Dieting with Montel Williams

By Julie Gordon, Special Sections Editor | Julie.gordon@am-ny.com

January 21, 2008

Talk show host Montel William attends the first night of the Bermuda Music Festival at Southampton Beach Club on October 3, 2007 in Southampton, Bermuda. (Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images for the Bermuda Department of Tourism / January 20, 2008)

What would Montel do?

That question has been dancing around my head since last week, when I started reading the talk-show guru's book "Living Well: 21 Days to Transform your Life, Supercharge Your Health and Feel Spectacular."

Would Montel Williams eat pretzels for a snack? No! He'd opt for fresh veggies or a handful of nuts. Would he have a bowl of Special K Red Berries for breakfast? Certainly not. He'd drink a green power shake.

So did I follow Montel's words of wisdom? Sure, for the most part. I just couldn't bring myself to have one of his green shakes -- a blended mixture of lettuce and fruits. Sorry, Montel.

"Living Well," or the Montel Diet as I like to call it, gives readers a new food or exercise principle to follow each day, which creates a healthy lifestyle maintenance plan by the end of the book.

Each day's principle is simple and relatively open-ended -- more of a change in eating and workout habits than a strict diet.

For example, Day 1 is all about incorporating more fruits and veggies into your diet, but Montel doesn't tell you exactly how many servings to eat, just that you should add them gradually. Day 6 is about tapping the energy of whole grains by cutting out white breads and refined sugars.

In the first section of the book, which deals with eating, I found out Montel subscribes to the theory that fish, other lean proteins, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains are the basis of a smart diet. Sounds balanced to me.

Even if the fish and whole grains don't get you pumped up, Montel's extremely enthusiastic, cheerleader-like tone should. My favorite line from the book comes from the chapter about "unleashing the raw strength of salads":

"I'm talking about off-the-hook, hard-rocking power salads that make your taste buds moan and cry out for Mama. Salads that fill you up and deliver deep satisfaction."

Unfortunately I didn't find any salads that made me scream, but the recipes in the book were tasty! Besides recipes, the book is filled with shopping lists, photos of exercises and space to journal food intake -- all very practical.

Plus, Montel's personal story is actually inspiring. In Chapter 1, he takes readers through a brief history of his wellness journey -- how he went from an unhealthy yet trim ex-Marine who hated vegetables to a man diagnosed with multiple sclerosis who tries to better himself each day.

An added bonus? Reading the book made me flip on Montel's show -- a guilty pleasure I'd long forgotten about. Next up for me: The Jerry Springer Diet!

My food diary

Breakfast:
-Wheat Chex with blueberries and skim milk

Lunch:
-"Power salad" with lots of fresh veggies, nuts, chicken and a little dressing

Snack:
-Apple

Dinner:
-Salmon
-Whole-grain rice pilaf
-Veggies sautéed in a little olive oil
-Whole-grain dinner roll