Why I'm a food snob

Hi everyone

I think I need to explain more about my weight loss. I've always been underweight for my height. My mom was petite & skinny and so am I. My sister on the other hand, was a fat baby (she takes after some of my father's family). She was so heavy that my mom had to get a stroller shortly after her birth, because she was too heavy to carry. So, genetics plays a big role where our weight is concerned. I'm not just all about the skinny. Some of my siblings (and other family members) are heavier and I still love them all the same. I am now 20 lbs heavier than I've always been and my body's feeling it, so it's time for change. 

Linda asked about obesity in SA. It's not as bad as it is in the US (not everyone's thin though). In SA we eat a lot healthier. However, we don't think about it as eating healthy (at least not when I lived there). Our food is a lot purer. We don't eat much junk or processed food and the portions are a lot smaller (you'll find the same thing in many European countries. Look at the French. They eat & drink to their hearts' content, but most women are slim). Our foods also contain less sugars. We also walk a lot. We don't get into the car to go to the local store or places close by. In fact, people chose to drive less, because it cost less to use public transportation. Who knew that we were actually doing ourselves a favor by walking almost everywhere. 

I've never ever gained weight living in SA - not even when I was pregnant. If you saw me from behind, you wouldn't have known that I was pregnant. I just had a big ball (belly) in the front. I remember coming home from work one day and 2 teens walking up from behind me. As they passed, they stopped to exclaim about how they didn't know I was pregnant and that they hoped to look like that when they fall pregnant someday. Little did they know that I power walked and ran up and down the office half the day. 😂 No rest for this girl. I prefer being busy.  We used to get 3 or 4 months maternity leave (I can't remember the correct amount. I think it's 4 months. One month before giving birth & 3 months after. Paid leave, or if the company doesn't pay you, you can claim unemployment. Same with if you're employer paid you less than a certain amount {not full salary} then you can still claim unemployment too). I worked until a week before my due date, cause I didn't want to sit at home and twiddle my thumbs (which is exactly what I did for the week before I was due. My mom wouldn't let me lift a finger). 

So anyhoo, back to food. I used to always eat what I want. I never had to worry about getting enough protein or other nutrients. I always had a bowl of Bran Flakes and coffee for breakfast. Then I might have a sandwich sometime during the morning and then a pot pie or burger with fruit & yogurt for lunch (lunch is at 1 pm). Then chips as an afternoon snack. Then dinner at 6 pm (we still eat dinner at 6). So I'm trying to go back to that, except for breakfast, because I need the nutrients. I lived a very active lifestyle in SA. My family was involved in a lot of things and we were always on the go, doing something with someone. I've had the complete opposite experience here and my body's paying the price. Thankfully, the BF and I have very similar family lives, so I'm excited for that kinda lifestyle again. 

I don't count calories. Food & our lives are meant to be enjoyed. YOLO! I do weigh myself daily to see where I need to make changes. I don't want weight loss to be a chore for me. I still want to enjoy some things. So far, the eating habits are working for me. Heck, I can lose weight without a workout. I just need to close my rings every day and eat smaller amounts. Easy peasy. I even throw in ice cream sometimes and still manage to lose weight. Okay, I have a high metabolic rate too. Luck of the draw I guess. 

So, to give you an idea of what we eat like in Cape Town, check this restaurant food link (pics)

Then please watch this video to give you an even better idea of our restaurants. South Africans take our food seriously. We cook with fresh herbs & spices and most things are grown locally. Cape Town has a similar climate to California, so HP will understand a little better. It is also surrounded by 2 oceans, so there's fresh seafood aplenty and you all know which continent is popular for hunting. You can go to a 1 or 2 star restaurant & the food will look & taste like it comes from a 5 star restaurant. We're food snobs 😂

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJSf0cIN894

Now you have a bit of an inside look as to where I spent most of my life. I used to work in Bree Street. Our office building had glass elevators, so you could see the mountain (Table Mountain - one of the 7 wonders of the world for many decades) and the V&A (Victoria & Alfred) Waterfront, the harbor's right next door.   I used to party at many of the places shown in the video. Clifton beach  (4th beach, there are different numbers for different areas) is where I spent most of my childhood with my family. I could've said Mazeltov (wedding) & lived in one of Cape Town's most affluent areas (next door to Clifton) - Bantry Bay (see 17 seconds).  I find it amusing that many Americans look down their noses at me (some have insulted me too) and expect me to be poor, dumb & uneducated. They have absolutely no clue of how & where I lived before. Never judge a book by it's cover. However, I still prefer to keep a low profile. Their loss if they want to act snobbish towards me. 

Constantia is one of the oldest wine areas in Cape Town (founded in 1652). Cape Town's vineyards are older than even Napa Valley. The Dutch brought vines with them and the French worked to cultivate the vineyards. (Cape Town was settled by the Dutch, then shortly thereafter we had a German influx and then the French Huguenots). Napoleon Bonaparte used to import wine from Groot Constantia (Cape Town's oldest vineyard) while he was in exile. This wine was banned from Europe, because of it's high sugar content. I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I do know the difference between wines and how to pair it with food. I grew up in wine country after all. Another story about that below. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBGD5gKUets

Here's another video of the wine route in and around Cape Town. Franschoek means French Corner. Lots of great wine and food to be had anywhere in & around Cape Town. 

One of my close college friends lives in Hermanus (outside CT). We spent a vacation at her house during whale watching season. What a magnificent sight that is. There's also a restaurant built into the side of the rock (cave) at the ocean, called Bientang se grot (Bientang's cave). Mmm, it always had an Afrikaans/Dutch name, but I see they changed it to English...lol

Then we get to my favorite part of the CT - penguins. It's my absolute favorite animal. These babies are just adorable 😍 I wouldn't have minded having one or 2 as pets, but alas. Boulders Beach is situated right next to the naval base (I grew up near the naval base & DS's father was in the army & navy). I can watch these furry creatures all day long. 

The long road you see winding around the mountain is called Chapman's Peak Drive. You can take the scenic drive from the Atlantic ocean to the Indian ocean and vice versa. It's a really stunning drive with great views of the oceans & mountain. 

The other story (I'm not sure if I told this before). We once went to Easter brunch with the ex's friend, his wife & mother. The mother was  real snob, because she grew up in a local affluent neighbourhood. They were at the restaurant before us and when we got there, I asked the wife what she was drinking. She told me it's a mimosa. So the mother pipes up to me 'it's champagne & orange juice'. I just rolled my eyes inwardly & cringed, because this woman just called sparkling wine champagne and did she just try to educate ME about wine 😂). However, I just smiled politely & thanked her. That's what my upbringing dictates. 

PLEASE NOTE: This post is in no way meant to insult and look down on Americans or anyone else. I'm merely trying to give everyone a better insight into my life (I'm a very private person, so please enjoy it when I open up a little bit. It won't happen often) and give you an idea of what life is like in a small part of Africa (it's nothing like the crap/misinformation they show on tv).  Hopefully you've enjoyed learning a little more about me & where I come from and a little history. Please understand that I've lived most of my life in Cape Town, so I'm a bit set in my ways. 

I know that my good friend Lori will enjoy the food in Cape Town. How I wish that I could take you there to experience it. You'll find farmers markets galore. 

I might have lived a more upscale life in CT, but deep down inside I'm a simple girl. I grew up in a simple middle class family and we were always taught that family, respect & good values are of the utmost importance and when I look back at my life, I realise that we were always happy and we were loved. So I would never trade that for any amount of money or upscale life. Family, love & happiness are far more important to me.

Enjoy the evening peeps.