If you are looking to eat better, so you can improve your health and your lifestyle, the books by Dr. Joel Fuhrman will give you a place to start learning how to do it right.
You can start linking to reviews from this page, and even find the book in your local library:
Whether your goal is to lose a few pounds, or make a dramatic change in lifestyle to life healthier, you will not waste time with these books. Look for them in a library near you.
I recently stumbled across a film in Netflix that may change my life, and it also made me think of all the vasculitis patients out there who might benefit from considering a lifestyle change. Just taking meds is not enough to protect your longterm health.
I have long believed, and I tell my daughter all the time, that there are at least three areas of personal health where vasculitis patients can take action to positively affect their health. They can make choices regarding the quality of their diet, exercise, and sleep. You can list objections, but the fact remains that how you manage these three things is up to you.
One link worth special mention is the jointhereboot partners page (listed at the end of this article), where you can link to specific information by people featured in the film, including Dr Joel Fuhrman, a medical nutrition specialist. Every patient is different, but if you are trying to reduce your prednisone, your doctor may agree that eating natural foods and sticking to an exercise program is one healthy way to do it.
If you ever felt powerless regarding your condition, this film, and the ideas presented in it, can give you an action plan that will make a huge difference in your life. Watch the film, then call your doctor and talk it over. You do not know what you are really capable of, unless you try.
Now the key to success for me, is to transform intellectual understanding into daily action and transform habits on a permanent basis. That is what the Reboot Movement is all about.
I read and study every day to improve different aspects of my life. For example, when learning to be a better basketball coach, I learned that it takes at least 28 days of concerted effort for a human being to change a habit. Now, instead of challenging young players to improve their ball handling habits, I am going to challenge myself to improve my diet and exercise habits.
Going back to those with a chronic illness, the film repeats over and over how important it is to consult with your doctor and have blood levels checked when you have a condition that requires medication. As you will see, change is not easy, but you will also see how both of these men were able to reduce or eliminate their medications as a result of their own actions.
So, here is some information about the film.
Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead
1h 37m 2010
Director Joe Cross takes a journey of healing to examine and change his own life choices, and along the way meets Phil Staples.
This movie details how they both dramatically improved their lives by taking control to regain balance. Both men were obese. Both men were also diagnosed with Uticarial Vasculitis, so the odds against them even meeting one another were phenomenal.
The two success stories are a testament to what is possible when life changing awareness efforts go grass roots. They launched a movement to help other people reboot their lives. This film takes those grass roots efforts and brings them to a global audience.
Here is the official trailer on YouTube:
Another video that is also compelling is Joe Cross's interview with Cyndi Edwards on Daytime.
The statistics do not lie. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) figures, "About one-third of U.S. adults (33.8%) are obese. Approximately 17% (or 12.5 million) of children and adolescents aged 2—19 years are obese" (citation below). In the film, a nutritionist at Brigham & Womens Hospital named Stacy Kennedy, MPH, RD, LDN, states "the kids of today are not expected to live as long as their parents." That is very alarming, but also believable when you look at how kids eat. Put it all together, and I think everyone should watch this film.
Most powerful quote from Phil Staples:
"What advice would you like to give to others considering a Reboot or a lifestyle change?
PHIL:Please stick with it the first 4 days, I promise you all the detoxing and the feelings will be over soon. On day 4, you will feel great and the rest of the Reboot will be a blast. You will feel better, lose weight, and your body chemistry will be where your doctor wants it. All the doc will be able to do is smile and shake his head at the ease of it all."
Cited from: JoinTheReboot Expert Blog article, "Phil & Bear: Where are they now?" http://jointhereboot.com/phil-bear-where-are-they-now/
Companion website: http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Includes more about the stories, recipes, juicing testimonials, links to YouTube and FaceBook, and to the DVD. Also links to the Reboot Movement where you can get more detailed information about how to go about planning your own personal reboot.
http://jointhereboot.com/
This website gives you all the information you need to evaluate the reboot program, and if you decide to go for it, all the information you need to make it a part of your life.
Netflix description:
"Focusing on two men whose bodies have been trashed by steroids, obesity and illness, this documentary chronicles the rigorous healing path -- including a two-month diet of fruits and vegetables -- that both attempt in a bid to rescue their health."
Note: I would suggest it might be worth trying Netflix for a month just to watch this film.
I have been using Livestrong.com, along with a related mobile app on my phone, to keep track of my diet and exercise. I know roughly how many calories go in, and I know roughly how many calories get burned, so I can intelligently keep track of these things.
As you all surely must know, the number one thing you can do to improve your health, without medications, is to improve your diet and exercise. By improving your baseline, you will see other benefits, such as a decrease in the effect of your side effects. The healthier you are, the better your overall condition is going to be.
So, one way to do this is with the free services at www.livestrong.com. They will give you the tools you need to track what you eat and how you exercise, so you can improve your bottom line. Just knowing the data will help you make more informed choices.
There are also a ton of articles about ways to stay healthy. Unlike some other sites, it is a not-for-profit effort, so you won't be asked to buy anything you don't want.
You can enter your data about food and fitness in any web browser, and if you have an Android, iPhone, or even just an iTouch device, you can also enter all this data on the go. It takes a few seconds to do, and it will make all the difference in your health, and in your life.
Join me in a healthier lifestyle. Try the tools at www.livestrong.com today.
PS: The article referenced above is all about avoiding processed sugars to reduce the risk of diabetes. it is also a good read, since every patient with vasculitis is also at high risk for diabetes. I encourage you to read the article, and perhaps look for the book, Sugar Nation, when it comes to a library near you. Highly informative stuff.
