In this interview, Kirstie Alley explains the role of organic in her new weight loss program, Organic Liaison, and in her day-to-day life. Plus, she shares her top tips for shedding extra pounds.
Q: Why did you feel that it was important to incorporate organic into your weight loss program?
A:I have always been very sensitive to pesticides and toxic chemicals. I almost died in 1986 from moving into a house that had been fumigated for termites with Methyl Bromide. I decided after this to go chemical and pesticide-free in all aspects of my life. I have owned 6 organic properties over the last 25 years.
After doing much research into why Americans are so overweight, I came across a lot of science that supports chemicals and toxins in our foods being a big cause of weight gain and obesity. I wanted to create a premiere weight loss line that would put the sanity back in food and in eating beautifully.
Q: Besides using it in your weight loss program, how do you incorporate organic into your lifestyle?
A: I have eaten primarily organic foods since 1986. I raised my children on organic foods and I try to only buy free range, organic, grass-fed meats. I appreciate the value of raising animals humanely, in free range, organic conditions, and the positive impact organic growing has on our environment.
For me, organic farming answers the question "what is the healthiest, most sane way to eat?" I'm a Kansas girl and over the years I have seen the degradation of our food sources. It is a primary purpose of mine to get this country back to high quality foods and to stop using the chemicals that pollute the world.
Q: How do you respond when people say that organic is expensive or hard to find?
A: On count one, I tell people that there is nothing more expensive than doctors and hospital stays. On count two, we have set up a locating system in Organic Liaison to instantly track organic farmer's markets, grocery stores, and restaurants. Our locating network is a living thing that expands daily with the help of our customers and different groups we link with.
Q: What are your top weight-loss tips?
A: 1.Eat as much of your food as possible ORGANIC, free range, and local
2.Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night
3.Weigh every single day
4.Be sure and have a Buddy to lose weight with you
5.Contrary to what anyone says, you must count calories to lose weight and you can gain that weight back again, no matter what program you did to lose it.
6. Bodies are controlled by the being running them, just like a car is driven by the driver. Not the other way around. So, take good care of your body, fuel it, well and drive it hard and for God's sake…HAVE FUN WITH IT!!
About Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley has emerged as one of the great actresses of her generation, proving time and again that she is capable of great depth and range, as well as possessing a comedic timing second to none.
In 1987, Alley joined the cast of a long-running hit NBC sitcom “Cheers” as the neurotic Rebecca Howe. Alley received critical accolades and won both an Emmy for Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991. The same year, she earned a People’s Choice Award for Favorite Television Performer. In addition to those wins, Alley's work on “Cheers” earned her Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1988, 1990, 1992, and 1993. Alley also earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actress in a Comedy/Musical Series in 1990, 1992, and 1993.
In 1995, Alley was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Alley is currently shooting “Kirstie Alley’s Big Life," a docu-series for A&E which chronicles everything in her extraordinary life from her weight loss to her life as a single mother trying to raise two normal teenagers in the Hollywood spotlight.
Alley will soon be seen in the independent romantic comedy “Nailed,” directed by David O. Russell opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel.
Kirstie served as the spokesperson for Pier One from 2000 to 2004 and Jenny Craig from 2005 to 2008.
