Shred Happens: So Easy, So Good: 100+ Protein-Packed Mediterranean Favorites with a Low-Carb Twist; A Cookbook - Hardcover

Hashemi, Arash

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0593796535 ISBN 13: 9780593796535

Publisher: Rodale Books, 2025

Synopsis

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The creator of Shred Happens shares 100+ low-carb, high-protein recipes―all flavored with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern flair―that he developed to lose 100 pounds.

“The beautifully vibrant photographs in this book tell you one thing: This is some seriously body-loving food.”—Kat Ashmore, New York Times bestselling author of Big Bites

Arash Hashemi is a regular, food-loving guy who lost 100 pounds by changing the way he eats. He taught himself how to cook to get maximum flavor in minimum time while meeting his macros. His secret? Drawing inspiration from his Persian roots, Mediterranean favorites, and other world cuisines to create crave-worthy spice combinations and sauces for his filling meals. When he started sharing his healthy, easy recipes on social media, they took off, as did his viral low-carb, high-protein Kaizen Pasta. Now, in his debut cookbook, he shares his formula for success: mouthwatering meals built on protein, veggies, and satisfying lower-carb alternatives, dressed up with amazing flavors and sauces.

You’ll find:
• Shareable Plates: Invite your friends to split Warm Roasted Eggplant with Tahini and Walnuts.
• Spreads & Dips: Make dips a lifestyle with Grilled Eggplant Dip (Baba Ghanoush) and Garlic Feta Dip.
• Salads: Hearty faves like Spicy Tuna Salad and Mediterranean Chicken Salad won’t leave you hungry.
• Mains: You’ll crave the main event with Lamb Koftas with Cucumber Dill Yogurt Sauce, Ricotta-Stuffed Eggplant Rolls, and Spicy Walnut Jumbo Scallops.
• Pasta & Rice: Pasta Carbonara and “Marry Me” Chicken Pasta will soothe your soul.
• Power Bowls: Arash’s viral Salmon Power Bowl and Korean Beef Bowl will crush your macros and your hunger.
• Sauces & Salsas: Chili Lime Everything Sauce, Zhoug, Chermoula, and Spicy Yum Yum Sauce are absolute game-changers that elevate the most basic plate of protein and veggies into a whole new dimension.
• Desserts: Satisfy your sweet tooth without the carbs with Lemon Ricotta Crepes and Baklava Pancakes.

With a philosophy geared toward approachable meals that anyone can make in 30 minutes or less and stunning photography, these recipes deliver soul-satisfying goodness that sets you up for success.

About this title

About the Author

Arash Hashemi is the creator behind Shred Happens and the co-founder of Kaizen Food Company.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction

HOW I GOT TO BE MORE THAN 330 POUNDS

I never thought I’d be writing this book.

I’m just a regular guy with a long record of failing at every diet imaginable. You name it, I’ve tried it. And trust me, there were plenty growing up in the 1990s and 2000s. From the big names like WeightWatchers, Jenny Craig, the Atkins diet,and the South Beach Diet, to the realm of the unconventional, with diets like the cabbage soup diet, the egg diet, and a myriad of other fad diets. Instead of weight loss, they ultimately led to me have a horrible relationship with food. What they did lead to was overeating, emotional eating, and binges.

I had all the books, magazines, and subscriptions you can think of, yet continued to get bigger and bigger.

For years (read: decades) I chased the miracle solution to lose weight, get healthy, and take control over my relationship with food. I aimed to lose x amount of weight by y date. By this birthday, by this summer, by this school year, by this wedding, by this party, by this family gathering.

It never happened.

By the time I was twenty years old, I weighed more than 330 pounds and was completely miserable. So much so that I stopped stepping on the scale. I just didn’t want to know anymore. I was uncomfortable in my own skin, had to continue buying bigger clothes, and felt trapped in my own head and body. I wasn’t completely sedentary throughout all this either. During practically all this time, I did work out a bit. I had gym memberships and even personal trainers. But I learned very quickly you cannot outrun a poor diet, no matter how fast you run. I would undo an hour of effort in a few bites.

The problem wasn’t my activity level. My biggest impediment to health was my relationship with food. While my friends could enjoy eating a scoop or two of ice cream or a single meal from the drive-through, I needed more. One fast-food meal was never satisfying on its own. A scoop of ice cream would turn into the whole carton. I needed to eat until I was uncomfortably full.

For as long as I could remember, I had been chronically overeating, while concurrently hoping, wishing, and “aiming” to lose weight. I would sometimes manage to “do well” for a few days, only to bounce back and go the opposite direction.

Years of constant failure in this endeavor impacted my confidence and how I showed up in life. I was ashamed. Beyond the physical consequences of my decisions, a negative force permeated my life. I didn’t participate in activities. I avoided friends and family. I had high anxiety. I would sweat profusely and felt uncomfortable in my own skin. I had depleted my sense of self-worth to the point I couldn’t make eye contact when interacting with others.

I felt helpless.

Your situation may not be as dramatic as mine. It may be similar. Or your challenges may be even bigger. I want you to know that no matter how hard your current struggle is, you’re not alone. Our culture doesn’t pay enough attention to the real challenges that are behind health issues like obesity. We love looking at dramatic before and after pictures. We obsess over a number on the scale, or how much weight someone lost. But we don’t talk enough about why we have these health issues in the first place, and why it’s so hard to correct them. The formula for weight loss is pretty straightforward, but why is it so hard for so many of us to achieve?
There are years—if not decades—of history that manifest themselves in our behaviors, in our habits, and in how we show up for ourselves. That's what I ultimately had to explore and understand before succeeding in changing the trajectory of my life.

Edition details

• Publisher: Rodale Books
• Publication date: 2025
• ISBN 10: 0593796535
• ISBN 13: 9780593796535
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256