True You (20 page)

She hung in there, and by mid-April, Janet was down to 140.
Her goal was to get down to 130 by her fortieth birthday on May 16.

For her (and for most people), this was the part of the journey that seemed the most unyielding. She had come so far, yet she still had a ways to go. The weight loss slows down. But you don’t want to measure weight loss in pounds, but rather in percentage of change in your body’s composition. The last ten pounds you are striving to lose can be the same percentage of your body composition as the initial twenty-five pounds that you lost. It is vital to continue going forward and not get stuck on a number on a scale.

Janet was kind enough to invite me to her fortieth birthday party. She was dressed in white and looked absolutely radiant. She had done more than achieve her goal of 130 pounds; she had overachieved it! She weighed 120. She’d lost nearly 56 pounds in eighteen weeks. I felt like a proud dad. When she went on
Oprah
to tell her story, she looked more like someone in her twenties than in her forties. It seemed appropriate that her next album was called
20 Y.O
.

At this point, I was so proud of Janet, as I have been seeing thousands of my clients succeed over the past twelve years. I told her we should write a book, because she was so much like all the other people who struggle with their weight, which leads to physical and emotional problems and so much more. People need to know that they can do this.

I’m grateful that Janet had the courage to share her journey.

M
y follow-up album to
20 Y.O.
was called
Discipline
, because I finally realized the absolute necessity for discipline in all aspects of my life—not harsh discipline, but gentle and compassionate discipline, discipline that comes from wanting to move forward rather than fall back into defeat.

David showed me that it takes discipline. Since those dramatic months in 2006, I’ve continued to fluctuate, but never as drastically or as dangerously as before. Weight remains a challenge. Two steps forward, one step back. I stay in touch with David and keep his principles of balanced nutrition as a part of my life. I do so, however, imperfectly. I still have work to do.

I’ll always have work to do—physical as well as emotional. I realized that not everyone has a David Allen and a Tony Martinez or someone to help with food plans. With this book you’ll have those tools. I believe we are all capable of activating an inner voice that, to a large degree, duplicates David’s.

That voice has some fundamental wisdom to offer that’s free to everyone:

Diets don’t work. Diets are illusions. Diets are temporary. A plan must be permanent. That requires a change in lifestyle.

The new lifestyle says eat well, eat balanced, eat often. Don’t starve yourself. Three good meals. Two healthy snacks.

Exercise is important, but exercise alone is not the answer.

The answer is in proper nutrition.

The answer is in restorative sleep.

The answer is in wholesome foods.

The answer is in self-care—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.

The answer is within you—the true you.

I love Janet Jackson. Designing these recipes and cooking for her for
True You
was a dream come true. Janet is a perfectionist and she insisted that everything about these meals be special.

During the weight-loss phase of her program, Janet uses virtually no sodium or sweeteners in these recipes. But these recipes, as presented here, are still low in sodium, sugar, and fat, and are still effective for weight loss and maintenance of a healthy lifestyle.

During weight loss especially, as well as maintenance, please be conscious of portion control. Eat slowly and do not eat beyond the point of hunger. One of Janet’s greatest lessons has been to stop eating the moment she feels full. Yes, one extra forkful makes a difference.

And finally, each and every recipe has been tested, tasted, and enjoyed by Janet herself and her friends. These recipes were created especially for
True You
. These recipes were made with love just for you.

Several of the recipes are marked “kid friendly,” meaning they were created especially to delight the taste buds of kids and to be enjoyed by the kid in all of us.

Breakfast
 

1 cup flour

½ cup quick-cooking oats (not instant)

1 tbsp sugar

½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp salt

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp lemon juice (or vinegar)

about 1¼ cups soy milk

Put 1 tbsp of lemon juice (or vinegar) in a 1-cup measure and fill cup with soy milk. Set aside.

Measure all of the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix together with a spoon.

Pour in the oil, and the soured soy milk. Stir until just mixed. If not thin enough for pancake batter, stir in up to ¼ cup more of soy milk.

Fry in margarine as for regular pancakes.

Serve with fresh sliced strawberries or with maple syrup and margarine.

Makes 5 servings: 2 pancakes each

1 cup quinoa

2 cups vegetable broth

1 cup cooked red kidney beans

½ cup water

½ tsp minced garlic (I used dried)

½ cup nutritional yeast

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

½ cup water

Sauce:

½ cup salsa

⅛
–¼ cup water

1 tbsp nondairy mayonnaise (Vegenaise)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp pure maple syrup

½ tsp lime juice

¼ tsp chili powder blend

Also:

2 tortillas

avocado, chopped (for garnish)

Add dry, unwashed quinoa to a large dry skillet. Toast until fragrant, stirring occasionally. Add veggie broth and bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat, and simmer until tender (about 15 minutes). Add remaining ingredients (except sauce ingredients), cover, and heat over low heat until beans are warmed through. Add more water if needed to keep the quinoa from sticking.

Sauce: Add all sauce ingredients to a blender and process until sauce is smooth.

In an oven or toaster oven, lightly toast 2 tortillas until warm and slightly crispy. Plate. Divide quinoa/bean mixture in half, and
place half the filling inside each tortilla. Roll up or fold tortillas in half.

Serves 4