The Powerful Snare of Compromise

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.

It Takes Commitment

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?

What is a Nutritarian?

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!