Harper's Bazaar
November 2004
Eating Diaries: Smart Ways to Stay Slim
WHAT THE EXPERTS HAVE TO SAY
Nutrition (Sally Kravich, holistic nutritionist
in New York City and Los Angeles,
212-946-1623, sallykravich.com; author
of Vibrant Living).
Not skipping meals keeps Dayles' metabolism and blood-sugar level balanced, and her occasional fasts clean her system. Try a liquid fast of fresh vegetable juice and vegetable soup four times a year for one to three days. Dayle's breakfast fills her with vitamins and protein, but in your fifties, you should add protein powder. Her lunch of vegetables and protein balances blood-sugar levels and won't cause bloating. Switch the afternoon cappuccino to veggie juice, which is great for energy and skin, and snack on fruit with cheese or nuts - not both - for fewer calories. Dayle's pasta appetizer turns right into sugar; choose healthier carbs such as yams or brown rice. Her nightly tea curbs dessert cravings; stick to caffeine-free herbal varieties, as she does.
The raw-food diet is great, but Sue is not eating enough vegetables. The average woman should have at least four to six servings of vegetables a day. If you enjoy raw food, try drinking veggie juice throughout the day. Sue's breakfast is a healthy mix of grains and berries, but instead of sweetening her coffee with raw sugar, she should us manuka honey, which is raw, tastes rich and has antibacterial properties. Sue's lunch is almost all protein; she needs vegetables for minerals and to help break down the protein as it moves through her system. Sue's dinner is great, and she's wise to drink wine with dinner, never before, as it can cause sugar cravings.
This diet is high in fat, low on nutrients and highly acidic (acidic foods like sugar, coffee and soda burn up calcium, leading to sleeplessness). Charlotte needs vegetables to balance her favorite foods. A breakfast of fresh orange juice and yogurt with berries, rather than the quick coffee boost, will give her sustained energy. Lunch should be baked or grilled chicken, or swap the mashed potatoes for steamed broccoli or spinach. The Munchies mix, at 500 to 700 calories per half bag, is empty carbs and fat; try baked blue-corn tortilla chips with guacamole or hummus. Ditch the Sprite and Starbucks for water with Emer'gen-C added; it gives water a soda-like fizz and provides the energy boost Charlotte craves from caffeine. Pasta fans need an equal amount of vegetables to aid digestion, so a green salad and a side of steamed veggies are musts with dinner. A calcium supplement before bed will not only reduce dairy cravings but help Charlotte sleep.
