My Time With Michel and Beyond

Dr. Michel Herskovitz is the owner of Performance Acupuncture and Lifestyle Medicine.  She is strong in her faith and very passionate about following a "Natural Hygiene Diet". Before we go any further, , I really don't care what you call this method of eating, I just care that you are open to realizing there is a different way than what you read and have been taught over the years.  Meat isn't the only source of getting protein.

As I explained in my previous post, we began the week by unplugging and water fasting for three days. It was a lot easier than I thought it would be.  I read books, sat in the sun and took short walks.  During this time Michel had me read some books by Herbert Shelton.  A lot of what Shelton writes is over my head but the key points surrounded food combining.  In short, a lot of the foods that we combine do not do well in our stomach thereby causing us to not feel well. I highly recommend a simple read called Green For Life by Boutenko or you watch the movie Fork Over Knives to get a simple introduction on moving toward a plant based diet. You can also reach out to Michel as she does provide consulting services.  

Michel switched me to a plant based diet and taught me how to shop for what I would need. There were a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, no meat and nothing in a can or bottle.  I came off the fast and Michel started teaching me how to prepare some simple meals. Organic salad with lots of vegetables but no dressing, bok chot, cucumbers and fresh made carrot juice and an assortment of different smoothies all made naturally.  I was surprised how good the food tasted "naked" and astonished that I wasn't waking up hungry in the middle of the night like I always had.

What is a plant based diet?  I can tell you what is not. It's not Vegan and it's not vegetarian.   Plant based diet meant eating nothing processed and nothing that was cooked. If you think about it for a second, that is a lot of what I was eating before and what you are probably eating now.  In Michel's approach you paid close attention to foods you combined together so the nutrients would be absorbed into your system with no side effects.  If you think about it for a second, that is a lot of what I was eating before and what you are probably eating now. Before you ask where I get my protein, there is plenty of protein in leafy greens, fruit, nuts and vegetables. Do the research and you will note meat is not the only way to get your protein.   You have to eat a lot of them but they are there and as you will soon find out, you get plenty of everything you need to feel energetic.  Sometimes we believe by reading the research, other times we believe by experimenting or observing and drawing conclusions.  My wife soon joined me on this diet. Although she had just placed 3rd in the wolrd at the Ironman World Championships she liked what she saw in the new me.  I wasn't back to racing and I was still skeptical that endurance athletes could follow this diet and succeed.  In short, she raced three times last season.  First in her age group at Kansas 70.3 (won by 26 minutes and had her fastest run split ever at age 50), 4th at 70.3 world championships and 2nd at long course ITU worlds.   She dropped 11 lbs from her Ironman race weight and still performed at a world class level. That should put to bed any questions about if you can perform well on this diet.

The biggest learning I had from my week with Michel was how much sodium is in the food we eat and "think" is healthy.  A simple rule of thumb is that if the sodium count per serving is greater than the calories per serving there is too much sodium.  The ratio should be 1:1.  Use this rule of thumb and I guarantee you that 80% of what you currently eat will be eliminated.   This article isn't intended to be an overview of the plant based diet.  I will tell you that for 40 days I did not drink any alcohol and ate only foods which were not cooked or processed.  I went from 182 lbs to 150lbs in less than three months and I hover between 151 and 154 a year later. Have I fallen off the wagon on occasion? No when it comes to eating read meat and chicken. Yes when it comes to pizza and occasionally a bowl of pasta or fish.  I don't beat myself up when I go to the dark side on occasion.  My body does that for me.....

We eat a lot of salads with no dressing and drink a lot of smoothies which contain bananas, organic blueberries or cherries and leafy greens. I'm immune to all the jokes my friends throw at me.  I've found that when people don't know what to say they make jokes. They don't mean harm they just don't understand. I was recently asked if I miss "real" food.  Initially I did and on occasion when my kids cook something that smells good I think I miss the taste of those foods.  There have been times when I've traveled and had limited options on the road and have allowed myself to eat a vegetarian burrito, pizza or vegetable soup.  The food tastes good but I can quickly tell that my energy level drops and I don't think as clearly as I did before.  I'm astute enough to realize that I can easily get caught in the trap of eating how I did before.  By most peoples standards I was eating "healthy".  However, I knew my energy levels were low, I had no desire to exercise, my body ached, I couldn't sleep at night despite taking sleeping pills and I was generally at a loss for who I was or where I was going.  Post diet change, I have clear direction, I'm thinking clearer, I have the energy to exercise and will be racing in 2012.  I'm pleasantly surprised that my times are not far off from when I was at my training peak in 2004 (when I last raced endurance events) and I'm anxious to see how my body and mind respond to the training.  Another HUGE benefit of this diet is that because I'm not putting all the chemical byproducts that come with eating meat and processed foods I have less inflammation in my body. I can go out and run 10 miles and have little to no residual pain the next day.  Recovery is vastly improved which allows me to have quality workouts.

The pictures below are before and after. They were taken 1 year apart, one in 2010 and the other in 2011.  In the first photo I weight about 180 lbs.(note the roundness in my cheeks)  In the second photo I weighed 151 lbs.

I often tell Michel she saved my life. We keep in touch and she is sincerely moved and touched by my transformation.  People come in and out of our lives for a reason.  I hadn't been in touch with Michel for over 10 years but as I sought answers to my problem I felt a strange urge to reach out to her for help.  It required me to put life on hold and make a significant change to a way I had lived for 48 years.  How honest are you being with your current situation? Where is your energy level as opposed to where it was 10 years ago? Are you gaining weight although you are still exercising? Does your body ache? How is your mental clarity?  The answer is not I'm getting old and these things are going to happen. The answer may be as close to what you put in your body? Do some research and see what chemicals and additives YOU put in your body every day.  Just remember there is no silver bullet in a pill that makes you feel better.  Take control of your health by selectively putting food in your system which makes you feel good in the long term. Let go of what you have been taught for years and search alternative manners in which you can restore your enthusiasm for life.