Idle no more: Randy Jackson fights diabetes with diet, exercise

WHEN RANDY Jackson was growing up in Baton Rouge, La., there was one rule when it came to food: fat, fat and more fat.

Good down-home cooking meant butter. And everything fried.

But the bad eating habits he learned as a child caught up with the straight-shooting "American Idol" judge later in life.

Six years ago, when he'd reached a high of 355 pounds, the producer/guitarist was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes and one that is linked to obesity.

The father of three knew that if he didn't do something to change his diet and exercise regime - he had no regime at the time - the incurable disease could kill him. He got help, changed his life and, in a little more than a year, Jackson, 52, lost a whopping 110 pounds.

Now he's teamed up with the American Heart Association to spread the word about this silent killer. Many Americans, he fears, are like he was: totally unaware they are walking around with a deadly disease.

"A.I." started its eighth season Tuesday on Fox. We spoke with Jackson last week when he was here to do a healthy-cooking demo at the Shops at Liberty Place with Philly chef Delilah Winder.

Q: Tell us how your weight-loss journey began.

A: Six years ago, I developed type II diabetes. I had gone to the doctor - I thought I had a cold because I had flulike symptoms. I thought I just had a cold. I couldn't quench my thirst, I had a fever all the time, and I was lethargic. It was a huge wake-up call. I had to get it together, right now.

Q: What changes did you immediately make? Were they hard to do?

A: One of the first things I did was to go to a nutritionist and make [dietary] changes, and I made some exercise changes. I was also trying to figure out what would work for me as a [routine] I could sustain. Before, I'd work out twice a week at a gym [but] if I'd skip it, I'd say, so what.

Q: How long did it take to lose 110 pounds?

A: It took me a while. I lost some of it initially because I had gastric bypass surgery, but it took me the better part of a year and a half to change my eating habits.

I can't and don't eat the foods in the same way I used to. The whole starchy thing is not a good thing for my body type. No more rice and pasta . . . I don't eat red meat anymore . . . I try to cook very healthy meals, as you can see in the American Heart Association [cookbook]. And I heave healthy recipes in my new book, "Body with Soul: Slash Sugar, Cut Cholesterol, and Get a Jump on Your Best Health Ever" ($34.95, www.amazon.com).

Q: So how are you cooking differently now?

A: Trying to use less of the oils and trying to have healthy oils. And I'm a lot more of a fruit and veggies and legumes guy now. I was not at all before. I grew up in Louisiana, and it's always about good eatin' down there, no matter the fat and calories.

Q: What are the most dramatic results of the weight loss for you? What do you want people to know about your struggle?

A: I am way more alert, I have way more energy and also, part of my thing is, since I lead a very busy lifestyle, I wanted to team up with to make people more aware of all this.

The thing is, I think that a lot of people don't know they have it . But I want them to know you can actually have a life with it. There is no cure for diabetes. The reason I was glad to team up with the American Heart Association is because cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of diabetics.

Q: You've made a huge change in your life, but what still challenges you?

A: I think every day is a challenge, staying on it [a healthy diet], staying on your game plan and never letting your guard down. *