Compliance gives the most pleasure out of life
.jpg)
For me, being 100% compliant to eating for health means following Dr. Fuhrman’s high-nutrient food plan (“GOMBBS” - greens, onions, mushrooms, beans, berries, nuts/seeds), stopping before full and eating only when truly hungry.
Following the food plan isn’t the hard part for me; the "stopping before full and eating only when truly hungry" is the hard part. The stopping before full habit has taken me the longest to retrain and develop. I actually feel about as miserable now when I'm full as I would if I ate processed fake foods; but it took much repetitive training, and many failures, over three years' worth, to get to this point.
Plus, eating as a social and recreational activity has been hard to change as it has been so engrained in me over the years. However, I'm now much more aware of how many times a day most of society eats as an activity. In fact, it's pretty sad. For instance just recently I attended a social gathering, and of course, just an hour or two after dinner, a snack was served. AND it wasn't just a snack, it was a mini-meal. As a culture, we celebrate eating (the verb form) just as much as the processed junk food version of it.
All in all, it does take a lot of effort, sweat and perseverance equity to retrain damaging habits.
However, I will continue to keep these health promoting habits an intentional part of my life. For instance, I don't desire to go back to the standard American diet foods, but I would like to sit down on occasion and just pig out on unlimited amounts of high caloric, nutritarian-friendly desserts without restraint. However, I can't go there. I can't do that. No way. It would open the door for more and more and more until I'd go right back into a binge eating addiction. Been there. Done that. Bought the plus size t-shirt and it was no fun.
Junk food addiction and binge eating addiction are both were very damaging habits that I never want to develop again in my life. That's why I stay compliant. I know what would happen if I didn't follow the plan.
In all reality, for me it's a "get to" . . . .not a "have to."
I get to remain free from craving the standard American diet and binge eating!
I get to enjoy life without feeling miserably bloated, tired and depressed.
I get to enjoy wearing pretty clothes on hot summer days.
I get to ride a bike and enjoy the sights and smells of a fresh, spring morning in the country.
I get to wake up in the mornings refreshed and happy to be alive!
I get to live my life without ongoing endocrinology and cardiology appointments.
I get to save lots and lots of money by not needing to buy test strips and insulin.
I get to live in no fear of ever having a heart attack in front of my kids. [Dr. Fuhrman told me that it would be impossible for me to have a sudden heart attack now.]
I get to stay out of bypass surgical suites.
I get to be free from astronomically expensive and toxic pharmaceuticals.
I get to sit in an airplane seat and not be encumbered by rolls of fat.
I get to play with future grandchildren someday instead of sitting on the sidelines in a chair.
I get to do all of this and more!
What a privileged opportunity we all get as a result of choosing foods and habits that give the most pleasure and quality out of life; knowing that we are supporting, not destroying, our health as we enjoy eating!
