Food Cures (3 page)

So instead of giving in just to end up feeling bad, invest some energy and effort and feel fabulous. In the end, if you feel energetic and healthy, and you’re more agile and comfortable, and you’ve added years and years onto your life, and you smile more often, and you’re less moody, and you’re more productive at home and at work, isn’t it worth putting on the temptation blinders? Isn’t it worth ducking the doughnuts? Isn’t it worth enduring a little craving?

I say revel in your passion for life, not potato chips. And as your coach and nutritionist, I refuse to let you settle for anything less than success. You can do this, and I’m excited to help you.

I
f you were visiting my office, I would ask you for two things. The first is a three-day food diary, essentially a snapshot of how food fits into your life. For three days, you would record everything you ate at every meal, every supplement or herb, every snack, every beverage. I would ask what brand of breakfast cereal you ate, how much pasta you had for dinner, how you prepared the vegetables, what type of spread you ate on your bread, the name of the restaurant where you ate lunch, what you added to your coffee, and what time of day you ate each meal or snack. Everything. This information would tell me exactly how much change would be needed to get your diet up to stellar quality.

Unfortunately, I don’t have the personal luxury of reviewing your food habits…but you do. I highly recommend that you keep a modified food diary for yourself. Simply write down all the foods you eat for any three days of an average week. Don’t worry about brands…but note what, when, and how much you eat and drink from the minute you wake up until you go to sleep. Everything counts—the quick snack from the vending machine, that “sliver” of cake from the office birthday party, the handful of French fries you grabbed off your son’s dinner plate, the finger scoops of cookie dough you “tested” while baking for your family and yes, the two margaritas you sipped last night at happy hour. Everything you eat has consequences—good or bad—for your body, so record it all. This diary will provide us with a baseline, an indication of where your eating habits are now. We won’t use it in the course of the book, but the diary is a terrific way to focus your mind on the details of eating (and of course, to help you notice patterns you’d like to change). Plus, a few weeks from now, when you’ve mastered a new way of eating, you’ll be able to look back with pride when you see just how far you’ve come. It’s often an incredible comparison, with a remarkable payoff.

The second thing I would ask for is your detailed medical history. My nutrition programs are designed to help you get control over your most pressing health problem first. Once you’ve mastered the first thing on the list, you’ll be ready to tackle any other problems you might have. I recommend writing down all diseases, disorders, or diet-related concerns that affect your life. These can include being overweight, having a disease or disorder, or even having a history of medical tests that indicated a higher risk of disease. Beneath that, write down all diseases or disorders that run in your family, particularly those of your parents, grandparents, and siblings. When a biological family member has suffered with certain medical concerns, such as macular degeneration or breast cancer, this automatically puts you in a higher risk category. This list makes up your total universe of health issues. We’re going to take them on, one at a time.

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM EACH CHAPTER

Each chapter of this book includes information about a particular health issue: how food, the environment, and other factors contribute to the issue; what foods to eat or avoid; which remedies might offer the best chance for curing or controlling symptoms; and other lifestyle changes you can make to feel better. Whenever possible, I include a story from my practice or personal experience, one which illustrates some particular aspect of how nutrition has helped change someone’s life. (Although the basics of the stories are accurate, I have changed names and identifying information to protect my clients.)

The part I think you’ll like best is my 4-Step Program. Each chapter has its own focused, customized program that summarizes all the advice offered in the rest of the chapter, and then goes full-force into specific food lists and meal plans.
Step 1: Start with the Basics
is a list of things you can do today, immediately, to take your first steps on the path to better health.
Step 2: Your Ultimate Grocery List
details foods that have been proven by scientific and clinical research to be beneficial, arranged in convenient grocery-aisle shopping lists.
Step 3: Going Above and Beyond
is a list of next steps, additional activities, supplements worth considering, or lifestyle changes that will improve your chances for success.
Step 4: Meal Plans
includes menus with the right mix of all the best foods—arranged into breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack options—to help you accomplish your goals.

Common old-school wisdom says that you should eat breakfast as if you were royalty, lunch as if you were rich, and dinner as if you were flat broke. What this means is that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day, the time when you get to jump-start your day with energy and nutrition. Lunch is also important, because it gives you strength and stamina to make it through the toughest part of the day. Dinner is much less important because it comes at the end of the day, when you really don’t need much fuel to carry you to bedtime. So ideally, you should eat the most calories at breakfast, nearly as many calories at lunch, and very few calories at dinner. Although I’m a health expert, I’m also a realist. I understand that the world doesn’t work this way, so I’ve structured my meal plans to reflect the way people
really
eat. In each meal plan in every chapter, breakfast options are only 300 to 400 calories, lunch options are 400 to 500 calories, and dinner options are 500 to 600 calories.

Each chapter also contains at least two nutrition-rich—and delicious!—recipes. At the end of the book are additional sections to help you make great nutritional choices, including my favorite types and brands of foods to look for when you shop, how to read a food label, and references to the scientific studies mentioned throughout the book in case you want more details.

So, now that you’ve had a basic tour, it’s time to choose where you want to start…

HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH
PROGRAM TO FOLLOW

I’m willing to bet that you already know which health issue you would like—or need—to tackle first. Wait…don’t tell me…could it be
weight loss
?

Unwanted pounds are the primary concern for about 60 percent of my clients, either because of how that extra weight makes them feel or because it contributes to another health disorder, such as diabetes or heart disease. If weight is an issue for you, begin by reading Weight Loss (Chapter 3). It explains the basic mechanisms of weight loss, and reveals some of the secrets used by models, dancers, athletes, and others who absolutely need to control their weight. After more than 15 years spent working with all types of people—CEOs and store clerks, A-list celebrities and struggling musicians, supermodels and prima ballerinas, Olympic gold medalists and couch potatoes, and plenty of regular folks—I know what works. There is no one-size-fits-all plan. However, overweight people share many common struggles, and I present tricks that work. I know they work because they’ve been tested over and over again by my clients who have successfully lost weight and kept it off. If weight is your primary medical problem, then follow Joy’s 4-Step Program for Weight Loss (Chapter 3), from beginning to end.

If you have other health issues in addition to weight, I recommend reading the weight-loss chapter first to learn how to determine daily caloric intake for weight loss, and so that you understand how to apply my general principles. Follow one week of my 4-Step Program for Weight Loss. Then, look in the table of contents for the chapter that addresses your next most pressing health problem, read that chapter, and follow that 4-Step Program. You won’t lose out on weight loss because this whole book is full of weight-loss guidance. The meal plans I provide in
every
chapter are scaled for weight loss, with specific calorie ranges listed for each and every breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. If you follow the plans precisely, your three meals and one or two daily snacks will amount to only 1,400 to 1,900 calories, depending upon the specific optional foods you choose. That’s well below the 2,000 to 5,000 calories most Americans eat every day. So whether you follow the program for beauty, mood, migraines, or celiac disease, you can get the results you want, eat fantastic foods,
and
lose weight.

If weight is not an issue for you, congratulations! Either you have been blessed with the kind of metabolism that would make most people envious, or you have worked hard to maintain your weight. If you are part of this lucky minority, use the same food lists and meal plans listed in each chapter, but let your hunger cues guide portion size. You’ve done a great job thus far, so keep doing what you’ve always done…but with your specific program foods.

No matter which chapter you choose to focus on, the information in the 4-Step Program is your roadmap to success. But like all maps, it is designed for general navigation instead of a single strict path. Feel free to make adjustments for your personal taste and circumstances, as long as you stay within the general guidelines. For example, I might recommend a dinner of grilled salmon with a sweet potato and a mixed green salad with tomatoes and walnuts. If salmon isn’t your favorite, choose another fish from the options given on the grocery list. Or, if you are eating out and they don’t have sweet potatoes, ask for a serving of brown rice or a baked white potato instead. If tomatoes aren’t in season, choose any mixed side salad and you’ll still be within the general meal plan guidelines. If you only have time to microwave a frozen dinner, choose one that includes a grilled fish, a whole grain, and a vegetable. Similarly, if you are at a diner for an omelet breakfast, the cook certainly won’t use a nonstick cooking spray on the griddle. So order an egg white omelet, ask them to fill it with your choice of vegetables, and eat your whole-wheat toast dry to compensate (at least somewhat) for the butter or grease used to cook the omelet. In other words, I provide the ultimate combinations of foods in calorie-controlled portions. You provide the creativity to make them work in your life.

TOP TIPS FOR THINKING
LIKE A NUTRITIONIST

Before you begin, let me offer some helpful hints that will help you succeed, even if you’ve never been able to stick with a diet before.

1. Watch out for weekends.
   It is easiest to stay with the program during the week, when your time is probably more structured. It is more difficult during more unstructured time, such as on weekends and vacations. If you understand this in advance, you can make a plan of attack—try to give more structure to your downtime until the eating program becomes second nature.
   
2. Pre-plan meals as much as possible.
   Don’t wait until you’re starving before looking in the pantry. Say it’s 8:00 p.m. and all you have on hand are crackers and potato chips. Well, that scenario might make a chip-eater out of even the most dedicated healthy eater. Try to shop on the same days of the week, every week, so you always have the right foods on hand. If you plan your lunch and dinner in the morning when you’re having breakfast, you’ll be able to pick up any missing ingredients during the day.
   
3. Use the meal plans as a starting place.
   The chapter meal plans use the recommended foods in the kinds of portions and combinations that are nutritionally sound and promote weight maintenance (or weight loss, if that’s your goal). They are valuable if you want to follow them to the letter, but they also work as examples. Feel free to substitute other foods from your chapter’s Ultimate Grocery List.
   
4. Purge your home of foods that are unhealthy
   —specifically foods that you tend to crave and overeat. If they are not easily available, you will be less likely to eat them. Don’t just keep them around “for the kids.” Buy treats for the kids that you don’t enjoy, so they can have their goodies and you won’t be tempted. Maybe later on, when you are feeling stronger and maybe even euphoric from your success, you can bring the chocolate chip cookies back into your life…or the doughnuts, or the Doritos, or whatever your personal “gotta have ’em” foods are.
   
5. Load up on vegetables.
   Eat vegetables whenever you can, in almost any quantity. There is no greater source of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals than vegetables. Aim to eat three to eight servings of vegetables daily.
   
6. Eat 2+ servings of fresh fruits daily.
   Fruits are healthy, but they are higher in calories and sugar than vegetables. Aim to eat two to four servings of fresh fruit daily. Calorie-laden fruit juices are another story; you’ll want to dramatically limit them.
   
7. Choose whole grains over refined white.
   White flour is whole wheat flour, but with the nutritious part taken out. White rice is the same as brown rice, but with the nutritious part taken out. Whenever possible, choose whole grains over processed white grains.
   
8. Account for liquid calories.
   High-calorie beverages can undo the best weight-loss efforts if you forget to add them into your daily calorie count. Fruit juice and whole milk are healthy, but they are full of calories. Sugary beverages, especially soft drinks, are full of calories and nothing else. Wine and other alcoholic beverages also contain more calories than most people think. You’ll notice that some of my meal plans recommend smoothie recipes and occasional healthy beverages. They are good for you, but they also contain calories (which I list in the recipe). If you are aiming for weight loss, remember to include the calories you drink in your daily tally. To enjoy more healthy foods without gaining weight, choose no-cal options, such as water, unsweetened tea, and other unsweetened beverages.
   
9. Be wary of alcohol.
   Many people don’t realize that beer, wine, and liquor contain a significant number of calories. Plus, drinking alcohol can lower your inhibitions, which may make it more difficult to stick with your nutritional diet plans. Think about it. How many people do you know who make their best decisions after a few drinks? Plus alcohol has many effects on physiology, good and bad. In some chapters, you’ll be advised to avoid alcohol altogether, but most people can drink moderately with no ill effects. Most health professionals define
   moderate
   as one glass daily for women, and two glasses per day for men. If you regularly drink more than that, I recommend cutting down for the sake of your overall health.
   
10. Don’t forget breakfast—eat within 90 minutes of waking.
    You’re fasting for as long as you sleep, and your body needs to energize for the day ahead. That’s what breakfast is for. It is your best opportunity to start each day on the right nutritional track.
    
11. Maintain the right mix of foods.
    Try to eat a combination of high-quality proteins and carbohydrates at every meal. You’ll be energized throughout the day and stay full longer. In addition, combining foods will help your body maintain optimal levels of brain and other chemicals. (My meal plans include high-quality carbs and proteins in all meals, with the exception of dinners in my Insomnia chapter, where carbs are the focus to help induce sleep.)
    
12. Fill up on fiber.
    Fiber is naturally found in high-quality carbohydrate, such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Fiber helps fill you up, lower your cholesterol, regulate your system, stabilize blood sugars, and more. My meal plans are loaded with fiber, so you don’t have to worry about counting grams.
    
13. Eat 3+ servings of calcium-rich foods daily.
    Calcium does more than just build strong bones (although it is good for that). Calcium is necessary for muscle function and blood pressure management, which means that we need it every day…and way beyond the first years of our lives. Calcium is found in abundant amounts in dairy foods, some leafy green vegetables, fortified juice, enriched soy milk, almonds, fortified cereals and other whole-grain products, and salmon or sardines (with bones in). If you’re a woman, and can’t get enough through food, consider supplements to build and preserve bone density (see Chapter 10 for more information).
    
14. Eat every four to five hours.
    Eating regularly will help you maintain level blood sugar, which is important for many health issues in this book, and also for general well-being, focus, and energy.
    
15. Incorporate daily exercise.
    Exercise is part of nutrition. Yup, you read that right. It allows us to use nutrients efficiently, to keep our minds active, to strengthen our bones and muscles, and any number of other valuable functions.
    
16. Curb your calories after 8:00 p.m.
    If you must eat after dinner, enjoy a small snack of 200 calories or less. (Nearly all snacks listed in meal plans are 200 calories or less.) If you have a history of nighttime nibbling, find a way to shut out food as an option after you finish dinner. You might follow dinner with a cup of herbal tea—then close down the kitchen and floss and brush your teeth. Eventually, your body will recognize the tea as a sign that eating is over, and the urge to snack will subside.
    
17. Be patient.
    Although a few chapters contain nutrition changes that can work quickly, most of the fixes here work more slowly. Some changes have invisible results, such as changes in cholesterol, which may not be noticeable until you have blood work done. It is important to stick with any nutrition program for at least six weeks. Resist all temptation to stop early. You’ll be proud of yourself, and thrilled with the results.