Nutty for nutrition

Robin Quivers, News Anchor, "The Howard Stern Show"

I'm nutty for nutrition. I've become one of those people who can't stop talking about the connection between food and health. Like a lot of people, I used to think I was incapable of doing anything about the way I felt everyday. Now that I know how much changing what you eat can transform your life, I can't stop proselytizing.

Yes, I went through something and I now think everyone should benefit from my journey. That's true, but it's hard not to speak out when I feel so good and I'm getting so much more out of life. Is that such a bad thing to want to share?

It's like a religious conversion. I see and hear things now that would have gone unnoticed before. For example, I was riding with a friend in LA who's Muslim. He was observing Ramadan by abstaining from all food during the daylight hours, of course, but also restricting his eating at sundown to juices and raw fruits and vegetables. He said he felt great and his joint pain had subsided. "But", I asked him, "I bet you can't wait to get back to eating the way you normally do, can you?" His reply: "No, I can't."

Even when people have proof that something about the way they eat is affecting them adversely, they have trouble making the leap to changing their eating habits. So it becomes almost impossible to convince people who haven't even perceived that there is a problem to change the way they eat. But the truth is that we have all been lulled into accepting a much lower level of health and well being than we could achieve. I even think a case could be made that the effects of a poor diet are much worse than just not experiencing as much energy and vitality as possible.

But there's the rub. What constitutes a poor diet? What is a healthy diet? People tell me they eat healthy. Of course they always say "most of the time" right afterwards. But they're also always complaining about some chronic condition they suffer from as well. "I have migraines", "I suffer from allergies", "I have acid reflux", "I'm taking something for my arthritis". And of course there's the ever popular "I'm tired".

Watching TV you get the impression these conditions are normal because there are ads for medication or supplements to combat each one. Yes, even "tired" has a cure. Everyone knows you're going to need a boost after lunch so get your caffeine supplement here. But what if it were possible not to experience any of this? What would life be like if you just woke up feeling good, had lots of energy and never noticed a slowdown unless it was caused by incredible exertion? Would that be a life worth living?

I propose that with proper nutrition -- not government suggested daily requirements -- you could have that kind of life. I wonder why it's such a secret, and I wonder why more people aren't looking for it. Having made the journey from one to the other, I know it's possible, and I can't stop telling people it exists.

Robin Quivers is running her first marathon on Nov 7th in New York. She has dedicated that effort to nutrition education for kids by supporting programs run by the Sylvia Center and Family Food Productions. To help her help children learn good eating habits and cooking skills go the 15foundation.org.