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

Six years ago Anthony lost 163 lbs and eradicated food addiction and resulting nutritional diseases from his life. [Click here to read his life changing story]. I thought it would be inspiring to interview Anthony again for this Father’s Day weekend to see how Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach has perhaps made him a better father these past several years. Welcome back to Disease Proof, Anthony.     

              

What you can do with your sons now that wouldn’t have been possible when you were obese and unhealthy?

I remember very clearly one time at the local county fair, when I was still big, my two-year-old son wanted to go on the train ride. He was so excited. His excitement made me smile and feel so happy inside, and I really wanted to take him on it. However, when I looked at the ride, I immediately realized there was no way that I could possibly fit into one of those train cars with him. I felt helpless and terrible because of it. My wife ended up taking him on the ride while I watched from behind the railing. While watching I thought to myself, “Is this really the kind of Dad that I want to be; watching my son laugh and smile from behind this railing rather than living that joyful experience with him?”  

Thankfully, I don’t have those kinds of problems anymore. I not only fit on amusement park rides with my sons, but I can do all sorts of active and fun things with them now like hiking, exploring, running, playing, skiing, biking, canoeing, and swimming. Most of these activities would’ve been impossible before. Plus, I now have the energy and ambition to want to do them. In fact, I’m often the one encouraging them to get up, get out, and do something with me!

What has been the happiest moment or memory of being a fit and healthy Dad?

I’m happy about being a positive role model for my sons Evan and Henry.  Sure, we have lots of fun together playing and experiencing things that will become life-long memories, and that’s really great. But I’m most proud that I’m a positive role model for them, leading by example; not just telling them that they can accomplish anything they want in this world, but I’m also showing them as well.

I also love watching them light up when they make healthy choices for themselves; or when our family doctor, who we only see for regular check ups, tells them that we are his “healthy family”. They are really are proud of that fact, and they realize that it’s because of the choices they make for themselves every day.

What would you say to any father that might be discouraged with weight gain and poor health this Father’s Day weekend?

Do something about it! You are in control of your health destiny. Your life is the direct result of the choices and decisions that you’ve made, and you have the ability to change it starting today! Dr. Fuhrman teaches what to do; all you have to do is choose to do it and follow through with that decision. Please, don’t make up excuses for yourself. I’ve been there and done that, and it doesn’t help. I’ll admit that it isn’t easy at times, especially in the beginning, but I also know that you can do it. I will also tell you, from my own experience, that taking control of your life and reclaiming your health is worth every ounce of effort you put into it. Be the father that you want to be. Lead by example, and show your children how to live a happy and healthy life.

Congratulations Anthony for earning your health back and for being a positive role model for your family. What a wonderful gift to give to your wife and sons!

The following is Anthony’s favorite “go to” recipe:

Anthony’s Hearty Salad

Fill a large bowl part way with leafy greens such as romaine lettuce, mixed greens, or baby greens. Then add a variety of vegetables like chopped carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, and onions; followed by slices of avocado and sliced fruit. (I like pears, apples, mangoes, blueberries, and raisins). Finally, top with an ounce of nuts or seeds, and a generous amount of cooked beans or hummus. The beans or hummus turn the salad into a meal, and with the delicious mixture of flavors one doesn’t even need to add a salad dressing. Enjoy! 

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Mike wasn’t significantly overweight when he discovered the nutritarian diet-style, yet the quality of his life has improved considerably since fully committing to it.  And it has had a rippling effect on his family and those around him as well. Welcome to Disease Proof, Mike.  

 

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach?

As a boy I was frequently sick.  I suffered with asthmatic bronchitis which would always get bad during the winter.  I remember plenty of times when I was sick in bed for my birthday or while my friends were playing outside during the winter school break.  I always had a stuffy nose which led to frequent sinus infections and, well into my thirties, there was hardly a year that I didn’t take antibiotics.

Like most Americans, processed foods and animal products comprised the bulk of my diet.  In elementary school I was “chubby”, and I was picked on for being fat.  By the time I graduated high school I was six feet tall and weighed 225 lbs.  During college I became more active with sports and lost a decent amount of weight.  Over the next twenty or so years my weight fluctuated between 165 lbs and 200 lbs, typically hovering around 175 lbs which I thought was my “ideal weight.”

I was pretty fit just before discovering Dr. Fuhrman.  I was exercising vigorously at least four times a week. and I thought I was eating sensibly, because I was completely avoiding fast food.  I weighed 170 lbs, I wasn’t on any medications, and I felt good about myself.

How did you find out about Dr. Fuhrman?

One day I asked someone at a Vita Mix demonstration booth how I could learn to make green smoothies like she had just made.  She gave me the address of Dr. Fuhrman’s website.  Later that day, I started watching the documentary, “Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead” and Dr. Fuhrman appeared on the screen.  I wondered, “Where have I been and why haven’t I heard of Dr. Fuhrman before?”  I went online and ordered Eat for Health.  Within days I read the book, and it made a lot of sense.  I knew it was real and not just another fad diet.  I decided that becoming Nutritarians was something my family and I had to do, because I wanted better health for all of us.

How do you feel now?

I feel great!  I didn’t think I needed to lose any weight; yet, I lost 20 lbs in the first two and a half months and my weight quickly stabilized at 150 lbs.  The last time I weighed that much I was in middle school and six inches shorter.  The amazing part was that I never felt like I was starving myself.  To the contrary, I was eating generous portions of food and enjoying food more than ever.  Much more importantly, I’m healthier now.  It’s been over eighteen months since I became a Nutritarian, and I haven’t had a single sick day.

What are your success tips?

• Don’t wait until your health suffers before taking better care of yourself.  Our leading causes of death are primarily the result of the foods we eat.  Regardless of your health condition, start taking care of yourself now.

• Read, listen to, or watch Dr. Fuhrman at least five minutes a day.  The deeper your understanding, the more conviction you’ll have for making good nutritional decisions and the more likely you’ll succeed.

• Put the principles you learn into practice.  There are plenty of recipes and cooking tips available in books, online, and from other Nutritarians through Dr. Fuhrman’s member center.

• If you have a spouse or partner then start educating them and enlist their help and support.  It’s easier to succeed if you don’t go it alone.

• Order off the menu when dining out by choosing healthy ingredients listed among the various menu items.  Clearly communicate your order to the chef by writing out your meal preparation instructions and handing them to the wait staff.  Bringing a healthy salad dressing and ordering fresh fruits and vegetables generally works well.

• Avoid feeling trapped into eating the wrong foods.  Consider “pre-gaming” with a high-nutrient snack just prior to dining out, and take a nutritarian dish or two along when dining at someone else’s home.

• Help address our health care crisis by helping others take better care of themselves by becoming Nutritarians.  The greatest gift anyone can receive is the gift of good health.

What has the nutritarian diet-style done for you?

Becoming a Nutritarian has improved my health dramatically, I’m full of energy and I don’t get sick.  I’m enjoying more out of life. It has also empowered me to help others.  My wife and children are benefiting with their own weight loss and improved health, and this is bringing us even closer together as a family.  I've also helped a friend avoid heart surgery, and he is doing incredibly well now.  By improving my health and the health of others around me, I have developed a greater sense of meaning, purpose, and well-being in my own life.

Congratulations Mike for not only improving your health but being a great role model for others, including your family ~ keep up the good work!

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Felicia was recently interviewed on Disease Proof. [click here to read her interview]  She’s lost over 160 lbs in less than a year, and she’s still losing!  I asked her if she’d be willing to share what her life is like now that she's free from food addiction, and she wrote the following. May it inspire you with renewed hope and encouragement in your journey to live in the best health that’s possible!

What is it like to be free from food addiction?

by Felicia Ricks

The definition of addiction according to the dictionary is “a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.”

I never thought of food as a habit forming substance, but I always thought of it as a necessary requirement for the body to survive. It wasn’t until I heard Dr. Fuhrman talk about toxic hunger that I came to the realization that I had a food addiction and had a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.

When I initially started on Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian program, I experienced toxic hunger and I didn’t feel very well for several days. I asked myself, “Is this how drug addicts feel when they’re going through detoxification? This doesn’t feel good at all!” Although, I was experiencing some withdrawal symptoms I was determined to break the vicious cycle of food addiction by not eating the foods that caused the addiction. After enduring the “not so good days” I noticed that I wasn’t jittery, the headaches were non-existent and I didn’t feel the desire to put a Snickers bar in my mouth. I knew I was on the road to recovery.

Being free from my food addiction was an answered prayer because one of my prayers was to be self-controlled in my eating habits. However for many, many, years I was never able to consistently maintain self-control. It wasn’t until I totally committed to eating the foods that were originally intended for our bodies to absorb and digest such as, green vegetables, berries, onions, mushrooms, beans, seeds/nuts (GBOMBS) and COMPLETELY eliminated the refined, sugary, processed and synthetic foods and drinks, that I began to feel spiritually and physically liberated. I feel as though I am no longer bound and enslaved by the self-inflicted chains of food addiction and I am no longer defiling my body. I also feel as though a weight, figuratively and literally has been lifted from me and now I can honestly and unequivocally say that, “I am free indeed!”

Thank you Dr. Fuhrman for spreading the message and informing people about the benefits of healthy nutrition. Also for holding fast to the statement by Hippocrates, “Food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall be your food.”

“It will take strength. It will take effort. But the pleasure and rewards that you will get from a healthy life will be priceless.”
-Dr. Fuhrman

 

 

image credit:  flickr by Marin Cathrae

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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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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.

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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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 met Molly, a college student, at the Weekend Immersion in Princeton this past November. She glowed with exuberant radiance; I had no idea that just a few years back she hated fruits and vegetables! Thanks to a mother who quietly modeled healthy eating choices, Molly decided to commit to Dr. Fuhrman’s Six Week Challenge to see what would happen. The rest, of course, is history. Welcome to Disease Proof, Molly.

Molly, what was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating-style?

I lived a typical, college student lifestyle. I generally ate cheap, easy-to-prepare foods such as cereal bars, pasta and sandwiches; interspersed with sweet coffee drinks to fuel my late night studying, and frequent "treats" to satisfy my sweet tooth (cookies, muffins, etc.). I've always had a hearty appetite so I steadily gained weight through high school and college. I never thought of myself as being fat, but I knew that I was plumper than I wanted to be, and I was frustrated that my sporadic efforts to cut back on eating and increase physical activity never yielded any results.

I played sports throughout my childhood and was on the varsity fencing team my freshman and sophomore years in college, but I rarely exercised outside of participation in team sports; and after I quit fencing I led a relatively sedentary lifestyle. Plus, I always suffered from severe seasonal allergies, allergies to animals, and asthma so I had strong motivation to stay indoors when the weather was nice.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of my pre Eat to Live days was that I scrupulously avoided eating fruits and vegetables. I didn't like the taste and texture of plants, especially fruit, and I would get very upset if anyone encouraged me to try dishes with fruits or vegetables in them. I gradually added some vegetables into my diet, including lettuce, cauliflower, peppers, onion, and green beans, but my vegetable consumption remained very limited, and I wouldn't touch any fruit besides an occasional orange.

How did you feel then?

My allergies were a very annoying problem, and I frequently caught bad colds, but otherwise I felt relatively fine. Super healthy eating always seemed out of reach due to my stubborn refusal to eat fruits and vegetables.

How did you find out about Eat to Live?

My mom read Eat to Live and followed nutritarian eating so I looked into it. It made sense to me so I decided to do the Six Week Challenge to see what would happen.

How do you feel now?

I’ve significantly improved the quality of my life. I’m 5’5 ½” and started at 156 lbs and today I weigh 122 lbs. My allergies are less severe, and I haven't had a cold since starting ETL even though my siblings come home with awful colds. This is quite remarkable for me, because I used to catch every cold that came through the house!

Losing weight and taking control of my eating and health has also improved my outlook on life. It was a major area that I never felt like I had control of before, but now I feel confident that I know how to treat my body right for the rest of my life. I’ve started exercising regularly, because it felt like a natural extension of my commitment to healthy eating. I now cherish my outdoor runs and hikes and the way they make my body feel.

Perhaps the most astonishing part of my transformation is that, through an open mind and perseverance, I’ve successfully changed my taste buds, and now I LOVE fruits and vegetables. They are the core of my diet. It has been great fun to discover the joy of eating food that I know is both delicious and good for me. I also enjoy eating fresh, seasonal foods, and I've come to love cooking. Food has become a passion and a pleasure for me in ways that it never was before.

Do you have any success tip(s) to share?

• Don't be afraid to try a new way of eating and give your taste buds time to adjust to the change.

• Schedule time into your day for prepping and chopping vegetables because having healthy food on hand is the best way to stave off bad cravings.

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you?

It has made me feel strong, confident, and HEALTHY! It has made eating and food a supremely satisfying aspect of my life.

We applaud you Molly for investing in your health at such a young age ~ keep up the great job!

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This winter a Facebook friend alerted me to an online interview of a guy talking about his newfound health through following Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritional recommendations. I was thrilled to learn that he was from my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana ~ small world! Chris has been radically changed by putting high-nutrient foods into his body, and his enthusiasm is contagious. Welcome to Disease Proof, Chris.

What was your life like before committing to Eat to Live? 

I was a typical, successful middle-aged male; however, I was deeply worried and hopeless, because I knew my health was declining and I’m a single dad of a teen. My weight was steadily increasing and I was having night sweats, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, plantar fasciitis, and serious tightness in my chest. My doctor told me that my declining health was “the result of aging.” He also told me that I’d have to be on meds for the rest of my life. I wasn’t ready for that and had a gut feeling that it wasn’t necessarily true.

How did you find out about Dr. Fuhrman? 

One night last summer I plopped down on the couch, turned on the TV, and Dr. Fuhrman was on PBS.  His presentation, Three Steps to Incredible Health, hit me just at the right moment.  I watched the whole program, bought Eat to Live, and then read the whole book the next day. I committed 100% to nutritarian eating, cold turkey; complete with cleaning out the entire kitchen.

How do you feel now? 

The most important change is that I’m no longer worried about leaving my daughter without a Dad. My high blood pressure, high cholesterol, night sweats, plantar fasciitis, and chest pains are all GONE.  I am taking no drugs; plus, I also feel more confident about the way I look. 

Do you have any success tip(s) to share with others? 

• Simply do not have the standard American diet foods in your home, garage, basement, car, office, etc.  That’s been the key to success for me.  My weakness is chips.  One time after becoming a nutritarian I bought ten bags of “healthy” chips, because they were on sale.  Well, guess what?  I ate all ten bags in ten days!  I ate chips and salsa, chips and hummus, chips and soup . . . . chips, chips, chips!

• Keep healthy food options in the car.  I learned early on that fast food will beg you to come through the drive-thru! Be prepared in advance. 

• Schedule a time in your weekly schedule to learn new information.  Learning to cook is the most important, because it’s easy to get in a rut and just use the same recipes.  I re-read a bit of either Eat to Live or Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease every week.  And I watch the movie, Forks over Knives, every month; preferably with new people so I can see their excitement.

•  I make smoothies! My favorite smoothie is: frozen bananas, ground flax seed, pineapple, and kale.  

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you? 

My mentor, Jim Rohn said, “Sometimes the mind is ready, but the body is weak!  You wake up in the morning and the mind says ‘Let’s go get ’em!’  The body says, ‘I can’t get outa bed!’” 

Lacking energy from eating the standard American diet, and maybe more importantly, lacking confidence about the future, (fear of dying, or having a stroke, or just being physically unable to achieve dreams and goals in the next few years) robs us of our ability to hope, dream, and take the first steps towards achieving our goals.  Why bother with setting goals and expending the tremendous effort required to move in the direction of our dreams if we subconsciously believe that we will not have the energy, or perhaps not even be here to follow through and achieve those goals?  Nutritarian eating has given me the necessary confidence to dream and achieve goals! 

 Congratulations Chris ~ keep up the great work and go freely in the direction of your dreams! 

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Bonnie suffered from the physical and emotional pain of cystic acne since her teenage years. She tried just about every medication available to relieve the symptoms, but to no avail. Then she made the decision to replace the standard American diet with high-nutrient foods. Today Bonnie’s skin is clear, except for some scarring, and she's now a passionate advocate of nutritarian eating! Welcome to Disease Proof, Bonnie.   

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating-style?

I was a typical junk food eater. I was always relatively thin but suffered constantly from cystic acne; the kind that hurt when I talked or moved my jaw. I loved white flour products, processed foods, and my biggest love was cheese. Pizza was my food of choice. I probably ate pizza at least three times a week. Unfortunately, acne was the price I paid for eating the standard American diet. 

I'd been seeing dermatologists since I was 16-years-old. I was on countless acne drugs: Benzoyle Peroxide, Tetracycline, Doxycycline, Minocycline, Duac, Erythromycin, Differin, Tazorac, Retin-A, and different birth control pills to stabilize hormones. The next step was to take Accutane, but the side effects scared me so I thought of it as a last resort. 

My doctor always told me that diet had absolutely nothing to do with my acne. I felt depressed, and my relationships and self esteem suffered greatly, because I felt I had no control over it. I became obsessed with desperately trying to find a solution. I didn’t know what I could do to fix it, and it was so frustrating.   I knew in the grand scheme of things it was not a life or death situation, but for a girl in her twenties, it was mortifying. I also dealt with migraine headaches, severe acid reflux, bad allergies (hay fever), asthma, chronic bronchitis, constipation, high cholesterol and borderline high blood pressure.

In 2006 I read Eat To Live and joined Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center. I thought his eating plan made so much sense. It was such a far cry from what I was used to, and for the first five years I had a hard time getting into it. Because I didn’t have weight to lose or health problems (so I thought), it was easy to keep going back to my old ways of eating. 

In 2011 I started eating nutritatian all the time and didn’t deviate. [My motivation was having my son in February 2011.] I stuck with it, and I’ve been consistently compliant since March 2011. My skin is now completely clear, and I’m on no prescription acne medications!

How do you feel now?

I finally feel in control of my health and my acne. I know what I can do to keep my skin clear and stay healthy. I know that if I eat cheese (the worst!) or sugar and white flour I will break out. Even if I have it just once, I usually end up with a blemish. If I continue eating the standard American diet my skin reverts back to a diseased state. 

I also feel so much better! I never have acid reflux or migraines anymore, and my allergies, asthmas and bronchitis have disappeared. I lowered my cholesterol, and I also lost about 20 pounds in the process. [I never even knew I had weight to lose.] At 5’2” I now weigh about 103 lbs. I’m happy to be passing this healthy lifestyle onto my son.

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you?

Nutritarian eating has become a passion of mine. I’m not perfect but each day I make small tweaks to keep striving to get better. This lifestyle has helped me feel more in control of my health and less dependent on the corrupt healthcare system in this country. I want nothing to do with Big Pharma or insurance companies. I want to make sure I never have to rely on greedy corporations for my health or the health of my family. This lifestyle has been amazing in terms of how little I am sick and all of the money I no longer spend on the ten different prescriptions I used to be on. I’m hoping to instill the love of this food into my son and my husband.

Congratulations Bonnie on getting your health back and your beautiful smile! 

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Recently, in a post titled, “Extinguish the pilot light,” I explained how crucial it is to keep the pilot light of addiction, those seemingly insignificant-at-the-time compromises, extinguished at all times. 

I want to devote this post to clarifying the difference between an occasional slip-up and ongoing compromises. 

Slip-ups happen from time to time - they just do – it’s a part of transitioning into a whole new way of eating and living for the rest of one’s life. There’s a learning curve, especially in the beginning, to understanding the science behind Dr. Fuhrman’s recommendations. 

For instance, I committed to Eat to Live in July 2008, and by that first Thanksgiving I thought it would be perfectly fine to eat the traditional feast. It never occurred to me that I’d get violently sick so I enjoyed the feasting and merriment with gusto. I quickly learned just how TERRIBLY toxic the standard American diet was ~ even though I knew from my studying that it was poisonous to the body.

And I've had plenty of slip-ups since then. I wish I could say that I've been perfect at all times, but I haven't.

Even with eating only high-nutrient foods and having cravings for fake food gone as a result, I've eaten beyond "before full." I've eaten as a result of being frustrated. I've eaten for stimulation because I was tired. And I've eaten for recreation with others when I wasn't a bit hungry. However, and a big however, each time I quickly realized my error and moved on quickly; contending with all strength to keep going!

I want to make clear that the pilot light that I'm referring to is the intentional decision to choose compromises, aka “cheats”, on a regular basis. These habitual choices, even if they are seemingly insignificant at the time, are the pilot light.

The willful decision to see how much one can cheat and get by; how much one can straddle the fence, or how much one can habitually overeat . . . . and still keep the addiction eradicated . . . . that’s what I'm referring to as being the next-to-impossible feat to accomplish.

 

It can't be done!

 

I repeat ~ it can't be done.

With repetitive compromises, the addictive cravings are rumbling beneath the surface, and it just takes a tiny spark to ignite them to full strength and power!

For one to be truly free, the pilot light needs to be extinguished and remain that way . . . .for life.

AND to live in denial of food addiction's power is to remain its prisoner, or worse yet, the path right back to captivity.

Choose the easy way and keep the pilot light extinguished at all times.  

Continual freedom and excellent health to all!

Image credits: gas flame: flickr by stevendepolo; celebration: by Elijah Lynn

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