The Healthier Lifestyle: Salad Creations
It seems my eating habits have caught up to me because it turns out I’ve been diagnosed with acid reflux. What this basically means is I have to change my eating habits and the biggest change will be no fatty or fried foods which currently makes the big chunk of my diet.
This doesn’t mean I won’t have burgers anymore, it just means I need to cut down on my daily intake of junk food. Now thing is I don’t like a lot of dishes and the dishes I do like aren’t usually healthy and I am sure many of you will relate to that. But, I’ve decided to try my best and work on a new healthier lifestyle and with that I am going to start looking for alternatives that hopefully won’t be breaking my bank. Kei for lunch is healthy but if I am going to have it everyday its going to be one expensive lifestyle.
As a start to this new lifestyle I passed by Salad Creations for lunch. I passed by before and had a chicken wrap but I didn’t like it simply because I find cold chicken gross. Today I had the Turkey BLT wrap and combined with the thousand island dressing it wasn’t that bad. I still would prefer a quarter pounder with cheese over it but that wasn’t really an option. Salad Creations has a bunch of ready to order salads and wraps but you can also create your own. They are located in Baitak Tower which is in the same building as KFH and X-Cite Electronics in Kuwait City.
From now on every time I find a new tasty healthier alternative to my regular junk food lunches and dinners I will post about it here in hopes that other people will benefit from my post. I like flavor and sauces and I am not trying to lose any weight here but just trying not to have the common fast food meals. Recommendations for me to try out are welcomed of course!
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42 Comments, add your own...
1. Serpent | May 10th, 2009 at 8:51 pm
Hope you don’t get sued for not liking their chicken wrap.
2. salah | May 10th, 2009 at 9:24 pm
At last! LOL
I’m not going to read your blog anymore, you’re too old now.
3. Elegant Chic | May 10th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
Sounds yum, healthy and green! The place looks neat. How about their prices Mark?
4. Elegant Chic | May 10th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
@ salah: lolllllll
5. Frankom | May 10th, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Eat whatever you want to eat but do some exercise
go to any gym or just walk for like one hour or so
6. Elegant Chic | May 10th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
@Frankom: I was about to say that :)
7. Mark | May 10th, 2009 at 9:34 pm
Frankom: I don’t have a weight problem, I have acid reflux which means I need to cut down on citrus, tomato, chocolate, fatty foods, fried food, peppermint, peppers, coffee, alcohol, smoking etc… meaning I can’t have orange juice for example.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acid_reflux
Elegant Chic: My turkey BLT wrap cost KD2.350, a friend had a customized salmon wrap and it cost him KD2.750
8. Elegant Chic | May 10th, 2009 at 9:37 pm
Cooolll very reasonable prices!!!
9. organic kuwait | May 10th, 2009 at 9:54 pm
yeah it doesnt hurt to try a healthy yummy every now and then lol
adding veggies is beneficial to everyone and it is not restricted to people who need to loose weight ..
i do recommend ginger at al muthanna… i usually tell them to go easy on the spice .. the coconut veg is simply Y U M . u can find their menu on 6alabat.com
al raha organic restaurant in al qadsiya has good burgers that i think u might like.
Q cafe has a green wrap that i personally like.
10. Wigmerchant | May 10th, 2009 at 9:59 pm
When you have heartburn (and you will have heartburn until you figure out what agitates your symptoms) try applying heat to the area. A hot shower or a heat pad works great. Don’t rely on antacids, they do more harm in the long run. Also, eat smaller meals and don’t lie down for several hours after eating.
Good luck, you’re in for quite an adventure.
11. mba | May 10th, 2009 at 10:02 pm
Salamat Mark, your best friend now should be “education and not medication”.
It’s not true that every thing is either poison or not tasty. It’s just a habit !!
12. Akbar | May 10th, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I did tell you to go easy on the burgers once, you said they were sandwiches! Anyway mate, welcome to the club lol! Try subway for a while without sauce or mayo. Chill n peace.
13. D | May 10th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Hey Mark,
I have acid reflux too. been dealing with it for a couple of years now (i, like you, used to LOVE everything junk/fried) so i guess i kinda asked for it. I’d recommend raising the head post side of your bed 8 inches (sleeping at an angle prevents the acidity from rising up) and try not to eat anything 2 hrs before sleeping. it also helps to drink a few sips of cold milk once you get reflux
with food a great alternative is to bake the stuff u liked before (like fries, samboosa, etc) dont worry ull get used to it :)
good luck and salamat.
14. Mark | May 10th, 2009 at 11:11 pm
Akbar: I can have sauce and mayo..
D: thanks for the tips, I’ve read about raising the head post but won’t work with my current bed. I am just hoping the doctor will prescribe me nexium, i tried it like 2 months back and it was amazing. I could eat anything i wanted and not get any kind of reaction.
15. caleb | May 10th, 2009 at 11:45 pm
hey mark – you have my sympathies
I too have had acid reflux. but i know of a lot of cases where if the patient took a lot of care for say 6 months or so – they are able to return to a RELATIVELY normal diet and that gross feeling stops. I am a huge fan of citrus fruits – and its been such a relief to be able to eat them and drink juices again now.
Just take extra extra special care of yourself for 6 months and fingers crossed you’ll be able to eat things you love albeit in moderation and not all one after another. best of luck recovering
16. dev | May 11th, 2009 at 12:18 am
yo sorry to hear abt the acid reflux.. n good luck wid the healthier lifestyle! :)
17. Ansam | May 11th, 2009 at 12:25 am
I have been diagnosed with it too.. and I went to the doctor and had endoscopy.. turn out that I also have wide esophagus opening to the stomach. I was told by my doctor to make a food diary to see what neutralizes my acid (which I recommend you do) say for a couple of weeks and note the symptoms to help you better know what triggers your reflux.
for me it was sodas :-S and fried food… heavy food too and I suffer when I eat and sleep right away at night. my best would be 3 hours before bed time. Also dont eat and lay down or eat while standing up!
As a home remedy I drink milk/gingerale/ginger tea or eat ginger cookies hehehe I was also told to drink Aloe Vera juice from GNC before a meal… I did not try that yet, but I am going to (my friend says it taste good)
Also chew your food well…
in a nutshell in our case we have to treat the cause not the symptoms
Which doctor did you go to?
18. Mark | May 11th, 2009 at 12:28 am
I have my endoscopy on tuesday. I dont know any doctors so i just called international clinic (which i really dont like) and asked for a stomach doctor. The doctor they sent me to is called Dr Sager Althuraya or something like that. He’s a Kuwaiti doctor and actually pretty cool. Will see what the tests say on tuesday.
19. amadO | May 11th, 2009 at 2:00 am
This is going to be helpful, since i already looking for some healthy food I find it difficult and boring.
20. zaydoun | May 11th, 2009 at 2:04 am
It’s called “junk” food for a reason… and it was going to catch up with you sooner or later
21. Zaid | May 11th, 2009 at 2:45 am
actually, it’s called fast food :)
22. K5 | May 11th, 2009 at 2:46 am
man people are really getting at you for likeing junk food, and others think ur trying to lose weight, lol its not permanent right? um.. how about lo fat since they bake their food, or health stop, or rice and stuff, and yogurt, or whats even better, go se a nutritionist.
23. hamed | May 11th, 2009 at 6:24 am
salamat mark, i’m sorry to hear. i’ve always wondered why you eat out and never seem to have a home cooked meal. why don’t you try cooking lunch or dinner at home everyday for a while?
24. Ansam | May 11th, 2009 at 7:39 am
Let me know if he’s any good. Mine was a visiting doctor… and the other doctor I went to, well… I did not like
The procedure is simple and you are to be sedated with an injection… but for some reason I was half awake and felt some and heard the doctor (it was like flashes) hehehe
25. TanGo | May 11th, 2009 at 7:40 am
An inclined bed is like 75% of the treatment. If you cannot incline the actual mattress support, just use a couple of bricks below the head_side of the bed.. On the floor, below the bed, that is!
26. sebamboot | May 11th, 2009 at 8:36 am
Mark ..
You are the king of restaurants in Kuwait so I think you will do good finding good alternatives.
Meanwhile, let me tell you what i ate when I was seeking a healthier life style:
- Sheesh Tawouq and shou’af always pretty good and yummy, try to avoid Kabas and mixed beef.
- The light shrimp pizza from Alforno
- Grilled beef salad from Gaoucho Grill
- Grilled chicken salad – beef yogurt salad and all the heathy dishes in Nino.
- Sushi is always good.
- Everything in LowFat.
- Health stop dishes and wraps.
- Wraps Wraps Wraps.
- Soups with no creme and almost everything at PQ.
and so many more .. you just need to convince yourself that burgers and fatty food are not an option for the time being.
27. Unknown | May 11th, 2009 at 9:03 am
salad creations is a lil over priced! i’d stick to Buongiono!
28. isedufukndie | May 11th, 2009 at 10:31 am
This is what I always wanted a list of junk food outlets which are for the health conscious.
Thanks Mark.
29. Micky | May 11th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Sorry to hear — was wondering how you got away with all the fast food though — healthier eating always the better choice ( lol)
30. Melly | May 11th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Sorry to read of the diagnosis but hopefully it will lead to better eating habits and a healthier you, which I’m sure at least your wife will appreciate!
And I’m looking forward to reading about some healthier places to eat as well, as I’m sure you’ll find plenty.
I’d recommend against taking the medicine just for the purpose of eating the same way you have been (or were you joking?). The medicine can actually make things worse over the long run (from what I remember), and it’s better to adjust what you eat than to just try fooling your body with drugs. Of course, some people need medications even when they adjust their food intake.
31. Love collection | May 11th, 2009 at 2:50 pm
You should try a detox plan as The master Cleansing.
It’s a radical solution but that will get rid of the toxins in your body and you will give it a rest at least. Good luck for tuesday :-)
32. mocman | May 11th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
All I can say is HAHAHAHAHAHAH ummmmm burgerrrrs….. D-oh!!
33. Israa | May 11th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Dr. Mohammed Al-Shemali – specialty in digestive system. He is the most proffessional doctor I have ever dealt with. His clinic is next to Mcdonalds in Jabriya, Tel. 25322276.
One more thing Mark … Make sure that somebody is driving you back from the hospital as the injection will make you dizzy on the road, otherwise you have to wait for a while before driving.
34. M | May 11th, 2009 at 9:20 pm
if you ever go to Kei again.. order Munira Maki.. its AMAZING!
you should try to go to Health Stop
35. Mark | May 11th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Israa: thanks, nats going to go with me so she could drive me back home
Melly: I wasn’t kidding but now that i had a day and a half of healthier food I might try and make this a permanant thing or at least 70-80% of my main intake
Ansam: ok that just freaked me out, like that movie where the person is awake during surgoery but paralyzed so he cant call for help!
36. Intlxpatr | May 11th, 2009 at 10:40 pm
Mark, I see no one has mentioned carbonated drinks – it’s a trigger. There are some surprisingly tasty things you can eat – and then when you have the occasional fat thing, it just tastes so gross you can’t figure out how you ever ate that way.
Japanese food is great, very low fat, except for the tempura things.
French food is great, because portion size is small you can eat almost everything. :-)
Grilled shrimp. Fish machboos. Most of the Gulf/Kuwaiti foods are non-threatening. Grilled hammour.
Sometimes there is an emotional component. If there’s something eating at you – might be time to dump it.
37. Mark | May 11th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
there is also the convenience component, with a busy lifestyle sometimes the easiest thing to have is junk food
38. 6umasha | May 19th, 2009 at 7:10 pm
YUUMIII :***
39. Nasser | May 24th, 2009 at 12:52 am
nasty … filled with eye lashes !!! rediculous
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