Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

With the current epidemic of 40% of adults living in the US having diabetes or pre-diabetes, diabetes and insulin have become household words; almost as common and all-American as baseball and apple pie.

Obesity.  Diabetes.  Metabolic Syndrome.  Insulin resistance.  Blaah.  Blaah.  Blaah.  Yawn.

Ten percent of those with diabetes have type I or juvenile diabetes.  It’s an auto-immune disease where the body attacks and destroys its own islet cells that produce insulin.  Most often it appears in childhood and the child is totally dependent upon insulin 24/7 for the rest of his or her life.

The remaining ninety percent have type II or adult onset diabetes.  (Some call it insulin resistant diabetes.)  The pancreas makes insulin, but due to layers of excess fat surrounding the cells, they become insulin resistant, thus resulting in high blood sugar.

Diabetes, whether it is type I or type II, is a nasty disease that eventually produces life threatening complications such as heart disease, heart failure, blindness, kidney disease, circulatory problems and amputations; not to mention daily micromanagement of blood sugars, and astronomical costs of diabetic supplies, insulin, doctor and hospital bills, and high insurance premiums as a result of the disease.  On top of all that, with the best of care and self-management, one can still feel miserable when blood sugars fluctuate. 

The type I diabetics can utilize less insulin, stop hypoglycemic events and protect their future health with a nutritarian diet.  However, almost everyone with type II diabetes can get completely rid of it through embracing Dr. Fuhrman’s diet-style.  Dr. Fuhrman’s results in this arena are remarkable.  Imagine if the majority of type II diabetics took the challenge to get totally well.  That translates into almost 90% of those with diabetes; resulting in nearly 40% of the adult US population completely free from a life of diabetes and diabetes related complications!

Ask any kid who lives day-in-and-day-out with type I diabetes if he or she would consider committing to the nutritarian way of eating in exchange for the privilege of getting completely rid of diabetes for the rest of his/her life.  Hands down every child and teen would gladly embrace the opportunity.

As a nation, let’s all get healthy and eradicate type II diabetes from our vocabulary.  May diabetes no longer be an all-American, household word for generations to come!

Drugs for diabetes can perpetuate type II diabetes, and often cause more weight gain and worse disease outcomes.  Let’s get real and expose this nasty disease called diabetes.  Do you know someone suffering from it?  Without revealing the person’s identity, how has it affected his or her life?  If they knew for sure they could get rid of it, with excellent nutrition and daily exercise, would they?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (12)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Abstinence is staying within the picket fence around us called “boundaries.” The purpose of a boundary is to keep us safe. The nutritional wisdom and guidelines in Dr. Fuhrman’s books, newsletters, teleconferences, etc., if followed, keep us safe and healthy. There’s freedom, optimal health, and many pleasurable perks within the fence.

Seeds of abstinence sown in the soil of our lives will eventually produce a harvest of freedom from addiction that leads to optimal health. Guaranteed.

Yes, of course, we may have imperfect “slip ups”, especially in those first few weeks and months of getting rid of the toxins that have built up in our bodies over the years. The key to success is to recognize and acknowledge the slip up when it happens and quickly continue on eating for health.

If we’ve sown seeds of compromise for several days, weeks, or even months, now is the time to stop. Stop immediately. Continue on the journey to eat for health. Forget the past. The past is the past. Let it go. There’s nothing that can be done about it and dwelling on the misery is counterproductive to optimal health.

Get up. Dust the dirt off and roll up the sleeves. Fix the nicks and dents in the picket fence by going back to key chapters in Eat to Live and Eat for Health and re-read them. Listen to the teleconference on overeating again. Ask for help from like-minded friends on Dr. Fuhrman’s members’ center. Abstain from making ice cream desserts until the taste buds have readjusted to enjoy the subtle flavors of greens again. Turn off the news and go outside for a walk. It may take several weeks or months to get back to optimal health again, but it will be sooooo worth it!

Have the mindset to nurture and gently care for the body. In those seemingly, insignificant choices, let’s all be kind to ourselves. Kindness is the backbone of superior health.

There’s freedom in boundaries.

Abstinence, not perfection, is one of the keys to success.

Let’s all enjoy living within the picket fence!

Freedom to all!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (9)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

An “I blew it” moment is not the end of the world.  It's a miniscule blimp on the radar screen of a long journey called health; humbly reminding us that we are living, breathing, human-beings.  

It all starts with getting little nicks and dents in the neat picket fence around us called "boundaries."  The purpose of a boundary is to keep us safe.  The nutritional wisdom and guidelines in Dr. Fuhrman’s books, newsletters, teleconferences, etc., if followed, keep us safe.

Even though the boundary fence may seem restrictive at times, especially in the beginning of the journey when still heavily addicted to toxic foods, and continually surrounded by the deceptive lures of this culture, we know there’s safety, freedom, optimal health, and many pleasurable perks within the picket fence.  (Like the opportunity to give away plus size clothing or go jogging with the kids.)

We don't just wake up one day and "blow it" big time with careless eating. 

An "I blew it" moment starts with a seemingly insignificant, almost unnoticeable compromise.

We may close our eyes and overlook tiny compromises for a few days, or perhaps they have been allowed to simmer for a few weeks; however long, we have planted the seeds of compromise, and they have been sprouting growth nonetheless.

"Oh," we say, "What's the harm in a little compromise?  Don't be so scrupulous." 

That, my friend, is the deception. 

If we sow a seemingly insignificant compromise, over time, it will grow into a bigger, seemingly insignificant compromise.  Over time again, it will grow bigger and bigger, until one day, the taste buds are aroused into full swing, the stomach is stretched to capacity, and we wake up totally engulfed in the psychological and physiological power of toxic food addiction.

Slip ups are those impulsive moments, well, we just slip up.  If we recognize, acknowledge, and quickly continue on we’ll be totally fine even with those little imperfections here and there along the way.

Compromises, on the other hand, are those intentional choices to step outside the boundary fence; denying the danger of the power of psychological and physiological addiction.
  
Seeds of compromise sown into the soil of our lives will eventually produce a harvest of addiction.  Guaranteed.

Think on it.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (10)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

For what its worth, pitch the "on-the-wagon-off-the-wagon" mentality. That mindset will only set you up for failure, because when you "blow it" the brain automatically says, "okay, since I'm *off the wagon* anyway, I might as throw in the towel for the rest of the day and blow it big time." All or nothing has got to go!

To be honest, the wagon mentality is a most welcome excuse for major binge eating. The sad part is the binge can last for a day, two days, two weeks, three months or even years before the mind gets psyched up again to "get back on the wagon."

Don't involve any wagons! They are for ponies and children and hayrides, but not for getting your health back and staying healthy!

At the slightest slip up, recognize it, yet don't make a big deal out of it.

So you blew it. Big deal. It only proves you are a human being. Keep moving forward immediately in your journey to health. Don't give blowing it another thought. Delete it from your cranium. It's no big deal in your overall journey to optimal health.

You are making progressive changes whether you can see them or not. Forget the scales for this week. Forget the mirror. Is your waist a bit smaller? Is it easier to get out of a chair? Is it less tiring to climb a flight of stairs? Is it easier to roll over in bed at night?

Focus on the positive. Minimize the negative.

You'll get there. I know you will!

Cheering for you today! You have many cheering for you today!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (8)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I’ve discovered a great way to quickly store my garden bounty without spending much time in the kitchen during the final days of gorgeous summer weather.

I harvested all the ripe tomatoes plus the zucchinis that I let grow “too big”; the kind that master gardeners would most likely throw onto their compost piles.

After rinsing the vegetables with water, I cut the tops off the tomatoes and quartered them. Then I sliced the huge zucchinis into 2 inch cross-sections, and chopped them into chunks; skin, seeds and all.

I had enough to fill two, five gallon stock pots. I then turned on the stove burners and put on the lids. I didn’t add spices, onions, garlic or anything, and just allowed the tomatoes to break down and make their own juice in the cooking process.

When the zucchinis and tomatoes were thoroughly cooked and tender, I turned off the stove, removed the lids, and allowed everything to cool. When cooled, I put the stewed vegetables into one-gallon zippered bags and stored them flat in the freezer. They look like a bunch of stacked books.

Now I can pull out a one gallon “book” of cooked tomatoes and zucchinis, cut the plastic bag off, place it in a stock pot, and use it as a base for almost anything.

For starters, this past week I made a batch of bean and vegetable soup; adding onions, garlic, Mato Zest, previously cooked lentils and garbanzo beans, fresh cut corn, and a frozen bag of each: collard greens, green beans and brussel sprouts. It was delicious! For my family I added a little bit of cooked, ground turkey and they absolutely loved it! (In another post I’ll tell how I gradually transitioned my family into eating nutrient dense foods.)

I’m almost ready to rip the tomato plants out, till the soil under, and start planting my kale and spinach seeds for the fall and winter harvest.

Here’s to eating for health to all!

Do you have a harvesting short cut to share?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (6)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Okay, let’s be gut level honest here; if one is going to get completely free from food addiction and live in optimal health, it’s going to take commitment.

Commitment is fully engaging one’s mind to act upon a decision. Commitment includes involvement and dedication.

Commitment is not, “I’ll give it a *try* . . . . . (until I don’t feel like it anymore.)”

Nor is it, “I’ll be a nutritarian during the week, and a junketarian on weekends.”

Making the commitment to get health back has everything to do with, “No matter what, every day I will make choices to eat for health for the rest of my life. No argument. No wavering in the midst of trial. The decision has been made. Period.”

When the mind is 100% committed, there are no more excuses.

(100% commitment has nothing to do with 100% perfection. BIG difference. I’ll discuss that topic in another post.)

A nutritarian whose mind is 100% committed to optimal health will:

Remove junk food, processed cereals, white flour products, salt, and sweets from the house.

Make time to study Dr. Fuhrman’s books and tutorials; understanding the difference between toxic hunger and cravings versus true hunger, the body’s need for digestive rest as much as nourishing food, and the instructional teleconference on overeating. Success is dependent on how much information is comprehended, not on how much willpower is possessed.

Ask like-minded and supportive members on drfuhrman.com for practical success tips and delicious recipes to make it through an upcoming birthday party.

Know how to make scrumptious sorbets, ice creams and cakes from nutrient dense fruits and vegetables.

Make time to clean and slice romaine lettuce, tomatoes and red onions to make a huge, great tasting salad instead of zoning out in front of the TV.

Make a homemade salad dressing from wholesome ingredients such as blueberries or kiwis,
tomato paste, or flavored vinegars and cashews rather than just pour a bunch of oil and salt out of a bottle.

Prepare a large pot of cooked beans with basil, garlic and spices for use throughout the week.

Choose to stop by the farmer’s market instead of the fast food place, knowing the sack of fresh green peppers, tomatoes and peaches will support nutritional excellence.

Click here for sample recipes from drfuhrman.com.

Have you made the commitment to optimal health, or are you just trying to eat more healthfully?

The latter will be laced with hundreds of excuses, and will only set you up for failure at the next curve ball that life throws your way.

If you haven’t already done so, pick a date, and make the commitment.

Let’s dialogue. Have YOU made the commitment? If you haven’t, what excuses are holding you back?

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (10)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

I want to expound on a statement that I made in a previous post about “doing the homework” to get completely free from food addiction.

Dr. Fuhrman’s scientifically-based instruction on nutritional excellence exposes the lies that we’ve all been taught since childhood; and as the mind becomes renewed with correct information, behaviors change, and then the body transforms as a result.

There are no shortcuts to change, but the investment of time to thoroughly study the information in both his books and the member center will pay back huge dividends of permanent freedom from food addiction, eating disorders, yo-yo weight fluctuations, chronic malnutrition, disease, and astronomical medical bills. Also, it will save significant amounts of money from overeating expenditures and lost work productivity.

I know the following will sound like an advertisement for joining the membership at DrFuhrman.com, and it could be, however I’m writing this to express not only my gratitude for what that membership did for me, but what I see is happening in others’ lives from being a part of it.

The members’ center provides informative tutorials and teleconferences, plus direct access to Dr. Fuhrman in the Ask the Doctor forum to answer specific medical and/or weight loss questions. There are also veteran, like-minded people on the forums which offer support and helpful tips; all of this for a monthly fee that is less than the cost of gas to drive to doctors’ visits or weekly weight loss meetings.

I’ve observed that those who’ve achieved freedom from food addiction are the ones who have thoroughly studied the materials and received on-line support.

Freedom from food addiction that leads to optimal health is a treasured gift that there is no regret in getting back!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (4)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

My desire is to help others get free of food addictions, and reclaim their health. The focus of my writings will be sharing success tips that I’ve learned along the way of getting my own health back.

However, I’ll take occasional detours to respond to any non-medical questions from the comments section of my posts.

I’ll begin with, “What is a nutritarian?”

Dr. Fuhrman clearly explains it in the following article: Are You a Nutritarian? I highly recommend reading it thoroughly, because correct information, not will power, is the key to success.

In a nutshell, a nutritarian is someone whose food choices are influenced by excellent nutritional quality. He/she chooses foods that are high in a wide spectrum of micronutrients per calorie. I’ve heard Dr. Fuhrman call it, “Getting more bang for the buck.”

For example, if the choice is between brown rice or cherries; yams or white potatoes; spinach or iceburg lettuce, the nutritarian will most often choose foods that have the higher nutritional values. Which in these cases would be cherries, yams, and spinach.

The nutritarian lifestyle that leads to optimal health is a direct result of eating more micronutrients, in quantity, quality and breadth, while not consuming excessive calories.

Dr. Fuhrman’s unique contribution to the science of nutrition not only include his simple health equation H = N/C, which demonstrates mathematically that Health equals one’s consumption of nutrients per calorie, but also the biochemistry and physiology explaining how high micronutrient eating suppresses appetite and resolves food addictions and cravings.

I know there are some naysayers who may criticize me for being vain and self-congratulatory, but Dr. Fuhrman insists that I ignore them, and make the point that nutritarian eating is not just about weight loss and looks, but about health. Healthy skin is a reflection of a healthy body, and you can clearly see the difference in my before and after photos above (the right one, a year later after my dietary epiphany).

Let’s dialogue. How has the nutritarian way of eating improved your health? Momentum begets momentum. Even if you’ve just begun the nutritarian journey, any changes, big or small, let’s hear what’s happening to you!

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (22)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link