Q & A: Weight loss and healthy lifestyles.

Q: My husband and I are planning a vacation to Hawaii and before we go I want to lose a few pounds. I avoid snacking, and eat light meals, but sometimes end up gorging myself with food. Why does this happen?

A: What you are experiencing is not lack of will power, but the "restrained-eater" phenomenon. Your initial reaction is guilt or failure, but gorging actually is an automatic biological response to dieting. When dieting and/or skipping meals, your body thinks you are in a state of starvation. Any food your body receives in this state of hunger is thought of as the only food it will get for a while. The result is an uncomfortable bingeing reaction. Stop this pattern and take control of what you eat. Weight management includes low-fat meals with complex carbs which are both filling and satisfying.

Q: At 35, I'm still a red meat, high school junk food junkie. Eating healthy is foreign to me, but I feel ready to change! Can you help me rid myself of these non-nutritious foods!

A: Embarking on a dietary change takes some planning, but wanting to change is the first step! Start by getting offending foods out of the house. Remove high-fat, no-fiber foods out of the houseurney, but wanting to change is the first step! Start by getting offending foods out of the house! Remove high fat, no-fiber foods such as meat (including fish, poultry), dairy products, salad dressings, oils, cookies, cakes, ice cream, pies, chips, and nuts from your home. Non-fat dressings and snacks are okay to leave in your cupboards. Delight your taste buds with these wholesome foods as part of your new diet:

BREAKFAST:
fresh fruit (grapefruit, oranges)
hot cereal (grits, rolled oats)
whole grain toast with jelly

LUNCH:
salad (with a twist of lemon juice)
fresh fruit (apples, pears)
lentil soup
bread (pretzels, breadsticks)

DINNER:
legumes (black beans w/salsa)
vegetables (spinach, broccoli with minced onion, garlic, or parsley)
grains/starches (rice, pasta, bread)

Q: My mother had breast cancer. I am battling with it and now fear for my daughter's life. She is only 12 and already asks if she is going to develop cancer. Is it true that diet has an impact on cancer?

A: Although genetics may be a factor in one's potential cancer risk, a preventive diet can greatly reduce the odds. Help ease your daughter's fears by impressing upon her the benefits of a vegetable-rich diet. Such foods can reduce or neutralize the production of free radicals; a high-fat and meat-based diet does the opposite.

Research shows that affluent women who eat meat daily increase their risk by nine times compared to those who rarely consume meat. Many think cutting back on animal products is a solution, but studies show switching from beef to turkey breast or drinking skim milk instead of whole milk is ineffective. These efforts decrease fat calories from 37 to only 30 percent, which according to a Harvard study, doesn't lower cancer risks (I recommend 10 percent).

My advice is to protect your cells with vitamin C (citrus fruits, green vegetables), vitamin E (vegetables, beans, grains, and fruits), and beta-carotene (orange, yellow, and green vegetables).

Try cooking with soybeans which have natural compounds called phytoestrogens. These compounds keep estrogen levels low and in check. A high-fat diet elevates estrogen levels and fuels breast tumors which is exactly what you don't want. Start taking care of both yourself and your daughter. Maintaining a healthy, plant-based diet could save both of your lives!