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

Seven years ago this month marks the anniversary of the tragic accident that involved a Taylor University van full of students and staff on I-69; not far from my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Five lives were lost on the fateful evening of April 26, 2006. The story not only hit national news immediately, but six years later it became one of NBC Dateline’s most popular stories in their twenty year history due to the mistaken identity of two, blonde haired students at the scene of the accident.

For anyone not familiar with the story, in a nutshell, a young female student that was supposedly Laura VanRyn was thrown some fifty feet from the van and sustained multiple broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a traumatic brain injury.  She was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Wayne. When her parents and siblings arrived from out-of-state, they were told by the physician a couple of times to be prepared for what they would see when they entered her dimly lit room in ICU. Her face would be swollen, scratched, bruised, and bandaged; she was on a respirator; and tubes would be coming out of her body.

Long story short, at the scene of the accident, in the midst of the chaos with purses and items strewn all over two blonde-haired students’ identities were accidentally switched. For five weeks the VanRyn family unknowingly watched vigil at the bedside of a young woman that was not their daughter. Even though the girl’s college roommate and a couple family friends noticed the person in the hospital bed was not Laura VanRyn; it wasn’t until she started waking up from her coma and saying that her name was Whitney, did the reality of the mistaken identity start to unfold. 

The story is unbelievably sad, and I can’t begin to imagine the traumatic confusion those families endured.  

Every since learning about the mistaken identity, I’ve been both intrigued and amazed how the mind has the potential to believe and become most anything it is told.

Years ago I attended a Twelve Step program, and at the beginning of this particular group of meetings everyone went around the room and introduced themselves as a 'Compulsive Overeater'. Seriously. That was the introductory declaration before each meeting. After declaring that repeatedly, it started to become my identity. So guess what I did every time I was stressed out? . . . .or sad, tired, happy, frustrated, bored, lonely, or discouraged? I compulsively overate! 

In the summer of 2008, when I committed to the nutritairan eating-style, from day one onward I told myself and everyone around me that I was a nutritarian. A nutritarian is someone who eats high-nutrient foods to meet the body’s biological needs for optimal nutrition; not for emotional, social, or recreational reasons. Being a nutritarian became my new identity; a compass so-to-speak. And guess what? My identity changed! I became a nutritarian!

We really do become what we believe, and what we repeatedly tell others.

We all need to ask ourselves if we are believing and declaring an identity that is incongruent with that which we want to become. If we are, we need to change what we believe; for only then can our true, positive identity come forth.

In other words, we need to be careful not to believe that we are someone we don’t want to become. We must not live with a mistaken identity. Life is too short to become someone we never intended to be!

 

Here’s to being a healthy and vibrant nutritarian to all!

image credit:  flickr by Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad History

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The following post was originally published on Disease Proof about two years ago. I thought it’d be helpful to dig it out of the archives for some inspiration again this time of year. Even now, I still hear, “Oh, I could never do that!” in response to the way I eat, and I’m sure that many of you do too. It’s good to be reminded on a regular basis of the many medical problems that we nutritarians get to bypass, and the many wonderful pleasures that we get to enjoy as a result! Some of the comments at the end are funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking all rolled into one. May they encourage and uplift heavy hearts, and cheer everyone on in the pursuit of excellent health. Cheers to all!

In the Fall of 2008, after I had dropped 40 lbs in three months, my peers started commenting and asking questions about the noticeable changes. By the next Spring, when 100 pounds were off, complete strangers such as clerks in stores would comment and ask questions as well.

Everyone’s question was, “How did you lose weight?” 

Of which my reply would always be, “By following Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live;. . . . basically eating lots of high nutrient, plant-based foods.” 

“You mean no meat? No cheese? No pizza? No McDonald’s? . . . . Oh, I could never do that!” 

Now, over 2 ½ years later, the majority still say to me, “Oh I could never do that!” in response to anything remotely related to the idea of eating meals primarily composed of plant based nutrition. 

Well, the following is what I think in response to, “I could never do that”:

• I could never blow the family budget on unnecessary test strips, insulin, medications, doctor and hospital bills, or bypass surgery.

• I could never carry around expensive medical supplies and meds while traveling.

• I could never ask a loved one to mow the lawn for me due to fatigue and ill health.

• I could never turn a child away from playing a game due to a migraine headache.

• I could never miss out on the joy of a wedding celebration due to obesity and depression.

• I could never ask someone to drive me to kidney dialysis three times a week.

   

Dr. Fuhrman added:

• I could never have heartburn and burping half the night.

• I could never sit in the bathroom for 15 minutes trying to painfully squeeze out a hard log.

• I could never watch a volleyball game at the beach instead of playing in it.

• I could never have rubber bands put on painful hemorrhoids by a rectal specialist.

• I could never worry about running to catch a bus, for fear of having a heart attack. 

• I could never have such severe stomach cramps that emergency room personnel would assume it was a heart attack. 

• I could never fall down and fracture a hip because my blood pressure medications dropped my blood pressure too low.

• I could never be intubated in the ER with a tube put down my throat and hooked up to a breathing machine after suffering a heart attack.

• I could never be in a nursing home unable to talk after a stroke or move the left side of my body. 

How about you? 

What could you never do?     

image credit: flickr by Claudio Matsuoka and FotoosVanRobin 

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"The most effective treatment for breaking any bad habit or addiction is abstinence."    -Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

I've never been drunk, in fact, I don't drink alcohol. I grew up in a home where alcohol wasn’t consumed, so therefore, I didn't acquire a taste for it. However, during college I lived in a house with 28 other girls, and most Saturday and Sunday mornings I witnessed the various hangovers from the drinking parties the night before. I felt so sorry for them. I couldn't understand why they would do such a thing to torture their poor bodies so much.

Well, just a couple of years later when I was in the midst of my own hangovers from toxic food addiction, I could finally understand. When a poisonous addiction takes over, it tortures both body and mind. After a toxic food binge I would feel bloated, painfully miserable, and disoriented for several hours until the foods got out of my system; only to eat them all over again.

For me, being free from toxic food hangovers has been even more exciting than losing weight or getting health restored. To anyone who doesn't understand that concept, be thankful. Be very thankful. To be imprisoned to habitual bingeing hangovers is a terrible captivity, and I was in the dark abyss for over 20 years.

• I dreaded birthday parties and holiday feasts, yet craved them at the same time.

• I dreaded the way I'd feel after eating fake stuff, yet couldn't live without it.

• I even dreaded getting up many mornings to face another day of bingeing; dreading it, yet craving it. What insanity.

Perhaps that's why I'm so staunch about abstinence to the point others may think I'm extreme and crazy. I know how deep one can dig into the pit of food addiction. I've seen what it can do to my body and sanity, and I’ve seen what it can do to others as well . . . and I don't give a rip what anyone thinks about my decision to be abstinent.

Have you ever experienced food binge hangovers, and are you free from them?

If not, you can be starting right now.

Freedom is two-fold:

1) One must eat for health by carefully following the nutritional guidelines in Eat to Live; flooding the body with comprehensive micronutrient adequacy to meet the biological needs of the body.

2) And abstain from those foods and situations that trigger addictive binges. Abstinence is a self-enforced restraint from indulging that usually causes one to feel worse for the first several days before feeling better. The key to successfully overcoming an addiction is to never give into the impulse to indulge, no matter what. There is no other way out.

Once you cross the threshold where toxic food binges no longer overpower you, you will be free for the rest of your life! You’ll naturally prefer eating less when you consume high-nutrient foods instead of fake foods; you’ll naturally get more pleasure out of eating and living; and you’ll enjoy a healthy body and sane mind that is free from the physical and mental torment of the addiction.

Contend for your freedom today. Eat for health and remain abstinent from triggers. 

There is no greater joy!

[The pictures are of yours truly. The image at the top was taken on July 10, 2008, the day I committed to follow Eat to Live; and the image on the left was taken this past summer, four years later. This coming July I will celebrate my fifth year anniversary of being free from food addiction! Click here to view my journey to freedom.]

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“Successful people aren’t born that way.  They become successful by establishing the habit of doing things unsuccessful people don’t like to do.  The successful people don’t always like these things themselves; they just get on and do them.”  - author unknown

For over three years I’ve interviewed those who’ve been successful at getting their health back through nutritarian eating.  As an interviewer I get the unique opportunity to hear the "rest-of-the-story" that often doesn’t make it to Disease Proof.  I’ve discovered a few common threads among all of them; in fact, not just their stories, but also those from the member center of DrFuhrman.com who’ve also successfully earned health back.  The following are a few commonalities:

• Each successful nutritarian made time to thoroughly study and understand the science behind Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritional recommendations in his books, teleconferences, TV programs, and articles.  That was a given. 

• Success had nothing to do with their economic status, nationality, education, social standing, professional training, or career choice.  It had nothing to do with past childhood memories or dysfunctions, or lack thereof.  And it had nothing to do with religious backgrounds or affiliations.  A key component to their success was their mindsets; what they understood and believed to be true, and then acting upon that truth.  They no longer accepted the belief system of the status quo; the moderation myth from physicians, counselors, influential leaders, friends. co-workers, or relatives that eating for health was extreme, or that "just one bite won't hurt."  Instead, they understood that bypass surgery, paralysis from strokes, cancers, leg amputations, and a myriad of other diseases were totally preventable and extreme.  They no longer felt sorry for themselves, or allowed others to feel sorry for them for choosing health over disease.  And thus, as their minds were changed, their bodies transformed as a result.  

• They each had a desperate tenacity to hold fast to earning health back, no matter what.  This steadfast resolve caused them to do things that weren’t necessarily pleasant and easy at the time, but they did it anyway.  For instance, Scott, who lost 333 lbs, started riding a bike at 501 lbs.  He lived in Minnesota and that first winter he rode in minus 43 degree weather.  No excuses.  Isabel, a die-hard people pleaser, was sick of being depressed, tired, and ashamed to be seen in public due to obesity.  She finally got desperate enough and chose to put her health before pleasing others; regardless of what anyone thought.  No excuses.

"Once the determined individual has their mind made up and fully committed to let nothing stand in their way, they can break off the chains of addiction.  It only takes that one firm decision and to make it work no matter how difficult it may be in the beginning.  The problem is compounded when people have a hundred excuses to feel sorry for themselves. They revel in their own misery and feel special for their suffering."  

- Dr. Fuhrman

 

• For everyone, there was a steadfast determination to cross over the threshold of unhealthy food cravings; all had to overcome this hurdle.  However, as the cravings for unhealthy foods decreased and taste buds changed, the natural desire for nutrient rich foods took precedence over low nutrient foods.  They no longer felt deprived, and as a result, eating actually became more enjoyable and pleasurable than before.  Most everyone expressed a whole new world opened up to them of what they “could” eat instead of the traditional, restrictive dieting mentality of what they “couldn’t” eat.  This freedom created a momentum for continual success. 

• One member of Dr. Fuhrman's member center, who has now been a nutritarian for several years stated, “Unhealthy food eventually became unappealing, unappetizing and ‘un-tasty’.”  Laurie, who is now free from yo-yo dieting and MS flare-ups, resolved in her heart to never cheat on the Eat to Live plan because she was desperate to be medication free.  Now, nutritarian eating is a way of life for her, and she actually feels sorry for those who don’t eat high-nutrient foods.

• Most importantly, as everyone experienced significant improvements in their health and energy levels, it motivated and exponentially increased their confidence to keep going.  Many described it as feeling tremendous, youthful and vibrant.  Some, like me, were so malnourished and miserable that we noticed the improvements immediately.  Others had to make it through rough withdrawal symptoms first, but everyone eventually got to the point of feeling energetic and well for the first time in his/her life.  This “feel good” attitude has propelled all of us to maintain this excellent health for life!  There’s no turning back.        

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Emotional eating and food addiction not only ruin health, but relationships as well, because both addictions have the potential to cause irrational thinking and behaviors. 

• In the throes of my addictions I stole my children's Easter candies, Halloween treats, Christmas cookies; carefully making it look like nothing was missing, of course. 

• I ate my husband's leftover birthday pie our first year of marriage, and when he found out he was shocked and furious! I even ate the top tier of our wedding cake that was intended for our first year anniversary celebration.

• I ate out of the trash can; especially after a party when half-eaten Sloppy Joes and pieces of discarded birthday cake were calling my name. I would wait until the guests had gone home, and my family was sound asleep before the raid.  I loved the paper plates loaded with leftover cake and frosting flowers stuck to them the best.  

• Besides my favorite, burnt edges of lasagna straight from the pan, one time I even ate salty, hardened hamburger grease that was sitting on the kitchen counter in a container - now that's the humdinger of addiction!

And to be totally honest, the 100 lbs of fat that I’d gained as a result of emotional eating and food addiction wasn’t nearly as painful as the inner turmoil and shame that it created within. The addictions consumed my thoughts, actions and moods; and both ruined precious relationships along the way. However, I overcame them by establishing a clear boundary line and made the steadfast decision to stay within it. Impulsive slip-ups happened from time to time, but I refused to let them derail my decision to stay 100% committed to be free from addiction and get my health back.   

That may sound too simplistic to be true, but it worked. 

Within four days of making the commitment to carefully follow Eat to Live, my teenage son with Type I diabetes ate a 2# bag of M & M’s, and he didn’t inject himself with insulin to cover it.  Suddenly, I was thrust into a tumultuous medical crisis that lasted the better part of three months. I wasn’t able to focus on books or programs to unravel the reasons behind my emotional eating. I didn’t have time to analyze every morsel of food that went into my mouth. During that time of crisis I couldn’t dig up past wounds to contemplate those who had wrongfully hurt me, or that I had hurt. My thoughts were consumed with saving my child’s life, and nothing else mattered.        

Thankfully, I had copied the Six-Week Plan, that’s outlined on p. 216 of Eat to Live, onto several 3x5 cards and had them laminated at an office supply store.  Those cards were my “boundary line” at all times.  I kept one in my purse, one in a book, one in the car, and attached one to the front of the refrigerator with a magnet. Those cards made all decisions for me, regardless of the turmoil that engulfed me.

I also worked on a daily piece of art anytime that I was tempted to eat. I carried 4"x4" squares of Bristol board, and colorful markers and pencils with me everywhere I went. I focused on creating art instead of eating food; and many times it was just doodling with colors in a hospital room. That was a tremendous tool to help divert my frustrations and anguish, and the resulting cravings to eat.

After three months the numbers on the scale were down 40 lbs, but more importantly, both emotional eating and addictive cravings for unhealthy food had significantly subsided.  I actually craved green vegetables instead of bacon, cheese, and peanut butter!

I've had episodes of emotional eating since then, but they have been short lived. For example, the following year during another diabetic crisis involving my son, I was pouring cocoa powder into bowls of oatmeal and banana ice-creams like crazy. (More like I was dumping it on!) Dr. Fuhrman told me to "Stop. Stop immediately, and don't use anymore cocoa powder for two weeks." That was my boundary line. Sure, I still nearly drowned in raging emotions that were all over the place, but I clung to the safety of the boundary line throughout the ordeaI and overcame both emotional eating and addiction to cocoa powder as a result.   

Then this past summer I was extremely sleep deprived and experienced PTSD symptoms from a sudden, tragic event in my life.  I craved dopamine producing, high calorie, low-nutrient, “healthy” foods over high-nutrient choices.  Dr. Fuhrman instructed me to focus on shopping and preparing delicious tasting, high-nutrient foods; and to focus on getting deep sleep every night by darkening my bedroom windows. Again, that was my boundary line. Within a few weeks the PTSD symptoms subsided, I desired high-nutrient foods again, and my sleep cycles were restored.

If we want emotional, psychological and physiological freedom from addictions, we must establish a clear boundary line and stay within it no matter what. 

It may seem scrupulous, but it has to be.

 

Some will think it is extreme, but so is addiction. 

 

Addicts cannot afford compromise. Addicts cannot turn back. If we do, we will be undone, because the addiction will recover strength and take over our lives.  

 You may also be interested in reading “The Powerful Snare of Compromise” and

“Food Addiction is Just as Powerful as Drug Addiction”

image credit: “Death by Dumpster Diving” © 2012 by Emily Boller

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If we buy into the culturally acceptable mindset that eating for health is extreme, we will always have twinges or avalanches of deprivation and self-pity; which will set us up for repetitive cheating, or worse yet, for others to think we are depriving ourselves and have pity on us as well.

 

We can read and study Eat to Live, and those around us can read and study it also, and we can even attend health immersions and know the information inside and out; however, if deep down inside we feel abnormal or embarrassed by eating high-nutrient, plant based foods, or are made to feel like we are extreme, then we’ve caught the "extreme-titis" bug.  If we've caught it, we'll never experience the truest sense of pleasure from eating for health. (Unfortunately, the virus is quite contagious right now!) 

When we grasp the amazing reality that eating a high-nutrient, plant based diet is normal; that eating an apple instead of a piece of cake is normal; that eating some steamed veggies instead of a pan of pizza, or eating a salad instead of bag of chips is normal; that not having diabetes, heart disease, strokes, cancer, and dementia is normal; not having astronomical medical and pharmaceutical bills is normal; that enjoying pleasurable sex in the middle age years and beyond is normal; and that feeling well, attractive, and enjoying life is normal.

And the day that we thoroughly understand that putting a high fat Value Meal or chocolate cream pie into our blood stream is extreme; to be riddled with type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and dementia is extreme; for a teen to wear diapers and be spoon fed pureed food due to a stroke is extreme; to spend $120 on a vial of insulin is extreme; to continually feel sick, tired and depressed is extreme; to be so overweight and lethargic that one can't enjoy making love to his/her spouse is extreme; to sweat profusely and hide from swimming pools on hot summer days is extreme.  

Then, and only then, we will experience the true pleasure of eating for health!

As the mind is changed, the body will be transformed as a result.

Are we living in the perspective of being normal or extreme?

Perhaps it’s time for an “extreme adjustment”. 

Perhaps it’s time to honestly ask ourselves the following questions:

 

• Am I embarrassed to drink a blended salad around my co-workers who are eating donuts?

• Do I hide my container of vegetables when I’m out in public with friends? 

• Do I eat a slice of pizza with peers just to fit in?

   

Perhaps its time to feel normal . . . .because eating the way our bodies are designed to function in optimal health IS normal! 

Then we’ll not feel deprived and self-pitied, and we’ll no longer experience the suppressed longing to be a part of the standard America diet culture. 

Perhaps it’s time for many of us to come out of hiding and establish new, normal traditions not only for the holidays, but for the office, places of worship, birthday and Super Bowl parties, cook-outs, bonfires, and all social gatherings. 

Perhaps instead of secretly brown bagging our food in public, we can lead the way of normalcy, and unashamedly live in great health; happy to be a part of the awesome nutritarian food revolution that is eradicating food addictions and resulting diseases from our bodies!

Those that want to get rid of costly diseases, astronomically expensive meds, and unnecessary suffering and heartbreak is exploding exponentially daily. Extreme is going down!

Normal is here to stay!

Let’s all enjoy being NORMAL today; full of health, vitality, and life!

image credit:  flickr by Muffet

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Four years ago I was obese and my blood pressure was averaging 155/95, and now it's consistently around 105/65 . . .without medication.

My 86-year-old mother, Helen, gave herself injections of insulin four times a day for over twenty years, and today she’s no longer taking it.

Ronnie, after suffering from open heart bypass surgery, and then stent procedures, woke up in the recovery room with more chest pain and was sent home to die with $600 of meds a month. He is now the epitome of health and fitness, and taking absolutely no medications.

Pam, having ovarian cancer, and told by a couple of physicians that she only had a few months to live, decided not to accept that fate -  and that was fourteen years ago. Today she glows with a vibrant radiance seldom seen in women her age. (Pam's interview will be featured on Disease Proof in the near future; stay tuned.) 

Elisa, in her late 20’s, was bedridden and unable to function due to the devastation of lupus symptoms. She was put on nearly thirty medications to no avail. Today, in her early 30’s, her blood tests are normal, and she’s off all medications, except one as needed. She has her life back and shines with exuberant health.

Anthony, a young high school graduate was obese and heading down a dangerous path. Today he is slender and buff, and most importantly bypassing a future of obesity related diseases.

Bonnie was a young woman who had cystic acne so bad that it was painful to smile, and the blemishes eroded her self esteem. Her dermatologist said that diet wouldn’t help, and she was put on several prescription drugs over the years. Nothing worked. However, today she no longer has acne flare ups and is medication free.

Augie, at the age of 83, takes no medications, feels great, and has run in 40 marathons since his 70^th birthday. His youthfulness is evident to all.      

Barb was succumbing to the typical symptoms of middle age women; increase in PMS, bloating and fatigue that led to inactivity. Today she’s trim and active; hiking mountainous terrain and riding her bike to work.

Scott, having lost 333 lbs without gastric bypass surgery is no longer homebound and today is a serious cyclist.

Jodi, having suffered with incapacitating psoriasis for over 30 years and the terrible side effects of meds to alleviate the rashes finally is symptom free without medication. Today her skin glows with radiant beauty.

Mark was on four prescriptions for asthma, and used an inhaler every morning upon waking up. Being a middle aged man who lost his father to heart disease, Mark lived in fear of experiencing a heart attack. Today he no longer has asthma, is medication-free, and is off the radar screen for heart disease. 

I’ve personally interacted with each person named above. They are the real deal. And they are just the tip of the iceberg of people all over America and beyond who are getting their health restored by following Dr. Fuhrman’s high-nutrient eating style. 

 

For years we've been led to believe that disease is just a part of the aging process; lulled to sleep by scribble marks on a prescription pad.

Perhaps some doctors and pharmaceutical companies have been misleading us. 

Perhaps in the past we didn’t know any better, but now that we know the truth we will choose to no longer live in ignorance. 

Enough is enough. It’s time to get smart.

The time has come for all of us to wake-up and jump on board the food revolution; and I’m not talking about the Jamie Oliver Food Revolution that adds butter and cheese to cream sauces, or grass fed beef to homemade noodles, or campaigns relentlessly for the removal of chocolate flavored milk from school lunches.

I’m talking about the kind of food revolution that eradicates unnecessary and expensive diseases from our bodies; the kind that prevents and reverses diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, and kills cancer . . . .the nutritarian food revolution!

The change of one person is a transformation. 

The change of many is a revolution.

Let the real food revolution begin ~ the nutritarian revolution!   

 

Related posts: 

Jamie Oliver Food Revolution

Dr. Fuhrman's thoughts on Emily's 'Jamie Oliver Food Revolution' post

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Getting out and staying out of food addiction isn't that hard per se, but one must be vigilant and persistent at all times. 

I liken it to learning to ride a bike. 

A beginner may have some spills before he/she learns proper balancing skills to ride a bike without falling.  It may even take some extra reinforcement like a parent’s helpful hand of guidance, or a pair of training wheels attached to the bike for stability, but eventually with practice, one learns to successfully ride without thinking about it anymore. Riding a bike becomes automatic, and then one is no longer focused on the learning process, but instead enjoys the pure pleasure of the scenic ride.  

However, one must always be careful not to ride too fast on gravel, not to ride near the edge of pavement, and pay close attention to busy intersections; otherwise a major accident could happen, even to the most seasoned cyclist.  Likewise, I’ve learned that it still takes careful planning and diligence on my part to continue to make wise choices that prevent me from wandering back into food addiction.  

For instance, it’s typically my habit to get up at the same time every morning, sit and read with the therapeutic light, exercise, and then shower and get ready for the day. Those times that I make repetitive, unwise choices like staying up too late the night before, resulting in my early morning routine thrown out the window – if habitually repeated, I eventually become psychologically out-of-sorts . . . and then I become apathetic. [I’m not referring to an occasional late night or two here and there, because life happens, but repetitive poor planning stringed together for several days on end.]

For me, apathy is dangerous, because the “I don’t care” attitude is the stepping stone into the slippery slope of addiction.  Even with the physiological cravings for the standard American diet gone; practically off the radar screen of desire anymore, I could still revert back to psychological and emotional attachments to food if I’m not careful. I could easily eat oat bars with almond butter when stressed, or fruit sweetened ice-cream when not hungry.

For recovering food addicts it’s important not to fall prey to the “I don’t care” trap as a result of poor planning and unwise choices.

Have a plan and stick to it, no matter what ~ one of the keys to ongoing success.   

image credits:  flckr by paulhami and Team Traveller

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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!

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I grew up on a farm. In addition to an orchard my parents always put in a large garden every spring. It produced a bountiful harvest to can quarts of green beans, tomatoes, tomato sauces & juices, corn, peas, beets, and pickles . . . .enough to last a family throughout the winter, with plenty of surplus leftover to sell along the road.  From mid-July until school started every fall, snapping beans, shelling peas, shredding cabbage, shucking corn, and washing tomatoes, pickles, carrots and beets for preservation were a huge part of summer.

Most farmhouses had a “summer kitchen.” It was a nifty, second kitchen; away from the main part of the house and used for the stifling hot process of canning the vegetables, making jams and applesauce, and baking fruit pies and apple cakes for the freezer. Since residential air conditioning was practically unheard of when I was a kid, the house stayed cooler by not heating up the regular kitchen. 

In the southwest corner of this room was an old gas stove. I was taught from an early age to respect the pilot light that remained continuously lit. As in all gas stoves, the purpose of this pilot light was to serve as the ignition source for more powerful flames; ones that could produce the necessary heat to cook and preserve food.  

My mom would strike a small, wooden match and hold it near the burner. Instantly it would ignite into a full, explosive flame. 

                               ________________________________

Fast forward about forty years. I’m now a fifty-year-old woman who has lost weight and restored health by nourishing my body with high-nutrient, plant foods. As a result of flooding my body with nutrients, combined with consistently abstaining from the standard American diet, addictive cravings for high fat, high salt, processed & sugary foods have been eradicated from my life. 

Because of this, I’m routinely asked:

• “How closely do I really have to follow Eat to Live?” 

• “How many times a month can I cheat and still have success?”

• “I’m not hard core, but I follow the plan about 85% of the time; that’s good enough, isn’t it?”   

Of which my classic answer to all three questions is, “It all depends on how hard you want to make it on yourself.” 

It’s much easier and simpler to give 100% right from the beginning and keep the pilot light of addictive cravings extinguished, than to be continually fighting obsessive compulsions that are brewing beneath the surface. Been there. Done that. And it’s hard, hard work to keep cravings from becoming an all-consuming monster. In fact, it’s exhausting because it’s a next-to-impossible feat to accomplish!

Plus, it only takes the tiniest spark to ignite the pilot light of cravings to full power again, and that’s THE most dangerous place to live! 

One can do all the work of routinely preparing and eating high-nutrient foods, and get the majority of one’s health restored; but it may only take an emergency phone call, or a sudden traumatic event, or a stress-filled day with the kids to instantly ignite the raging flame of addiction.  

It’s just not worth it. 

Give yourself a break today and make life so much easier.

Give 100% and extinguish the pilot light!      

image credits:  tomatoes, flickr by MaplessInSeattle; match, flickr by Samuel M. Livingston  

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