Who the heck is Joy and what does she know?

So this is my first attempt at a blog, and I sure hope someone reads it. I spend a lot of time in the kitchen creating and cooking food that not only tastes good, but makes me feel good about eating it. Like a lot of other people in this world, I'm concerned with eating healthy and taking care of my body. I've spent a lot of time not doing that, and I know what a difference it makes on how you feel, as well as how you look. I like to read about nutrition, food benefits, and styles of eating, as I think it is all very interesting. In the end, my food is an attempt to create relatively low-fat meals, in proper proportions, that look and taste good with no guilt about eating them afterwards. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I eat perfectly, and you better believe sometimes I just need to order a pizza or go out for ice cream. But I try to keep it occasional, and I try to eat well regularly to make those indulgences not seem so bad.

But why should you listen to me? I don't claim to know everything, and I'm sure there are countless other people out there who know way more. But I know a little. I have a bachelor's degree in communication and public relations from Michigan State University (Go Green!). Not much to do with food, but it does explain my attempt at blogging and connecting with others. I worked as a restaurant manager for a few years, so I have some experience with proper food handling procedures, and working in a kitchen in general. My husband and I have completely P90X together before, including following the food plan for the entire 90 days (and pretty much ever since), so we spent a lot of time researching nutrition, weight loss, building muscle, etc. In fact, I have lost almost 20 pounds in the last 6 months that I had gained as a side-effect of medication, simply through hard work and being aware of what I was eating. But I refuse to give up taste to eat healthy. Plain and simple: I don't eat anything I don't like. And you shouldn't either. Because it's just silly. And food should taste good, even when it's good for you. So, here's a glimpse into my kitchen!