Widely published food writer Mark Bittman seems to be everywhere. I read his "Minimalist" column in the Dining section of the NY Times avidly; he is great at creating delicious recipes with a few well chosen ingredients.
In last month's Bon Appetit, he wrote about how he turned his life around a couple of years ago by figuring out how to eat more healthfully and lose quite a few extra pounds that had crept up on him as he ate his way through too many deluxe meals. Here's a link to the article.
His five rules "to transform your food life" are:
1. Go (mostly) vegan. Until dinner, Bittman eats almost no animal products and absolutely no processed foods at all.
2. Minimize the meat. He has "meat or fish many nights, but in smaller amounts" than he used to. Once in awhile, he'll indulge in a steak. "Wine is strictly encouraged. Dessert is most definitely allowed."
3. Weigh it out. He keeps an eye on his weight and when the scales go in the wrong direction, he gets more strict for a few days.
4. Cut yourself some slack. Don't beat yourself up over a lapse. It's the big picture that counts.
5. Make it your own. "Figure out what works for you."
