| Most yoga students want to eat "healthy | | | | lbs, suffered from a heart attack, congestive |
| foods," but when it comes to actually going | | | | heart failure, and hypertension before his |
| to the grocery store and stocking up the | | | | death in 2004. This year (2007), two of the |
| kitchen, confusion often sets in: What is | | | | best-selling health/diet books are written by |
| healthy food anyway? High protein? Low fat? | | | | authors who are not just overweight-they are |
| Sugar-free? THE BEST HEALTH ADVICE I've | | | | obese! Take a look at U.S. Food & Drug |
| studied and experimented with nutrition | | | | Administration's Food Pyramid. Anyone can see |
| extensively, and the more I learn, the more | | | | that this plan supports American agricultural |
| I've realized that healthy eating is often | | | | interests more than it does your health. SO |
| extremely simple. Intrinsically, we usually | | | | WHAT DO I EAT? This is a big subject, but let |
| know what'll do us good and what'll do us | | | | me give you some basics. Everyone I've ever |
| harm, but we need to listen to our bodies and | | | | worked with feels better when they eat a diet |
| trust our instincts. Here's a simple guide to | | | | that is rich in water-dense fruits and |
| determining what you should and should not | | | | vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats (nuts, |
| eat. Step 1: IMAGINE - close your eyes and | | | | seeds, cold-pressed oils), and superfoods. |
| hold the food in question in your hand (or at | | | | Minimize white rice, white bread, processed |
| least imagine it clearly with your mind's | | | | sugar, and sweeteners; but instead of "giving |
| eye). Step 2: REMEMBER - remember how you | | | | up" foods, "trade up" to better, more |
| felt the last time you ate that food | | | | nutritious options. It's hard to get excited |
| (mentally and physically) both immediately | | | | about diet restrictions, but it's easy to get |
| and a few hours after eating. Step 3: ANALYZE | | | | enthused about discovering newer, healthier |
| - ask yourself some simple, logical questions | | | | options. "Nothing tastes as good as being |
| about the food you're analyzing: - Is this | | | | healthy feels!" - Tony Robbins DO I HAVE TO |
| food natural or processed? - Is it colorful | | | | BE A VEGETARIAN? There are loads of |
| and alive, or drab and dead? - Is it | | | | meat-eating, milk-drinking, beer-guzzling |
| something I'd eat with my fingers, or would I | | | | people who are in perfect health, but these |
| only touch it with a fork? After doing steps | | | | lucky fools are genetically blessed. For the |
| 1-3 above, you can make excellent food | | | | rest of us, a vegetarian or vegan diet is |
| choices 90+% of the time. Sound easy? Well, | | | | usually a VERY healthful choice. Dairy |
| guess what... it is! EXAMPLES "Pizza makes me | | | | products (milk, cheese, butter) usually have |
| feel sluggish and tired. It leaves a bad | | | | more adverse effects on our health and the |
| taste in my mouth that's still there the next | | | | planet than meat, so if you're just beginning |
| morning. To the touch, it's very greasy and | | | | down this path, start by cutting back on |
| leaves a bad smell on my fingers. It's not | | | | dairy and see how it goes. The next logical |
| very colorful or alive. I think I'll choose | | | | step forward would be to cut back on flesh |
| to eat something else." "Stir fried | | | | foods, and maybe, some day, you'll eat an |
| vegetables always make me feel light and | | | | almost entirely plant-based diet like me and |
| satisfied. The stir fries I like best are | | | | my tree-hugging friends;) Making dietary |
| colorful with the veggies only slightly | | | | changes can be highly emotional, so just do |
| cooked. I usually use a fork, but I wouldn't | | | | your best. There is no such thing as a |
| mind eating with my fingers. I think this is | | | | perfect diet (we've all got vices), and no |
| a really healthy choice for me." DON'T | | | | reason to feel guilty about eating. Food |
| BELIEVE THE HYPE 90% of the current | | | | should be a celebration! Remember, even a |
| information about nutrition is absolute | | | | small change goes a long way for your health |
| rubbish. There has never been so much | | | | and the health of our planet. If you make a |
| "awareness" about health, yet more people | | | | conscious effort to improve your diet, you'll |
| suffer from degenerative illnesses than ever | | | | surely achieve great results! Please send any |
| before. Obviously, this "awareness" is just | | | | questions or comments to: Lucas Rockwood is a |
| hype. You have to be your own nutritional | | | | yoga teacher, vegan chef, nutritional coach, |
| counselor and investigator because no one | | | | and the founder of YOGABODY Naturals, an |
| knows you better than you. HEALTH HYPE: HALL | | | | all-natural nutritional supplement company |
| OF FAME Dr. Robert Atkins (the man who | | | | that helps people gain flexibility. |
| started the high-protein craze) weighed 258 | | | | |