EAT

I am one of those people that live to eat. I'm sure there's a variety of ways to recall key moments in your life. For me it's a series of first flavors. I can still remember the first time I had an M&M at age 3 or 4, a baloney sandwich with my bestie Billy, a falafel with Brooke, and heaven of heaven, chocolate cake with chocolate frosting at my Aunt Bobbie's Sunday dinner. All this to say, I love food and can't imagine a long healthy life without excellent flavors. Here's how I sort it out to stay healthy.

Note - if eating a ton of veggies sounds awful right now, please know your palette will adjust and change. Once you eliminate the junk and start slowly adding real food, your body and mouth will start to notice and crave the goodness they provide.

Prioritize real good food

1 pound of vegetables daily

Shoot for 1 pound of vegetables daily- ensuring 4-8 ounces are cooked greens.

It's important to cook your greens and cruciferous vegetables to help reduce goitergens that mess with the uptake of iodine in your thyroid.

Use this as a time to explore the world and strengthen your flavor palate. When is the last time you ate raw mushroom - slowly and deliberately? They're actually a bit juicy! And try cooking something you normally eat raw. Sautéed celery has become one of my favorites. Take your time and increase slowly.

100+ grams of protein daily

This is based on my lean body mass. There's some people that would say I need 130grams (my total weight), and that's probably right. I just focus on counting the protein drinks, yogurt, eggs and meats I take in, hoping the protein in any veggies or cheese I eat will add the rest. In any case it's still much more than the RDA amount. I use a mix of vegan protein powders, meats, eggs and yogurt.

I'm also learning that it's best to start your day with protein, so I'll start experimenting with that now too.

Enjoy a modest dinner

I like to cook a dinner my son and I will both enjoy. It's not always 5 star meals, but we make everything from roast lamb, to steak and salad, to homemade pizza to charcuterie trays. I use this time to relax and do what I love most - playing with flavors and cooking. The kitchen is my happy place. Again I don't cook every night, and my son's not always home for dinner, but there's always something healthy lined up in the evening.

Modestly enjoy your weekends

The weekends are a time to set aside the weekly regime. I still eat veggies and prioritize protein, I just don't count it like I do on the weekdays. I also feel free to enjoy a baked good if the mood strikes. There is only one rule - I have to have baked it myself. No factory made stuff and no boxed mixes. Again I use it as a time to connect with food and up level my baking skills.

A typical weekday in terms of food

Use the arrows to click through a typical day

8:30 am - Greens Drink

This is a mix of fermented greens, a small amount of moringa, maca and chlorella (about 1 tsp each), the juice of one lemon, sweetener, water and lately I'm adding a bit of homemade beet kvass.

Last - based on what I just learned about making protein the first meal of the day, I'm going to start adding 20 grams of collagen.