Nader Freij

Born in Latakia, Syria I came to the United States with my family when I was 18 years old. After a couple of years, my parents returned to Syria. I stayed with my sister.

At that time, I didn’t know how to boil an egg, and it didn’t take long until I really started missing my mom’s cooking. I realized, I needed to learn how to cook.

With fitness being part of my life since childhood, it didn’t take me long to find my calling. I started working as a personal trainer in 2004. I was at Equinox for 5 years before I decided to venture off on my own and started my own business.

It was also around that time that I started taking culinary classes on the weekends. I did that for about 8 months. I was taught all the classic techniques. But more importantly, I fell in love with cooking. It helps me to relax.

For me, cooking is more than a way to a great body. Of course knowing how to put together a healthy, well-balanced meal plan is an important step on the way to a great physique. But I look at food as "food for the mind and the body". For me, nutrition is a vehicle that helps me feel great all around.

Currently, I’m the co-owner of a personal training gym called Reflex Performance in beautiful Pasadena, California, where we incorporate healthy cooking techniques when developing personalized fitness programs for clients. We teach that you don’t need to compromise on flavor when eating healthy, and contribute a huge part of our success to exactly that practice.

I have found that providing my clients with food alternatives helps them make their goals more attainable. Cooking has taken my body and fitness to the next level. So why not yours?

In the past, I’ve competed in various physique shows, where I placed 1st, and I’m the 2014 West Coast Classic Champion.

I also co-host a cooking show in Dubai called “Fit Chef Show Laziez” (How Delicious). The show has made itself a name with showing how to create delicious yet healthy meals, as well as with providing nutritional information for each dish.

All of the recipes featured in my show as well as in this book were passed down through generations of my own family. They are very special to me as they come with loving memories of family dinners. My mom has been my inspiration.

Middle Eastern cuisine is known for its diverse flavors and seasonings. But don’t get shy on me now. Even if a spice might sound exotic, that doesn’t mean the recipe will be difficult to prepare. All my recipes are designed to be simple yet flavorful, and they can all be done in roughly 30 minutes. I hope you will find them as delicious as I do! Remember, healthy doesn’t have to be boring!