Extract from NO GYM REQUIRED: UNLEASH YOUR INNER ROCK STAR

Eat natural and organic foods always.This is fundamental to health and therefore fitness, and I cannot stress enough how important this is. Processed foods and those with preservatives are laden with hidden sugars and fats, many unknown to nature. Even meats and so-called natural produce like fruits and vegetables are filled with antibiotics and pesticides, which are proven toxins. Your body’s food-processing mechanism is just not designed to handle them.

Have you noticed the proliferation of health problems from weird new allergies to rampant obesity and the hormonal-related cancers in women that are just a generation old? These new materials are adversely affecting our bodies, and we keep poisoning ourselves with them because we have come to believe they are normal. They are not meant to enter our bodies, and when they do, they sit in our system and clog it up with junk. They not only have no redeeming qualities, but, worse yet, they make us sick and fat. This is why I follow this “fresh from the ground up” principle. My preference is for things grown in the ground and that subsist close to land, whether that’s fresh vegetables and fruit, grass-fed beef, wild (not farmed) fish, or free-range chicken. And opt for organic whenever possible. Yes, it’s more expensive, but I think we Rock Stars know that our health is worth the investment. And this is a commandment: Know thy food sources whenever possible.

Eating locally and seasonally is always your best bet for your health and for the environment. You know exactly where the produce is coming from and it has not spent days on a truck and in a warehouse before reaching your table! For maximum nutrients, fresh fruits and veggies should be eaten within three or four days of being picked. Your carbon footprint will be reduced, and it’s also more fun and keeps you in touch with nature. I like shopping at markets where selection of the season’s bounty is plentiful. It’s an immediate natural food rush. And one of my favorite summer pastimes is to go pea-picking—they’re sweet, tasty, low-fat, and low-cal. Some people like to go apple-picking. You should try it. Apples are one of my all-time greatest hit foods, but more on that later. When you shop in the grocery store, stay on the perimeter where the fresh produce, meat, fish, and dairy aisles are. Avoid the middle aisles, which are stacked with processed foods that might be labeled as “healthy” or “lowfat” or “low-carb,” but in fact often have ingredients used to give them longer shelf life, but are unhealthy. There will be more on that later too. Dubbed so-called “convenience” foods, these products can wreak havoc on your system and make it hard to meet your weight-loss goals. On the other hand, breaking down foods that are natural and unprocessed not only boosts your health and wellness but also burns calories!