My Advice to Brooke (Shields)

About two weeks ago, I was on Today talking LBT. Brooke Shields was guest hosting and she really was as nice as can be. When I arrived and saw her clutching her copy of my “little book” it was awesome. Even better? She told me she read the whole thing. Yes! So we did the segment and it was a lot of fun. My “I think that went well and I never think that” moment was cut short when Brooke pulled me aside. In her whispery voice she said, “loved the book but it’s sooooo hard to do everything” she was clearly distressed. I reassured Brooke “you don’t have to do everything just pick the pieces that speak to you.” She hadn’t thought of that.

Since them, it’s been a great feeling to hear from my friends, clients and readers I didn’t know before that they are putting LBT to use.  One of my friends I’ve known since preschool emailed:

So my mom gets your book, proceeds to follow ALL of your advice and has lost 8 pounds since 12/31.  She's been cooking with quinoa and sprinkling hemp seeds and making your recipes.  She ordered e-boost and omega 3's and miso.  She's totally on board with your plan, even using the treadmill to break a sweat instead of just going for a walk.  How great, right?

And as I boarded the train from a Westchester book signing I received this

I have to say I'm a bit obsessed with LBT.  Last week, a review was pushed to me via Health Magazine.  I read it and immediately downloaded it to my iPad, devoured it (no pun intended) and started it the next morning. In fact, I bought a hard copy so I could easy flip back to parts and have been stalking Lauren and "Foodtrainers" on the web. I've been on LBT it for less then a week (following it to a "T"-- not grazing or picking the kids scraps is the hardest!) But it has worked-- 4 lbs already and a refocused mindset.   In addition, I have my husband following the plan to get rid of the Holiday 5 and to

jumpstart his health. I hope this wasn't TMI but I had to share.

Love this graphic via Juli Novotny/Pure Mamas blog about LBT

TMI? Never but I got an equal thrill when my brother in law, at the LI rainy signing, said “Laur- what’s this that I can’t have a bagel?” I explained the reasoning behind my no list. He left Whole Foods with sprouted bagels, amazing.

Look, I sat down with the Sunday paper yesterday and “52 Places to Go in 2014” immediately pulled me in (I’m all about the Travel and the Style section, sorry). And within seconds a feeling came over me- I’m lucky if I hit 1 of the places mentioned. Chances are Albania and Ecuador and Southwestern Dominican Republic would never get ticked off my travel list. And no matter how many tweets and interviews I do about the book, I get the feeling of not being able to do it all, see it all, tackle it all. And what should you do if you feel this way? Just do something. Find whatever your sprouted bagel or “picks of kids scraps” is and focus there.

What do you do when feeling overwhelmed? Are you a “follow to a T” person or more of a tweaker? Which of the 52 places would you like to go?

When it comes to vices, is smoking a little ok?

I’ve established that I’m not a Gwyneth hater; I know some of you are and you’ll have more ammunition as this post continues. I like G’s recipes, I like Goop and I didn’t think I had that much more to say about Ms. Paltrow but I was wrong.Yesterday, The Today Show asked Carolyn for her professional opinion on an article Gwyneth wrote for the Telegraph. In this article Gwyneth admits to 1 cigarette a week.

I often have a glass of red wine in the evening and smoke a cigarette on a Saturday. I love those moments because they are just the right amount of naughty. That balance keeps you vibrant. You have to live your life, after all.

Whether it chocolate or French fries or margaritas or pizza treats happen for all of us.. Ideally, for my clients, these treats are planned and contained. Gwyneth isn’t advocating chain smoking or binge drinking but she did just put out a book that included a detox regime? Can you advocate making everything from scratch, juicing and ditching gluten while having an occasional cigarette? Can the same person who pushes detox also endorse “tox”? You lost me at cigarettes and vibrancy.

What bothers me most is that Gwyneth wasn’t embarrassed about her smoking but made a case for it. I used to be silly or more than silly about the sun and some clients were surprised to hear that. Others were pleased that I admitted it, have since changed my habits, and suggested ways to stay safe from sun and the cancer it can give us. Now what if I had said "I think baking in the sun once a week is fine go for it." Gwyneth pulled the old “I don’t like to deny myself anything” and “it’s the right about of naughty”. Is this someone who lost her father to cancer? One sweet a week is one thing, a drink here or there (can actually be healthy) but smoking as part of a balanced life? Nope, call me a party pooper but it’s not naughty it’s nasty.

I don’t believe in promoting the unhealthy while encouraging others to be healthy. I didn’t like it with Michelle Obama and I don’t here with Gwyneth either. And relax, it’s not about being perfect it’s about being consistent. We don't have to go out of our way to publicly do or endorse unhealthy things to appear "normal", not too rigid or sadly maybe cool.

I will have you know some admired the smoky Gwyneth, I read an article that found the smoking “endearing”.  And see I found using food to make herself and her family healthy far more endearing. It makes me wonder if Gwyneth’s regime, for her, is really about health or just about as she said having “a 20 year old stripper’s butt”.

Do you think smoking a little each week is the same things as drinking or eating treat food or, is it worse? Would you buy Gwyneth’s clean eating books if, in the intro let’s say, she mentioned her naughty cigarette? Are there some things we should deny ourselves of?

 Join me in Sun Valley Septemer 19^th-22^nd for the Harvest Festival

I’ll be speaking on a great panel on food trends but it’ll be a weekend full of food, tastings and talks in a beautiful location.

The official blurb:

The weekend offers attendees an opportunity to learn culinary secrets from the country’s top chefs, taste agricultural wonders from Idaho and the Northwest and learn from nationally-recognized food and health experts. Adventurous foodies will have the opportunity to enjoy hiking, biking, and all that the beautiful fall weather offers.

 I’m really looking forward to it, tweet us if you’re planning to be there, it’s known as “foodie heaven”

And trust me, smoking will not be a trend this year or any year.