What I Eat: From Kale to Forbidden Black Rice

Given all the ways that food serves as medicine, as sacred substance, as a boost to divine vitality, I often get asked by my patients, yoga students and tribe what I eat. Not vague generalizations and broad categories, but nitty-gritty specifics. I happen to do well with nitty-gritty specifics. Do you? I learned at the ripe age of 40 that I'm a bit of a compulsive overeater. And, to compensate and fit into my skinny jeans, a compulsive overexerciser. Elliptical? Interval training? Excessive running? Yup. It was not welcome information. I spent way too much of my brain power with complex calculations of caloric input and output. I spent way too much money on finding the right diet for me, and the right amount of the right exercise. I'm a stress eater. I eat and drink wine to celebrate life's great moments. I eat when I need to calm down. It's not a good habit. I realized I need to right size the role of food in my life. I need to find more peace and serenity around food. Here's the food plan that gives me peace and serenity, weighed and measured and gloriously free of debate. Breakfast: 2oz oats (weighed dry, then cooked) + 2oz nuts + 6oz fruit (note: when initially losing weight, I started at 1 oz of dry oatmeal) Lunch: 6oz cooked vegetables + 6oz tofu/tempeh/beans (or 4 oz meat) + 6oz fruit + 2oz whole grain (note: when losing weight, I skipped grain at lunch) Dinner: 6oz cooked vegetables + 6oz tofu/tempeh/beans (or 4 oz meat) + 8oz salad with 2T dressing   What vegetables? The non-starchy types such as organic kale from my bag yard (6 oz of kale is a big ol' pile!) or chopped baby bok choy with garlic and spray coconut oil. Yummers. Grain? Chinese Forbidden Black Rice or Red Quinoa. Crazy good. Massa's brown rice. Yes yes OH YES! That's it. I love it. Food is neutral. Not overly romanticized, not used to cope with emotional turbulence. This is an optimal food plan for balancing your hormones. Tell me what you think and let me know if you've ever struggled similarly.