While many of us are just revving up our healthy New Year's resolutions, Alanis Morissette made her lifestyle overhaul months before the ball dropped. The unhealthy feeling she had from gaining weight and eating too many processed foods motivated her to make a major change, and Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book Eat to Live gave her the tools to eat differently. Since converting to his recommended vegan diet in September, Alanis has lost 20 pounds. OK Magazine interviewed the slimmed-down singer, and here are the highlights.
- On what made her gain weight: "A lot of salt and processed grains like bread. I was a sandwich person, and if I had rice, I would pack the salt on."
- On why she wanted to find a new eating plan: "Longevity. I realized I want to live till I’m 120. There’s a lifestyle that I am now happily creating that can, as best as is possible, prevent most forms of cancer and other diseases."
- On her workout routine: "When I’m out on tour, my shows are so physical that that really takes care of it. When I’m not on tour, I do between a half hour to an hour of light weights, running, biking, swimming, probably five times a week. I also love to kickbox and dance."
To see her answer when asked how it feels to be 20 pounds lighter, read more.
- On how it feels to have lost 20 pounds: "I feel like a 12-year-old! I’m back to what I was born to be, at my best. I used to get out of bed in the morning and things were aching, and I just thought, this is what happens when you get into your 30s. But now I jump out of bed and have so much energy; I feel very alive. Even after a workout, I feel like if I rest a little bit I could go out dancing all night, so that’s exciting. I have no more aches and pains, and my allergies are gone, too."
Have you considered a vegan diet? Do you think you could handle the restrictions of no dairy or meat?
Francesco Biasia
Moncler
By Malene Birger
she looks too thin, but it's good she found a lifestyle that fits her, going vegan is a major change and it's totally not for me!!
1I switched to a vegetarian diet, with occasional eggs. I'm allergic to dairy, but occasionally slip--it's really hard to give up the nice cheeses, and there is no acceptable veggie substitute for sour cream! I didn't find it hard to give up meat...I found what I really liked were all the sauces I was using for the meat. The hard part is the planning, and having to think more when making a meal, especially as my family (three kids at home) are not vegetarian.
2Good for her!
3My dad is mostly vegan, but will eat fish occasionally and some dairy on holidays when it is unavoidable. He seems happy and healthy, but the problem is when we go out to eat, there are a lot of restrictions on where we can go because so many restaurants only offer vegetarian options covered with cheese and he can't eat that.
I tried it about a year ago and while I felt healthier, my carnivoris husband couldn't handle it. It's very expensive to eat fresh foods constantly also.
4Good for her!
5Years ago i was basically a vegan except i ate eggs because they are such a great source of protein. As a result of that, I can no longer digest lactose and therefore cannot drink milk without very unpleasant side-affects. I can eat most other forms of dairy though.
Also a boyfriend at the time who was also very into working out convinced me that I wouldn't get stronger without animal protein. I started out adding fish and chicken to my diet and within two weeks i had to increase the weights i lifted bc it got so much easier. At that point i was convinced.
Then about 5 years ago I hadn't gotten my period in several months after i stopped taking birth control and i saw an eastern medicine dr (the western ones wanted me to take hormone drugs). He said that, I of all people, should be eating red meat... so i tried it and I actually kind of liked it for the first time in my life. I also got my period back after a couple months. It's still an effort ot eat red meat because i don't crave it.
Being vegan is great for some people, but i don't think my body can do without the rich nutrients that come from animal products.
6that book is LIFE CHANGING. HIGHLY recommend it. while he does advocate a vegan diet, there's so much more to get out of the book than that--he really lays out some great principles for fueling your body and setting yourself up for a long, healthy life.
I am not vegan and don't plan to become one, however, i try to include vegan days (or even just several meals) each week and eat in a more balanced way.
7ZOMG, you got sick from drinking milk? Hi, you SHOULD get sick from drinking milk. Milk is for baby cows, not grown humans.
Anyways, I think she looks great and I'm always happy to welcome someone new to the veg community.
8She's always been on the thinner side of life - a bit of weight wouldn't hurt her providing it was healthy.
I have considered a vegan lifestyle but it would be far too difficult for me to incorporate. I can't really afford to do it either! Meat provides cheap meal solutions.
I used to be a vegetarian and I can't say it really affected my weight all that much.
I live a dairy free lifestyle already because as foxie says - it's for baby cows, why should we drink it? I get my calcium elsewhere.
9i've been a vegetarian for so long that i've always wondered if i would be able to go vegan. the issue for me is that i eat a lot of cheese and eggs cause those are the few things that i can actually enjoy that are high enough in protein for me to stay 'healthy'. i wonder though if i would find more success in weight loss if i did go vegan.
10xlove33-
11i am very curious about what kind of eastern medicine dr. you saw. I stopped taking birth control 4 months ago and have not gotten a period without it. My normal doctor wants to start me on hormones but i've been there before and they were horrible to the rest of my body. I would be very interested in hearing what worked for you!
I don't think I could go vegan, but I love the idea of cutting the crap out of my diet.
12BannanaPancake-- this happened to me too- I had to increase calories, iron, etc and finally 10 months after BCP I got my period for the first time. (happened with my sister too, so
) perhaps some people take more time then others to get rid of the hormones caused by BCP. I am
still regulating myself, so we will see how it goes. I HATE BC.
13Great for her! I used to be vegetarian (11 years) and vegan for two fo those years but switched back because I kept getting sick (like a normal cold would turn into a major chest infection that lasted two months) and was tired, irratable and mood-swingy all the time. I think whats really important is to find what type of diet works for you (I mean diet in the general sense, no the lose-weight sense). Some people thrive on meat based diets and some don't. Some thrive on veggie based diets and others don't. If this is what truly works for her then great, because it can take a long time for people to really realize what really works for their own bodies.
Seriously, when did we all stop listening to our bodies?
14I lasted being vegan for a little under six months, years ago. It was the fish. I couldn't live with out it.
15i am slowing working my way into a vegan diet. i would like to incorporate fish, though.
alanis looks great + she seems happier (!!!)
16I dont eat poultry or red meat, but i could never give up fish. I eat it once a week. I also try to substitute soy when possible for dairy but I have a serving of dairy/eggs once every other day.
The key to being a healthy veggie/vegan according to Dr. Fuhrman's eat to live is nutrition. So many veggies who end up eating meat because of what they call a "lack of nutrients" are likely (but not always) not eating properly for a veggie. Usually they are overloading the white processed carbs cause of the lack of meat (lots of simple pastas, cereals etc). Of course there isnt enough nutrients. A whole, natural, meat free diet should include large amounts of a variety of fresh fruit and veggies for vitamins and minerals, beans, soy and nuts for protein. You need to eat spinach not iceberg, beans not just rice, etc.
1720 pounds?? sooo nice for her!
18Good for her for going vegan, but her face looks very gaunt.
19Ive been a vegetarian for over a decade. the only a decade, I eat cheese and yogurt occasionally and that has kept me from switching to a vegan diet. Im happy with my weight and thanks to a balanced diet I never worry about it.
20good for her, just hoping she doesnt lose anymore-
Ive been a vegetarian for over a decade, I eat cheese and yogurt occasionally and that has kept me from switching to a vegan diet. Im happy with my weight and thanks to a balanced diet I never worry about it.
21good for her, just hoping she doesnt lose anymore-
double **oops LOL
22yeah! i love when veganism is written about and gets some attention.
i've been vegan for 13 years and never had any of the problems some of you have written about.... i suppose, like any diet, it simply requires will power and the commitment to do one's research.
23I could go vegetarian, but I honestly don't want to. I rarely eat red meat, and I have cut back on other meats considerably too, but I have no desire to complete cut meat from my diet. I could do it if I wanted to, but I'm healthy and don't really want to.
I could never go vegan though. I love cheese. I'm not saying I CAN'T stop eating cheese. I'm just saying that I don't WANT to give up cheese. I love the stuff.
But I do try to eat vegetarian and vegan meals a few times a week
And I just got
Veganomicon for Christmas! Very excited about that.
24I agree -- good for her. She seems happier and healthier.
Also, I'm glad to see her long hair. I think her hair is pretty.
25I read Skinny b*tch and due to recent tree-hugging habits, as well as a desire to feel lighter, I went vegan for New Years. It's not too difficult, I just feel hungry a lot because I'm trying to lose weight. The tough part is going out to eat...
26good for her.. but for me.. being a vegan will be too difficult..
27Eat to Live is an amazing plan - very healthy but extremely challenging to follow. I felt amazing on it though and my allergies disappeared. I lost a lot of weight but of course you have to sustain the diet.
28She's way too thin. I'm a bit concerned, as she used to have an eating disorder. Being vegan means excluding a lot of food from your diet, and I hope she's not being too extreme, but it certainly looks like she is.
29That picture is awful. The lighting makes her face look weird, and the shadow/angle makes her legs look too skinny. The photo from the interview is better:
http://www.okmagazine.com/pixandvids/gallery/11046
I love her.
A lot of people say being a vegan or vegetarian would be too hard, and I always want to point out that you don't have to go all or nothing. There's nutritional, environmental, and ethical value to be had in just cutting back.
30SHE LOOKS GREAT, SHE DESERVES THAT BEST.
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