Coffee and chips? Or water and pumpkin seeds? Just like aiming for an A+ in studies, aim for the same in diet. Those fast food lifestyles, not unlike cramming, translate into horrors: lupus, toe fungus, and lower grades.
Some aim for moderation in their diets. For me, not so much. I’ve turned into a crazed health fool. So much so that now I wish to don a doctorate of naturopath. Even after my 70th birthday, I might chase the goal. After all, age leaves no barriers if you live like Wonder Woman on a cabbage soup cleanse.
In preparation for learning naturopathy, I may enroll in cooking classes at SAIT. But SAIT doesn’t offer superfood cooking classes. No! Tatas or pastries don’t make superfood bellies. Despite high-fat, each SAIT cooking course costs around a hundred dollars. So, students can afford classes in cookery, however harrowing the heartburn.
Instead of SAIT’s cooking classes, I might learn intuitive plant-based cooking. Intuitive cooking uses no cookbooks, no recipes, just kitchen intuition. An AU student, Laruen Klukas, featured in the Voice wrote a cookbook. She cooks superfoods—the healthiest and tastiest dishes I’ve seen. And rumor has it she might land TV guest spots on topnotch shows. If she ever teaches intuitive plant-based cooking, let’s enroll.
Another preparation for a naturopath doctorate? Going vegetarian. My friend once went vegetarian, motivated by the book The China Study. But a meatless diet zapped his energy, especially after lifting weights. I lift weights, too, so I shy away from going vegan. The China Study needs a sequel—on plant-based nutrition for fitness freaks.
Heather Nicholds CHN, tells you how to get healthy and lean in The Plant-Based Diet Meal Plan: A 3-Week Kick-Start Guide to Eat & Live Your Best:
- What does a plant-based, healthy diet look like? “Fruits and vegetables should make up about half of your plate. The other half should be made up of equal parts whole grain and healthy proteins and fats” (location 667, 14%).
- Specifically, “eat more fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, herbs, and spices” (location 258, 5%).
- What benefits stem from a plant-based diet? “Your immune system is more resilient, your moods are more balanced, your waistline is slimmer, and your mind is more at ease …” (location 232, 5%).
- And other plant-based benefits? “Your complexion will look more radiant, your digestion will improve, you’ll have more energy, you’ll think more clearly, and you’ll sleep better” (location 232, 5%)
- Plus, plant-based diets cure gas: “I don’t experience the chronic gas or digestion issues that I had in the past” (location 210, 4%).
- Best of all, plants prevent disease: “Vegetarians generally have a lower risk of cardiovascular disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers” (location 258, 5%).
- So, how can plants help you drop weight? “To lose weight, you increase your proportion of nutrient-dense foods and decrease your proportion of junk foods” (location 321, 7%).
- Yes, avoid garbage that trigger cravings: “Some foods are … called empty-calorie foods. They leave your body still craving nutrients, even though you’ve added calories to your day. White rice, white bread, refined oils, and refined sugar are examples” (location 332, 7%).
- Instead, eat plants. Plus, use the following tricks to skinny down: “Use small bowls and plates … eat with chopsticks … Swallow between each bite … brush your teeth between meals … dilute your juice or soda” (location 342-354, 7%-8%).
A former colleague mastered everything he wanted, including cookery. He made farewell cakes that tasted better than French pastries. But today, I’d pass on his pastry puffs and farewell cakes. After all, Dr. Amen says, pour only top-notch fuel into your body.
Yet, some say I’m freefalling to orthorexia: obsession with eating healthy. But, I’ll take the label health nut over a fate of lupus, toe fungus—and lower grades.
