Although she's attracted the attention of some high-profile celebrities, Gillespie's message isn't adorned with gimmicks and faddish twists. As it turns out, eating delicious food to maintain optimum health is easier than most people think.

Larrian spent many years practicing medicine as a urologist. It was during her fellowship in London when she decided to spend her afternoons off studying at the famous Le Cordon Bleu. Larrian was recently interviewed by Nurses World Magazine and asked to give nurses the inside scoop on the secrets to healthy eating.

To Carb or Not to Carb . . .
The vast majority of the latest new diet books tend to focus on carbs. Good carbs. Bad cards. Eat carbs. Avoid carbs. All this carb advice tends to be somewhat confusing, and a bit overwhelming. One of the things that's unique about Dr. Gillespie's approach to "eating healthy" is that because of her medical expertise she has been able to come up with a list of foods that fall under a category known as the biogenic amines -- foods highest in tryptophan, tyrosine, tyramine and phenylalanine. Examples of these foods include cheddar cheese, chocolate, and processed meats. This goes well beyond the carb-free diet craze and makes weight management a lot less painful.

Healthy Foods on Isle 4 . . .
When asked what she thought was the biggest misconception about eating healthy, Larrian summed it up with one word; Labeling. Slap the words "healthy" or "wholesome" on the label and shoppers assume the company is putting consumer health over their profit margins. With the word "healthy" on the front of the package, on a bold label that covers just about the entire package, who's going to bother reading the very fine print in the ingredients? The package says it's healthy, so it must be healthy.

My Diet Plan Isn't Working . . .
A "diet" means constantly and consistently focusing your attention on selection and quantity. Who has that kind of attention span? The typical diet plans are not about comfort foods; foods that stimulate the release of pleasurable endorphins. They're about everything you cannot eat and about how much you can eat. Pick up a copy of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Total Nutrition Cooking and learn how to relax and enjoy your food again... guilt free.

On the Subject of Organic Foods . . .
When asked her opinion on the benefits of eating organic, Dr. Gillespie replied; "I have mixed feelings about this, mainly because some people feel guilty for buying non-organic to save some money. There are some foods, however, that are especially high in pesticides and other toxins... such as green bell peppers, spinach, cherries, peaches, cantaloupe, celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes and cucumbers. So, I think paying an "organic" premium for these foods makes sense."

Read the full interview with Dr. Gillespie here: Eating Well is The Best Revenge (pdf format)

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