Throughout this book we’ve dropped hints about how you might approach some of the mental challenges in attaining health at the expense of your lifestyle up to now. Each of us lie somewhere on the continuum between just not knowing how eating affects health and weight on the one hand, and just not caring on the other. There’s also the possibility—perhaps a probability—that you had a general idea, but were not willing to make the sacrifices—bite the bullet instead of the burger—to move yourself toward the end of the spectrum where the healthy people are.
Food is an all-pervasive part of our culture. Holidays are Feast-ivals. We eat when we’re happy, we eat when we’re stressed, we eat when we’re depressed, and we eat when we’re bored. It’s clichéd, so we won’t spend much more time on that dimension of the dietary challenge of American life.
Good News & Bad News
First the bad news. It’s hard. It’s real hard to get healthy. I’m not going to try to convince you that there won’t be some salivary-satisfaction missing from the food choices proscribed in this book.
Also, because the chemical and biological assault on our bodies by way of our food supply is ongoing, even if we attempt to eat only organic food, it is advised that you go on the program at least once a year.
But the Good news is that:
- It’s a short-term protocol
- You’ll feel results very quickly
- The diet is self-fulfilling, that is, you will be less hungry and you will have fewer cravings, if any, than you have had on any other diet you’ve ever tried. Staying on the diet will not be as difficult as you anticipate.
- If you choose to begin a program of exercise, mild or more concerted, you will find that you have greater energy, you’re more flexible, and your lungs are more efficient.14 This, too, will accelerate your weight loss, if that’s a primary impetus to your engaging in this program.
- Mental acuity will be heightened, stress levels will reduce—even in the presence of the same external circumstances—and you will be much slower to anger.
- You will just feel better than you have in a very long time—and think how that will effect your interaction with your family, friends and coworkers.
In short, with so much to gain, and only a little over a month’s hedonistic pleasure to be sacrificed, why would you not push the limit of your willpower to prove to yourself, and those around you, that you can regain control of your life. Remember, it’s not just the weight-loss that we advocate; it’s the overall improvement of your standard of living, quality and quantity of your life, and the enhancement of your well-being that we advocate.
