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- EXCLUSIVE: Interview With The Father of Juicing and the Queen of Salads--JAY AND LINDA KORDICH
THOSE THAT JUICE TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER--Jay Kordich Not long ago I spoke with Jay and Linda Kordich from their beautiful home in Southern Nevada.
Through the years of their lives, Jay and Linda have each been on a journey, sometimes together and at times apart.
For close to 27 years, their journey, though memorable at times, has taken them to the depths of hell and out into the sunshine of God’s green earth.
Jay's Story:
Jay’s story began in the 1940’s, after a 3 year stint in the US Navy, when he was playing football at USC. At the time, Jay was eating the standard athlete’s meat and potato diet—void of fresh vegetables and fruit. Then he began to pass blood, in his urine, every day.
The doctors diagnosed bladder cancer—shocked and angry, Jay found himself to be where all new cancer patients find themselves mentally--in a very bad place. “You are what you eat,” says Jay.
Jay traveled to New York City and became a patient of Max Gerson, know at that time as a doctor who could help cancer victims. Jay says that Max chastised his poor eating habits, and put him on a raw food/broth/fresh juice diet.
“This is a difficult thing for a man to do,” says Jay. “To get well, I drastically changed my life. I quit bleeding, and I continue to drink fresh juiced vegetables and fruits to this day. My drink of choice is a combination of carrot/apple.”
I asked Jay about his usual diet now; he drinks daily 1 to 2 quarts of fresh juice, within 15 minutes from his juicer. That’s between 2 and 6 glasses he says. Jay eats little, but he enjoys fruits and salads, beans and rice. As much as possible, he prefers to eat and juice organic produce.
For non-organic fruits and vegetables, Jay recommends a homemade fruit and vegetable wash, the recipe credited to Max Gerson:
Fill a sink with cold water.
Add 4 heaping Tablespoons of salt.
Cut a lemon in half; squeeze the juice into the water.
This becomes diluted hydrochloric acid. It will remove fungus, waxes, and sprayed on pesticides.
Soak the fruits and vegetables for 2-3 mins. Swish and rinse.
Jay and Linda are really into eating living foods, most of their whole meal consisting of greens. I asked the purpose.
“We learn in school that the beginning of every food chain is a green plant,” states Jay.
I concede.
“I’m a believer of color me ‘greens’, an alkaline or green diet is a disease free diet,” chimes in Linda. “In our chapter, ‘Color Me Greens,’ we speak about greens being rich in alkalinity, something that helps keep our youth and build a strong immune system. Most of us don’t eat more than 5% of what we should be consuming daily in greens. But they need to be at least 80% uncooked. Cooked greens go mostly unused, whereby greens are alive and rich in enzymes and some of the unknown nutrients we have yet to discover.”
Jay adds, “All life on earth emanates from the green of the plant. Most Americans don’t want to eat greens. But greens are the simplest food and I like simplicity.”
If Jay is the Father of Juicing, then Linda is the Queen of the Salad. Their book, Live Foods Live Bodies shows the reader how to design a dinner around a salad. Using greens as a superfood and the base, the salad is layered with vital foods.
Jay, who has been juicing for a lifetime, sees living foods as those vegetables and fruits baked by the sun—from the tree and garden. He believes that cooking vegetables alters the plant’s structures. “70% of the diet should be living food,” says Jay.
Linda’s Story:
“I was raised as a vegetarian by a Beatnik mom, who was ahead of her time, even going to India to get more information about spirituality and vegetarian foods.” My mother followed all the great raw and vegetarian teachers during the 70’s….where she met Jay Kordich, the Father of Juicing. I went with her and met Jay too,” reminisces Linda.
“After love at first sight, we met a second time, and decided then and there to get married. That was 1980,” says Linda.
Jokingly, Jay laughs and interrupts, “Those that juice together stay together! Ha! Ha!”
Linda continues, “I was 25 when I married Jay and he was 58. Our kids are 21 and 23 and at the university.”
Linda’s background is nothing to laugh at either. She endured her own private hell of emotional and psychological abuse during her teenage years. Around age 16 she pretty much quit eating and anorexia began. By her 20th year the self-hatred worked its way into the purging condition of bulimia. She was a mess. The path Linda tread heavily was easily headed toward self-destroyal.
I ask Linda to tell me something about how Jay and the raw eating program helped “purge” her body and soul.
Linda: “The word is love. Love was my journey back to sanity. I married, had kids, and realized, why would I want to hurt God’s gift to me—life.”
“Today I’m 85% vegan—I also make my own yogurt at home and eat a little organic butter,” adds Linda. “I’m from the old school. I think that balance is the hardest thing for Americans to incorporate, yet it is our liberator….Try not to consume too many cooked foods, stay away from animal flesh foods, try to juice every day and get sunshine.
If Jay and I eat a little bit of dairy, I am more supportive of this than eating soy-based vegan butters. Some of the way oils are processed makes me very concerned, so I stick with organic butter, pardon the pun.”
Linda, backbone of the publishing aspect of the Kordich family, wrote Live Foods Live Bodies. It is not just a cookbook or food preparation book. It is the inspirational journey of two individuals, together through life. Jay and Linda bring real life experience, inspiration, and motivation to others who have faced food addictions and disease.
I ask Linda and Jay about the purpose of their book, Live Foods Live Bodies. Together, they both believe that the simple life is the best life. Their wish is to tell the world what they’ve learned and know most about --the power of juice therapy.
*As a testament from Kelly, Jay Kordich is 84 years old, has recovered from cancer, has a wonderful sense of humor, and continues to live an active vibrant life.
Tue, 10 Apr 2007 10:27:04 +0000 - EXCLUSIVE Interview With Dr. Steven Masley
Don't embalm yourself! This morning I spoke with Dr. Steven Masley, author of the Ten Years Younger Diet about his incredible program--10 weeks to a younger you! Read on and find out how to avoid embalming yourself while you're still alive....
KJ: Dr. Masley, I’ve noticed that since the no-fat and no-carbs crazes slowed, the diet books have changed. They’re not just about dieting, but about becoming healthier. Am I right?
Dr. Masley: Absolutely—the high-protein, low-carb diet craze might have killed hundreds of thousands. It seems to be effective initially, but doesn’t work well long term, and in most people the weight always comes back. These low-carb diets shrink your muscle mass and weaken exercise performance, may cause kidney failure and ketosis, speed bone loss (osteoporosis), lack fiber and anti-aging food compounds, may expose you to deadly toxins, cause severe digestive problems, prematurely age the skin, and decrease your libido and sexual performance.
It is insane to cut out the healthy carbs—vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, and whole grains that I promote in Ten Years Younger.
What people really need is a lifestyle change—with it they’ll be younger, trimmer, and fitter. Most of all the weight will stay off.
KJ: What are the hazards of being overweight?
Dr. Masley: Your energy and mental performance drops, your joints wear out, and you fall risk to Alzheimer’s, heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and cancer.
KJ: You state that if I get into shape, I’ll set my physical clock back ten years, correct?
Dr. Masley: I’ve completed and published years of research in medical journals regarding the benefits of the Ten Years Younger program. If a person completes the program as directed, in 10 weeks he/she will be 10 years younger. Progress almost certainly will follow. This program works for at least 90% of average Americans. Of which, 2/3 are overweight or obese.
Each year the body deteriorates a little. This is a result of aging. I can measure the age with the parameters of testing—cholesterol screening, aerobic fitness, brain function, body fat, and strength ability that are outlined in Ten Years Younger and I use in my clinical practice every day.
Almost everyone can enhance his body’s capabilities.
KJ: What about genes, do they predispose us to obesity and disease?
Dr. Masley: Well Kelly, lifestyle is much worse on our bodies than our genes effect. 100 years ago, only 1 in 1000 people were obese. Back then, everyone walked and ate mostly healthy foods. Today we drive cars, spend too much time at a desk or on the couch, and eat the wrong foods.
KJ: What about the obese person who is still eating a scone and drinking a loaded coffee drink daily? Doesn’t that person realize what she’s doing to herself?
Dr. Masley: That person has lost sight of her goals—and doesn’t realize how much harm she is causing herself. Just by giving up 200 calories a day, 4 to 5 footballs of pure fat volume could be lost in 1 year.
KJ: You employ “three pillars” as a lifestyle program.
Dr. Masley: The three pillars are like the pillars holding up the roof of a house. If one falls, the roof caves in. So we need to eat well, be active, and manage our stressors---all are equally important and provide optimal health.
For example, eating the right nutrients and being active, both build muscle and calcium/bones.
In stress management, the hormonal process is important—eating well and exercising calms the body; healthy food makes you feel better.
KJ: What is the secret behind your “right” and “wrong” foods?
Dr. Masley: The right foods are Vitality Foods. They offer fiber, antioxidants, nutrients, healthy fats, and great taste. Not long ago I received an email from a woman who lost 50 lbs in 6 months. She did it by only eating the Vitality Foods I mention in my book, which includes 120 recipes. We need to eat these foods every day. They include berries, cruciferous veggies (broccoli), nuts, beans, dark chocolate, seafood, and lean protein
Lean protein needs to be eaten twice a day—salmon, a chicken breast, and sirloin steak are obviously better than a hamburger.
Other unhealthy food choices will begin to disappear as you include the Sweet Sixteen Vitality Foods daily.
KJ: What diseases do they prevent?
Dr. Masley: Type 2 Diabetes can be reversed, blood pressure medication can be eliminated. Metabolic disorders disappear. Weight loss occurs and it stays off. I’ve helped thousands of patients reverse diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension and become medication free, Ten Years Younger is the chance to share this program with millions more.
KJ: What are the “wrong foods?”
Dr. Masley: These are the toxins—hydrogenated fat (embalming fluid). If you eat enough hydrogenated fat it’s like having plastic injected into your veins so that the coroner can postpone embalming you. Corn syrup, and other highly refined carbs, is found prevalently in our processed foods and is a toxin that harms your metabolism.
KJ: The second pillar is “Age Busting Fitness.” Why MUST we exercise?
Dr. Masley: Exercise increases muscle mass, which is a predictor of a healthy life into your 80s and 90s. It keeps the body sexy and burns calories. It is essential. The average American is muscle mass depleted. Aerobic exercise revs up the metabolism and keeps you sharper mentally.
KJ: Dr. Masley, how often do you yourself exercise?
Dr. Masley: I’m at the gym every morning. Two to three times a week I hit the weights, and everyday I complete at least 30 minutes of aerobics. On the weekend I play tennis and swim with my kids. If I don’t work out, I don’t feel great!
KJ: What types of exercise do you recommend for someone who is just beginning to get back in shape and is rather overweight?
Dr. Masley: I’d recommend at least ½ hour a day of aerobic activity, plus some strength training and stretching. For someone who’s too heavy and may have joint problems, I’d suggest trying water aerobics, the stationary bike, or the elliptical machine.
KJ: That’s what I like—the elliptical machine.
KJ: Your third pillar focuses on a Relaxation Routine. Stress is bad for health in which ways?
Dr. Masley: Stresses raises adrenalin and cortisol, great when being attacked, but elevated long term, they accelerate aging. You need to learn how to manage stress.
Get enough sleep, have warm intimacy and affection in your life, exercise, and/or get a massage. Even meditation or deep prayer are very useful. A positive outlook—is the glass half empty or half full—is also very important.
KJ: What about the 40ish man who has heart palpitations? So many men that age do.
Dr. Masley: They need to quit abusing caffeine.
KJ: Compared with some other diet books—you say that Ten Years Younger is based on sound medical research. Tell me more….
Dr. Masley: I’ve been publishing my research for over 15 years, speaking at conferences—the American Heart Association and completing research itself. At Pritikin, where I was the director, we were able to reverse metabolic syndrome.
Seldom does any of my competition offer published research to support the effectiveness of their programs. I do! Their theories need sound scientific data before we know if they work.
KJ: You list and discuss seven Aging Accelerators. The first being Oxidative Stress. What is this aging accelerator?
Dr. Masley: Oxidative Stress is essentially the onslaught of free radicals, in a simple sense it means you rust from the inside out. If your lifestyle doesn’t protect you from it, you’ll certainly suffer from premature aging. For example, an apple turns brown; it undergoes oxidative stress. Oil left in the sun becomes rancid. The same thing happens to our arteries and brain. To prevent this, people need to eat vitality foods (rich in natural anti-oxidants) to block this aging process.
KJ: Dr. Masley, Ten Years Younger is not brand new on the market this year, yet it continues to be a top seller, diet/lifestyle change book and is highly regarded as a substantial work. In your opinion, what has made Ten Years Younger such a success?
Dr. Masley: Ten Years Younger works. It is NOT a hyped up idea, diet scam, fad, or theory. It is a proven program. The recipes included are great. The program is realistic, makes sense, and a patient can do it.
The Ten Years Younger Website offers detailed additional information.
KJ: What are you doing professionally at this time?
Dr. Masley: I see one to three patients a day, completing an optimal health assessment through various types of physicals—measuring their age physiologically. I test for aerobic fitness, strength ability, body fat, cholesterol, nutritional status, cardiac status, and brain function. These patients come from around the country; 50% are executives (such as from Fortune 500 companies), and the other 50% are educated people who want optimal health evaluations and to receive a realistic plan they can use to turn back the clock to become younger, trimmer, fitter, and mentally sharper.
My practice is currently changing its title from Carillon Executive Health to Dr. Masley’s Optimal Health Center, and is located in St. Petersburg, Florida.
KJ: What is your favorite Ten Years Younger recipe?
Dr. Masley: I really love the Cioppino (p. 224), it’s a favorite in our home. Chocolate Mousse is my favorite dessert (p. 239), and the Oat and Flax Muffin is the best snack!
KJ: Dr. Masley, thank you for your time. I really enjoyed speaking with you.
Dr. Masley: My pleasure.
Fri, 06 Apr 2007 22:33:23 +0000 - Kordich Interview
Coming up this week I'll be speaking with Jay and Linda Kordich about their book Live Foods Live Bodies. If you recall, Jay Kordich is referred to as the "Father of Juicing." I'll get their insight on how living foods nourish the body in ways that other foods can't.
Thu, 05 Apr 2007 21:45:52 +0000 - Best Seller Listings
You: On a Diet has been placed at #34 by Barnes & Noble during the last hour.
The American Booksellers Association has You: On a Diet at #12.
Publishers Weekly posted You: On a Diet at #5, Brenda Watson's The Fiber 35 Diet at #12, and at #15 is The Best Life Diet by Bob Greene.
USA Today--widely read around the country notes You: On a Diet to be #5 and The Fiber 35 Diet to be #24.
The respected Wall Street Journal places You: On a Diet at #2, and The Fiber 35 Diet at #5.
There are reasons why these diet books are top sellers. They are not just about dieting, but instead help the reader to make positive lifestyle changes, affecting weight and health. All three have received 5 STARS from me for their user friendliness, website tie-ins, and best seller rankings.
Thu, 05 Apr 2007 17:38:00 +0000 - Extra Virgin Olive Oil
During the last ten years in the United States, olive oil has become quite popular. Recent news about good fats has boosted olive oil out of the Italian kitchen and into the limelight of mainstream America. Rachael Ray, our Everyday Kitchen Saint, even has her own branded bottle. Bob Greene carries the Bertolli name forward with The Best Life Diet.
Why is olive oil suddenly so good? Dr. Steven Masley--author of The Ten Years Younger Diet says that it is rich in monounsaturated fats, which can lower cholesterol and enhance immune function. And to put it gently, olive oil has always been good. It's just been kept a secret. Natives of Southern Europe, North Africa, and the Levant know this.
For these peoples, the olive tree represents life itself.
Though new to most of us in the West, the olive tree originates in the Mediterranean and has been used there for well over two thousand years. The olive tree itself can live for almost that long.
When my husband was a boy, he would go to a small town next to the Mediterranean Sea to visit his uncle, an olive grove farmer. During the picking season, a horse was taken into the grove and baskets on each side of him were laden with freshly picked olives. These were taken to the press. Walking in circles, a bull would turn the ancient stone press, effectively squeezing the oil from the olives.
One of my husband's fondest memories recalls drinking a little of that fresh oil right out of a cup, and then later mixing it with a pinch of salt and lemon for dipping the pita into. This is what is called Extra Virgin Olive Oil; it is the first cold press and no heat was involved with its production. Extra Virgin Olive Oil has no more than 0.8% acidity and really has the best taste. I use it in salad and on every dip--hummus, baba ghanouge, etc..
Greece devotes 60% of its cultivated land to olive production. The Province of Jaen, Spain claims to be the world capital of olive oil.
The olive pits and its wood are also useful, great for the barbeque, they send up a heavenly aroma. Olive oil is also used as a source of energy for wick burning lamps, in soaps, and cosmetics.
So drink up America, just watch the calories!
Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:42:35 +0000 - Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad
Almost every diet book I read says to eat more vegetables. Cabbage originates from the Mediterranean region and is a member of the mustard family. Its English name is derived from the Old French, caboce or "head"--thus, the "head of cabbage." Cabbage is not just a fattening slaw ingredient when paired with the right salad dressing. Many dishes in the Middle East, especially the salads, contain olive oil, fresh squeezed lemon juice, mashed garlic, and a little salt. This salad is called malfuf, or cabbage. It is quite nutritious and can be served in a pita with falafal, or as a side with any main course.
Malfuf--Middle Eastern Cabbage Salad
1/2 head washed green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 mashed clove garlic
1/2t salt
1 fresh lemon juiced
1/8C extra virgin olive oil
Options--minced fresh herbs, minced tomato, minced red pepper, finely chopped carrot
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl. Now here's the catch, some salad masters prefer to let the salad sit and marinate a little--30mins or so, while others do not dress the salad until right before serving--as you like.
Tue, 03 Apr 2007 18:36:19 +0000 - TEN YEARS YOUNGER DIET OAT BRAN MUFFIN RECIPE
From the TEN YEARS YOUNGER DIET comes this high fiber Oat Bran Muffin. This is kid-approved and quick to bake. These muffins aren't too sweet and are great in the morning for the mad dash toward work. Best of all--they didn't stick to the pan!Oat Bran Muffins
p. 274 Makes 12, (15 for me) 400F
Mix together in a large bowl:
3 Cups rolled oats
1 Cup oat bran
1T baking powder
1t cinnamon
1/2t sea salt
1/2C raisins
In a separate bowl, mix:
3/4 Cup calcium-fortified soy milk
3 large eggs (omega-3, free range, organic)
1/4 Cup canola oil (organic, expeller-pressed)
3/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 Cup molasses
Canola oil spray
Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Spray a muffin tin with canola oil (I used olive oil.) and pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Serve with fresh fruit and yogurt.
Cals 175, Fiber 3g, Sat.Fat 1g, Carbs 26g, Sodium 196 mg, Protein 5g, Total Fat 7.4g, Cals from Fat 35%
Mon, 02 Apr 2007 19:28:03 +0000 - EXCLUSIVE Interview With Matt Amsden--Sex Symbol of the RAW Vegan World
Yesterday I spoke with Matt Amsden, CEO and author of RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine. Matt is the RAW Food World’s Sex Symbol of this organic and healthy lifestyle. Originally hailing from across our border to the North—Canada, Matt is a success story of American ingenuity.
KJ: Matt—You’re the author of RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine. What is the book about specifically?
Matt A.: RAWvolution is a food preparation/cookbook without the cooking. It incorporates organic foods which are vegan and raw—no animal products, no item is ever above 105 F. In this way, the food retains nutritional integrity.
KJ: You also are the CEO of a business by the same name. Does your company specialize in raw food too?
Matt A.: Yes—we have a weekly raw food delivery service. Shipments are both local and nationwide with FedEx overnight.
The delivery box is $100 and the average shipping price varies, but is around $25.
KJ: Are you a RAW foodist yourself?
Matt A.: Yes. I have been for 9 years.
KJ: Do you consume dairy products?
Matt A.: No
KJ: Fermented vegetables, ie pickles?
Matt A.: Yes, I do. We make our own pickles and sauerkraut at RAWvolution.
KJ: What about raw meat?
Matt A. : No raw meat, nor sushi either. I’m strictly vegan.
KJ: Matt, could you explain a little more about what raw foods are.
Matt A.: Raw foods are kept under 105F. This way they retain their natural water. It’s great for hydration. Cooking destroys 80% of a food’s vitamins and minerals. Cooking also destroys 100% of a food’s enzymes, making it harder to digest. Enzymes are responsible for the body’s metabolic processes. Raw foods pretty much digest themselves, easing up on the body’s store of enzymes.
KJ: It seems to me that eating more raw foods will increase fiber and nutrients—leading to better health and weight reduction. What further benefits are there?
Matt A.: The further benefits are enumerable--high nutrition, better health, mental clarity, the skin and hair look better, sleep better in less hours, and no digestive problems.
KJ: --How many hours do you sleep a night?
Matt A.: I sleep about 6 hours.
KJ: Who are your patrons?
Matt A: Some of my most famous patrons are Susan Sarandon, Cher, and even Woody Harrelson. They are interested in being on the cutting-edge of what’s new and healthy.
My delivery service is great for them, as they are pretty busy.
KJ: What’s in the delivery box?
Matt A.: 2 soups, 4 entrees , 4 sides, 2 desserts, (4-5 days of lunches and dinners).
KJ: Does the menu change?
Matt A.: Yes, it changes weekly. The most popular item is the Big Matt with Cheese.
KJ: You are extremely creative in the kitchen. What inspires you?
Matt A.: I like my culinary creations to resemble comfort foods—they are a frame of reference for the patron. I’m simply providing a healthy version of what they like to eat.
KJ: I understand you teach a five hour class on raw food preparation.
Matt A.: Yes, I do. A few times a year I fill up the kitchen with those who want to learn how to prepare raw food themselves. It includes 20 recipes and is a hands-on experience. I also discuss nutrition and give out a 15 pg. book.
KJ: What about your wife? Does she do raw too?
Matt A.: Yes, Janabai has been eating raw for about 5 years. She opened our restaurant.
KJ: What is the future of RAWvolution? Where do you see this lifestyle going?
Matt A.: RAW has been a fad at times, but now it’s out to more and more people every week. It absolutely is the future. I expect in the next few years everyone will have heard about RAW.
In the smaller cities, like Boston, people are getting together for potlucks. Word is going out and then juice bars and raw food cafes begin to open up.
Recently I was in St. Augustine, Florida and ate at a raw food bar there. It was great, we had tacos wrapped in lettuce and a seaweed salad.
KJ: What’s available on a daily basis for the walk-in customer?
Matt A.: The New York location is a kitchen only. We just deliver from there.
In Santa Monica, California, RAWvolution offers 50 menu items--desserts, salads, soups, book items, raw food supplies, supplements, and recipe books.
KJ: What else should we know about your business?
Matt A.: Also, my café—the cutlery, plates, and utensils, are all biodegradable. They are made from corn or sugarcane. Even the paint is ecologically minded.
We also have a store nearby which offers all natural body care products, books, soaps, and shampoos. Everything is made from the finest ingredients.
KJ: What’s your favorite raw dish and who prepares it?
Matt A.: In New York is a wonderful restaurant called Quintessence. They make a terrific Mexican Chili.
KJ: Do you see yourself as the Sex Symbol of the RAW Vegan World?
Matt A.: Sure I do.
KJ: How else do you see yourself?
Matt A.: I see myself as someone who really believes in the message—it’s become a business, but my primary interest in turning others on to it. The infrastructure in California is good for this. I aim to help others who lack motivation and the tools in preparation.
KJ: Matt, thank you for your insight on RAW and it’s importance in today’s diet for health and weight reduction.
Matt A.: Thank you Kelly.
RAWvolution--the evolution of food!
Sun, 01 Apr 2007 16:31:56 +0000 - Coming Soon--An Interview With the Sex Symbol of the RAW World
Coming soon--my exclusive interview with Matt Amsden, CEO of RAWvolution and Sex Symbol of the RAW Vegan World.
Sat, 31 Mar 2007 22:20:53 +0000 - EXCLUSIVE Interview With Dr. Judith S. Beck, Ph.D.
This morning I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Judith S. Beck Ph.D., Director of the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She is also a Clinical Associate Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, she has published four professional books and over 100 articles. Cognitive Therapy has been used and studied in over 400 clinical trials. Dr. Beck, one of the world’s foremost authorities of Cognitive Therapy, travels the world teaching and continually researching its benefits and uses. KJ: Dr. Beck, I understand the principle behind your latest book--The Beck DIET Solution to be that one must superimpose old habits with new and better habits. Is this correct?
Dr. Beck: That's right. The book has a six week program in which dieters learn a new thinking or behavioral skill every day. They practice some skills just once and others for the rest of their lives. These skills are very common sensical. In fact, dieters often know what habits they need to adopt. They know they need to limit their eating, not eat on the run, not overeat at parties, and so forth. The problem for most dieters is that they can adopt new habits for a short period of time. But unless they change their thinking, they invariably revert back to their old habits.
KJ: What are some other examples of bad habits?
Dr. Beck: Many people eat standing up; they eat quickly and they don't pay enough attention to what they're eating. They don't realize that when you're restricting your eating, it's essential to notice and enjoy every bite, otherwise you won't feel psychologically satisfied. Also, when people eat too quickly, their food is gone before they know it and they may still be hungry--and unwilling to wait for up to 20 minutes for a sense of fullness to set in.
KJ: How do people have to change their thinking about these habits?
Dr. Beck: Dieters have all kinds of sabotaging thoughts that get in the way. "I really like to eat standing up. What's the harm? I'm just a fast eater--it would take too much effort to change. My life is too hectic. I don't have time to sit down for every meal and snack." These kinds of thoughts are exactly the ones that get in the way, that lead people to stray from their diet. They have to adopt a new mindset: "If I want to lose weight and be able to keep it off permanently, I have to change my eating habits permanently. I can't have it both ways. I can't eat the way I want to and be thinner."
KJ: So, a person will retrain her brain?
Dr. Beck: Actually, people retrain their minds. In my program, they learn the skills of identifying and forcefully responding to their sabotaging thinking. For example, most dieters have thoughts such as the following from time to time: "I know I really shouldn't eat this, but.....it looks really good/I really want it/I'm celebrating/I'm tired/I'm stressed/I'm upset/it's just a small piece/no one is watching/I don't care/it doesn't matter." What I teach people to do is to prepare for these kinds of thoughts ahead of time and practice what they'll need to say to themselves. For example, it's often helpful to say, "I'm just trying to fool myself. It matters. If I eat this food that I'm not supposed to eat, I'll strengthen my "giving in" habit which makes it more likely that I'll give in next time and the time after that. I'll never be able to maintain whatever weight I manage to lose if I don't learn the skill of not giving in. Besides, if I eat this, I'll get only momentary pleasure. In a few minutes, I'll feel really badly that I ate it."
KJ: Where do these bad habits originate?
Dr. Beck: We can develop bad habits any time. Some people grew up with the idea that you should eat when you're hungry, for example, instead of waiting until meal time. Other people grew up with better eating habits but developed bad habits as a result of dieting. They restricted their eating too much, then tended to binge. At some point, they also became overly concerned with being hungry. Instead of seeing hunger as a natural state, they try to avoid it, either by overeating at meals or by eating too frequently between meals.
KJ: This works with any diet, right?
Dr. Beck: It works with any nutritious diet. If you're spending too many calories on non-nutritious food, if your diet isn't well-balanced, if you're not getting the nutrients you need, your body will rebel and you'll start to eat too much. I've found that different diets are best for different people. Some do better counting calories; som do better measuring portion sizes; some do better counting carbs. The diet you choose had better contain foods that you like and that are easy for you to prepare. I counsel people as to how to modify the diet they choose--in advance. I want them to plan to have small portions of whatever food they want, as often as daily.
KJ: Do thin people really think differently than heavier individuals?
Dr. Beck: Not necessarily, but people who are chronic dieters definitely think differently. For example, they fear being hungry, they think it's unfair that they have to restrict their food, they fool themselves about how much they're eating, they think it's a catastrophe if the scale goes up. Naturally thin people or people who have dieted and have successfully maintained a lower weight may not like being hungry, but they just don't pay much attention to these sensations. Many of them restrict their eating to avoid gaining weight or just to be healthier. They don't see it as unfairness but rather as a normal consequence of achieving their goal. They don't deceive themselves about what and how much they're eating; they don't make excuses. If the scale goes up, they don't get worried. They just eat a little more carefully for a few days.
KJ: You state that the dieter needs to read your book first, before beginning the diet. Why is this necessary?
Dr. Beck: They don't need to read the whole book but I do want them to learn a new skill each day for 14 days before they start restricting their eating. I've found that when dieters take the time to learn these skills first, they maximize their success. These skills incude how to continually motivate themselves, what to say to themselves before they get on the scale, how to get themselves to use good eating habits consistently, how to give themselves credit to build their confidence, how to fit their lives around exercise and dieting activities, instead of vice versa, and several others.
KJ: This retraining of the brain is known as Cognitive Therapy. It is the only psychological method known to help dieters keep off excess weight once lost. Could you define "Cognitive Therapy?"
Dr. Beck: Cognitive Therapy is a time-limited, very practical, problem-solving oriented psychotherapy that has been demonstrated in over 400 research trials all over the world to be effective for a wide range of psychological problems, from depression and anxiety to substance abuse, eating disorders, and even chronic pain.
KJ: The average person probably hasn't heard of Cognitive Therapy. Is it widely practiced?
Dr. Beck: A majority of mental health professionals in the United States occasionally use some cognitive therapy techniques but only several thousand probably actually practice Cognitive Therapy.
KJ: So, by practicing what's laid out in The Beck DIET Solution, I'd be using Cognitive Therapy?
Dr. Beck: Yes, in fact what we tell our clients, and not just those who want to lose weight, is that the goal of Cognitive Therapy is to teach you to become your own therapist. We not only help you with problems; we teach you all the skills you need to solve your own problems in the future.
KJ: I really like your "What are you thinking?" pages. Perhaps the negative thought--positive responses help not just a dieter, but anyone. These are self-esteem issues, are they not?
Dr. Beck: Everyone, no only dieters or people with psychological problems, have unhelpful thinking at times. Fortunately, there is a straight-forward way to learn how to think in more realistic, more helpful ways. This applies to dieting, to your view of yourself and others, to your experience, to your ideas about the future.
KJ: My husband comes from a family of "food pushers." They mean well, but it's a cultural difference between them and me. Over the years, I've learned to tell them that the meal is one of the best I've ever eaten, but I get sick if I overeat, or I explain that I'm on a diet (and laugh). (I've been offered and given three desserts in one sitting.) What are some other means to deal with "food pushing?"
Dr. Beck: I don't let people push food on me. I just use, and counsel dieters to use what we call the broken record technique. I very politely just keep saying, "No, thank you."
Would you like some cake?
No, thank you.
But I baked it 'specially for you!
Thanks, but no thank you.
I know you're watching your weight, but this is a special occasion!
No, thank you.
You're going to hurt my feelings.
I'm really sorry, but no thank you.
KJ: How will your book help a dieter, like no other can?
Dr. Beck: No other book teaches people the thinking and behavioral skills they need to succeed, on day and one skill at a time.
KJ: Dr. Beck, thank you for your time. The Beck DIET Solution will certainly be a success!
Thu, 29 Mar 2007 23:41:18 +0000
