Why Is It So Hard To Eat Well?

At the office this week a patient told me that after getting off cholesterol medication his muscle aches have improved. He is working with his medical doctor on this issue and the doctor was very pleased that his cholesterol is stabilized, he is off medication and his body is feeling better.  Interestingly though, his liver enzymes are still high.  His doctor assumed they would return to normal once off the medication.  I love what his doctor recommended he do next: improve his diet and lose some weight.  They will be checking the liver enzymes again in three months and the doctor wants to see them improved.  So here is my patient, happy to be off his medication, feeling better and wanting to lose weight.  He asked me if I had a liver cleanse to get his started.  I told his I do and that is a great idea.  In addition, I told his that to lose the 30 pounds he wants to lose he’ll have to get serious about his nutrition.  I could tell by his demeanor that he isn’t really committed to changing his diet.

Honestly, I understand.  It’s not fun to change your diet.  What you eat is what you eat.  The morning cereal and coffee is how you get out the door in three minutes.  The quick lunch at the drive through is efficient and tasty.  The box of pasta you make at night is inexpensive and makes you feel full.  It is a huge inconvenience of time and taste buds to change. I can speak from experience as I am currently changing my eating habits.

I told my patient that he’ll have to decide how bad he wants to lose weight.  He’s got to really want it.  It either has to hurt to stay the way he is (hurt as in scared of liver enzymes being elevated) or he can attach a great feeling to the success of weight loss (more stamina, feel better in his clothes, be admired by a loved one, etc.)  It seems that if you don’t have one of these, it’s not easy to just rely on “will power.”

As a wellness chiropractor, I often feel the healthy pressure of making choices that will set a good example for my patients. I have not been a good example, unfortunately, but I (we) are now committed to staying fit and eating well. I’m constantly recommending that my patients stay fit and eat well but now we are going to lead by example.  I already realize the benefits a million-fold. 

Why is it so hard to eat well? Not just staying away from the sweets and sodas and fast food joints, but really consuming organic, non-processed, whole foods. We have been doing a workshop in our office for the past month with great success.  One of the participants told me this week that her blood sugar is finally under control in just four weeks!  This is a great program.  If you want more information about our Transitions Lifestyle Workshop call our office 919-493-1940

I believe it is almost impossible to consistently eat well because the vast majority of food we have available to us is JUNK.  Everywhere you look is high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated vegetable oils.  Forms of glutamate are in a great majority of food and food flavorings and colorings are rampant in our food supply.  It is near impossible to walk into a national chain restaurant and get completely fresh, organic, whole food that contains no sweeteners or flavor enhancers.  You just can’t do it.

It’s easier to eat the best when it is summertime with better access to whole organic food.  Eat primarily at home and take the time to prepare fresh meals.  My focus is vegetable salads with organic protein on top.  But I’ll tell you, if I go to a restaurant, I’m likely going for the white roll and fried calamari.

In conclusion, here’s a loving shout-out to the local small organic farms.   My wish is that we will continue to see small organic farms thrive and large corporate GMO farms suffer as more people choose to eat local and organic.