Eating For A Living

In yesterday’s post, Eat With Your Senses, I mentioned that eating takes up a large part of the day. Well, this is certainly true for people who eat for a living. Have you ever wondered how Padma Lakshmi eats all that food on “Top Chef,” yet she still stays slim and fit? Or how about chefs like Dan Barber and Giada who make amazing food, but are always stick thin?

In the recent NY Times article Staying Fit When Eating Is Your Job, Padma says “I just try to cut myself a break — I know I’m going to gain weight.” She keeps different dress sizes in the closet for when the inevitable occurs, which for her is a gain of “10 to 15 pounds a season.” She also makes exercise a priority when her time allows for it. And when the season is over, it’s back to the gym and regular eating until she’s back in shape. Other chefs say that there are times when they eat more because they are testing new recipes or there’s more good stuff around, like the holiday season. But they always try to make the healthiest choices and get to the gym to manage their weight.

Basically the advice is simple: Balance. “Moderate what you eat; don’t panic when work makes you overeat or when you can’t work out; and pay attention to what you are eating.” This last point goes back to mindfulness. If you’re going to eat for a living, be mindful for a living too.