So much for taking it easy. Even before my blood work was done, I already had nilagang baka (with the beef fat floating on the soup’s surface), c/o my loving mom who knows it is my favorite. So I’m afraid that the test results might not be an accurate reflection of my recently concluded raw diet.

Nilagang baka (literally, “boiled beef”), the way I like it. FATTY! (Internet file photo.)

As soon as I got the blood work out of the way, it was down to business. Two plates of lechon kawali at the Pasig hole-in-the-wall, Crisgard. Then, after a grueling four-and-a-half hours at the orthodontist, to celebrate my new, metal-free smile, it was garlic-butter shrimps, a porterhouse steak and everything else on the menu at Hai Chix & Steaks. (Tip: You can give the Hainanese chicken a miss.)

Lechon kawali. Deep-fried pork. (Internet file photo.)

I’ve been behaved though. Have stuck to the spirit of Paleo (although there might have been some flour and sugar on a few fried things at Hai Chix, but I only had a small of amount of everything so it was pretty negligible), and I stayed away from the desserts. At the bar, after dinner last night, I sipped on water while everyone else was having a beer. I’ve learned to pick my calories. (Gai Olivares, is that you?)

I’ve made the transition from raw Paleo to cooked Paleo seamlessly, with my stomach registering nary a complaint. Which only proves – to me, at least – that cooked food isn’t as bad as raw foodists make it out to be.

I had forgotten what a pleasure it is to eat. While raw food can be good, nothing beats a good steak. Or deep-fried pork. Or nilagang baka.

The porterhouse steak at Hai Chix & Steaks.

God, I love food.

If I may say so myself… 😉