!

Pork Steak Recipe 

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pieces pork chops (1/2 kilo)
• 60 mL soy sauce
• 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/4 cup lime or lemon juice
• 1/2 cup cooking oil
• 2 medium-sized onions, sliced into rings
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar (can substitute with table sugar)
• Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, combine pork chops, lime juice, garlic and soy sauce. Marinade overnight or at least for 1 hour.
2. Heat a frying pan then pour-in the cooking oil.
3. Turn the heat to medium and pan-fry the marinated pork chops for about 4 minutes per side. Make sure they sizzle once you place the meat on the pan.
4. When pork chops are cooked, remove excess oil. Pour in the remaining marinade and water and let it boil. 
5. Turn the heat to medium low and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the pork is tender. You may have to add water as needed.
6. Stir in the brown sugar, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Add the sliced onions and cook for another 3 minutes.
8. Turn off the heat and transfer the contents of the pan to a serving plate.
9. Serve.

Photo Credits: www.panlasangpinoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Pork-Steak.jpg

Source: www.panlasangpinoy.com/2011/02/20/pork-steak-recip

Cheat Meals: Healthy or Not?

 
While it is important to eat fruits, vegetables, and various lean meats, this lifestyle also has the tendency to become boring and monotonous over time. If you ask bodybuilders about their diet, you might be surprised as to how much "unhealthy" foods they've been eating on a weekly, even on a daily basis. A diet consisting of foods that don't excite your taste buds, no matter how healthy or nutritious they can be, are one of the many reasons why most people can't keep up with it.

You can certainly cheat on your meals, even if you are following an exercise program to trim down fats or tone up your muscles. In fact, most nutrition experts believe that cheat meals have little to no effect when it comes to getting ripped or staying fit. More importantly, post-workout cheat meals have a greater chance of being used for muscle regeneration, instead of being stored in the body as fats. However, there are some things that you should follow in order to achieve your goal. First off, the 90%-10% diet rule states that you should follow a goal-based diet 90% of the time, while indulging on foods that are not on the diet constitutes the remaining 10%. Indulging on a serving of your favorite ice cream during Sundays, for instance, is acceptable. Secondly, portion control is also important. Eating in small portions, when planning to cheat, can help curb your cravings from time to time.


Photo Credits: www.bodybuilding.com/fun/images/2012/pizza.jpg

Start a Healthy Lifestyle Today!

While there are many infomercials about products that can magically make you lose several pounds off your weight or get that instant washboard abs in a matter of days, there is no real shortcut to getting a lean and healthy body. Don't be fooled by diet fads that helped celebrities create their amazing bodies. The fact of the matter is that the before and after photos of these people, showing how they lost their weight or improved their fitness, are the result of their hard work and dedication to living a healthy lifestyle. I am talking about a holistic approach to ante up the fitness level of your body: doing regular exercise and eating healthy food.

It may not be easy to get motivated in doing that exercise regimen you've always wanted to try or even maintain a regular exercise. However, there are ways to trick your mind in overcoming that obstacle. For instance, it is always good to create variations to your exercise routine to take away the boredom that spores out of monotony. Sometimes, a simple change of environment is all it takes. For those people who are having second thoughts about doing regular exercise, just think of the benefits it brings several years from now. Studies show that people who at least maintain an exercise regimen are looking and feeling younger for their age. Just don't overdo it though. Too much workout, among others, can be a bad thing.


Photo Credits: www.o2blog.co.in/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/fitness-level.jpgin/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/fitness-level.jpg

What Soy Milk Can Do For Your Body

The Benefits

Some say soy milk can be healthy for you. In fact, the proteins found in soy milk can help women with osteoporosis. The calcium found in the proteins of dairy milk will be filtered through the kidneys, this process decrease the amount of calcium for the bones to absorb. This, in turn, creates a higher risk for bone related illnesses such as osteoporosis. However, this is not the case for calcium found in vegetable proteins (soy milk). This is because the calcium found in this particular milk is less likely to be filtered by kidneys; therefore making the absorb more calcium for healthy bones. Another benefit of soy milk is that it contains isoflavones which the dairy milk does not have. Isoflavones is a chemical responsible for reducing the amount of cholesterol you have in your body. Finally, soy milk contains antioxidants (such as phytochemicals - Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Selenium, Carotenoids and many more), which helps keep your body from the effects of free radicals and stress.

The Disadvantages

However, like all things, soy milk has its own disadvantages. For instance, doctors won't recommend you to drink soy milk on a regular basis if you are planning to reduce weight. Soy milk contains chemicals that reduce your body's metabolism. On the other hand, soy milk is a great way to add some pounds if you are particularly skinny or just want to bulk up a bit. It is also said that soy milk contains chemicals that enhances the production of estrogen in both male and females, which can have debilitating effects in the long run (on both sexes). Such information, however, is regarded as debatable as there are evidences that back-up its claim, as well as evidences that counter it.

The Verdict

Whichever side you are on, the benefits of soy milk outweighs its disadvantages by a long shot. However, it is possible that regular consumption of this product may, in fact, turn the balance for the worst. Which is why it is important to keep a healthy balanced diet and drink soy milk every once in a while. After all, it is the dosage that makes the poison.


Photo Credits: www.gtradesg.com/files/soya.gif