A Diet of Abundance

Lately I've been getting a lot of questions, and some strange comments, from friends and family about diet and exercise.  It's only natural when a person puts themselves out there like I have with this blog to find yourself the center of some controversy.  So I thought I would answer some of questions (ie defend myself) right here, in case other readers were wondering the same thing.

QUESTION #1: WHAT DO YOU EAT? A.K.A. DO YOU EAT MEAT, DAIRY, CHICKEN, FISH, SUGAR, PASTA, ETC., ETC.? A.K.A. "DID YOU JUST EAT SOUP FOR FOUR MONTHS?" A.K.A. "WELL, YOU DON'T EAT."

MY ANSWER: I eat more food now, more happily, than at any other time in my life.  I don't concern myself much with what I can't have.  I prefer to focus on what I want to have more of.  More vegetables.  I try to eat one pound of raw vegetables and one pound of cooked vegetables every day, as per Dr. Fuhrman.  Do I weigh and measure vegetables? No.  I just keep the idea in my head that vegetables are the single best thing I can put into my body.  There are so many wonderful and creative ways to eat them that it is impossible to get bored.  And once you begin eating this way, the effect on your body is so dramatic (increased energy) you crave the energy fix like a drug.

Question #2: SO WHAT ABOUT THE MEAT, DAIRY, CHICKEN, FISH, SUGAR, PASTA, ETC., ETC.?

MY ANSWER: Once I began eating a lot of vegetables (and more fruits and beans) there wasn't so much room left in my tummy for other stuff.  And my body was so well nourished that I no longer had cravings for all sorts of other things.  Some people have even called those types of cravings "toxic hunger." Your body wants to be nourished and when it is not, it sends out very powerful "feed me" messages.  But if you are not giving your body the nutrients it really needs, it just keeps asking you to feed it.  And you just get bigger and bigger if you feed into this.

So the answer is this: No food is off limits whatsoever, but meat, dairy, pasta, refined sugar, etc.  just naturally became these once-in-a-while things.  I can't even call them "treats" because I don't find them to be any better tasting or more satisfying than what I am eating normally.  But, if I am in a situation where I don't have access to the foods I normally eat and I want to partake, then eating them is no big deal at all. 

No, I am not a vegan, vegetarian, raw foodist, etc., etc. I am not constantly stressing about food that I "can't" have--it's not like that at all!

QUESTION #3: HOW MUCH DO YOU EXERCISE AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

MY ANSWER: I only do exercise that is fun for me.  I have found that pilates on the reformer machine, power vinyasa yoga, brisk walking and occassional tennis are all really fun for me.  Who doesn't want to have as much fun each day as they can?  So I have scheduled into 6 out of 7 days a week some fun!  Do I work out 6 days a week?  I'd like to, but more often than not life gets in the way a little.  A great week includes 5 work-outs. 

If you don't like exercising, chances are that you haven't found what is fun for you.  Try lots and lots of different classes and workouts until you hit on what you love.  Then schedule the fun into your week.  Don't wake up everyday thinking, "Maybe I'll get to the gym today."  Know exactly when you will be there each week and exercise will become a happy thing for you.