The person you see in the first photo is very unhealthy and unhappy with her body image on all levels. That's me in the Spring of 2011.
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Spring 2011 |
Fast forward a year to the second photo. I lost more than forty pounds!
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Spring 2012 |
I was about to outgrow size 12 pants in the first photo. In the second photo, I'm comfortably wearing size 4 pants.
In 2010, I averaged two migraines per week. I rarely have even a headache now, and the inflammation of joints that caused pain with every movement is gone. A backache that kept me from enjoying working in my flower gardens is gone. I no longer take medications of any kind. My lab test results are now perfect.
Everyone who sees me for the first time in a few months is amazed at my transformation. The first question is, "How did you lose so much weight so fast?" My answer is always "Read the book "Eat To Live" by Dr. Joel Fuhrman" to learn what to eat and why.
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I am happy to report that I have continued to maintain my weight for more than seven years.
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While researching the world's healthiest foods, I found that many of them were in what I have for breakfast every morning. This is a hot cereal breakfast that keeps me from thinking about food until late in the afternoon. I'm sharing the recipe along with my story in the hopes that I can inspire you to be a healthier, happier, more energetic person.
Susan's Power Porridge Breakfast
About 3 cups of unsweetened Almond Milk or Coconut Milk (add more if the mixture becomes too thick cook longer if it is too thin.)
2 Tablespoons of steel-cut oats
1 Tablespoon lentils (I add a teaspoon each of three colors)
2 Tablespoons flax seeds (I grind them in a coffee grinder)
1 Tablespoon of amaranth
1 Tablespoon of millet
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
2 Tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats (Added near the end of cooking time. Needs about five minutes of cooking.)
Optional items to add near the end of cooking time:
1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds and/or sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon of raw organic pepitas (no shell pumpkin seeds)
1 Tablespoon natural raw walnuts
1 Tablespoon natural raw pecans
1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts (Sprinkle on top or add at the end of cooking.)
1/4 cup of cooked Teff and or Quinoa
1 teaspoon of Red Star Nutritional Yeast (This is not brewers yeast.) It supplies B vitamins.
3 Large dates (pits removed) cut in half
1 Banana or any fresh fruits you like.
Spices you might like to add, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or ground cloves.
2 Tablespoons of steel-cut oats
1 Tablespoon lentils (I add a teaspoon each of three colors)
2 Tablespoons flax seeds (I grind them in a coffee grinder)
1 Tablespoon of amaranth
1 Tablespoon of millet
1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds
2 Tablespoons of old-fashioned rolled oats (Added near the end of cooking time. Needs about five minutes of cooking.)
Optional items to add near the end of cooking time:
1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds and/or sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon of raw organic pepitas (no shell pumpkin seeds)
1 Tablespoon natural raw walnuts
1 Tablespoon natural raw pecans
1 Tablespoon Hemp Hearts (Sprinkle on top or add at the end of cooking.)
1/4 cup of cooked Teff and or Quinoa
1 teaspoon of Red Star Nutritional Yeast (This is not brewers yeast.) It supplies B vitamins.
3 Large dates (pits removed) cut in half
1 Banana or any fresh fruits you like.
Spices you might like to add, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, or ground cloves.
(You may find these items on Amazon.com or BobsRedMill.com if they are not available in your area.)
Heat almond milk to a gentle boil as you add lentils and chia seeds, grains, seeds, and then the oats. Stir well and turn down the heat to medium; continue to stir occasionally. Cook for about fifteen minutes until the lentils are tender. You may need to add more or less almond milk to keep the consistency creamy, not watery.
Add the Nutritional Yeast, nuts, and dried fruit, stir and cover to simmer only until the dried fruits have warmed. Cut fresh fruit to add on top.
This recipe serves two or saves well to refrigerate for reheating. I reheat with more almond milk in a saucepan and add the cold porridge to simmer for a few minutes until it is warm.
Packed with high nutrition, this breakfast will help you feel satisfied well into the afternoon.
It's been more than six years since I began this journey. I haven't had so much as a cold since I started eating this breakfast, followed by a large vegetable loaded salad late in the day. I drink a lot of water and eat fresh in-season fruits and vegetables daily.
I still have desserts occasionally, and I still have a glass of white wine with dinners out with Mr. Mickey a couple of times a week. 90% of the time, I eat whole real foods that have not been processed in any way other than perhaps being steamed. Mostly I just wash, chop, and enjoy.
Countless people have asked me how do you continue to keep the weight off? This is my secret!