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

Here in the United States tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and for many, the day typically includes many compromises; especially overeating on disease promoting foods to the point of misery. What a perfect time to be reminded of the pitfalls of the myth of “everything in moderation.” Dr. Scott Stoll, a board certified physician in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; along with being the team physician for Lehigh University, team physician to the USA Bobsled and Skeleton Team, department chair of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Coordinated Health Medical Director, member of the Whole Foods Medical and Scientific Advisory Board, national speaker on achieving optimal health through nutritional excellence and exercise, and faculty member of the Nutritional Education Institute will be sharing valuable insights to bust the popular moderation fallacy. Welcome to Disease Proof, Dr. Stoll.

We are now on the threshold of a beautiful holiday season that is filled with joy, family, wonderful traditions, and numerous dietary landmines. Traditional foods of the holiday season are typically the least healthy and most addictive foods that can trigger destructive cycles of overeating and binge eating.  How can one safely navigate the season ahead? By avoiding the myth of “everything in moderation."

Why do so many people find that by the first of January they have gained weight and derailed their healthy diet? One common justification, as people reach for a piece of chocolate or second piece of dessert, is that one can safely eat everything in moderation. The underlying belief is that somehow the moderate consumption of unhealthy food is okay and won’t cause any harm. However, science has verified that even small amounts of these foods cause harm to the body; and for many that struggle with food addiction and disease, the moderate consumption of addictive, sugar laden and processed foods can be dangerous.

“Everything in moderation” is a deceptive belief, because there is no established standard for moderate intakes of food. 

How much is too much and where does one draw the line? Without a standard, moderation is a continually moving target; motivated by cravings and desires that promote the overconsumption of unhealthy foods. The only outcome in the end is disease, guilt, and feelings of failure.

Moderation thinking ultimately depends on one’s ability to accurately recall food intakes and amounts. How much was eaten today, yesterday, or last week? The preponderance of studies on dietary food recall found that people generally under-report or forget the consumption of unhealthy foods. 

I want to encourage you to enjoy all the beautiful things of the upcoming holiday season and create new memories with healthy food alternatives. Don’t be caught off guard by the myth of moderation, but instead proactively set your eyes on the prize of optimal health. 

• Prepare mentally and have a plan in place regarding how you will handle the tempting seasonal foods that will appear in break rooms, living rooms and dining rooms. 

• Know yourself, your weaknesses, and the potential for food addiction.  Avoid circumstances that may lead to temptation. 

• Prepare healthy meals for your guests, or if you are a dinner guest, take healthy alternatives to share with others.

Don’t let the myth of moderation lead you astray. Excellent health is never found in moderate effort, but rather in excellent dietary habits that are consistently and diligently applied to each new day and situation over time. 

 

Happy Holidays!

image credit: flickr - man eating by subwel; produce by US Army Africa

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Since today is the kick-off for the six week holiday challenge, I've asked physician and newly appointed Dean of the Nutritional Education Institute, Dr. Jay Benson, to share a few thoughts with us.  Dr. Benson is well versed in modern, high-tech medicine and the nutritional and natural methods utilized by Dr. Fuhrman, and sees the majority of patients at Dr. Fuhrman’s office in Flemington.  He also works side-by-side with Dr. Fuhrman on nutritional research, gives lectures, and answers questions on Dr. Fuhrman’s Ask the Doctor forums. Welcome to Disease Proof, Dr. Benson. 

On your mark…get set…go! The six week holiday challenge officially begins right now!

You've made the commitment to eat for health over the holidays, so what do you do next? Do you hope that everything goes well and wish that the external forces that control your life push you in the right direction? No, no, no. Remember, YOU are in charge of you and your future, and your health destiny is in your hands.  Now that that has been said, this is what are you going to do now……plan and prepare.

As a boy scout, I was required to repeat the boy-scout motto, “Be prepared,” in scout meetings. This motto was chosen for a good reason. It reminded me that my preparations and planning may mean the difference between surviving or not; whether that be deep in the woods, or in the middle of a big city.

The environments that you will be in may bring all types of challenges and dangers, but these can be averted with careful planning and preparation. 

 So let’s get to planning:  

• Decide exactly what you will eat and when so that you won’t have a choice later. You are more likely to do something consistently if you decide and prepare to do it well in advance. If you wait and see what will happen, hoping that you will not fail, then you are sure to fail. Make it easier on yourself by planning each meal carefully and completely; and then stick to your plans, no matter what. 

• Get out the healthy recipes that you enjoy the most. Try new recipes and ask your nutritarian friends for their suggestions.  Make sure to keep your refrigerator well stocked at all times with freshly cleaned vegetables, fruits, and cooked beans for quick meals.  [If you are traveling by car, keep a cooler filled with healthy foods at all times.  If you are flying, make it a priority to get to a grocery store upon arrival to stock up.]  Be prepared, at all times, in all situations. 

• Make a detailed grocery list twice every week and only include foods that are part of your planned meals. By having an inflexible list you will be less likely to succumb to the rampant advertising of unhealthy junk food in the stores. 

 

You can rise above the noise of holiday temptations with careful planning and preparedness; and you will come away with earning great health!  Here's to excellent health for all this holiday season!

traditional Thanksgiving meal image credit: flickr: carbonNYC

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Happy Holidays and A New Way to Celebrate

For many of us, the holidays are a wondrous time when we are joyful for what life has provided and we celebrate the season with our family and friends. We are usually offered an abundance of everything. Thanksgiving dinner and holiday parties are festive times that present us with many choices. We also have the choice to spread good will to others.

Unfortunately, the holidays are also associated with trips to the emergency room and deaths from dangerous eating. The emergency room doctors call it “holiday heart” as the busiest time at hospitals are from heart attacks, strokes and other emergencies that occur the next morning after big holiday meals.

So many people use the holiday season as an excuse for gluttony and addictive binges. My team here and I thought about how we could help to encourage people to enjoy the holidays more, with great tasting holiday food that is healthy too, and have as many people as possible set a good example to encourage people to have a truly healthful and happy holiday season.

I take bad nutrition seriously because people die from it. When junk food is eaten, including the traditional, highly-toxic foods served at the holidays, you may get momentary pleasure as it passes the lips in a short amount of time, but the results continue on to compromise your health.  Additionally, not having good health magnifies every emotional problem plaguing your life and exasperates the holiday blues.  Healthy recipes and treats can taste great! It may take more effort to prepare, but there is really no reason to sacrifice your good health.

My Six Week Challenge is dedicated to helping you make the best choices; the ones that will allow you to achieve overall health and quality of life. By pledging to take the challenge, you'll be celebrating your health instead of simply indulging in destructive “fake food”. Can you find friends or family members to join you in taking the challenge too? 

I have created an opportunity for those straddling the fence of commitment. For those who step up to this challenge over the next six weeks and commit to a few simple guidelines throughout the holidays, I am offering:

• a free six week membership to DrFuhrman.com*
• a free Eat To Live Vook(a video enhanced ebook)
• an entire support system of holiday recipes
• special support from Dr. Fuhrman’s Nutritional Education Institute faculty and medical team on medicine, nutrition and motivation

The challenge involves only a few simple promises to make, taken from my book, Eat To Live.

Here are the fundamentals:

• Eat a large salad every day
• Enjoy a generous serving of steamed greens with mushrooms and onions
• Satisfy your sweet tooth with three fresh fruits a day
• Have at least one fulfilling serving of beans each day

Here's what you are promising to omit:

• Avoid white flour
• Avoid sugars & artificial sweeteners

Throughout the challenge, you will have plenty of support. We will answer your questions online in the Member Center. We encourage you to log your progress with "My Health Manager." Seasoned veterans of the Eat To Live diet-style will also be there to help you.

Here is how you get started:

Step 1: Join us on Facebook to share this exciting experience and encourage your friends to also make the commitment for a better life and incredible holiday.

Step 2: If you are not already a member of my online Member Center, sign up for your FREE six week membership*.

Step 3: Enjoy the holidays!

There is more – the challenge is just the start! By joining the challenge you will have the opportunity to participate in a contest where you may be eligible to win an all expense paid trip to my 6^th annual 2011 Health Getaway in Park City, Utah at The Grand Summit Hotel at The Canyons resort. The winner or winners will be chosen based on their documented results during the challenge and into the new year. All participants of the challenge will receive details in the following weeks.

I hope you enjoy this holiday gift to help spread the message of good health and healthy eating. 

* A $44.95 value. *Offer valid thru December 4^th.  Dr. Fuhrman's online store software requires credit card information in order to process an order; including this free offer.  Your credit card will automatically be billed $14.95/month after the initial 6-week period unless cancelled.  You will be notified in plenty of time to cancel if you decide to discontinue the ongoing support of the member center after the holidays.    

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In America there’s a mindset that it’s totally acceptable and expected by well-meaning friends and relatives to gorge on decadent, rich foods during the holidays; aka the “Six Week Holiday Binge.”  It’s been taught and modeled to most of us since childhood, and for many, it’s hard to break free from the culturally engrained habit of eating for disease during that period of time. 

I don’t know about you, but I’m fed up with being pulled into the culture’s holiday eating traditions:

• traditions that are excuses to eat (and drink) for disease; planting seeds of toxic addiction and premature death

• traditions that cause one to feel “blah”

• traditions that result in the accepted norm of waking up on January first ~  lethargic, bloated and depressed; necessitating the need for New Years’ dieting resolutions

Whether one has many pounds to lose and needs to overcome toxic food addiction by following Dr. Fuhrman’s six-week eating plan as outlined in Eat to Live; or just wants to fine-tune a healthy habit like: eating only when hungry, or make a new, health promoting recipe each week, or increasing exercise intensity; most all of us can commit to a health improvement during the holidays. 

To help us get and stay motivated, I’ve invited several guest contributors, (including faculty from the Nutritional Education Institute, founded by Dr. Fuhrman), to share their expertise and practical tips to help us successfully navigate the holiday season ahead.  For example, they will instruct on such topics as why moderation fails, sidestepping sweet seductions, eating for health while away from home, and the wonderful benefits of daily exercise.   

The change of one is a transformation ~ the change of many is a revolution. Invite your family, friends and co-workers to jump on-board with you!  Let's all band together and intentionally challenge and change the cultures’ status quo by wholeheartedly committing to eating and exercising for health during the holidays. 

The six week holiday challenge will begin on November 20th and go through December 31st; with the official kick-off on Saturday, November 20th.  Stay tuned to Disease Proof in the weeks to come to be inspired and motivated by the line-up of guest authors!  

We are in control of our health destiny; not the medical industry and pharmaceutical companies, and definitely not the holiday traditions!  It's time to celebrate the holidays feeling well, and wake up on New Year's Day feeling our very best!

Let’s hear from you. What will be your six week holiday challenge? 

"Freedom from Want" painting by Norman Rockwell

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