For breakfast, the 4-foot, 11-inch dynamo had eaten a bowl of shredded wheat bran and oat squares, half of a banana, four strawberries, a sprinkling of walnuts, skim milk and half a cup of coffee. She weighs 102 pounds.
"I eat three meals a day, I don't s kip a meal, I exercise every day," says Brody, 66, who has written The Times' Personal Health column that has appeared in the Tuesday science section every week - without a gap - since 1976.
"I weigh 15 pounds less than I did at age 16 - and less than I did when I got married."
Brody, the author of 10 books and a frequent radio and TV guest, is keynote speaker May 24 for the Providence St. Peter Foundation wellness luncheon. The annual luncheon, which starts at 11:30 a.m., will be at Saint Martin's University Pavilion in Lacey.
"My message is for people to really take charge of their health if they want to avoid cancer, overweight, diabetes - all the issues that confront us in massive proportions," Brody says.
She said millions of Americans are still in the dark about taking care of their bodies, despite all the information, products and services out there addressing weight control, diet and exercise.
At a recent speaking engagement where the audience was predominantly health professionals, Brody said she was aghast to find so many of them, well, fat.
"A minimum of one-third the audience was obese," Brody says. "Not overweight - obese."
Brody, who does not mince words, also doesn't pay lip service to fad diets, low carbs, quick fixes, special supplements, or mind control.
"I present the best available medical evidence," she says. "This is not just some hippies talking."
Brody is writing her next book, "Jane Brody's Guide to the Great Beyond," on end-of-life choices. She says that if people eat a generally healthy diet of fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains and nuts, they can indulge in occasional treats such as a few squares of dark chocolate, low-fat ice cream or dessert at a restaurant.
That's given that they exercise - a lot.
Walking and swimming are Brody's cardios of choice - although she also does other things such as biking. She was a runner and an avid tennis player, but double knee replacements in 2004 prompted her to switch to low-impact sports.
During a recent three-week vacation in Australia, Brody said she walked for hours every day.
"And there were 200 steps up and down just to get to the walking paths," Brody said. "I did great."
Brody is the mother of twin boys, each of whom produced two grandsons - including another set of twins. She and her husband, 74, a lyricist, have been married for 40 years.
Brody's work is so widely read and respected that physicians and medical experts have been known to offer it to their patients. It is not too far removed to imagine that Brody's recent column on the lack of decent public toilets in New York City - as compared to Australia - was stacked right on top of the "In" boxes of a slew of city officials.
"It's so amazing to me, all these years, that what I have done has been celebrated so broadly," Brody says. "I tell a straight story, based on fact - not hearsay, not wishful thinking."
Keri Brenner covers Thurston County and Tumwater for The Olympian. She is also a licensed acupuncturist in Oregon and holds a master's degree in Oriental medicine and acupuncture from the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine in Portland. Brenner is the author of "Sleep Disorders: An Alternative Guide" and a contributing editor to "Alternative Guide to Women's Health, Vols. I and II." She can be reached at 360-754-5435 or kbrenner@theolympian.com.
Jane brody's top 10 tips for a healthy lifestyle
1. The goal is not to add years to your life, but life to your years. ("Just to live to 90 doesn't mean anything if the last 15 years you're an invalid.")
2. Just walking 30 minutes a day is not enough. ("You also need exercises for strength and flexibility.")
3. Breakfast is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle. ("A sweet roll, bagel and coffee are not a breakfast.")
4. Nine servings a day of fruit and vegetables is the goal for a healthy diet.
5. Learn to read nutrition labels ("Including serving sizes and calories per serving.")
6. Learn what a portion is of various foods.
7. Watch the calories in snack foods. ("One Cinnabon has 670 calories; one Starbucks muffin, 540 calories.")
8. Eating just 150 calories more than you need a day adds up to 15 pounds a year.
9. The secret to lasting weight control is not a diet that you go on and go off.
10. When you eat out, ask for a "people bag" to take home half the meal. ("Nobody gives the contents of doggie bags to their dogs.")
'the secret' update
Bob Doyle, one of the teachers featured in the film and book, "The Secret," will present a workshop from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 2 at Rialto Theater, 310 S. 9th St., Tacoma.
Doyle, creator of the "Wealth Beyond Reason" program, will be joined by Mark Edgar Stephens, a behaviorist, life coach and author who has appeared on TV shows as a relationships and communications expert.
Tickets range from $57 for balcony seats to $117 for VIP.
For information, call 360-705-4412 or e-mail DrWendy@AbundantFitnessCenter.com.
If you go
New York Times personal health columnist and author Jane Brody will speak at 11:30 a.m. May 24 at the Providence St. Peter Foundation's wellness luncheon. The event will be at Saint Martin's University Pavilion in Lacey. Cost is $50, or $100 for patrons. For reservations, call 360-493-7981.
