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834 Nutrition
Jeff talks about the foods he eats to keep lean and fit and
gives Todd tips on staying healthy.
Todd: OK, Jeff, we're talking about being
healthy and you mentioned the need for
exercise and in particular you do yoga, but
I think you always follow a very healthy diet.
Is that true?
Jeff: Yes. It's true. People often ask me how
do you get in shape? How do you stay in
Jeff
Todd
shape? What should I do? And they always
say should I exercise, exercise, exercise and I always answer no.
You can do a little bit of exercise but what really matters more is
your diet: what you eat and how you eat. I think people don't
realize that I think it's more important, your eating habits than
your exercising habits.
Todd: Yeah, you know, earlier you were talking about discipline
and I have very good discipline when it comes to work and to
exercise. I exercise every day, but I have no discipline when it
comes to eating. I eat terrible foods.
Jeff: The thing is though that a lot of people
think that only the delicious food is the food
that's not healthy, but I think once you... it's
like everything else, once you start doing
something you can sort of become to enjoy
and like more healthy food. Chips are good,
but if you start eating vegetables, fruits,
bananas, apples and oranges, your body
will start to develop a taste for those, so
that when you eat potato chips they're not
as good as a nice fresh piece of fruit. It
sounds strange but, yeah, your body begins
to enjoy foods that are healthy.
Quiz
1) What does Jeff think is more important for your health?
a) Eating
b) Exercise
c) They are equal.
2) What does Jeff think is the key to eating healthy foods?
a) Enjoying their taste
b) Buying organic food
c) Careful preparation
3) What does Jeff discuss in detail?
a) Foods he avoids
b) When he eats
c) Food he craves
4) What beverage does he try to stay away from?
a) Coffee
b) Alcohol
c) Pop
Reset Quiz
Show Answers
Vocabulary
Todd: Well, you are a very lean person, very fit, so what type of
diet do you follow? What foods do you tend to eat?
Jeff: Lots of things that are not fried. That are not heavy in
carbohydrates, like breads, and rices and things like this. Lighter
food, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, lots of fish. I tend to stay away
from meat cause it's very heavy and pork. It's heavy. But lighter
things. And I don't eat so much. I always eat so that I'm not full.
I'm not stuffed. And then lots of good snacks, light snacks:
peanuts and rice crackers or fruit or... Any junk food, I don't eat
much junk food and I don't eat any thing that's fried and I also
stay away from sauces, oils and butter and heavy salad
dressings and things like that.
in particular
You mentioned the need for exercise, and
in particular, yoga.
Here the phrase 'in particular' is similar in
meaning to 'specifically'. Notice the
following:
1. Are you looking for something in particular?
2. I need to improve my English - in particular, writing.
Todd: What about beverages?
Jeff: Of course you have to stay away from soda, in Canada we
say pop. So you stay away from pop, but yeah, drink lots of water
and drink lots of juice and you can become lean and mean, a
lean, mean fighting machine.
Todd: So you're saying that if you follow this diet you will be a
lean, mean fighting machine?
Jeff: That's what I'm saying: a lean, mean fighting machine.
stay in shape
People often ask me how I stay in shape.
To 'stay in shape' means to stay healthy
by regular exercise. Notice the following:
1. How do you stay in such good
shape?
2. I go jogging to stay in shape.
terrible foods
Speaking Challenge
I have no discipline when it comes to
eating because I eat terrible foods.
Match the questions with the answers below.
1) Do you follow a healthy diet?
2) How often do you eat fresh fruit?
3) What do you do for exercise?
4) What beverage do you usually have with your meal?
5) What is a junk food you love to eat?
[ _ ] I belong to a futsal circle.
[ _ ] No, I eat whatever I want.
[ _ ] Sometimes soda, but usually water.
[ _ ] I try to do it once a day.
[ _ ] Bread, cake and cookies.
'Terrible foods' are unhealthy and usually
high in fat. Notice the following:
1. My weight is all from the terrible food
I eat.
2. Terrible foods are unhealthy, but often delicious.
develop a taste for
If you start eating vegetables and fruits,
your body will start to develop a taste for
those.
What are you answers to the questions?
When we 'develop a taste' for something,
that means we slowly begin to enjoy it.
Notice the following:
Related Words
1. I took me years to develop a taste for jazz music.
2. It takes awhile to develop a taste for low-fat food.
Complete the words for each picture.
lean mean fighting machine
Drink lots of water and juice, and you can
become a lean, mean fighting machine.
The phrase 'lean mean fighting machine'
is an idiom for someone who is very fit
and healthy. Notice the following:
a) ca__________es b) sa_______s
c) p__________s
1. He's a lean mean fighting machine!
2. I'm healthy, but not exactly a lean mean fighting
machine.
Vocabulary Quiz
d) cr__________s
g) v__________s
e) f_____ f______
h) j _____ f______
f) b___________s
i) b_______r
Listen again. What does Jeff say about each word? Do you
agree? Discuss with a partner.
particular • stays in shape • terrible food
a taste for • lean mean
1. They always eat a lot of
at the
fair.
2. He
by swimming every morning.
3. After he joined the army he became a
fighting machine.
4. I like most fruit, but I love apples in
.
5. I don't think I will ever develop
salty foods.