From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!
Book Review: Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health, and Feel Spectacular by Montel Williams
You may recognize Montel Williams as a talk show host, philanthropist, and author, but did you know that he's also a decorated former naval intelligence officer? An advocate for teen empowerment, veterans' causes, anti-drug initiatives, and MS (multiple sclerosis) research funding--he founded The Montel Williams MS Foundation after a personal diagnosis of the disease in 1998. You'll recognize his series of books about healthy living, including--Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular.
Living Well incorporates experts and their current research, practical guides and advice, recipe examples, a walking program, and exercise demonstration photos with explanations. The purpose of the book is not just to help readers lose weight, but rather live life more healthily. This includes weight loss, exercise, and understanding what to eat.
For this Montel follows The Living Well Code:
1. Base your diet on a foundation of a rich variety of many different vegetables and fruits, especially in their fresh, natural, and whole states.
2. Include healthy carbohydrates from whole grains and healthy fats and proteins from foods like fish, beans, and nuts.
3. Minimize saturated and trans fats, sodium, processed foods, added sugars, and cholesterol in your diet.
4. Be mindful of your calories in and calories out, to work toward a healthy body weight.
5. Don't skip meals, deprive yourself, or go on fad diets.
6. Get regular physical activity, at least 30-60 minutes of moderate exercise on most days of the week.
7. Combine these steps and you can reduce your risk of many major diseases, such as: cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, obesity, several forms of cancer, and other diseases including Alzheimer's, osteoarthritis, and macular degeneration.
Montel has completed quite a bit of research for Living Well. One project though he says should be required reading for everyone: The Effects of Exercise and Diet on Chronic Disease by Christian K. Roberts, Ph.D. and R. James Barnard, Ph.D. Western society is plagued with killer diseases, such as those listed by Montel, and they are rapidly increasing in developing countries. The project looks at several prominent long term studies, and draws the data together. The point is this--with lifestyle modication through exercise and healthy eating--most people can begin to turn their lives around and possibly prevent further bodily destruction to themselves.
As someone who really wishes to live a full life, despite a multiple sclerosis diagnosis in 1998, Montel Williams relishes powerhouse foods that will significantly improve his health. With a desire to help others, he's researched and compiled a listing of foods that he refers to as "The Power of Adding In."
Montel Williams Top 10 Living Well Powerhouse Foods
1. Rainbow Foods--all vegetables and fruits: eat these for their phytonutrients
2. Antioxidant Superstars--vitamins, beneficial plant chemicals, minerals (best sources are directly from food)
3. Superpower Greens--disease fighting leafy and cruciferous vegetables
4. Whole Grains--fiber, nutrients, complex carbs (examples are oatmeal, brown rice, quinoa)
5. Superfish--omega-3 fats (sardines, canned Atlantic salmon, Alaskan cod, Atlantic herring, Atlantic mackerel, farmed oysters)
6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil--monounsaturated fat, good for the heart, but is 120 calories per Tablespoon
7. Canola Oil--low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fat, use it for cooking
8. Nuts--unsalted they are a good source of unsaturated fat, choose a moderate portion, high in calories
9. Sweet Potatoes--vitamins A and C, fiber, potassium, beta-carotene
10. Custom Bottled Personal Ice Water--bottle and ice your own tap water to go
Calling soda and sports drinks a waste of money, and advising readers to skip them, Montel himself drinks smoothies and freshly juiced vegetables and fruits when he rises, in the late morning, and at mid afternoon.
His Sweet'n Easy Green Smoothie is simple enough for anyone to prepare.
Making 2-4 servings, peel two bananas and two oranges (quarter). Add the bananas to a Vita-Mix blender, then the orange segments. Next add 1 head of washed romaine lettuce. Add water to the "Max Fill" line on the blender. Blend together on medium, then on the high speed until smooth. Serve chilled.
Whether you're a celebrity or not, you can improve your diet and look as good as one by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and fish. It's the Power of Adding In!
5 Stars
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