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

We all know the expression, “pigging out;” aka binge eating / ravenous gorging. 

Addiction is a repeated action that has the potential to evolve into a dangerous and downward spiral that only gets worse. If one continues in daily nibbling, those innocent snacks can easily and quickly turn into pigging out; which will lead to self-sabotage.  It's pretty predictable.   

When I was in my early twenties, I was athletic, fit and weighed a healthy weight. If someone would have told me that in ten years I’d be 100 lbs overweight, I wouldn’t have believed them! No way in a million years would I ever let myself weigh THAT much! But it happened. One nibble turned into two, which turned into three, four, five, six . . . which eventually turned into a full-blown, binge eating disorder; resulting in obesity and poor health for twenty long years. Those years were like existing in a dark prison cell with no exit sign.   

Dr. Fuhrman clearly states that snacking is overeating, and overeating will sabotage excellent health. Those who nibble consume more calories, and snacking is usually done when not truly hungry. It’s easy to reach for that handful of nuts after watching Junior’s soccer game. (If those same nuts are consumed with greens at mealtime, the absorption of phytochemicals is enhanced by 10 fold!) It’s easy to nibble on that package of carrots or dried fruit while putting groceries away. Oh my, and don’t forget those enticing food samples laced throughout the grocery store on Saturday mornings! “Just one bite” never hurt anyone. Wrong. In all truthfulness, if we want to live in optimal health, nibbling and snacking need to be eliminated from our vocabulary altogether. Period.  No compromise.  No excuses.*

                                                   SAY NO TO NIBBLING 

Let’s all enjoy the privilege of living in excellent health for the rest of our lives!

Previous posts related to this topic: “The powerful snare of compromise”  and "Eating occasions"

* Dr. Fuhrman states that a rare exception to snacking would be if one ate too little at a meal or couldn’t get to the next meal and were truly hungry; in that case the “healthy snack” would be appropriate.

image credit - Flickr: thebittenword.com; lululemon athletica

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Wow, it seems like just yesterday we were launching the Six Week Holiday Challenge, and here it is . . . a week into 2011 already!  Between facebook, the member center of DrFuhrman.com, and Disease Proof, it’s exciting to read the many comments that have come in from those whose lives have been radically changed by the challenge. I think it gave all of us the necessary awareness, focus, and inertia to establish new and healthy holiday traditions for the rest of our lives.  

The change of one is a transformation; the change of many is a revolution. While most of the nation gorged on disease promoting foods and became even sicker, we can honestly say, based on the flood of posts and comments, that we truly did experience an exciting and unprecedented health revolution during the holidays!  Decadent holiday binge eating, and resulting bloating and blues, are now traditions of the past for many! 

Enjoy reading a few of those comments . . . . .

• I have lost a total of 15 lbs. I'm sleeping better and exercising more. I feel so grateful to be improving my health during what could have been a treacherous (health wise) season.    -Marie

• Down 16.5 pounds and 2” off waist lost! Yeah!    -Mael

• I’ve been diagnosed with inflammatory arthritis. Before I started the challenge all of my joints were stiff, and I was in a state of constant flare.  My knees felt like there were glass shards in them. Now I only have the stiffness in the morning, and the feeling of glass in my knees is gone and the flaring has calmed down tremendously.   -Christine

• I lost 5 lbs during the holidays when I normally would’ve gained 5 lbs. I feel much more energetic and can think more clearly. My skin is much clearer and no longer extremely dry, and my hair feels healthier and stronger. My husband said that I seem happier and nicer, and it’s gotten easier for me to just say, “No thank you” to SAD foods.  I definitely prefer ETL foods over SAD foods now.    -Katie

• I cut my Topomax (migraine medication) in half, and I’ve stopped using antibiotic acne cream. I’ve also dropped from 140 lbs to 129 lbs and feel great!    -V

• I weighed 177 pounds about 3 weeks ago and now I weigh 160.  My blood sugars are coming down, and I feel better with more energy.   -Amy

• I’ve lost 10 lbs so far, but more importantly, I feel great!  I have no more acid reflux, and I’m more comfortable in my clothes.  My wife called me a ‘sexy man’ last night!  Now that’s some success to share!   -Tom

• My aches and pains are gone, and for the most part my uncontrollable sugar urges are gone. Most importantly my mood is good, I’m loving the winter, my skin glows, and I love the way I look!   -Diana

• Since starting the challenge I’m down 13 pounds, and I can run/walk intervals for 40min and do 1 hour spinning classes. AND I just found out that I’m pregnant! Thank you so much for starting this challenge, because it has given me the start that I needed, and now a great start to the most healthiest pregnancy EVER!   -A

• In November, 2010, I discovered Dr. Fuhrman, his wonderful book, Eat to Live, and I jumped on-board the Six Week Holiday Challenge. Friends have started commenting on my slimmer physique and I now have more energy than I know what to do with.   -Carrie

• I started the Six Week Holiday Challenge on November 20th weighing 311.3 pounds, and now I weigh 282.5 pounds.  My blood pressure was 146/86 and now it’s 121/71. My former acid reflux and swollen feet are gone, and I sleep better and have lots more energy. Arthritis in my knees has decreased significantly, and I’ve lost so much fluid that I was excited to see that I actually have ankles again!  There are nine of us in my family strictly following ETL now; ranging in ages 3 to 65. Everyone has had a reduction in symptoms / illnesses. My dad’s blood pressure has dropped from 150/90 to 127/77 ~ the best he’s had in 15 years!   -Peta

• I’ve dropped ten pounds over the holiday challenge, starting a week before Thanksgiving and encompassing Christmas and New Year's Eve too! Plus, we had a birthday in our family to add in as well, and a lot of parties and things. Ten pounds lost over all that time is pretty satisfying!     -Cindy

• I cannot believe how well I feel! The weight seems to be coming off easily and my appetite is under excellent control; this is the aspect of dieting that has NEVER allowed me to keep my weight off.     -tsmoon

For those reading about the Six Week Holiday Challenge for the first time, or couldn’t participate in it during the holidays, it’s never too late to earn health back. Commit to following the six week plan as outlined in Eat to Live and you will be feeling amazingly great in six weeks also! Go for it and contend for optimal health today!  

image credit:  flickr by Merelymel13; celebration image courtesy of Elijah Lynn

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Stepping into the New Year brings with it recollections of the past and hopes and desires for the year ahead. Contemplation about ways we can improve ourselves is a welcome sidekick of this time of year if we can put our goals into action in our day-to-day practices. For me, reminiscing about the past and what self-improvement goals I would like to make, made me realize how much I treasure my family and friends. I am blessed to have a wonderful, loving group of people in my life who care about my well-being and happiness and whose well-being and happiness I care about in return. I also thought about people in my life who have gone through serious health issues, and how these experiences have affected not just them, but their friends and family members. A physical ailment might be a one person ordeal, but the subsequent emotional reactions are not. It pains us to see a loved one suffering and we can enjoy our lives more fully when the people we care about are healthy and happy.

As such, I know that taking care of one’s own health is not a selfish act. When we feel well we are able to participate in activities we enjoy with the people in our lives. 

For example, an overweight, sickly father on the standard American diet might be restricted in his ability to play football or soccer with his sons, to their disappointment. I’ve had an overweight friend with type 2 diabetes say she does not want to go mountain hiking with me because she does not have the stamina. This is a shame given how enjoyable these activities can be, especially when we can bond over them and remember how much fun we’ve had. Most people can coast by eating standard American fare for a while, but eventually doing so will result in sluggishness, extra pounds, and health problems that will interfere with their happiness and the happiness of those close to them.   

If we are to make this year the best one yet, let’s all pledge to make eating nutritiously a priority and spend time participating in enjoyable physical activities and games. Plus, by making the right eating choices and feeling great, we are setting a good example for others who might be struggling to do so. Happiness is contagious and feeling our best will maximize our happiness. The emotional benefits of taking care of one’s health have the ability to spread like an invisible white light touching the people we interact with. When you are passionate about your lifestyle, other people can sense that passion. 

I can speak from experience that my father’s (as well as my own) passion for nutrition is easily detectable by others and they become motivated to make changes in their diets simply by observing how ebullient and lively my father is when he speaks about the subject. I believe that if you set healthy New Years goals for yourself and follow through with them, the feelings of accomplishment that result can enliven a passion in you that can inspire others to make healthy eating choices as well. Quality time spent with family and friends can then be appreciated undeterred by health maladies for the upcoming year and for many years to come. Taking the place of health problems will be the ability to laugh, bond, and have fun with those you care about. 

The above image is a recent picture of my father and me with Marilu Henner. 

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