I Can Make You Hot! by Kelly Killoren Bensimon Read Free Book Online Page A

up eating off someone else’s plate later on.

    It’s interesting to me that the USDA’s recommendations have evolved over time. My own food plate has also evolved over time, mainly through trial and error. Every time I’ve tried cutting out carbs and eating more fat, my body has rebelled. When I skip meals, I don’t have the energy I need to do what I want or what I need to do. What I’m sharing with you is what has worked for me. I want you to eat enough food so that you have the right energy to function at the top of your game.
    My own personal food image, although based on My Plate, is like a pear-shaped diamond—smallest at the tip (my breakfast), wide in the middle (a nutritious, filling lunch), and smaller at the bottom (a light meal in the evening). This is one instance when, in my opinion, a diamond really is a girl’s best friend. But, guys, if you’re buying me a diamond, make it round.
    According to WebMD, adult women need about 46 grams of protein and men need about 55 grams a day. I eat meals that include a lot of protein not just because I crave it but because I know that we need protein to build muscle, and muscle burns more calories than fat even when your body is at rest. WebMD reports that, according to Christopher Wharton, Ph.D., a certified personal trainer and researcher with the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, “10 pounds of muscle would burn 50 calories in a day spent at rest, while 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories.” Protein also keeps us feeling full—longer than carbs or fat—and slows down the metabolism of carbohydrates so that our blood sugar doesn’t spike and then drop. It’s those blood sugar spikes that leave us feeling sleepy and heavy, and send us looking for something sugary to get us going again. We also need fat to make tissue and create certain biochemicals such as hormones, and we need carbohydrates for quick energy.

----
Just because I don’t eat chocolate bars doesn’t mean I can’t eat candy. I love candy—particularly jelly beans. You might even say that I’m obsessed with jelly beans. If you’re a fan of the Real Housewives of New York City you probably remember that on Season 3 I took a lot of flack for eating jelly beans and talking about processed and unprocessed foods. I was actually making light of that food snob moment. Who stops at a gas station and asks for carrots? Did you bring your organic food cooler with you on this road trip? The important point is not to be a food snob; but when in doubt choose the best option. Sometimes it’s better to be happy than it is to be right. Was I able to make my point? Clearly it wasn’t in the cards at that moment. Nevertheless, if you eat well the majority of the time, a handful of jelly beans isn’t going to kill you.
     
I’m not sure where my candy obsession originated. It may have been because my childhood swim coach used to give us all about a tablespoon of Jell-O powder before a meet to give us a quick energy boost. Or it may have been because I used to hide my Halloween candy under the bed so that my brother and sister wouldn’t steal it.
     
To this day, jelly beans, Jolly Ranchers, and red Twizzlers are still my absolute favorite treats for a sweet pick-me-up. I truly believe that everyone should enjoy a little sugar for a sweeter life.
----

----
Be curious! When you go to the supermarket, take a look around. If you see something you love, think of what you could do with it that you’ve never done before. Strawberries? Watermelon? Throw them in a salad. My daughters are both very adventurous eaters, and they’ve inspired me to be more adventurous myself. They eat quiche, bean salads, sushi…things I would never have eaten at their age.
----
    Kelly’s Cardinal Rule
Whatever else you eat, you must eat a vegetable at lunch and dinner.
    Although there are some things I choose not to eat—such as chocolate bars— I don’t believe that any food should be forbidden,