Nutrition

I met Nancy on Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center this past year, and she’s now a totally different person than she was just nine months ago. Her enthusiasm for living life to the fullest is contagious! However, just last summer she felt like she had no life. It’s amazing what nine months of nutritarian eating can do to a person! Welcome to Disease Proof, Nancy. What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach? What life?? I had no life! I barely left the house, and I had removed myself from all social functions, because I was just too ashamed of the way I looked and felt. I felt physically uncomfortable all the time; whether I was sitting in a chair, or the car, or lying in bed, my body felt awful. My feet would hurt even if I walked just a little bit. I ached from head to toe, and I was exhausted most of the time and had very little energy to do normal every day tasks. My life was on hold. I'm not even sure how much I weighed, because I didn't have the courage to actually get on the scales when I started following Eat to Live. I waited about a week before I actually weighed myself, and I was 195.5 lbs, so I'm pretty sure I was close to 200 lbs when I started . . . and I’m only 5'2"! Prior to starting Eat to Live my weight had gone up and down most of my adult life. I was a typical yo-yo dieter; never able to maintain an optimal weight because every "diet" always came to an end. I needed an absolute, complete lifestyle change; a way of living, not some diet fad that would be tossed aside once I reached my goal weight. How did you find out about it? I’d decided to start a healthy diet in July 2012, but I knew that I needed something different than what I’d tried in the past. Previously, I had gone vegan in an attempt to regain health and reduce my weight, but that never lasted longer than a few weeks at a time. I instinctively felt that I didn’t have a complete picture of truly healthy eating. I searched online for some help and stumbled across Dr. Fuhrman's website. I devoured everything I could and purchased the books Eat to Live and Eat for Health. The knowledge I gained from reading those books, and joining the member center, was invaluable and were the missing pieces for me. How do you feel now? My life has totally changed! I’ve lost 75.5 pounds and reached my goal of 120 pounds in just nine months. I weigh less than I did in high school, and I feel absolutely wonderful! Aches and pains are gone, energy has greatly increased, and my social life is back to normal. I have a completely new wardrobe and feel good in my skin now. This is not just about vanity; it is so much more than that. I can sit on the floor and play with my grandkids and not even know I have a body. I’m at peace with the knowledge that I’m doing what's best for my health, and I feel free! What are your success tips? I dove into the program 100% and did not deviate from it. I followed everything to the letter, and I was determined that this would be the way I would eat for the rest of my life. I completely changed my relationship with food. Initially, I stayed away from restaurants (too much temptation), and if I did eat out, I brought my own dressings with me. I participated in Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center which helped me tremendously! Reading about others’ successes and failures in the discussion forums has been extremely helpful. There were times that I needed a kick in the pants to help get me out of temptation and reading the remorse that others felt when they had "fallen off the wagon" was the impetus I needed to keep going. And of course, reading about others who had been successful convinced me that this can be done. Receiving encouragement from the Member Center is a tool which will be useful indefinitely. I am now acutely aware that one food indiscre

We’re lucky here in Chicago.  Our city is the host each year to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, which features 2,000+ exhibitors from around the world showcasing new products.  It’s an amazing place for food trend spotting. Nation’s Restaurant News identified 10 culinary trends at the 2013 NRA Show. Healthy kids’ food — to meet new school nutrition guidelines or to qualify for NRA’s Kids LiveWell program Tropical flavors — passion fruit, guava and especially mango Water — zero-calorie “enhanced” waters fortified with vitamins, seltzer with splashes of fruit juice, origin-specific waters and aloe water Iced tea –  33 different exhibits showcasing tea, often with tropical flavors or regional designations, such as “Pacific Raspberry” or “Georgia Peach” Greek yogurt 2.0 — ingredient in Greek yogurt cheesecake, spinach-artichoke dip, mac and cheese, and virtually anything that would otherwise contain mayonnaise or sour cream Gluten-free — exibitors said it remained important concern for visitors shopping for sauces, snacks and desserts High-tech convenience — new technologies in the kitchen Salted caramel — ice creams, cheesecake, candies Peruvian — Country of Peru exhibited for first time, with Peruvian chef Ricardo Zarate of L.A.’s Mo-Chica and Picca restaurants serving of Peruvian specialities Superfoods  — spices (cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper), teas flavored with blueberry, pomegranate and acai, and seafood purveyors said there was renewed interest in omega3-rich herring I was able to attend the NRA Show for just a few hours, which isn’t really enough time to adequately absorb everything in the international foodservice marketplace.  But here are a few highlights that I observed during my brisk walk through the exhibit floor. Caffeinated Ice Cream A brand called Bang!! is a caffeinated ice cream from a company in Madison, Wisconsin.  I didn’t stop to try it, just snapped these photos.  One scoop of the ice cream contains the same amount of caffeine as an energy drink (125 mg caffeine).  Sarah Moore, a managing partner of Bang, told the Chicago Tribune that the targeted demographic is college students, who might consider ice cream over coffee to power through a study session. The varieties include Peanut Butta, Heaps of Gold, Cooky Mint and Iced Latte-Da. This comes at an interesting time when Wrigley just haulted the roll-out of a caffeinated gum called Alert in response to FDA concerns about the safety of added caffeine in foods and beverages.  Food manufacturers have been adding caffeine to candy, nuts and other snack foods in recent years, which has medical groups concerned — especially if children get their hands on these new, easy and tasty sources of caffeine.  FDA’s Michael Taylor told the Associated Press that the current proliferation of caffeine-added foods is “beyond anything FDA envisioned” and the agency may look closer at the way these ingredients are regulated.    Microgreens I saw several exhibits promoting microgreens, which have come on strong as a culinary trend over the last few years.  Microgreens are seedlings of vegetables and herbs (including spinach, arugula, peas, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, and cilantro) that are harvested for a week or two, just when the first shoots sprout.  Chefs are increasingly using microgreens as an edible garnish, a new ingredient in salads, or as a flavorful side dish.  Even though these greens are miniature in size, they can provide surprisingly intense flavors, vivid colors and crisp textures.  Microgreens also pack a rather intense nutrient punch, as revealed in this study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.   This assessment of 25 different microgreens found that some varieties contain even more nutrients, carotenoids and other phyt

You've heard it before, but we'll say it again: You gotta work the heck out of your network to get the job you want, no matter what your industry or expertise. That might be true now more than ever (so we hope you're listening, new grads!) But it can be tough to figure out where to start -- particularly when you haven't even really BUILT a network yet.So we asked the experts: What are some networking tips you won't hear in a classroom? We've got nine suggestions for how you can start establishing a reputation in your chosen field -- and get the job you really want.

Okay, people. It's official: I'm in full summer mode. Think iced coffee, neon striped fedoras, this awesome Return Of The Mac cover my friend told me about -- and of course my nails should match. But, the gorgeousness that is the weather makes me not want to spend an hour indoors art-ing up my nails. So, I found the sunniest, quickest fix for nail art to perfectly fit my mood: This awesome, highlighter-style mani. All you need is a bright gorgeous yellow like "Hit The Lights" from Niocle by OPI's Selena Gomez collection and some nude polish as your base.

With all the trendy barre studios popping up everywhere, it may seem like ballet-inspired workouts are just the latest fitness fad. But in fact, barre classes have been around since the '50s, when former dancer Lotte Burke opened her first studio in London. Fast forward half a century (!) and Burke-inspired barre classes are more popular than ever. And tomorrow, Exhale Spas nationwide are celebrating the 10-year anniversary of their signature class, Core Fusion Barre, with a day of free classes! Never taken a barre class before? Core Fusion co-founder Fred DeVito offers five things you should know.

When it comes to looking fit and fabulous, Fast & Furious 6 star Jordana Brewster's got it all figured out. "She knows more about fitness and healthy eating than most trainers in L.A.!" says her own personal trainer, Harley Pasternak. If that's the case, we're all ears -- and specifically, what can we do to get those long, lean limbs?? Thankfully, Pasternak is down to give us a peak into how the actress keeps her arms so trim and toned.

Scary thought: Bikini season is around the corner. No worries -- our Drop 10 diet and fitness plan will help you lose 10 pounds in just five weeks. One of the secrets to your success? Your Drop 10 trainers, Karena and Katrina of ToneItUp.com, aka the bikini bod magicians.

Yesterday, a two-mile-wide tornado struck the town of Moore, Oklahoma. Click through for complete coverage. [CNN]

OK, what do I eat? It's been a long time since I posted anything about myself. Another hastily written post during Hazel's nap.Breakfast is always the same. I melt about 100g of butter in a frying pan. I crack 11 eggs yolks in to this (I fry the whites later for the chickens!) and fry them until they hold their shape. I then pour 8 yolks for myself and Hazel, with all of the free butter, in to a bowl and mash them with a fork before stirring the mix in to an "egg soup". Hazel has a dollop, I have the rest. We like it quite solid. I finish any Hazel doesn't want, hopefully I get six yolks worth. Daniel likes his yolks just fried, he has the other three.If I feel like it, I have a creamy cocoa, ie about 4g cocoa powder, 2ml honey, maybe somewhere between 30 and 60ml double cream. Usually a decaff coffee too. Sometimes with caffeine, though I tend to prefer my caffeine in the evenings.Lunch on work days is portable stearic acid as 100g of Lindt 90% cocoa solids chocolate. Sometimes with 100g macadamias, sometimes not. Occasionally 300ml of soured cream along side some chocolate.Supper is a meal. It varies a lot. If you scroll down the index to the set of posts starting with "Food" you get the idea of the sort of things I eat for a main meal. I have been known to eat green leaves with supper. I have been known to eat parsnip chips. I have been known to have gluten free home made cake for desert under a centimetre of butter or drowned in soured cream. If fat has been a little low with supper I might make ice cream with just a little added sugar. Or rhubarb baked in cream and flavoured with cinnamon. Or another creamy cocoa.Alcohol, some. I like dry wine and gluten free beer. Never a huge amount.I don't weigh any food nowadays (I went through the Fitday kick years ago), especially since the digital scales passed away. I weigh myself about once a year. My jeans are 28" waist, depending where I buy them.There are oddities that need to be borne in mind, ie that I have never been overweight. I eat this way as a result of an accident at an anaesthesia meeting, chatting with a friend who had dropped from 18 stone to 12 stone on Atkins induction. I had just discovered Pubmed and devoured studies voraciously.It didn't take long to realise that Kwasniewski's Optimal Diet was where I wanted to go. I don't eat enough offal and I don't make enough bone broths, but otherwise I keep fairly close. My biggest transgression is excess protein.Quite why excess protein is bad is interesting. If you read the DNA chapter in Nick Lane's "Life Ascending" it brings home quite how closely integrated amino acid metabolism is to the TCA. It's way too complex to see how any given protein would interact, so aiming for high grade low quantity is how I work, when practical. If you eat more than you need it goes in to the TCA.In my Fitday days I used to run at around 2000kcal/day for weight stability but I probably run a fair bit higher than than nowadays, most days. But no two days are the same and there is far too much to enjoy in life without agonising over +/- 5g of butter.Is it worth it? Well, I sort of forget that eating this way is odd. You have to giggle at the nurses with their little tubs of salad and half an apple but they're just kiddies... But I went from being early middle aged to pretty much how I felt as a teenager, once I had adapted (full adaptation took me about 6 months). I don't feel I have changed much, beyond the needs of a second family, in the last 10 years healthwise. Beard is a little greyer.I feel well. You sort of forget what it used to be like to need to eat NOW. And to fall asleep for three hours after a huge bowl of rice before being awake half the night. Anyone with a bad back will be very familiar with using one foot to pull your underwear up the other leg to where you can actually reach it without bending down. All gone, along with the little pot belly.I have no expectation of living for ever. But I have no intention to going bac

Tahini is one of my favourite ingredients. I buy big jars of the stuff and use it all the time. No matter how old or new the tahini, it’s always separated out to some extent, as the oil floats to the top of the jar and the more fibrous solids descend to the bottom. Up until recently I’ve attempted to remix the two layers by hand, by mixing it with a spoon. However, as Madhur Jaffrey says “you can feel as though you’re mixing cement”. It’s hard work and never very effective. Then recently I hit on an easy and kind of obvious solution . . . . . . storing the jar upside down. Rather than using your own elbow grease you’re letting gravity do the work for you. The two layers won’t mix together immediately. However, gradually, the oil will start to rise again, the fibrous solids start to fall and the two mix together. I’m also using the same storage method for my peanut butter. It helps to screw the lids of the jars on tightly and also to put some kitchen towel underneath, as there can be a small amount of leakage at first. But otherwise this method works really well, no cement mixing required. Some of my favourite ways to use tahini in salad dressings as a spread on toast to make a thick and rich sauce in casseroles stirred through quickly cooked greens in a dairy free polenta meal How do you use tahini?