Tales of total health obsession

Sophie Pachella, 35
Nutritionist, “clean nutrition” eater

What’s clean nutrition? I eat 2,400 to 2,700 calories a day, six or seven meals, every two to three hours. I eat foods as close to their natural state as possible—shopping only at health-food stores, preparing steel-cut oats for 45 minutes in the morning, making homemade power bars…

Is it hard to dine out? No, but I usually befriend the waiter so I can eat the right way. I might order 12 egg whites for breakfast.

Good, bad, ugly effects? I pop out of bed every morning at 4:30, I’m full of energy, I never get sick, and I have great hair, great nails and clear skin. The chief negative is how expensive it is.

Lemme guess. You’re competitive. When I’m told I can’t do something, I’ll do it or kill myself trying. Friends told me I couldn’t run throughout my pregnancy, and so I did five to six miles a day—including the day my daughter was born.

Alex Bruskin, 40
Film producer, runner

How much do you run? Today was the 57th straight day. Lately I’ve been doing about 66 miles a week, though I’ve had weeks when I’ve run 100 or more, particularly leading up to races. I’m not a morning person, but I’ve gotten up at 3am to get the run in.

Any negative consequences? I’ve had pretty much everything over the years—strains, sprains, pulls, tears, etc. I have a massage therapist, a chiropractor and an acupuncturist all standing by. I have turned down freelance work to make races and to get my workouts in. And I rarely go out on Friday nights, because I need to be in bed by 9—my friends know better than to invite me. But the real consequence is how I’ll begin to lose it when I don’t run. Running is crucial for my well-being—it’s a brain-chemical thing.

Sam Ong, 33
Publicist, Bikram yoga practitioner

How much do you practice? Five times a week. Each session is an hour and a half, but it’s a two-hour commitment—I have to be there at least 15 minutes to a half hour before the 6:45am class to claim my regular spot, and then I need another 15 to 20 minutes after to shower and dress.

Do you freak out when you can’t do it? People notice a difference in me. So yes, I feel off when I miss a day.

How does this affect your social life? Because I won’t eat 12 hours before Bikram and have to wake up by 5am to get ready, I’m very selective with how I spend my time. I won’t go out at night to anything that won’t be enriching to me, and I will only have a salad, if that. So I usually don’t eat anything after 5pm, and I’m in bed by midnight.

NEXT IN DETOX '09: Good vs. evil»
An unapologetic drinker and a junk-food addict see what, if anything, they can learn from their healthier, wiser, cupcake-and-beer-deprived betters.