Maureen Jeanson wants to make something perfectly clear about her book, “Squeaky Gourmet.” It’s not another fad diet.
“It’s a wellness tool,” says the curly mother of five. “I want people to pick it up and become healthy.”
Maureen Jeanson, left, before her weight loss, and after.
It’s a subject the New Hampshire diet and fitness expert knows a lot about. She says she has struggled with weight most of her life.
“I was a chubby little girl who grew into a chubby teenager who became a chubby adult,” says Jeanson, who began dieting when she was 12.
Six years ago, she was conversing with friends on an online mothering forum, and they all vowed to lose weight.
Jeanson lost 100 pounds. But more importantly, she was able to maintain the loss. While losing the weight, she went back and completed her degree in holistic medicine from the Australasian College of Health Science and earned fitness certifications from the International Sports Science Association, the American College of Sports Medicine and the U.S. Navy. She has worked as a fitness specialist for the Navy and runs her own online fitness community.
“I thought, if a mom of five can do it and 18-year-old sailors can do it, then I figured I’d give everyone tips so more people can benefit,” she says.
Obesity-related diseases are the No. 1 cause of preventable death in the States. But too often, people over think it, Jeanson says. Her goal was to simplify the process because she believes “it’s not that difficult.”
” ‘Squeaky Gourmet’ was born,” she says of the book, which she wrote with Jamie Wilson, a passionate cook.
Jeanson describes “Squeaky Gourmet” as a book that educates people about how to eat right. No food groups are eliminated. She says it’s about lifestyle changes that people can stick to long term rather than a short-term fix, and understanding more about food and fitness.
“We’re inundated with commercials all about low carb and low fat, but most people don’t even know what they should be eating,” she says. “I don’t say eat this for this meal and eat this for that meal.”
The book contains healthy recipes that the entire family will eat, like Simple Mexican Pasta, Stewpendous Chicken and Biscotti Protein Bars. It also includes tips on how to save time and how to prepare food for the week ahead of time.
“Hunger is our worst enemy,” she says. “But preparedness helps complete the full fitness journey.”
