Confessions of an Overweight Dietitian

End of the Road - The Gluten Free Diet

2011-11-15T09:13:00.001-05:00

Throwing up was the only way to rid myself of the pain.
Christine and I had been at a friend's birthday party. There was lot's of great food including barbecued chicken strips from my favorite local barbecue restaurant.
We were given a bunch of leftovers: potato salad, baked beans, and the chicken.
The next morning, I awoke and thought of that chicken. Christine was just waking up also. I went out to the kitchen, opened up the fridge, took out the chicken in the plastic Tupperware and gobbled down a strip. The chicken was dry and it felt like it was too big for my esophagus. It was almost instantly painful. I started burping and feeling very sick. Stomach acid started coming up and the burning was incredibly painful. I tried desperately not to throw up. Christine was in the kitchen now. I ran to the bathroom, lost it all, not only chicken, but burning acid. Tears flowed freely from my eyes. Relief and worry both came at the same time.
For years, I have dealt with acid reflux. I have been taking Prilosec off and on, mostly on for at least a decade. The last few months had gotten worse and I was in constant pain. I fell asleep with a burning in my chest that was so strong that it would wake me up at night. Prilosec was no longer doing anything to help. Everything seemed to upset it. I gave up drinking alcohol, tried giving up sugar, tried eating mostly vegetables, but it only got worse and worse.
In desperation, about a month ago, I sat down and meditated. I asked the universe what I should do to help. I got a reply: Stop eating bread and pasta, eat more veggies and fruit, eat less sugar, keep abstaining from alcohol.
I listened, again out of complete desperation. I stopped eating anything with gluten in it. No bread, no pasta, nothing. We had been juicing every morning for a few months so I kept doing that as well. I cut back on sugar, but the biggest change was definitely cutting out the gluten.
At first, it seemed like nothing was changing, but after a few days, the pain in my upper chest started decreasing. Then it disappeared. Then the pain in my stomach started going away. It felt like a slow wave of healing was going through my body. After about a week and a half I was left with an intense pain under my xiphoid process (the ball-like bone at the bottom of the chest at the end of the ribcage) and an almost continuous feeling of nausea, like, if I thought about it for more than a minute, I could throw up. It felt like there was a direct opening between my throat and the food below, like I could feel it churning. At this point, I went to the Doctor. He ordered an ultrasound to make sure nothing was amiss.
I was on the third week of eating no gluten and then intense pain went away along with the feeling of constant nausea.
My mood started to improve and I started being able to concentrate on tasks that previously I could barely hold on to for about 5 minutes. Suddenly, I was sitting for hours doing my work, staying on task.
The way I feel now after a month of eating gluten free is drastically different than I felt a month ago.
I, am in no way saying that this will work for everyone, as I am sure it is not an issue for many people, but I am just reporting what happened to me.
My reflux is not completely cured. Yesterday, I drank some caffeinated chai with soy milk and a gluten free chocolate cookie. About an hour later, the signs were there again. I think that caffeine also affects me even if it from a tea or a chai. I still can't eat lot's of dry meat or potatoes without feeling it, but the overall difference is frankly incredible.
More on this later.
Bill

Guidelines to Eating Mediterranean

2011-11-11T09:46:00.002-05:00

Guidelines to Eating Mediterranean

Majority of food is unprocessed.

Fruits or vegetables are eaten in quantity at every meal.

Whole grains are emphasized.

Beans, nuts and seeds are major sources of protein.

Lean red meat is eaten no more than once per week.

Choose lean meats and limit serving sizes to 3 ounces.

Fat sources are mainly monounsaturated.

Diet is high in Omega-3 fatty acids (i.e.-fish, flax oil).

Low-fat cheese and yogurt are used in moderate amounts.

If alcohol is consumed, it is at mealtime and in moderation.

Desserts are mostly fruit based.

Activity is included daily with a combination of cardiovascular and weight bearing exercises.

Bill Bradley, R.D., L.D.N.

P.O. Box 682

Northampton, Ma 01061

413-522-4919

E-Mail: Bill.bradley@the-spa.com

Website: www.bradleypresents.com

New Study shows that Mediterranean Diet can help with Sleep Apnea

2011-11-10T16:19:00.001-05:00

The Mediterranean Diet has been shown to decrease rates of obesity, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and now sleep apnea! Check out this latest study from Greece. See link below.

Mediterranean Diet Decreases Sleep Apnea

Food and Sex and Love

2011-03-29T09:06:00.003-04:00

Have we become so confused, so jaded that our purpose in life is to lose 20 pounds?

We go to any extreme, starving ourselves or stuffing our bodies with fatty sausage to reach our goal weight. It becomes our obsession, haunts us when we’re out, becoming the main topic of conversation. We buy books, listen to tapes, search for special diet foods to reach our dream. We put on a disguise of the healthy person and we forget. We forget the things that will actually help us lose weight, feel healthy and alive. We ignore our real purpose as we hide behind food and liquor and television and movies and sex.

In the name of "health", we forget ourselves. If we were truly in our bodies would we drink a sugary chemical filled shake in the name of weight loss? Would we take a diet pill that could give us a heart attack? Would we eat at an all you can eat Chinese buffet, force feeding our bellies with barbecued spareribs, fried chicken fingers and soft serve ice cream? Would we listen to the advice of self proclaimed gurus telling us what to eat instead of listening to the wisdom of our own unique bodies? We have cast aside our truer purpose: loving, giving to others, living in nature for the addiction of the perpetual diet.

What will they say? What will they say at our funerals? Will they speak of contributions, how we helped others, how we changed lives or will they draw a blank only remembering our obsessions with ourselves and our bodies?

It is never too late to begin.

Take some time away from computers, cell phones, cable television, friends and family and give yourself time to be in silence. Become aware of your body. Sit in silence long enough and you will begin to know what your body really needs, what foods and actions really nourish it. Give yourself permission to experience what real hunger feels like instead of the psychological hunger of unfelt emotions or unrelieved stress. Most importantly, let a new you emerge, one who not only knows and acts on what is best for themselves, but has a deeper purpose that has to do with healing and truly living the precious life we have been given. This is the way out and the way in. It is what I am practicing today. Peace.

There is an adventure waiting

2011-03-26T10:27:00.001-04:00

Many of you have probably watched the Todd Bieber videos about the lost film in Manhattan. He starts off saying that he has been wanting an adventure and then one comes to him. He makes choices along the way as to whether to continue or not (picking up the film, bringing it with him, getting it developed, making a video about it) and it truly does lead him on an amazing journey. If you haven't watched these inspiring videos I have linked them below. It is worth watching the whole series (about 8 minutes). In each and every moment, we make decisions that can bring us to exciting new places if we choose to follow the inspirations within us.
May your day be filled with adventure and joy!

Video 1: Found: Lost Pictures of New York Blizzard

Video2: Found: Lost Pictures of New York Blizzard: Part 2

Video 3: Found: Lost Pictures of New York Blizzard: Part 3

Creating a fun goal around health

2011-03-22T21:17:00.000-04:00

I just finished a five mile walk. It was easy, helped clear my head, and made my body feel better. I have a goal to walk 20 miles in one day. I will be doing it with 40,000 other people in Boston in an effort to raise money for the hungry in Massachusetts. Last year they raised over 4 million dollars. The thing about it is this: I am getting myself in shape getting ready for something that is fun, inspiring, and helpful to others. So often, we go to the gym with a dreariness because we don't really want to be there and the only purpose is to make ourselves healthier. It is a good goal, but it isn't always enough to make us want to go. If feels lifeless.
On the other hand, challenging yourself to do something that will help others, be fun, and be healthy for you, now that's a different thing altogether.

Find something that sings to you and join in.

For more info on the Walk for Hunger

Slow Eating and Weight Loss: Does the Science Support It?

2011-03-19T07:06:00.000-04:00

Slow Eating and Weight Loss: Does the Science Support It?

Upper Limit Problem

2011-03-18T15:09:00.001-04:00

I am reading a great book that I would highly recommend called the Big Leap by Gay Hendricks. It's tag line is "conquer your inner fears and take life to the next level". In it, he talks about "The Upper Limit Problem". His description is as follows: Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy. When we exceed our inner thermostat setting, we will often do something to sabotage ourselves, causing us to drop back into the old, familiar zone where we feel secure."
I have been thinking about my Upper Limit Problem with the irony involved in a day of teaching people to eat the Mediterranean Diet. In the past, I would wake up, prepare food, sometimes for 100's of people and travel to my workshop. As I cooked, I would tell everyone about how the people on the Island of Crete had the lowest rates of heart disease in the world, how the men live to be the same age as the women, and the qualities of the olive oil that make it a strong anti-inflammatory.
I would make them a delicious sample or lunch and everyone would leave happy and motivated and well fed.
Except for me.
After the feelings of elation of leading a successful workshop, I often would clean up, drive home, and on the way I would eat a kid's meal at McDonalds or a couple of slices of greasy pizza with a coke or a roast beef sandwich with potato chips.
I would sabotage myself with unhealthy food just after helping others get excited about one of the healthiest ways of eating in the world.
This was my Upper Limit Problem. I sabotaged my success with the antithesis of my success. I would do the very thing I had just told people not to do. I was a walking contradiction.
As I expand into a new way of being and understanding I have learned how food affects not only how I feel in the moment, but can actually contributes to my overall success (or failure). When I eat well, my energy increases and I am able to do more of the things I want to accomplish in my life. I also am not living a drag me down lie.
The food we eat can be a huge Upper Limit Problem or it can be what helps us make the Big Leap into the life we want.

Happy Jumping!

It is all here

2011-03-11T06:58:00.000-05:00

Everything you have been asking for is already here. Ask the people around you, they are human spirits, they can all help you, even the ones you are irritated by. They may be the most helpful of all. Stop pushing away. The answers will come.

Going Inward

2011-03-08T08:29:00.000-05:00

There is a book by Wayne Dyer called "There is a spiritual solution to everything". It intrigues me to think of this, that no matter what is going on there is an answer or a way out or a way in. When I spend 5-10 minutes in the morning and just settle into my body a lot of magic happens. I begin to get more clear throughout the day, I become more loving in my relationships, and I begin to have gratitude for what I have. I used to try to "meditate" and constantly get mad at myself for my mind wandering or falling asleep. Now, I give myself much more freedom. I let my mind wander. I vision things I want in my life. Occasionally, I focus on my breathing. The most important thing is that I just give myself time to settle in to me, to let solutions come to me because there really is a spiritual solution to everything. I just have to slow down enough to listen.

Today's Dietitian Magazine does Article on Overweight Dietitians (I am in it)

2011-02-09T07:27:00.002-05:00

I was interviewed a few months ago by Today's Dieitian. Here is the article.
http://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/121610p38.shtml

Faith

2011-02-02T10:23:00.000-05:00

Where do we get faith? We all have some, faith that there will be a new day, faith that our car will start, faith that our lover won't leave us. That kind of faith seems easier than the kind that says "everything will be alright" or "we can get whatever we want." Maybe, we don't really want to have everything we wish for. Would that be too much? Of course, in the end, some things we truly have faith in fall apart, at least once in your life their isn't a new day, or your car doesn't start, or your lover does leave you. Is the other side true as well? Is everything truly alright, can we get whatever we want?
I sometimes wonder if there is a way to manufacture faith. I know I feel more of it when I am really in my body, when I can feel spirit all around me. I also know that I can get in my body and spirit if I do some supposedly simple things everyday- meditating, exercising, journaling, eating well. All of these things increase my body and spirit awareness, but yet I don't always do them.
I say I want something, but I don't do the things I know will get me there.
Should I have faith that when I really need to do them, I will?
Or should I just begin today?

One kind of floating

2011-01-23T08:44:00.000-05:00

There is some time when you overeat that you feel like you are floating, like you are on a hot air balloon. You start off on the ground, still heavy, stuck and you begin to eat and all anxiety, depression, and anger are thrown overboard and you begin to lift off. You no longer have to worry about the people around you, the ones that somehow you have to impress and everything becomes easier. It is even easier to float with a little bit of alcohol. once you start floating people start to get you, they laugh at your jokes, they think you are amazing, everything comes into focus. But then you come back down to the ground. You get anxious again, someone says something that bugs you or you begin to feel inadequate so you turn to the Swedish meatballs and you begin popping them into your mouth one after another and the beer goes down easier with meatballs and especially with little spanakopita squares. You begin a small little assembly line to stuff your stomach. Meatballs, spanakopita, beer, then a server comes to you with stuffed mushrooms which reminds you of the little finger sandwiches near the carrots and broccoli (which you eat a token few for your health). And then you are definitely no longer floating, as a matter of fact you are so weighted down that you cannot even dance with your woman, your stomach feels bloated and the only logical solution is to eat more meatballs and guzzle more beer and go deeper into your own personal hell. You begin to get self righteous and say to your woman that this isn’t the crowd for you. Everyone is too serious and business like even though you have only spoken to about two people so it is completely a judgement on your part. Let’s go home and she has to drive because you had about 3 too many beers and on the way home you talk about what is wrong with everyone there and when you arrive the only place to go is the couch. You plot down on it and that reminds you of your Mom and how she never gracefully sat on the couch, because her weight wouldn’t let her and she has given up trying and so she would just collapse onto it and it would make a noise, a plop really and how sometimes you worried that the couch would collapse under her weight and how sometimes chairs would collapse under her. And you are on the couch, your body aches, your esophagus is acidic, food is coming back up towards your mouth, it wants to get out any way it can, it would come out your ears if it could. The worst thing for you right now is to lie down, but you do anyways because you can’t hold yourself up. When you lay down, the food comes back up faster. You are not going to throw up, you can feel that, no you are just going to lay there in misery until your woman gets you up to go to bed and you spend the night tossing and turning feeling a thick, acidic mass travel your body wanting desperately to escape just like you wanted to escape so badly that you poisoned yourself killing yourself one meatball at a time.

Turning 32

2011-01-12T16:28:00.000-05:00

According to the statistics of the world, I will be turning 47 years old on Monday. I have been feeling old lately. Tired and emotionally dead. Christine said to me the other day that sometimes she wishes we were both the same age (she is 15 years younger than me). Today, we had a snow day and went skiing. It was a beautiful day which made me feel more present than usual. I thought about turning 47. I thought about how old I would like to be. When did I feel my best? What age would make me feel like I still had plenty of time in this world? First I thought of 38 years old, but that still felt older than I want to be. I came to the conclusion that I would like to be 32 years old. And then I remembered the whole manifesting thing. Could I actually become 32 years old again? Could I feel like I did then? It would change how I am feeling generally about life right now.
I guess as with most things there is only one way to find out.
On Monday I will be turning 32. Wish me a happy birthday!
Bill

Hurt

2010-11-01T20:05:00.000-04:00

We are bombarded by ads, first the ones that tell us how happy we will be if we just eat this or eat that. A glorious morning if we eat our frosted flakes, unbounded happiness if we drink our energy. Second are the ads that tell us how to get rid of the pain of eating the first thing. Eat that Chili and you can get rid of the heartburn with double strength, over the counter pain relief. Why do we go in this circle? What makes us eat something we know will hurt us? We get a temporary buzz from the food and then we feel like crap, we get a hangover. Many of us have learned to make fun of our own misery. "I'm so stuffed, I can barely move" is not something to be proud of.
I think we are covering a pain deeper than the hurt we create from eating crappy food. Is short term "happiness" better than a life time of pain?
What breaks the cycle of eating to dull our bodies of misery?
Feel.
Feel.
Feel.

Two of Me

2010-10-28T08:55:00.000-04:00

There are two of me. I have always known they are there, but I really discovered them this week.
Monday-Get up early with Christine. Join the gym. Workout. Full of energy all day. Energy like I haven't felt in years.
Tuesday-Go to the gym. Eat well. Full of Energy. Nearing the end of the day. Looking for something to numb me out.
Wednesday-Get up at 5 a.m. Get ready for workshop. Tired, cranky. Eat poorly, no exercise. Feel like crap all day. Do two workshops. Go out to late dinner. Stuffed lobster, beer, tequila, lot's of butter and sour cream. Did I mention feeling like crap.
Thursday-wake up groggy, tired, down. Use the gym in the hotel I am staying at. Start to feel clearer.

Two of me-
Energetic, clear, organized, letting go, moving

Tired, overeating, lethargic, depressed

I seem to be able to do the energetic me for about two days until something calls me to the other side.
I can do the tired me for years.

I asked for clarity and there it is.

Jabba the Hut gets off the couch

2010-10-26T10:09:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I feel like the old me, sometimes I feel like me plus an extra 50 pounds. This morning at the gym I was on the eliptical machine. My knee hurt, my hip hurt.
I hope I don't see anyone I know in the locker room as my bloated body walks naked to the shower and while I shower behind the loincloth of a shower curtain. So good to move. Yesterday, I had more energy than I can remember having in at least a year. My mind is clearer when I move, it feels like years of lethargy have clogged my thoughts. Keep coming clarity. Wash me in the skin of a new day.

Oh, for the love of God!

2010-10-25T09:01:00.000-04:00

Ok, I completely fell off the bowling ball bandwagon. It is always something, but the biggest thing was that it was difficult to follow the eating plan I was on because I was not eating enough. I lost a lot of weight the first two weeks and then it started going back on. Then I became obsessed with the scale and it all went downhill from there. I am returning to the thing that has seemed to work the best in the past.... Exercise. Christine and I joined the gym this morning. It felt great to be there again. I think the thing that worries me is starting and then stopping again. I would like to go every day that is reasonable Monday through Friday. Especially, since I have decided to not do more workshops for the next year it should be much easier to go. It is just discipline, enjoyment, and commitment. I need to have fun, I need to go when I don't want to and I need to commit to this course. How about just commit for the next week? I commit to go to the gym today (easy, already went), tomorrow, and Friday. Wednesday and Thursday I have workhsops (early) and may not be able to go, but I will try. Only one month of workshops left and then I will only be consulting 25 hours a week, writing and working on my video projects! Let's go exploring.

Half a bowling ball and my reward

2010-09-14T09:46:00.000-04:00

I weighed in this morning and I lost 5 pounds in a week! Half a bowling ball down. I did have to change scales, but it is consistent with all other indicators. From now on I will be using a digital scale. I feel better than I have in a while. Even 5 pounds off my body makes a difference. There was one time in the middle of the week when I felt tired and I went home to take a nap. I couldn't sleep right away and I went for a bike ride instead. What a difference! Moving helped me feel less tired than sleeping did!
Generally, I have been following all the guidelines. Have had very few caloric drinks, haven't eaten after nine. Have had 5 fruits and vegetables most days and have eaten salad almost every day. I also have been moving, walking, biking or hiking.
So, my reward for when I lose the first bowling ball?
I told Christine that I would bring her zip-lining for her birthday. Recently, I saw the weight limit. It was 250 pounds! I weighed 251 last week. When I get to 141 I want to bring her zip-lining. Victory number one!

6 bowling balls makes it hard to move

2010-09-08T16:22:00.000-04:00

Imagine you are at the bowling alley and you need to pick out your bowling ball. You know that feeling when you pick up the ball? It's a bit of dread for me. We often wrap our other arm around it so it will be easier to carry. Now, imagine that someone tells you that you need to pick 6 bowling balls and you need to carry them all at once. If you can get them all in your arms you are probably not going to want to move too much. You may not even be able to move at all. The thing is that if you have 6 bowling balls of weight on you (or more or less) it probably kind of snuck up on you like it did for me. Still, you have all that weight and it makes it hard to move. It makes my knees hurt when I go up the stairs. It makes me breathe hard. In so many words, it sucks. Here's the bad part. If I don't move, pretty soon I will have eight bowling balls and then 10 and then I won't be able to move at all.
Let's go!

Lost: A 10 pound bowling ball

2010-09-07T20:51:00.001-04:00

Have you seen your bowling ball lately? I think it has attached to me. 6 of them actually 10 pounds per ball. I need to lose 6 bowling balls. I would like to lose my first bowling ball by Halloween (that is about 7 weeks to lose 10 pounds). Seems reasonable. Today, I had more than 5 servings of fruits and veggies. Christine and I went for a one hour walk this morning. I had a salad. Now, I just have to manage not to eat after 9. That's in about 9 minutes. I'm going to get an apple.

Did you hear the one about the obese dietitian?

2010-09-06T15:18:00.000-04:00

I just went to the Body Mass Index calculator at the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute. All you need to do is put in your height and weight and you get your BMI (a measure of body fat based on height and weight). The great part about it is that it tells you whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight or frickin obese. Guess what? Did you hear the one about the obese dietitian?
His name was bill.

I'm obese. Yeah!
In order to get to the overweight category I need to weigh 227 pounds.
To get to normal weight I need to weigh 189 pounds! I haven't weighed that since I was in college!

Next question: How long does it take to lose a bowling ball?

The Plan: Week One: Giving Birth to a 6 year old

2010-09-06T11:52:00.003-04:00

I weighed myself this morning. 251 pounds! I have never weighed that much in my entire life. It is fitting that I am beginning this plan on labor day, because I look like I could give birth at any minute (to a 6 year old child).
My plan:
Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day.
Exercise at least 45 minutes per day/five days a week.
Stop drinking sugared drinks and juices.
No eating after 9 p.m. (unless it is actually dinner, not 2nd or 3rd dinner!)
Eat a salad every day
Drink 8 glasses of water per day

Ask support from my athletic, fit friends.
Share with all of you my daily experiences through writing and videos.

Intervention number Two

2010-09-06T11:37:00.000-04:00

Ok, another friend has intervened about my weight.
We were at a concert and she hugged me and she said she almost couldn't get her arms around me.
Yikeserama!
Time to do something!
today.
Bill

The Intervention Mirror

2010-06-29T16:43:00.000-04:00

I recently went to help a friend who was going to be evicted if he didn't clean up his apartment. When I arrived, my mind was completely focused on what he needed. It turns out he was about to give me what I needed. He took one look at me, sat me down and said he was concerned.

"I have never seen you this heavy," he said to me. Knowing that I tend to gain weight when I am in a relationship, he asked, "have you guys been talking about marriage and having children?" Yes, that was a subject that had been broached.

It is a wake up to have someone who cares about you be a mirror for you. This was a mirror I had been looking in every day recently, on my own, but it is more powerful when someone else holds it up for you.

What is it about relationships that makes me hide, lounge too much and eat too much?

In the past, I have always run. Is it possible to stay? Is it possible to be in a relationship and be alive? Can I treat myself well and still be in coupledom?

It must be a possibility, right?

Green Pies of Crete

2010-03-28T10:25:00.000-04:00

Comfort food in America has been given a bad name because it is usually high in saturated fat and sugar. When we think of something we eat to relax our nerves or when we are having a hard time it is usually meatloaf or macaroni and cheese or ice cream. When I lived in Crete, one of my favorite comfort foods was green pie. The people of Crete go into the mountains to pick a whole variety of greens with the Greek name of Horta. By some estimates there are 150 varieties of edible greens on the island.
The greens are prepared by simmering them in extra virgin olive oil for about an hour, usually with a little bit of salt. Some of the greens are quite bitter eaten raw, but once cooked in the oil, the bitterness tends to dissipate. The greens are then drained and are then placed in a simple rolled out dough (which includes more extra virgin olive oil) and folded up into a little individual pie. When I ate green pies in Crete they were usually golden brown rounds about 3 to 4 inches across containing a warm and moist heaping of greens in the center.
A study was done recently on the Green Pies of Crete (now that's a study I want to participate in). They found that two small green pies had "12 times more quercetin than one glass of red wine (100 ml), and three times more quercetin than a cup of black tea (200 ml)." "Quercetin is a flavanol which may have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties." The study went on to say that "wild greens potentially are a very rich source of antioxidant flavonols and flavones in the Greek diet."
Purslane, another green eaten often in Crete, is also known to be quite high in Omega-3 fatty acids.
So, the difference between a comfort food in Crete and one in America is that the one in Crete will actually promote health and healing.
While I was in Crete I met the Webmaster of the top Cretan website.
He has a recipe for a version of this green pie (MARATHOPITA). There is a link here for it.
Green Pie Recipe
Just so you know, raki is an alcohol that is drunk in Crete. It is the distilled grape skins and seeds leftover from the wine making process. I think your best bet would be to substitute grappa for the raki or you could use a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice (I am just guessing here, I need to try it myself).

Also, here is a picture of the leftovers from the traditional Cretan meal I had with my guides. There is a round green pie left in the upper right hand corner. I am sure I brought it home with me.

Good eats!
Bill

The Sacred Table

2010-02-16T17:18:00.001-05:00

Picture this:
A long table made of dark oak.
14 wooden chairs.
At each chair sits someone who means the world to you.
There is a large fireplace with a roaring fire.
Brass goblets of wine.
A hearty stew is served with warm homemade bread.
The meal begins with a moment of silence.
As everyone eats, each persons tells why they are grateful.
Warmth in the heart. Love in the air.
Outside, a cold winter breeze blows a twig across the snow.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being

2010-02-09T21:31:00.002-05:00

To float in a non-toxic splendor.
To enjoy the frozen smell of morning.
To look into your eyes and be aroused by your smile.
Underneath the fog lies a laugh til you cry kind of day.

I dreamt of foreigners smashing a ramrod through magnificent 50 foot doors made of thick ornate wood.
A ramrod containing my memories

and my stuff.

.

Learning to be comfortable with being uncomfortable

2010-02-08T21:36:00.000-05:00

This sitting with my emotions sucks. It feels like my first day of kindergarten. Can't I hide in a 4 servings boxful of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese? Everything is getting clearer: my dreams of losing you, my messy life that makes me ashamed, the pain in my gut, and the answers that allude me when I am far away. Being comfortable with being uncomfortable is where the answers lie. It's a silly idea. We search so hard for the thing to help us escape. It's almost the national past time at this point, but when you look around you see the people that seem the happiest are the people who apparently have nothing. Yet they have something. They have their families, their communities, and they have themselves. They are comfortable in their own skin.
Sit for awhile. Be with yourself. Forget YouTube and Hulu and the Iphone and the ice cream sundae.
Spend an afternoon with you. You magnificent creature, you.

Salad for Breakfast?

2010-02-07T09:54:00.001-05:00

I just had a nice salad with french bread for breakfast. What?!# Who the hell would eat a bunch of veggies for breakfast? Many of the healthiest people throughout the world would. In most Asian countries, veggies with rice is a normal breakfast. In the Mediterranean, they may have veggies with their breakfast (pastry with spinach, veggie omelet) or fruit. The traditional American high processed carbohydrate breakfast is just that: traditional American. Cereal was invented originally as a health product before it became sugar smacks (notice that smack is also a term for heroin). Doughnuts were invented here and so was the high fat, high sugar frappuccino. The average American adult eats about 30 teaspoons of sugar per day. If you are not careful, you can get that before you even get into the car to go to work.
What's the difference?
Sugar is an inflammatory.
Vegetables are an anti-inflammatory.
Vegetables have fiber.
Sugar doesn't.
Vegetables are packed with nutrients.
Sugar is not.
You can begin your morning creating disease or maintaining health.
Sometimes, I choose the doughnut, sometimes I chose the salad.
Cool Link that shows how much sugar in different breakfast items.

Which do you choose?

What We Decide

2010-02-05T09:34:00.001-05:00

In every bite that we take there is a decision. It is usually not a conscious thought, but it is there anyways. In simplest terms, we are deciding how we feel. While it is true that we sometimes decide what we eat by how we feel, it also true that what we eat governs how we feel. It is not just about this food causing heart disease or this food preventing cancer. It is how we feel in the moment. Processed foods have been shown to increase depression. Mediterranean foods decrease depression. This is not something that will happen to you 20 years from now, it is now, in the moment. If I wake up and eat eggs and bacon and pancakes and coffee I am almost immediately groggy. I want to sleep. If I do sleep after eating such a meal, I get indigestion and then I'm irritable. If I have a breakfast of Greek yogurt, fruit, nuts, cinnamon, and honey and have a green tea with it, I feel light. I am happier. I get more done.
The hard part about this decision is the eggs and bacon and pancakes tastes really good. And so does the yogurt and honey, but sometimes I want to feel groggy and heavy. Sometimes, I want to go back to bed.
Sometimes, the energy of life seems like too much and I retreat.
In every bite, there is a decision. Do you want to hide under a blanket or do you want to breathe the fresh air of a new day?

Processed Foods increase depression:
Processed food increases depression risk - UPI.com

Mediterranean Diet decreases depression:
Mediterranean Diet Associated With Reduced Risk Of Depression

The Effects of Undereating

2010-02-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

I did it. Yesterday, I didn't go back for seconds. I didn't buy the monster cookie with a cafe mocha. I ate two little cookies before bed instead of the package of 6.
And where did it leave me?
I began to grieve.
I told the whole story last night to a bunch of my men friends. The three long months, my Mom's car accident, the cancer, the operations, the hospital, the rehab, the time spent with her, the hope, my Dad by her bedside, the nurses who treated her well, the nurses who didn't seem to care, Christine making the life-affirming collage, all the cards and flowers and teddy bears, my mom beginning to accept my step-mom, my mom telling us her dreams, the card I gave her which said "I Love You, that's all you need to know", and my Aunt. My Aunt, who came to be with us, who brought us out to dinner, who stayed with my Mom the last four days of her life even when I got sick, who was with her when she took her last breath and called me to come in the middle of the night.
All this came out and the tears started to come too. The men who were with me were totally there for me. They are a group of men who love me. Sometimes letting in the love is the hardest part. My Mom knew that well.

I didn't stuff my emotions with food yesterday and I feel a little more alive today.

Rationalizing

2010-02-03T14:02:00.000-05:00

I like to rationalize. I just ate a nice healthy salad with avocado and walnuts and a few slices of french bread. Well then, I should be able to eat a 600 calorie monster chocolate chip cookie with a 400 calorie cafe mocha covered with a "healthy" dollop of whipped cream. At least I ate the salad, but why not change the thought? How about "I treated my body nicely with a salad" and I want to keep going in that direction so why don't I just wait on the cookie and see what happens. What if I don't overeat? What would happen then?
Research shows that people who under eat just a bit live longer than those who overeat. What would it be like to practice under eating? It brings up fear right away. Who knows when my next meal will be? Will I pass out from hunger?
The most important question is:
Will I feel? Will I feel my body? Will I feel my emotions. Will I come alive? And will I be able to handle that? Will I be able to handle feeling and being fully alive?
There is only one way to find out.

Running Away

2010-02-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

Today would be a good to day to run. I feel groggy, tired, and overwhelmed. I don't want to write. I want to go back to bed. I want to feel the sweet relief of slumber, but I am not stopping.
I went to a meditation class last night. The teacher had us stand and raise our arms slowly and notice the energy. It was uncomfortable. It made me want to get back into the relative comfort of sitting meditation. I mentioned it to the teacher afterwards. He asked me what I made of feeling uncomfortable when standing. I thought that it was just that I was tired from working and dealing with all the stuff around my Mom. He told me that he had a different take on it. He thought that maybe I was just uncomfortable being in the higher energy you get when you are standing. That seemed right to me. There is a way to rest in high energy, but I haven't experienced it yet.
Resting in the high energy of life. Now, there is a goal.

The Stories we tell

2010-02-01T11:03:00.000-05:00

My Mom had a story she told her whole life. No one loved her. She was alone. She wasn't beautiful. She stuck with these tales until her final days. I don't know if the story changed for her in the end, but evidence to the contrary started flowing in. People calling in droves crying and wishing her the best, telling her how much they loved her. So many cards came to her that she didn't even open them all. I think her story was crumbling and she was having a hard time opening to the truth. People loved her dearly, she was never really alone, and she was absolutely beautiful. I wonder what her life would have been like if she could have changed her story. If she could have known how talented she was at getting people to open up or how she could connect on a deep emotional level. I wonder if she could have changed her story if she knew how many people would be grieving her death.
I have been thinking a lot about the stories I tell myself. Many of them have changed, but some remain the same. They are not all positive stories. One thing I do know though is that I am loved. I'm so glad that story has changed for me. I don't always let it in, but I know.
The stories we tell affect every part of our lives and what we can accomplish and what will come to us.

What stories do you tell?

Grief and Indian food

2010-01-31T08:07:00.000-05:00

Cleaning out my Mom's apartment: Day 2. My Mom passed away a few weeks ago. It was sort of unexpected. I feel like I haven't processed the many feelings around this yet. Yesterday, a bunch of friends and family helped me clean out her apartment. We went through her every drawer, found thousands of pictures and lots of rolls of undeveloped film. It felt like we were dismantling her life and dissecting everything we could find. I was emotionally a wreck by the time dinner came along. My Aunt, cousins, and Christine and I went to an Indian restaurant. I let everyone off at the front entrance and had to drive about a 1/4 mile away to find a parking spot. It was a brutally cold night. The moon was out and full and bright. I felt momentarily connected to my Mom and to all the feelings. And then I was swooped into the restaurant without time to really feel my on the surface emotions.
Then I ate. I had bread and my dinner (saag) and some of Christine's dinner and then some of everyone else's. I was eating everything I could find and drinking more beer than usual. I was stuffed and I kept eating. I was overly stuffed and then I still kept eating. Drowning it all in food and liquor.
Then I started to walk back to the car and stopped into State Street Fruit Store and bought some Mint Milano cookies and I ate half the bag in the car.
When I got home I passed out in bed. No emotions on this watch. Nothing but a bursting belly and a headache this morning.
Sometimes it's just what you have to do.

Dieting and control

2010-01-30T09:30:00.000-05:00

The problem with dieting is that it is all about control. It is like creating a prison within ourselves. We have to eat this food, exercise this much, control our basic instincts. This automatically sets us up for failure. Our natural desire is to be free, to be able to do whatever we want. On the island of Crete, where some of the healthiest people in the world lived, there just happened to be all the right foods on the island for extreme good health and weight control. The people there felt free, because they could eat whatever they wanted and still be healthy. They celebrated the wonderful, tasty food and enjoyed it immensely. Once food began to be imported from other countries they began to eat a bunch of new foods such as sugar, meat, and processed foods. The children went from being among the healthiest in the world to the most overweight in Europe in just a few short years. They were given choice and they lost control. In this country we have tens of thousands of food choices and we have gone completely out of control as well. The question is how can we eat well and still feel in control. I think it is by beginning to really enjoy ourselves in doing things that improve our health. Instead of feeling like we have to eat well, to actually begin enjoying eating well. It is the same for exercise and all aspects of taking care of ourselves. If we enjoy it then we will feel in control. If all we are doing is pushing against ourselves, then we will just stay in the prison with no chance of escape.

Judging

2010-01-29T07:48:00.000-05:00

If I don't exercise I judge myself.
When I am exercising I judge others for not exercising.
The judging mind has to have something to do, I guess.
I am wondering what else I could have it do.....
maybe, it could think of all the fabulous people I have in my life...
or, it could come up with a way to save the world...
or, come up with a new recipe for my latest book.
What do they say about quieting something you don't like?
Oh yes, love it.
Love the judging mind, love the judge who thinks this writing isn't good enough.
Bring it some coffee and doughnuts in bed or better yet a spinach omelet with tea.

Losing Weight from Within

2010-01-28T09:31:00.000-05:00

Losing weight is much more than just seeing pounds drop on a scale. If it is done right, it is about losing emotional, physical, and spiritual weight. We have to let go of feelings as well as pre-conceived notions of who we are. Just the act of losing weight does not mean that in our minds we are thin. Losing weight does not mean that we will no longer be depressed or will stop feeling under appreciated. We need to let go of much more than a Frappucino and a bacon double cheeseburger. To be successful, your focus has to be taken off dieting and placed on the things that made you overweight in the first place. Was it stress? Was it lack of time to take care of yourself? Is it a bad relationship? Do you hate your job? Are you holding on to something you have held on to for years? We gain weight for a lot of different reasons, but rarely is it just about the food. Losing weight from within means letting go, becoming free. There are many ways to become free, make that the focus of your weight loss plan.
What makes you feel lighter? What gives you joy? And why are you afraid to feel light and joyous?

Update: Day 38: Eatin Like A Cretan

2009-09-23T23:37:00.000-04:00

My body is beginning to feel different. I am no longer craving the foods I used to (ice cream, meats, sweets). I crave greens cooked with olive oil and garlic and sourdough bread dipped in olive oil or topped with honey. I have an apple for an afternoon snack. I am drinking almost no coffee and instead have been choosing green tea with honey. My daily fruit and vegetable intake has probably tripled. The amount of animal products I eat has dropped dramatically. I have discarded bread I once thought to be delicious as I find freshly baked, sourdough with the simplest of ingredients. I feel more energy although I haven't been exercising any more than I was (practically nothing). There are still more pieces to learn here and more specifics to add, but this way of eating is beginning to take hold. I am looking forward to learning more and eating and drinking more along this journey to a different way of being.

Day 31: Eatin Like A Cretan

2009-09-16T21:07:00.000-04:00

It turns out that there is a book version of the Rockefeller study that was done in Crete after World War II. I found it at the Smith College library. The Rockefeller Institute in America sent researchers to 1 out of every 150 homes in Crete to see among other things what they ate. They wrote down everything eaten in each of these homes over a period of a week. I wanted to take the book out, but they wouldn't let me. The interesting thing was that the last person who checked it out did it over 60 years ago!

Stomach hurting today. I think I have something that is going around or else I am eating too many vegetables.

Questions about the Cretan Diet

2009-09-15T16:36:00.000-04:00

Some of my unanswered questions:
1) According to what I have read, the people of Crete are vegan (no animal products) half the year. This is because they do not eat animal products on religious holidays. When are these religious holidays?
2) Does the Crete definition include or exclude honey? Strict vegans do not eat honey, because it is made from bees.

Day 30: Eatin Like A Cretan

2009-09-15T07:35:00.000-04:00

I am 1/3rd way through my adventure and it feels like it is really just beginning!
Yesterday felt like a critical point as I kind of lost it and came to a point of frustration with myself. I feel like I have been doing everything half-assed. Of course, as one person from Crete commented on my blog, I need to relax about the whole thing. That is what they would do in Crete.
Today, I am going to make the Briam again (Yum!).

A piece of history: After World War 2 ended, Crete was in really tough shape. It had been completely devastated. In the U.S., the Rockefeller Foundation decided they wanted to do something to help Crete around their diet (they were basically starving by the end of WWII). From what I know so far, the foundation sent student nurses to 1 out of every 150 homes in Crete. These nurses wrote down everything that was eaten in each of these homes for a week. What was found from this study was that they were eating a plant based diet (very little meat), but that they were also incredibly healthy. The Foundation's only recommendation was based on the wants of the people in Crete instead of their needs. The people of Crete said they wanted more meat. Of course, the interesting thing about that is that adding more meat to the diet (as well as sugar) has been the downfall of the health of Crete's population recently.

I'm spread too fat

2009-09-14T19:05:00.000-04:00

Let me just rant for a moment.
I just bought a house.
My girlfriend is moving in.
I have too much work to do.
I am not doing my daily exercise routines.
My Cretan diet has been half-assed.

Ok, that is done.

Today, I made my version of a delicious Cretan dish called Briam.

1 yellow squash, sliced thin
1 onion, sliced thin
1 large Russett potato, sliced thin
1 eggplant, sliced thin
1 red pepper, sliced thin
1 zucchini, sliced thin
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh dill
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large casserole dish, add all vegetables.
3. Drizzle with oil. Salt and pepper to desired taste. Mix everything together well.
4. Cover casserole dish tightly and bake for about an hour and a half.

It was hard to stop eating this delicious meal. I used the sour dough bread from the Hungry Ghost to dip into the oil at the bottom of the pan. It is amazing to me how something with no meat or cheese can taste so good. Try it and you will see.

For lunch today I made Christine and I a hummus platter with veggies, a little piece of cheese, pesto, bread, olive oil and apples with honey and cinnamon.
I would say I have had a pretty good Cretan day. I was at home today which made it a bit easier.

Settling In

2009-09-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

We stayed at the new house last night. Granted, we slept on the porch as the floors are getting done and nothing has been moved in. I did cook my first meal there last night. White bean stew with tzatziki and bread. Delicious! This morning I had yogurt and honey. Also met with my personal trainer. She gave me some particularly painful "corrective" exercises.
Got weighed yesterday! First time. I think it was 236 pounds. It was all on camera, of course. Good time to start this program considering I am at my highest weight ever! Ever!
Off to a busy day in lala land.

Jump Ship!

2009-08-29T11:04:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, not such a good day. They say that moving is one of the top stressors as is buying a new house. I guess making a film about Eatin like a Cretan is probably a big stressor as well. Anyways, I went down the tubes last night and ate like, well probably like a fairly healthy American. I probably ate too much cheese and popcorn, but it wasn't the worst example of poor eating I have ever done (not even close). Well, the motto is "get back on the ship". So here I am, recommitting. I will let you know how it goes. I am moving this weekend so it might be a bit sparse, but I will keep you informed.

Wanting to escape

2009-08-24T20:48:00.000-04:00

Here I am at that place of one way or another. I feel as lost as I just was walking in the woods. It is the place of wanting to give up, to go out and eat some ice cream or to have a drink or whatever else I may do to leave my own body. This is the thing though, my body is hurting and I need to take care of it. I have had a pretty consistent pain in my gut all day today (for weeks actually). I started to worry about it. I got into a place of fear around it. I have gastro reflux disease. It means that the acid in my stomach comes back up. It causes a lot of pain and guess what helps it? Eating better, losing weight, exercising. What a frickin surprise hey? Well, there it is.
I just walked for an hour and a half in the woods. It got dark along the way. I was lighting my way with my iphone, but it died and then I was on this path in the woods in the pitch black of night. I started hearing animals and even got to the point of making up an animal or two in my imagination. As I walked, the path seemed to get narrower and narrower, branches hit my face increasing my fear level even more. I saw a blue light moving along the path ahead of me. The unknown of it made me cringe, but instead of turning around or running up the side of the hill on my right I just kept going. I made up my mind that whoever had the light was a good guy and it was going to be alright.
I said "hello" and a male voice said, "you scared us". "You scared me too", I replied. I told them that my light died and I was hoping that I was heading in the right direction.
"you are almost there", the voice said.
I am almost there. I just need to stay on the path.

A delicious meal

2009-08-21T20:38:00.000-04:00

My cousin and his wife are here from New Paltz, New York. They are vegans and awesome cooks. This is a good combo because the people of Crete are vegans half the year (they eat no animal products on religious holidays). We just made one of the best tasting meals I have had in a long time and it was so quick, simple, and easy. Here are the recipes:

Oven Fries with Olive Oil and Herbs
4 organic russet potatoes, sliced into steak size fry pieces
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, drizzle olive oil onto the potatoes.
3. Add all the spices to bowl and mix well with your hands so that spices and oil are on all the potatoes.
4. Place potatoes single layered on a cookie sheet. Drizzle any extra oil on potatoes.
5. Cook potatoes for 30 - 40 minutes or until browned.
Save extra oil for bread.

Sauteed Kale with Garlic
1 large bunch of Kale, trimmed, cut and washed
1/4 cup good quality extra virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil on medium heat.
2. Add Kale and saute until wilted (or to taste)
3. Add garlic near end of cooking and turn off stove.
4. Salt and pepper to taste

A Recipe for a Delicious Meal
Crusty sourdough bread, sliced
Oven fries with olive oil and herbs
Sauteed kale with garlic
Red wine (no sulfates)

Pour extra olive oil from fries or kale onto bread. Top bread with kale and garlic and eat! Enjoy fries. Drink wine. Be happy.
Delicious!

Recipes by Casey Byrne and Bill Bradley.

Eating like a Cretan: The rollout: Step Two: Kermit is green and so should you

2009-08-20T15:34:00.000-04:00

By the second day of my adventure in Crete I was introduced to the delicious and incredibly healthy horta (XOPTA in Greek). Horta is not one food, but a whole group of greens that are picked fresh in the mountains and eaten daily. Most of the horta I ate was cooked in olive oil either by itself or with potatoes and was served with fresh bread which I would dip in the oil swimming on the plate. It can also be blanched and put on salads or just eaten raw (although it tends to be somewhat on the bitter side. The amazing thing about horta is that it is revered in Crete and here in America we try to kill it every chance we get. You see, horta, for the most part are the weeds that drive us crazy in our gardens and yards. Some examples of horta include: wild mustard greens, chicory, and dandelion greens. Purslane is often thought of as horta, it isn't, yet it is also eaten in great quantities in Crete.

Horta is high in many nutrients including Omega-3 fatty acids. We will go into more detail about horta later, but first here is your challenge to add to the original challenge.

Challenge #2

Eat 5 fruits and vegetables per day with one serving of horta included. Every day.

Horta includes: Dandelion greens, mustard greens, kale, chicory, beet greens, spinach, collard greens, curly endive.

Recipes on their way!

Also, below is an article about horta from the L.A. times

http://www.latimes.com/features/food/la-fo-calcook1-2009apr01,0,7805735.story?page=1

What is a Vegetable? Serving sizes

2009-08-19T08:23:00.000-04:00

For those of you who don't have experience with servings of fruits and vegetables it goes like this:

One serving vegetables equals:

1/2 cup cooked veggies

1 cup raw (such as lettuce)

One serving of fruit equals:

1 piece of fruit (apple, orange, banana, peach, etc.)

1/2 cup of sliced fruit

We want to get a general idea of what 5 to 9 servings equals. We don't want to go crazy about it. In Crete, they don't measure anything.

Eating like a Cretan: The rollout: Step One

2009-08-17T15:51:00.000-04:00

The next week is dedicated to moving towards the basics of the Mediterranean Diet. From there we will be getting more specifically into the Cretan diet. There are a number of pieces of the Cretan diet that make the folks of Crete healthier than people from other places in the Mediterranean. We will get to that. I will be following this diet for the next three months and I welcome any one who wants to follow it with me to do that.

So, let us begin with step one:

The majority of the food eaten is from fruits and vegetables.

The average American eats about 2 1/2 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. If you go from what the average American eats to 5 fruits and vegetables a day your risk of cancer drops 50%. As a matter of fact, the more fruits and vegetables you eat on a daily basis the less likely you are to get just about every disease known to man. One of the main reasons for this is that fruits and vegetables decrease inflammation in your body. The typical person in Crete eats at least 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. We will get to that next week. The challenge for tomorrow will be to eat 5 servings of fruits and vegetables. With a little bit of pre-thinking it is not as hard as it may seem. Here are some suggestions:

Breakfast:

Yogurt Parfait

1 cup Greek yogurt (in Crete, they would eat full fat yogurt)

2 of your favorite fruits, sliced

1 teaspoon honey

1/4 cup of your favorite nuts

F/V (fruits and vegetables) tally: 2 fruits

Lunch:

Crunchy Greek Salad

2 large carrot, cut into small pieces

1/2 red onion, sliced thin

1 red pepper, cut into bite sized pieces

1 large cucumber, peeled and sliced

1 tomato, cut into bite sized pieces

3-4 sprigs parsley, stems removed

1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives

1/2 cup olive oil

Juice of 1 lemon

4 ounces feta cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Mix all vegetables in a bowl with olive oil and lemon juice.

2. Top with crumbled feta cheese. Toss salad.

Serves 4 as main dish salad

Serves 6 as side salad

Recipe by Bill Bradley, R.D.

Eat salad with bread and olive oil (more about olive oil later)

F/V (fruits and vegetables) tally: 2 servings vegetables

Dinner:

By dinner time you already have 4 servings of fruits and vegetables so for the five a day challenge you only need one more serving.

It could be a half cup of broccoli or cooked spinach or any other cooked vegetable and you are there!

Good luck tomorrow!

Bill

Last Supper

2009-08-17T15:34:00.001-04:00

I had my last supper last night. The American meal I feasted on was from Bub's Barbecue in Sunderland, Massachusetts. Bub's slogan is "Pig out in Style" and pig out we did. My dinner consisted of barbecued spare ribs, grilled corn on the cob, baked beans, collard greens cooked in ham hocks, french fries, cole slaw, spiced potatoes, sweet potato puree, and dirty rice all washed down with a couple of glasses of beer. I topped off this final gastronomic delight with the newest of the all American desserts: a deep fried twinkie covered with whipped cream and strawberry sauce washed down with yet more beer. I felt bloated and tired after my high fat, high sugar meal and the bottom of my esophagus felt like someone had placed a hot branding iron on it. I went home and couldn't fall asleep. This is a way of eating I have been accustomed to in my past although not so much recently. It is not the high road to health.

What happened to Eatin Like A Cretan?

2009-07-29T17:49:00.001-04:00

Well, I have had some posts asking me what happened to my eating the typical diet of Crete for 3 months? It is still happening, just a little later. August 17th is the new proposed start date. We needed extra time to get sponsors, find videographers and make the proper plans to make everything work.

There will be updates along the way to let you know what is happening. We also have many requests from people who want to follow this with me. I will be creating a means for this to happen. Thanks to the people who are already following for your patience!

We are already on an exciting adventure!

Bill

Eating Like A Cretan, Day Two

2009-07-13T22:10:00.000-04:00

Today was a bit more of a challenge as I was traveling. This is when I have my hardest time eating healthy (even though I am usually traveling to teach healthy eating). I brought my food with me and I was lucky that I went to a meeting which had Greek salad and Mediterranean wraps. I had salad, hummus, and bread dipped in oil for dinner.

I am in a hotel. This is where I often space out the most and go into brainless eating mode. I am fine though. I did space out on 3 hours of television, but just went out and found a Barnes & Noble and bought two books.

Breaking habits seems to be more about awareness and taking one step at a time than anything else.

I was at a rest area on the Mass Pike today and there was a man dressed in a green Boston Celtics shirt with equally green shorts doing laps around the parking lot. Wow, here is a man who is committed to getting in shape. I ended up taking a picture of him and telling him how amazing I thought it was that he was exercising at a rest stop.

He told me that he was a manager at McDonald's. Miracles never cease.

Eating like a Cretan: Day One Part Three:Letting go of a legacy.

2009-07-12T22:15:00.000-04:00

Remembered a dream I had last night.

I was driving with my Mom. She was in the passenger's seat and I was going about 65 mph down the highway. We were talking and then she just opened the door and said "time for me to go" and she then jumped out. She held onto the side of the car for a moment and then she was gone.

When I woke up from the dream I was worried that it was a prophetic dream and I wanted to call her, but it was 2 in the morning. When I awoke in the morning I called and she was fine.

This evening I told my friend Robin the dream and she said that it was a really good dream as I begin this adventure of taking care of myself.

One of the legacies between my Mom and I was not taking care of ourselves. Her jumping out of the car meant I was letting that legacy go. She has let a lot of it go already. She has lost at least 150 pounds and she swims almost every day. She has the best tan of anyone I know.

In order for me to be successful I have to let go of the old legacy of not eating well. I have to be able to let it jump out the car and fade away.

Eating like a Cretan: Day One Part Two

2009-07-12T19:11:00.000-04:00

Today was a first good step to eating like a Cretan. There were some things noticeably missing (greens, red wine), but overall, it was a good day.

I had organic hard-boiled eggs with olive oil for breakfast.

Bean soup for lunch with carrots and dressing.

For dinner I made my own hummus and some biscuits made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter. They were half white and half whole wheat biscuits.

I had a glass of white wine with dinner and a shot of grappa afterwards. In Crete, they would have raki which is a liquor made of the distilled grape skins and seeds from the wine making process. The closest thing I know of here in America is Italian grappa, although I would love to find someone who has raki.

I am beginning to switch over to an entirely organic way of eating.

I also need to begin paying attention to my exercising as I have not been moving at all for months and that is not what would happen in Crete. People had to get there own food and prepare it as well which was exercise enough.

I will be contacting Chris Marano who is a local herbalist to help me find the Cretan Horta which is also found in this country.

It is one of the main sources of the greens which were eaten every day and packed with nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids which are deficient in many (if not most) Americans.

Eating like a Cretan: Day One

2009-07-12T10:44:00.000-04:00

I woke up feeling a bit panicked. I don't know what to eat for breakfast. I have often been asked what people in Crete eat for breakfast. What I got as an answer was usually: Goat's milk, bread, olives, feta cheese, hard boiled eggs, olive oil and of course Greek Coffee.

Don't really have much of that in my kitchen.

I have a baking powder biscuit (which I ate already).

I also made a cucumber and carrot salad with whole organic yogurt, organic cucumbers and carrots, dill, fresh garlic, and olive oil.

I will have a couple of hard boiled eggs (store bought).

Goals for the next 3 months:

To eat as traditional Cretan as possible.

To eat as organic as possible.

To learn about the specifics of the diet.

To find places in Western Massachusetts that make food the traditional way of Crete.

To find out what happens to my health in the next 3 months.

I am going to make some eggs.

Bill

Don't do it alone

2009-06-29T19:57:00.001-04:00

I was having dinner with my friend Nate tonight and told him about the film which begins this week. The goal is to eat the traditional food of Crete for three months to see what happens to me. Their food is known to be very healthy and strongly anti-inflammatory. I described the film to him and he listened intently. He then said "I have a suggestion, I would like it if you made a meal and invited 7 or 8 of your friends and shared with them your journey". I realized that before he said that to me, I had a profound sense of doing this all alone. That is not what they would do in Crete. That tiny island is known for it's hospitality and community. I have often thought that their good health was due more to their close knit communities than what they were eating. So, I want to invite others in. Join me as friends, new and old. Come with me on this adventure. You are welcome.

Preparing for an Adventure

2009-06-28T21:30:00.000-04:00

What would it be like to fully take care of yourself in every way?

A week from now I begin a journey to find out the answer.

For three months I will be doing the following things:

1) Eating the exact diet of Crete from the 40's and 50's when the people of that island were considered the healthiest people in the world.

2) I will begin training for a mini triathlon.

3) I will vision board and meditate every morning.

We will be filming the whole process and I will be writing in this blog often so you will know what is happening.

In the next week, I will be letting you know what I am doing to prepare.

Talk to you in the morning!

Bill

Sauteed Mustard Greens with Balsamic and Honey

2009-06-01T20:39:00.000-04:00

2 large handfuls mustard greens with stems, cleaned well

1 scallion, snipped

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Balsamic vinegar

1 Tablespoon honey

Salt and pepper to taste.

1. Heat oil in skillet on medium high. Add mustard greens, snipped scallion, salt, and pepper.

2. After greens have cooked a few minutes, add vinegar and honey. Cook to desired doneness.

Enjoy with a crusty bread.

Recipe by Bill Bradley, R.D.

Getting what I want

2009-04-22T06:26:00.000-04:00

Most of my life I have focused on what I don't want and have ended up getting exactly that. In the past few years I have discovered a different way of being and my life has changed. I found that if I focus on the negative I get negativity, but if I focus on the positive then that is what I get in my life. Let's say I want more money. In the past, I would ruminate on how little money I had. Guess what? I wouldn't have any money. No matter how much I made, the money would slip through my fingertips. Lately, my focus has been on having piles of money, enough so I can do whatever I want in life: travel, creative projects, buying gifts for others (and myself). If I can stay focused on oodles of money and be excited about having it and spending it than money pours in. If I focus on how little I have, that I can't pay the bills, that I can't get what I want then the money almost instantly dries up and disappears. It is a constant practice, after all, it has only been a few years of trying to be positive and the rest of my life of negativity and not getting what I wanted, but at least I have discovered the secret. There are a ton of resources out there on this very idea and many of them are not new. I will list a few just below.

Resources:

1) The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer

2) The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

3) The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason (originally written in 1926!)

4) Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

5) Manifesting Change (Audio) by Mike Dooley

6) Ask and it is Given by Abraham-Hicks

7) Any of the live cd's from Abraham-Hicks

Your practice today is to stay in the positive. Your thoughts can be changed, it just takes practice.

What I want (part one)

2009-04-21T06:32:00.001-04:00

I was meditating last night at my guide communication class and I saw myself as this vital, energetic, excited man. As I went deeper in, visions came to me of how to be that. It all had to do with feeding my core. It meant all the things that I always say I want to do, but rarely get to. Meditating, eating healthy food, exercising, exposing myself to the positive of the world. All the stuff that we all know would be good for us if we could just get to it. That is part one of what I want. It is the key to everything else. Let us begin.

Being sick is good for my health

2009-04-18T15:54:00.000-04:00

I treat myself the best when I am sick. First of all, I finally give myself permission to relax. Forgetting all the things that seemed so important, my body has time to heal. I buy fruit and vegetables and actually have time to use them. Cooking all my own food, I eat better. I make healthy teas and dishes full of veggies. I give my mind time to connect with my body and find that it knows exactly what I need. I feel how eating too much sugar hurts my stomach, how eating ice cream fills my body with phlegm. I give me time for me and my body begins to respond by getting better. The amazing thing is that if I were able to slow down in the first place and listen to my body I probably wouldn't have gotten sick at all. So, the lesson for today is to slow down and listen (even when I get better).

Relationships Make Me Fat

2009-02-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

At the end of every relationship I have ever been in, I have been 25 to 30 pounds heavier than when I began. Then it ends and I lose the weight. When I am alone I go to the gym, hike mountains, eat less. When I am with a woman I overeat, sit and lay down.

This is the way I was when I was a child. In that cocoon of my family, depressed and lethargic; the whole lot of us; time filled with Nutter Butter cookies, Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, and overboiled, tasteless frozen broccoli. My template for relationship is warped, it is me trapped and bloated from death.

So here I am again, 30 pounds heavier than I was six moths ago. She returned, surprising me completely. This beautiful woman who loves me as I am. She returned and I began packing on the pounds, falling into the barbed wire fence of my childhood. It feels like the wire is tied tightly to my body and the harder I try to get out, the tighter it gets.

So, the answer is to relax and open to what is here, this love, this love of her and my life and my family and my friends. To let go so completely that the barbed wire just falls off, that, of course is the answer.

So today I breathe and relax into this new way of being.

I invite you to do the same.

Using food

2008-02-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

Food is such a comfort. It has sustained me through some pretty tough times. I have used it over the years to stuff emotions, to comfort myself in hard times. I have crammed 229 pounds of emotion down my throat. It sounds violent and I think it is. There is a way I put food in my mouth that feels abusive.

Lately, I have used food to stuff my own truth. I would like to begin living my truth. The deep down passion of life. Yeah, I look forward to that.

Upward Battle

2008-02-22T12:47:00.000-05:00

About 6 months ago I had an operation (an assectomy as it were). I haven't fully recovered and I have gained a bunch of weight and have had no desire to exercise. The diet that I teach is strongly anti-inflammatory. The way of living I profess is deeply healing. I know the right answers, but when one has gone down the wrong path over and over it can feel almost impossible to take a different path.
What is the first step?
Declare what I want:
I want to feel physically strong and healthy.
I want to feel vibrant and alive.
I want to feel light.
I want to feel positive every day.
I want to feel connected to nature.

The next step is to visualize.

Contradictions

2008-02-21T15:10:00.000-05:00

I am an overweight dietitian. I teach about healthy eating and occasionally go to McDonald's. I have in the past worried about these contradictions and at the same time pretended to celebrate them. My contradictions around food will be plainly obvious as I attempt to follow the exact diet of 1948 Crete for the next 3 months. My goals are 1) to see what happens to my overall health by really eating like a Cretan, 2) to see what healing around food I can do in that time 3) to film and write about the whole experience.