(ABOVE) Because our bodies absorb most of what we place onto our skin, I now shop only for health-conscious skincare and all-natural, clean makeup with minimal ingredients.
Q: Why don’t I eat the Standard American Diet?
JLJ: Beginning June 1, 2012, because of several chronic health conditions, I stopped eating a variety of foods. Many of these foods are still commonly touted as healthy, however current science is proving they can harm rather than help our bodies. Today, by changing the way I eat, most of my symptoms have been eased or eliminated, giving me hope that I’m on the way to healing my body. With the approval of my personal physician, I adopted this lifetime eating plan from a combination of the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet and the Perfect Health Diet. These lifetime eating regimes are often referred to as “Clean Eating”. (Another good resource on the harmful effects of certain foods, including grain, is the book Grain Brain.)
Q: So what exactly do I eat?
JLJ: I continue to adjust my diet, as I am still learning what foods my body does and doesn’t tolerate. For example, although I have been off of all dairy (breakouts and rashes improved dramatically), I will eventually reintroduce just butter to see if my body reacts to it favorably.
Generally, I eat three meals a day, as well as two snacks (a vegetable juice, whole fruit, nuts, etc.)–most of them at home. Everything I purchase to prepare and eat at home is organic. These consist of organic grass-fed and finished beef; free-roaming chicken and their eggs; fish (wild-caught sockeye salmon or sardines); pork; colorful vegetables (raw, fermented raw or cooked, and drizzled with chicken fat, rendered lard, beef tallow, or cold-pressed olive oil); whole fresh fruits; sprouted nuts and seeds; coffee or loose-leaf tea; fresh spring water; an occasional alcoholic beverage (mostly red wine); and fresh baked, organic grain-free muffins that, currently, I make from sprouted organic quinoa flour.
As you may have noticed, there is no soy on that list. There also are no grains, sugar/sweeteners (see below for more on sugar/sweeteners), or as I mentioned before, dairy. (Update: As of December 23, 2015, I began incorporating organic white potatoes and organic, sprouted rice (or organic rice crackers) back into my diet, but only a few times a week. Sometimes, for example, I don’t have rice for months at a time. See “Safe Starches, The Perfect Health Diet.
For baking, I use organic coconut oil, and occasionally stir fry with organic olive oil, and always retain and consume the fat from organic, pasture-raised animals or free-range chickens (these fats do not oxidize when heated, which is harmful to the body, and they’re wonderful for drizzling over vegetables.) Although I do eat organic fresh or frozen unsweetened whole fruit, I for the most part limit my intake to only one to two servings a day; current thought is that even too much natural sugar can wreak havoc with the immune system.
Q: No Sugar/Sweeteners, ever?
JLJ: I do allow myself a tiny amount of sugar/honey, but only if it’s in certain items, such as baked beans. When purchasing these at a store, I make sure I buy an organic brand with a low sugar content. I also add half a can of water to dilute the sauce, then drain the beans thoroughly, so there is just a hint of the flavor/sauce remaining. Also, I have ordered bacon in a restaurant (a few times over several years). Bacon, ham or sausage usually has some sort of a sweetener, and if the bacon/ham/sausage isn’t organic it also has unhealthy preservatives–which is why I don’t order it in a restaurant very often. Luckily, it’s now possible to find organic, uncured bacon and lunch meat without any added sugar, sulphates, or sulphites, so these are what I buy for eating at home. Otherwise, I don’t add sugar or sweeteners to my food or beverages (baked items, salad dressing, tea, etc.). When dining at a restaurant, I order items without sugar/sweeteners in/on them (no sauces, no salad dressing, etc.–I bring my own dressing). When purchasing items in a store, I buy items without sugar added.
Q: Was it difficult to change to this way of eating? Have I always been a health nut? Do I think other people should be or want to be as skinny as I am?
JLJ: Yes, no, and of course, no!
I definitely was not a health nut. I smoked one and three-quarter packs of cigarettes a day before I quit at age 28. I chewed 20 pieces of bubblegum in one sitting. My breakfast was donuts and coffee with cream and sugar. Lunch was a hot dog or reuben sandwich, potato chips, diet Coke, and dessert. My go-to grocery store was Seven-11 . No wonder I had developed asthma.
During my 40s, I began to cut back on my sugar intake, but not on breads and pasta. I thought I was being healthier, because more and more I also was switching to only whole grain and organic foods, and I was exercising three times a week. I was fooling myself, though, as even whole-grain carbohydrates quickly turn to sugar in our bodies. So, believe me, I understand how gut-wrenchingly difficult it is to switch to this new way of eating, especially if you are like I was all of my life and are predominantly a sugar and bread/pasta lover. When I reached my lowest point in 2012, I had skin rashes, styes, chest pain, a chronically inflamed bladder, and asthma that had sent me to the emergency room four times. I realized, if I didn’t make a big change I would only keep getting sicker.
Today, although I still have more healing to do–and I am still tweaking my diet–I know I’m much healthier than I was. Yes, I happen to be skinny (it seems to run in my family). But no, I don’t think your healthiest you should look like my current healthiest me–or anyone else. None of us should have to feel like our healthiest bodies are not beautiful because they do not conform to someone else’s idea of beauty or health.
Q: Do I follow the 80-20 principle (eat a clean diet 80 percent of the time).
JLJ: No. I try to eat this way 100 percent of the time, for one simple reason: I don’t want to be sick anymore. I say “try”, because as vigilant as I am, there may be times when at a restaurant or a friend’s home that I am accidentally given an item I’m not supposed to eat and I’m not aware. But as for knowingly cheating, I don’t. Early on I tried cheating a few times and my body punished me in spades!
Q: What kind of skincare and makeup do I use?
JLJ: Sixty-four to 100 percent of what we put on our skin is absorbed into the bloodstream (National Institutes of Health). That’s why I now use only organic skincare and all-natural, clean makeup. I am constantly searching for skin-care products, makeup and beauty tools that not only perform well, but also are the healthiest I can find.
Through this blog, I will continue to share all I am discovering with you.
For more about the organic skincare and all-natural, clean makeup I currently use, click here.
Here is to each and every one of us becoming our healthiest selves possible–physically, mentally, and spiritually!
**Update as of 2026**
February 7, 2026
In this July 13, 2024 Blog Post, I gave an update about some major changes I had made to my diet; and it recently came to my attention that I never included that information here, so I want to be sure and do that now.
As I noted earlier, since 2012 I had been off of wheat, corn, oatmeal (most grains except rice), sugar/sweeteners, dairy, fried foods, and processed meats. The reason for this dramatic adjustment to my diet was to heal my body of asthma (I had been hospitalized in the emergency room four times), chronic heart burn, a chronically inflamed bladder, and several other health issues. A blood test in 2020 further revealed that my body doesn’t tolerate eggs, quinoa or coconut well either, so I went off of those, too.
Because my health improved (no heartburn, bladder issues or asthma symptoms since 2012), as of July 2023 I began allowing myself to occasionally indulge in eggs, wheat (unbuttered toast, bagel, biscuit, graham cracker, animal cracker, croissant, or scone), bacon, or french fries (or olive oil potato chips). The other major change is, instead of quinoa, I now eat millet.
Occasionally, I have also been allowing myself to have a dessert and or/dairy. For example, at a Christmastime dinner out I ordered spaghetti bolegnese (contains dairy) and for dessert, I chose ice cream. I haven’t had either since then, but I have had an almond scone at an afternoon tea (contains sweetened almond paste) and, at other times, a slice of apple pie or something similar. The point is, I don’t eat rich, sugary wheat-heavy or dairy-heavy desserts like these–are even graham crackers or a plain scone–every day. I make sure, in fact, that several days a week are completely “clean”.
Another change: As of 2023 I also began allowing myself to wear a fragrance occasionally–usually about once or twice a week at most. Often, I go weeks without wearing any fragrance, but just knowing I can indulge in this luxury once in a while is enough. I have always loved wearing perfume, and I missed it. It is an expression of the girly part of me that I felt had been suppressed.
The reason for this change is simple: I felt like I was so rigid with my diet, I was missing out on living a normal life. I never allowed myself, ever, to indulge even a little. I even stayed away from social events simply because I didn’t want to cause problems for the hostess.
Although the term “life balance” is a term that is so overused I really don’t like applying it here, it is the only term that can best describe what I want not only in my diet but also in my life.
Whenever I read about the lifestyles of centenarians, I don’t think I have ever heard of one single person completely staying away from all foods that are not necessarily the healthiest. All of the centenarians I have seen in interviews admit to enjoying some sort of “vice,” if you will–from ice cream to smoking. I, personally, have no intention of indulging in something as clearly dangerous as smoking, but to each his/her own. For centenarians, what seems to be common among all of them is a happy, positive, hopeful, and lighthearted outlook on life–which includes little indulgences like so-called no-so-healthy foods once in a while (but not overdoing it either).
My hope and goal with this change is that it will help me to lead the most healthy–and balanced–lifestyle I can. Whether or not I will continue on this particular path, I really am not sure, but for now this is what I am trying out.
~ Janis Lyn Johnson
I love reading what you are doing Janis. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, Karen. I so appreciate you visiting my site–and leaving such a nice comment!
I have had a chronic cough for over 15 years. The last doctor I went to said I had a form of asthma and put me on an inhaler and a nebulizer. Neither of these worked for very long. I still cough. I also have acid reflux and am on Nexium which isn’t really good to be on. Do you think this diet might help me?
Hi, Beth. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with a chronic cough like that. I had so much healing of both my asthma and heartburn symptoms by following the combination of GAPS and the Perfect Health Diet, so there’s a very good chance you might, too. Sometimes a chronic cough can even be due to reflux, I believe. Of course, I don’t know if that’s your issue, but if you want more details about what I talked about in my blog post, check out the links on my blog to both of those sites. Or google your symptoms along with the words GAPS or Perfect Health diet. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, you might try going off dairy for, say, a week or even longer, and see if that helps any. Dairy seemed to be a major culprit for me. You also might want to consider cutting back on sugar a lot. Please keep me posted. Sending prayers for healing. 🙂 Hugs, Janis
Hi Beth, I had a chronic cough for 2 years. After x-rays and tests I was told it was caused by silent acid reflux. I decided I didn’t want to spennd the rest of my life on pills and reflux medication so I did my own research. I was convinced it was diet related although I have been quite a healthy eater and confused why at my age I would even suffer from reflux. My symptoms started at the age of 46. It became so bad it effected my job, constantly coughing in a small office space all day wasn’t much fun. II came across a eating plan called the Fast Tract diet. I thought I would mention this because it has helped my cough and reduced it by 90%. I am still trying to make positive changes to my diet and it can be hard after a life time eating high carb and sugar consumption. I also lost a bit of weight, feel more awake each morning and happie, all an added bonus. Good luck.
Gosh.. I am so in love with this blog! I’m not sure I fit in, though, because I’m not very wealthy and so cannot afford the foods you’re talking about or much of anything else in this blog, but I do know how to shop. I need to change my diet because I have health issues too. I’m the other end of the spectrum with a really fat body, but for the same reasons. I love to eat pasta, bread, and loads of sugar goodies. I love fashion, colors, design, and am an over 55 writer who raised my autistic son first before concentrating on my career, so I’m catching up. I just wanted to say Janis, that I love your style and look forward to learning a lot from you! I’m Liz, and I’m also from Texas, and noooo we’re not southern. We’re TEXAN here in San Antonio! Never let anyone fool you about that! (Although, that said, in East Texas, they consider themselves southern, and do seem to be to me, because of their weather, their historic plantation background & aristocratic style, and their love of the south.)
Elizabeth, I am so sorry your son got autism. He is very lucky to have a mom who loved him so much to even put aside her own career to take care of him. I can’t tell you how much I admire you. I know raising children is challenging, but raising a child with a serious illness must be overwhelming, heartbreaking, and terrifying. My heart goes out to you. I’m also sorry you suffer some health issues, but I’m happy to hear you are now turning to taking care of yourself and getting healthy. I can’t say enough about the two nutritional programs I follow–GAPS and the Perfect Health Diet. I hope you find your own best healing program(s), too, whatever they are. As for budget and whether you fit in here, I think if you try to eat clean (no sugar, no junk food, no packaged foods, no grains, only pure butter and not margarine –just whole foods like our great grandparents ate), then you will be able to relate to what I talk about health-wise, and it will do a lot for your health. For example, when my husband and I travel and stop at highway fast-food places to eat, I choose a salad and use my own homemade dressing I carry with me everywhere). As for my style, I agree that a number of the items I wear are from somewhat pricey stores (i.e., Ralph Lauren, Kate Spade, Talbots, Ann Taylor, Anthropologie, J. McLaughlin’s, Lilly Pulitzer, J. Crew, Tory Burch, Michael Kors). But what is great is that I have gotten most/many of them from places like Marshall’s or T. J. Max, which sell designer clothing, often from a past season, but for as much as half off and more–or I’ve gotten them on sale directly from the individual store. You are also right about the fact that, if you know how to shop, you can get alternatives/similar items at much less cost. From your “Southern” comment, I see you watched my Monograms video (hee, hee, hee)! Thank you sooo much for clearing up my confusion. I never knew that about East Texas! So, considering I only lived in east coast Texas cities for a total of 4.5 years (age 0-2.5 and age 7-9), I guess I am Texan by birth and southern/British by ancestry. Good to finally know! Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and your kind compliment. You sound fascinating (mother, writer, Texan!, fashion/design/color lover). To Your Good Health and Cheers! ~Janis
Please do Q&A videos sometime and absolutely do 50 facts about me video like another youtubers,here’s the questions janis.
http://youtu.be/f8I8QdymuyU
Or make your own questions,we will be happy something more about you.Happy days.
Thank you for the suggestion for a Q&A video, Rose! ~Janis
Hi Janis
Great to hear that you’ve turned your health around with a clean food diet. I am a fan too and have eaten so for the last five years. Here in Australia we don’t have as much factory farming and our dairy is mostly freerange. I am horrified when I see what makes up the American diet.
I was drawn to your bog because I love your style and now that I am nearing retirement I feel I could use a make over in style to embrace a more relaxed but chic look. You are inspiring. I look forward to reading and watching.
Cheers
Meg
Meg, thank you for commenting! I’m fascinated to hear how different it is in Australia regarding the factory farming and free-range dairy…and our typical American diet. I did not know that. I’m so happy you like my blog and can relate to the health aspect as well. Congratulations on eating clean for five years! You must really have seen a difference in your health! I so appreciate your support. Cheers to you! ~Janis
Hi Janis,
I too, love your blog! You seem to be a beautiful woman, inside and out! I love your style and you are helping me find my own. I’m a 56 year old homeschooling mom of seven and my style hasn’t changed much in over 30 years. Now that my children are getting older (my oldest is 32 and my youngest is 11) I only have three left home to homeschool and my budget is getting a little better so I can spend a bit on myself.
I’m also enjoying reading your health posts. I love to work out and eat healthy and try to do the best I can on a budget. I’ve been on and off dairy and wheat for three years and find if I behave myself then the arthritis in my fingers gets better, whereas if I go back to wheat and dairy, they act up. So I enjoy your posts to get some inspiration of what you eat, too. At some point would you share your muffin recipe? I searched on line but could not find it and cannot find sprouted quionia flour.
Sue, I am in complete awe of you. How amazing that you are a homeschooling mom of seven!! It is fascinating (and frustrating and scary) how our bodies speak to us when we eat something they don’t like, isn’t it?! Boy they let us know! How wonderful that you have discovered what eases the arthritis in your fingers. I’m so pleased for you! Thank you for letting me know you want the muffin recipe. I will keep that in mind. Thank you for visiting my blog and for commenting! To your great health! ~Janis
I admire you for the radical changes you did, for me is very hard to quit sugars. I just lost 25 pounds but is hard.
I enjoy very much your blog and you reside in my favorite city!!!!
Eva, losing 25 lbs is so much to be proud of. That must have taken great discipline. It took me many, many years of trying to quit (about 9 or 10) before I was finally able to do it. And oh my goodness, as I was trying to do it in the beginning, I whined about it. I was miserable. I also must have been misarable to be around!! Maybe try cutting back just a little here and there and one day, before you know it, you are off of all sugar. Take it one day at a time. Thank you for your comment! Here’s to your health! ~Janis
Love your videos, Janis. You are an inspiration!! You adapt all the trends to suit the chic over 50s, what an achievement. my
My imagination is overflowing with ideas , thanks to your easy to follow styling advice.
Thanks a million!!
I’m thrilled you like my videos, Bridin! Thank you! I so appreciate you watching them – and taking the time to leave your nice comment. ~Janis
I’ve just come across your YouTube channel and now your blog. I love that more ‘older’ women (I don’t think of myself like that, do you?) are getting out there and proving we’re still alive and have only got wiser!
I wonder if you’ve come across Mimi Kirk (she’s on Facebook, mostly, with some interesting podcasts around too). She’s raw vegan, but her journey is interesting as she has a long history of family ill-health. Her change has been gradual. Now at 79, she’s a real inspiration.
Looking forward to more JLJ!
Mx
Maggie, thank you for telling me about Mimi Kirk. I didn’t know about her! She does look very interesting, and I look forward to following her! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my blog and to comment. ~Janis
I too have begun to “clean up my act” regarding what I put into my body. I began to get health issues as soon as the menopause was over and oestrogen was no more. Intolerance to certain foods, allergies…all sorts of odd complaints have reared their heads. I so agree that eliminating certain food stuffs (dairy, gluten and sugar in my case) really does help a lot. Thank you for your wonderful Blog Janis, I love it and so look forward to connecting each time.
Oh my gosh, yes, Linda, menopause (and for me even peri-menopause beforehand) seemed to kick in additional issues I had not had before. I got a rash on my face that would not quit, it seemed, but by religiously sticking to the diet (and continuing to further tweak it), it did eventually go away (it took two years). It’s great to meet someone else following a similar kind of eating plan. You understand how challenging it can be to give up all those food groups, and yet how rewarding it is when the symptoms finally, finally start going away, making it all worth while! ~Janis
I, too, follow Perfect Health Diet. Or I should say I TRY to follow it. Some of my health issues have been greatly reduced. As time goes on I find it more and more difficult to stick to this eating plan but I keep trying. Thanks for the inspiration!!
I love all of your clothes!
Wow, Lisa, it’s so nice to meet you. You are the first person I’ve been in contact with who has even heard of it. It really is a major lifestyle change, isn’t it? You know, what keeps me on it is the fact that I get symptoms within 24 hours, some within 15 minutes, that are awful. I just can’t go back to that life again. I was so scared I would never get ride of any of it. I wish I could have known about this way of eating and switched to eat back in my 20s, long before I had all the health issues, but it took me going through all the years of symptoms, I suppose, to convince me to do it and stick to it as best as I can. I feel your struggle!! Bless you, sweet girl!! Hugs ~Janis
LOVE THIS: None of us should have to feel like our healthiest bodies are not beautiful because they do not conform to someone else’s idea of beauty or health.
Thank you so much, Elizabeth, for taking the time to read this section of my blog and for commenting!! It means so very much to me. What a wonderful world it would be if we all held each other up and nurtured and encouraged each other to love our healthiest bodies — whatever shape and configuration we are! Cheers ~Janis
YOU ARE INCREDIBLE!! Love this blog and your style and your voice! I am so happy I stumbled upon this- I believe it was on YouTube. THANK YOU!
XO
Laura, Hi! Thank you! I’m so happy you found me on YouTube. With such a large sea of videos, it’s a wonder anyone finds anybody! I appreciate you taking the time to look around my blog and comment, too! Cheers ~Janis
Would you give us your salad dressing recipe please?
Hi, Anna, sure. Thank you for asking. For one serving (I eat a large salad), I use 3 Tablesppoons organic extra virgin olive oil, 3 Tablespoons organic apple cider vinegar, 4 pinches pink Himalayan salt, 12 grindings organic black pepper. That’s it. If you like garlic, you can add organic dried garlic granules to taste, too (available in spice section of grocery stores). Also, here’s a post I did about it last year.https://jljbacktoclassic.com/archives/2066
Thank you for visiting my blog, Anna! Cheers ~Janis
Hi Janis–I also have been mostly clean eating for several years for health reasons. I am wondering whether you might share your recipe for quinoa muffins. And how do you sprout the quinoa and nuts/seeds (or do you buy them that way)? Thanks!
Hi, Suzanne. Thank you for letting me know you’d be interested in the recipe. I will keep that in mind. I used to soak/sprout my own nuts, but switched to buying them since it is so much more convenient. As for the seeds, I also buy them already sprouted. Thank you so much for visiting my blog! ~ Janis
Amazing! I love your blog, youtube, and instagram. You are a huge inspiration. I stumbled upon this entry today right after reading a book regarding asthma. My mom has an asthma for three years and I am trying to figure out the way to cure this illness. I believe healthy lifestyle plays a huge role just as you have mentioned in your blog. I am wondering whether you have eradicated your asthma for good and if you have taken any antibiotics for It? The book I read argues that asthma patients suffer from bacteria called Chlamydia pneumoniae in their lungs and recommends to take azithromycin (antibiotic) for twelve weeks. I am wondering whether this is a way to go? Thank you for sharing your experience.
Hi, Gerlee. Thank you so much for visiting my blog. I’m sorry about your mom. It must be awful for you to have to witness her suffering from asthma. Have I eradicated my own asthma for good? As long as I stay away from sugar, most grains, soy, and dairy I have no symptoms. So, for me, it must have been an unhealthy digestive track from eating these foods. I was on antibiotics quite a few times, including when I was hospitalized for the asthma and also later for sinus infections. If anything, I would say, those made my situation worse because they also destroyed the good bacteria in my gut. I think dairy was a big culprit for me. I remember feeling a heavy chest after I drank milk. I wish I could tell you exactly what’s causing your mom’s asthma, and therefore what would heal it, but I can only tell you my own situation. Going off of these foods is a good place to start, at least. Hugs ~ Janis
Hello from Oklahoma, Janis. I have just recently found you through my daughter who has many health issues but is very health conscious. I love your pictures, the way you dress, and how you inspire me to eat better. I admit that I love dairy and have not wanted to give it up. However at 67 1/2, I am now having some issues with pain in my midsection, and am currently under a doctor’s care to get it diagnosed. Not fun! I’ve made the switch from 2% to skim milk but I am still having problems. I’m to the point that I will give it up, and am taking one step at a time. Pain will do that to a person. Haha. I look forward to learning more from you. Thanks and God bless you.
Hi, I accidentally stumbled your YouTube channel and watched the whole thing. I am so happy to have watched it. Life is so ironic, while my 11 yr old niece is fighting for her life with DIPG, she has a tumor in her brain that’s inoperable and incurable… i am 47 and feel like dying everyday. I am over weight at 87 kg, perhaps 20 kg overweight or more as my height 5’2. I got in a job that was supposed to be the ultimate dream employer in my career but it does not turn out to be what I’ve expected and hated to go to work everyday. Everyday I am so exhausted, weekends I stay indoors and on my bed lying down and nothing anymore interest me, no joy and really not happy. I have bad mood swings and always angry to my husband and my 17 yr old daughter for silly things. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Don’t know where to start… maybe losing weight will help me get back to my old self.
Dear Maine_Australia, I’m so sorry about your 11-year-old niece. What an awful, awful disease to have. I can’t imagine what she and your whole family must be going through right now. I’m sending prayers for healing and peace…And my heart goes out to you as well, sweet one. You are suffering terribly, and I wish I could give you a big hug, so you can cry your eyes out. But know this: When we’re at our bottom, it can be a gift telling us it’s time to make a change. Maybe, initially at least, instead of putting pressure on yourself to lose weight,try focusing on just eating healthier and taking a 30-minute walk three to four times a week. I know that, for me at least, when I finally made the decision to change my diet back on June 1, 2012, focusing on the health of my body inside (mental, physical, and spiritual) instead of what I looked like on the outside made all the difference for me. Within a short time I began to feel better. The side effect was that I looked better, too. If you’re not sure where to start, you might have a look at the Perfect Health Diet book. Or, if you want more in-depth information, the GAPS book is an amazing source. Both give so much helpful information on how to heal our bodies by eliminating unhealthy foods. Google both of them and you’ll find a lot of details about what the books entail. See if any of it feels right for you. Try going off of sugar, for example, and cutting back on grains. If I was able to do it, I know you can, too. I just know it. Please don’t give up hope. You’re still so young and have many, many years ahead of you! Believe in yourself. You CAN do this. Love and hugs ~ Janis
Hello Janis !
I am a 27 year old French woman.
I am paying a lot of attention to my diet in order to eat good food (you know how we do here in France). However it’s really precious to hear your experience.
I was wondering if by any chance you could give us more details about your eating plan, like make a video :” what I eat in a day”?
I am particularly interested in what you eat for breakfast ? Do you take any supplements ?
Are your sardines usually in oil or you take them in another manner ? Do you buy them fresh or in can?
Moreover, do you eat oats ?? (I do in the morning and was wondering if it was a good thing..).
If I looked right on the clean eating plan you shared, you can eat sweet potatoes, lentils right? But no beans ?
Moreover, in one of your videos, you said you were eating cheese sometimes ? (That’s interesting for me as I am French 😀 !)
Anyway I am going to stop here because I have too many additional questions :D.
I am really impressed by how you maintain yourself, and definitely want to look like you at your age. That’s why I want to learn from your experience!
Jospehine, I’m so excited that you found me all the way from France! Thank you for saying hi. I appreciate all of your questions. I’ll definitely keep your suggestions in mind for a future post and video, because I’ve had quite a few questions since I posted my How I Cope With Aging Video last summer. You are so smart to begin your healthy lifestyle now, when you are in your 20s, instead of waiting until you are much older and have health issues. I’m so happy for you!!! Hugs and thank you again for visiting me here! ~ Janis
I love what you said about our healthiest bodies being beautiful.
How we abuse our health to look slimmer, taller and so-called “better”.
I find your journey to healthy and disciplined eating interesting!
You look fabulous and more important you feel happy and contented!!
Hi Janis. I was just wondering if you still don’t consume any sweeteners? I’m mostly wondering about stevia, monkfruit and supposedly natural sweeteners like that. Have you found any negative information about these sweeteners in the books that you spoke of? Thank you in advance, for your reply 🙂 I love your blog!!
Hi, Sicili! Yes, I still stay away from adding sweeteners, or from packaged items that contain them. Even natural sweeteners, like stevia, etc. According to Dr. David Perlmutter, who wrote the bestselling book Grain Brain: “The best advice is to stop consuming foods that are sweetened, with anything. In the end, this will go a long way to helping you lose your desire for sweets in general.” This makes so much sense. I now eat a banana or an apple or any fruit and think it’s so sweet, and feel satisfied, but I didn’t before when I consumed sugary desserts, etc. If you want to add a sweet flavor, add raisins or banana…whole fruit. Thank you for coming over to my blog, Sicili! ~ Janis
P.S. Regarding added sugars that I do occasionally consume…A few exceptions are organic canned baked beans with organic sugar or organic turkey bacon with small amounts of sugar. However, I dilute the beans with water, then drain off all the sauce before serving them. As for the bacon, the kind I’ve bought has 0 grams per serving, because the amount is so small, and I only have these occasionally.
I just found your blog. I cannot tell you how much your posts, and opinions and style have helped me. I am 51 and in the middle of menopause and a very unpleasant section of my life, so every bit of help I can get is a good thing.
Tammy, I so appreciate you taking the time to come here and tell me you found my blog and like it. That means so much to me. I’m so sorry you’re dealing with both menopause and an unpleasant phase of your life right now. I can tell you that focusing on health, and eating healthily, really does help ease the transition. It still can be a challenge, but it has definitely gotten easier. And just as important, it keeps me focusing on what’s really important–the health of my insides–rather than every new wrinkle, dark spot, or saggy place that’s showing up on my body’s outsides! 🙂 Wishing you a very Happy, Healthy New Year. Hugs ~ Janis
Janis, so true health starts in the gut. I also had “gut” problems since I was a little girl I had horrible stomach aches and bloating. I learned to live my life with my stomach issues for at least 30 years. I went to doctors did all kind tests but refused medication ( i am not a good Patient) I wanted to find the root of the problem reason I started to read and came across Life Extension im sure you heard of them the clinic is in FT Lauderdale. They are Doctors with Natural approach I found my answer there. Glad I didn’t listen to regular Doctors.. I starter to take a special Probiotic with Ge technology. It took two months to experience a complete absent of pain and bloating. Of-course I also changed the way I ate. Usually, we get into healthy living and eating because we suffer way to long. 🙂
Thanks for sharing the blog with valuable information on Healing Chronic Health Issues: What I Eat and Why. It is a learning topic, and I learned a lot from your article. I have been running for 72 years and am getting benefits from following your suggestions mentioned in the article.. I like your blog, and I also prefer organic products.
Shrea Kuile, I am very glad my post was helpful for you, and that you are getting benefits from following the suggestions. Thank you for taking the time to let me know. 🙂 Wishing you many more years of great health!