Healthy Living in Connecticut Blog

When a started my weightloss journey almost 12 years ago, I never imagined I would end up coaching others. As I strived to reverse my hypertension, I was doing what felt best for my health. I researched the best and worst foods to eat and began an exercise routine. This would help me lose 150+ pounds, reverse my hypertension and pre-diabetes and be in the best shape of my life.

Along the way, people would ask me what I did to lose weight. I also had friends or family that wanted to know how they too can get off their meds for good. I would always share what I learned. When I saw that other people were rsponding to my advice, that’s when I realized I should consider becoming a coach.

The other day, when I was in a store, someone approached me that I hadn’t seen in a while. We used to go to the same gym. He said “you need to gain some weight, you’re getting too skinny.” This stunned me as I am the same weight I’ve been for the past 5 years, having leveled off at around 195 pounds. At 6'3" tall, this seems like my ideal weight. It made me think of what Dr. Fuhrman said many times. The average American has no idea what a normal weight looks like.

I just looked up what my BMI (Body Mass Index) is and it’s at 24.5. This is actually a little high, not that I want to get a BMI any lower. This seems to be where my body wants to be, as I eat Nutritarian foods. When you eat fruit, vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts and seeds, you get a variety of nutrients and your body gets what it needs to keep going at a steady weight. I do not worry about losing weight or gaining weight. When I was obese, I feared I would never stop gaining. It actually feels like freedom knowing I don’t have to worry about weight gain (or loss).

I still remember my last meal, Chicken Marsala, at a small dinner party celebrating my friend’s birthday. My plan was to start Robert Cheeke’s workout journal, a 13 week workout challenge where you are completely vegan for 13 weeks, the next day. I had done week long challenges before and always thought about how great I felt. I thought 13 weeks would be the ultimate test. Little did I know I would never go back to animal products after that!

I was plant based since 2012, having first started my healthy lifestyle through the work of Dr. Fuhrman. His advice about GBOMBS foods (greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries and seeds) is still an important part of my diet. Over the years, I’ve picked up advice from Dr. McDougall, Dr. Gregor and countless others. I think all plant based doctors have something to offer.

Recently, my friend Rob Lee and I had the opportunity to interview Dr. Joel Fuhrman. Originally, the topic was supposed to be about mental health but with all that's going on with the COVID-19 virus, I felt some questions were needed on the subject.

While I do agree with Dr. Fuhrman that the best way to protect yourself is with a whole food plant based diet, I want to stress it's still important to social distance. Although most people will recover fro it, you don't want to be a carrier. Wait until the authorities say it’s safe before you go back to your usual activities. I would hate to be a carrier and think I might contaminate someone else. We didn’t stress this enough in the video but it’s important to remember.

I'm hoping all the readers of this blog keep healthy and follow some common sense when it comes to dealing with the virus.

You've heard it several times now, wash your hands. I think this is the single most important thing people can do to limit the spread of germs. It makes sense as we touch so many items throughout the day that have been touched by others. We also need to stop touching our face as they'e been warning us. It's far too easy for germs to enter your body through the eyes, nose and mouth.