I have been trying to eat to keep my cholesterol down: high fiber, very few carbs,and a modicum of sugar. I am not a zealot about it, but I do not want to take any more cholesterol drugs. I make a point to eat beans, fruits, certain vegetables, and other high fiber items.

Since the bathing suit boot camp I have cut back on fruit drinks, such as orange juice and have been more mindful of sugars on labels.

I also eat sometimes when I am anxious, and sometimes when I want comfort.

So, I guess I am also more functional about food.I think about it more, since I need to be more careful in my diet, but I am not one who thinks about food all day, and relates stories about trips mostly meal by meal.

Certain foods I crave, but try to watch those because usually they aren't good for me: sweetened coconut.

Hi SallyWhie, There is a product that can be found at Costco called Cholestoff. It is made from plants and it helps lower cholesterol. One of my patients tried it and we checked his cholesterol after he had been on it for a couple of months. He didn't make any other changes and his LDL went down by 65 points! You might want to check it out. (Run it by your doc as well!)

My relationship to food is not as healthy as either of yours. I manage to keep thin and fit, but it is a daily struggle. I tend toward emotional eating and when I do that what I crave is sugar and fat. I know all the rules about healthy eating and follow them frequently, but again, it is a constant struggle and has been since I was a teen. Groups like this help me stay on track which is why I'm here

Great question Dr. Robin! I'm like your husband... I LOVE food. I love shopping for it, reading about it, cooking it, and of course eating it. Weight wasn't an issue when I was younger, but I definitely have to watch what I eat now. Some of the rules I have for myself:

- Don't eat anything that you don't truly love -- is it worth the calories?

- Everything in moderation -- no such thing as BAD foods... (well, okay McDonalds is hard to justify)

- Eat small meals so I don't get crazy hungry.

- When I indulge, I don't feel guilty about it.

- When I eat healthy, I pat myself on the back.

When I'm on a trip for work and have no choice but to eat at McDonald's (the male engineers I work with never met a fat, carb, or beer they didn't like), I always go for the fruit-and-yogurt parfait or the fruit and walnut salad as lower fat choices.

My relationship with food is largely governed by sloth, which is to say I eat whatever is handy that doesn't require much effort. Luckily, a lot of food that comes under that heading is also fairly healthy food. I snack all day at work on fruit and nuts and veggies.

My husband does most of the food preparation at home, and we eat a lot of salads and a lot of steamed veggies. I used to like salad, but now that I eat it so often, I can take it or leave it, and if I had to prepare it, I'd never eat it. (Sloth again.)

When I was single, I'd eat apples and cheese for dinner just about every night. Sometimes on the weekends I'd make a big pot of soup or chili and eat it all week. I'd still do that, but my husband doesn't like soup, and he's not crazy about leftovers.

Oh Carol, that's just wrong. I think was a bit misleading with my "rules" so let me clarify: While I think of McDonalds as "bad," it is one of my favorite foods in the world. Just in moderation (maybe once a month). And when I go, I have a big mac and fries!