How do you stay so fit?

This is the most asked question, "How do you stay so fit when you love to cook all these amazing foods?".

I will try to explain as best as I can. I am not a nutritionist and no one person is alike so what works for me might not work for you. This is solely based on what I have figured out from trial and error. This works great for my husband and I. He has recently lost almost 20 lbs by following my eating guidelines :) in conjunction with exercise, of course.

I like to extensively read books, articles, journals and white papers on nutrition and how foods affect the human body. I try to cook clean and there are several definitions of "clean" out there. To me, clean eating is incorporating a lot of fresh foods, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean meats in my diet. Having a healthy lifestyle which includes healthy eating and exercise is a key factor. A lot of food has been replaced by nutrients i.e, processed foods and I try to stay away from them as much as possible. I do not follow any fad diets but try to eat products of nature. Going back to ancient times, if its not from nature (food in its natural form), its not good for you.

Moderation is KEY, we eat everything but in moderation (reminds me of our little outing to Baskin Robins last night). Anyone who really knows me knows that I am a fast food, burger eating machine but I don't do that every day or every week. Its occasional, but when I do indulge I thoroughly enjoy it and absolutely guilt free. I also, want to touch the subject of "portion control" here. What that means is you do not need several plates full of food to fill up. Eating smaller portions several times a day is very important.

Having a clean healthy diet does 90% of the work in maintaining my weight and staying healthy and 10% of it is attributed to exercise. Unless you fix the eating, no matter how many hours you put in the gym, it will not make any difference to your weight and physical appearance. I had posted a while back how following these few simple steps has made a huge difference in my Annual checkups with my physician.

I workout 3-4 times a week. Hour long cardio 3 times a week at the gym and 1 hour a week with a personal trainer. Shout out to my fabulous trainer Sumi Singh. Another misconception is that if I lift weights then I bulk up, that is NOT the case. Believe me I have been lifting hard for the last couple of years and no one has asked me if I'm related to Hulk Hogan. To gain that kind of muscle is not an easy feat especially for the average person like you and I. Lifting weights is just as important as cardio if not more in boosting your metabolism. Building strength in your bones is crucial after a certain age to maintain bone density in the latter part of your life.

Starvation is not an option (been there, done that). No living being can sustain that and is a quick recipe for failure. On the other hand common sense eating is a sure success so you have to take your pick. You cannot expect miracles to happen. I always preach (in this case) slow and steady...

A recent favorite book of mine is the #1 New York Times Bestseller, "In Defense of Food" by Michael Pollan. Its #1 for a reason, talks sensibly about natural foods and none of the confusing fad diets that are making the general population so paranoid.

Hope you can follow some of the recipes here and get on the healthy eating journey with me. If you have any specific questions you can comment below or send me a private email (in contacts). I would like to hear your success stories and learn from you.