Cold, Hard Truth (With Love)

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The worst part about most fad DIEts is that the food is boring, confusing, costly, and you have ZERO interest in it. Ya almost WANNA to get off the DIEt, because the food isn’t appealing.

And maybe you don’t even know you have the wrong information—how do you google what you don’t know to google? How do you solve a problem you don’t even know you have?

I’ll help you with that over the next few months, if you’re willing… I give you the tools I’d need to start all over again, when I was 24, morbidly obese, suffering from multiple health issues.

I don’t want any of this for you, your friends, or family. Have you ever lost a loved one to diseases, all because they wouldn’t change their lifestyle? Have doctors handed you a diagnosis you want to reverse, and don’t know where to start? Are you, a friend, or family just curious about the hype behind the “plant-based food trend?”

If you or anyone you know wants to:

  • make better food choices
  • spend less on food, so there’s more for other fun or retirement
  • make some basic plant-based dishes, using plant-based protein foods you may not be familiar with yet
  • create a few sample menus
  • adjust meals to your personal tastes, offering substitutions you and your family will love
  • discover how to eat MORE, so you lose weight and get the nutrients your body needs for optimal health
  • eat without counting points, macros, or calories

I’m here to help. But I’m not for everyone.

 

I work with people who need to lose 10+ pounds and will give a plant-based lifestyle a chance. (Plant-based means no meat of any kind… we discuss dairy and eggs during our initial call.) The people I work with usually have one or more health concerns, often controlled by medication(s). And they usually have a respect and love for Nature, even if it’s just caring for house plants.

If you’re ready to create a new life and don’t know where to start, let’s talk. And if you’re not ready, please pass this along to anyone you know who may BE ready to make a change. You may save a life or two…

Eat Pizza, Mashed Potatoes, Fries, and Still Lose Weight…

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“What’d you do to lose all that weight?”

 

It’s no mystery, I can tell you that. I eat plant-based, and 3 meals a day. I don’t eat after 6:30 and no snacking.

I eat very little white flour, barely eat processed foods. We don’t have dairy in the house; we make our own almond milk. I eat eggs; I usually have 3 for breakfast. I eat a salad with protein for lunch, then a normal sized dinner.

I go for regular walks and weigh myself every day. It’s all basic, common knowledge. It’s not a DIEt, this is a lifestyle. I don’t DIEt; I changed HOW I eat. I’m no longer that guy who weighed 80 pounds more… THIS is who I’ve always been.

Whenever I say I don’t eat past 6:30, that’s the biggest argument people push back on, right after cheese.

Anyone that’s diabetic needs to understand HOW to check their blood. If you don’t have a baseline, you never know what’s messing up your sugars.

“You’re not still losing more weight, are you? You’re totally fine!”

I have another 15-20 to lose, yes, but thank you. That’s very nice of you! We’ve normalized being 20 pounds overweight.

Here’s what people commonly hear in that conversation and his responses:

  • I eat very little white flour = “I’ll go to the pizza place and ask for gluten-free flour. Quitting white or wheat flour is harder than quitting cigarettes! Everyone uses it—it’s in everything!”
  • I weigh myself every day = “my doctor said to throw out my scale because it’s meaningless.”He responded: That’s mistake number one. While it’s not the only number to look at and yes, scales have error points (like not measuring fat vs. muscle, retained water, etc.), it’s certainly NOT meaningless.
  • I don’t eat after 6:30 and no snacking = “oh yeah, that’s too hard for me. I eat late and end up going to bed right after. I can’t do that.” Neither could I, until I changed my schedule and made health a priority, based on my identity.
  • We don’t have dairy in the house = “I could never give up dairy.” I tell them it’s one of the first things you need to look at. It’s not that you can’t ever have it again, you just can’t have it in the house unless you want to eat it all the time. I could live off bread, butter, and cheese. I choose not to.

Friend, there are so many stories to unpack, along with nuances.

And Now, Gardening May Kill You-Part I

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Cognitive dissonance is real.

Being silenced is diabolic, and this charade doesn’t end if people aren’t aware of it.

“The term cognitive dissonance is used to describe the mental discomfort that results from holding two conflicting beliefs, values, or attitudes. People tend to seek consistency in their attitudes and perceptions, so this conflict causes feelings of unease or discomfort.” What Is Cognitive Dissonance? Definition and Examples (verywellmind.com)

I’m quiet online about the facts behind the events of the last 2.5 years, though in person, I’m much different. I’m angry at the continued fear people show over the flu, and how the world has “so easily” flipped upside down. The psychological damage they inflicted is disgusting.

For those who are open, please read to the end. What I’m going to share today is a genuine threat to your existence and the future for your children/grand/great grandchildren. This isn’t tin-foil conspiracy theory, (“conspiracy theorist” is a clever title created to discount those who disagree with the norm—we’re “just crazy”), it’s information easily obtained from the World Economic Forum’s website.

History is full of people burned at the stake, drowned, lobotomized, and a host of other methods used to silence those of us who disagree and speak out. Many of us know of “heretics” who changed the world for the better with their “outlandish” theories… Einstein, Darwin, Tesla, Galileo—the list is too long to write out here, but you get the point. This is nothing new, it’s just now a global issue.

Who Are My Children?

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To simplify this, young adults 19–25 had a BMI of:

  • 23.1 from 1976 to 1980, which is healthy
  • 27.7 from 2017 to 2018, which is nearing obesity

BigPharma wants your children. They’ve probably got most adults already, because this is one of the few countries where they can advertise directly to consumers. But you’re nearing the end of your life, and they want profits to continue. They have shareholders and a lot at stake.

Your children are a built-in membership plan, where one medication causes side effects cured by another drug, which causes side effects cured by another drug. It’s what’s known as the medical wheel or polypharmacy (multiple medications).

Their solution to the obesity epidemic in the youth? Medications with side effects…

I worked for health insurance administrators and hospital surgeons, so I’m speaking to you from experience, not just research from schooling and working privately with people for over a decade. The medical model is based on profit, not healing.

Polypharmacy (multiple medications) is something typically found in the elderly… but they’re now targeting your children.

  • What if you don’t have insurance one day and need to pay out-of-pocket!?
  • What if your insurance drops your medication, or your doctor drops your insurance plan?
  • What about the hours spent getting approval and fighting denied claims?
  • What if the medication causes the side effects above? Should we put our children and grandchildren through the torture of an illness, testing, and medication?

Kids are supposed to be outside playing, enjoying the freedom that comes before jobs, family, and “the real world.” They aren’t supposed to suffer.

So, how do you stop this? By understanding WHY it’s important to have optimal health, regardless of having to sacrifice cheese, bread, and butter at every meal. Change for THEM, if it’s too hard to change for yourself. Often, our greatest motivation lies in the hands of someone else… trust me, YOU are my motivation.

Thank you for being on this journey with me. You inspire me to keep driving for better health and fighting against the tyranny of government, the food industry, and the medical establishment.

Push-ups to Lower Cholesterol

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It’s not your fault you’re confused and not at the health level you want.

In 24 hours, I overheard:

  1. start doing push-ups to lower your cholesterol …
  2. in 21 days of avoiding root veggies like potatoes, carrots, beets, you’ll be healthy …
  3. I’ve just gotta watch my carbs and sugar for my diabetes …

There’s a WORLD of worthless information out there. I remember how confused I was when I started on this journey 30 years ago… fresh out of college, grabbing books from the library, taking free classes online at Barnes-n-Noble University, and talking to friends with similar health struggles.

Then, the internet exploded. There was so much information available and I consumed all I could. I shared a lot of information online, only to find years later that it was grossly inaccurate. So much disappointment, confusion, frustration in myself…

“I’m not an idiot… I have critical thinking skills… I have 2 college degrees… how’d I fall for this? What IS the truth about healing? Why does this work but not this?

Why am I now questioning EVERYTHING I believe? Can I trust anyone!?”

Maybe you’ve had those same feelings. Maybe you question what you read or see online, or what friends tell you. Maybe those 3 statements I shared in the beginning resonate, sound logical, or you’ve shared something similar to your peers or family.

Please hear me when I say I’m not poking fun at ANY of these individuals, nor you. I was there, and STILL find myself there. (I’m currently waging a battle in my head about the organic industry and “green” agendas—cognitive dissonance is real!) If there’s a mismatch in what you read versus what you believe, you’re experiencing what’s called cognitive dissonance.

Most of us throw out the baby with the bathwater when this happens… but this is the place where growth truly happens—in questioning what you believe…

I give the people who made those comments in the beginning a lot of credit for giving advice, and for caring enough to study health. It’s obvious they’re interested in wellness, and want to help others. I give YOU credit for the same. I also forgive my past AND future self for any information that came from not knowing enough.

The truth is, we don’t know what we don’t know. We don’t know we have blind spots until someone points it out to us—it’s why I have coaches and mentors—to question my perspective. After all, how do I “google” a question I don’t know to ask?

Know Thy Numbers

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I wrote about these myths in my book and course, Transformation 101… this is a follow-up conversation, based on recent research into aging and exercise. As I looked at information from physicians, fitness experts, and other nutrition experts in both the plant-based and animal-based realms, some facts are clear…

  1. We need about .36 grams of protein per pound, according to the RDA (remember, the RDA isn’t optimal—optimal is about .50 grams per pound)
    1. A 190-pound male needs 70 grams per day, split into 3 meals
    2. A 123-pound female needs 45 grams per day, split into 3 meals
    3. It’s important to get clean protein at each meal (which is not chicken or fish, tho most claim it is… the chemicals, heavy metals, fat, hormones, and antibiotics in these food sources are anything but clean. We’re talking veggies, grains, and beans.)
    4. Your protein levels should match your GOAL weight, not your CURRENT weight. If you don’t know what your current weight should be, reference my article from 2 weeks ago, where I shared BMI levels… it’s important to be realistic with your health, rather than settle for a comfortable number that feels attainable
  2. For endurance trainers, it’s .54 grams per pound
    1. A 190-pound male needs 104 grams per day, split into 3 meals
    2. A 123-pound female needs 66 grams per day, split into 3 meals
  3. For strength trainers, it’s .63 grams per pound
    1. A 190-pound male needs 120 grams per day, split into 3 meals
    2. A 123-pound female needs 77 grams per day, split into 3 meals

I decided to test where my numbers fell in all of this… my blood work always comes back in a healthy range, but I’m also active at work and recently got interested in strength-training/exercise for peri- and menopausal women. (After all, most of the people I work with are in that age bracket.) Before I embark on a new exercise program, I want to make sure my nutrition is adequate for building muscle and strengthening bones.

I’ve followed a plant-based diet since May 1993, which is 29 years as of 2022. I’ve never worried about complete proteins or given much thought to protein, because I eat multiple servings of beans, grains, and veggies at almost every meal. That’s why people often nickname me “beans-n-greens.”

For 3 days, I painfully tracked my food… if you’ve been with me for a while, attended some of my nutritional classes, or understand the concept of my LG Plate™, you know how much I hate counting food groups/macros. I created the LG Plate to AVOID counting and focus on more important things, like mindset mastery, improving skills, or gaining financial freedom.

What I found was slightly shocking, but not in the way you may expect.

How Nature Guides

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Nature ALWAYS gives us clues. Whether you pull cards from wildlife decks, see the same animals or insects again and again, or something stings or bites you—She’s speaking to you.

 

For months, I’ve tried to identify a bird in the woods behind us. A falcon? Osprey? Hawk? What could it be? 🤔

 

In reading an “unrelated” article about the Hermit Thrush 3 weeks ago (one of the most beautiful songbirds Nature created), I saw a comment that the Merlin bird app can identify songs of birds…

 

Filed that comment away for a distant future.

 

Since we’re up at 4:30 am, I sit with the sliding door open so our cat can enjoy the scenery. I began hearing a screeching noise, repeated every morning around the same time. I remembered that 3-week-old filed away comment and grabbed my phone. “app open, record.”

 

The bird stopped. Silence. Over. Grrr… missed opportunity. (Nature has a sense of humor akin to my father, which always makes me chuckle.)

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Time for Tough Love

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Our perception of weight is skewed.

We’ve slowly gained weight, decade after decade, normalizing what actual healthy weight is. When Yankee Stadium was built in the 20s, it had approximately 82k seats. When it was remodeled 50 years later, there were only 59k seats. What caused the decrease in 23k seats? Our butts widened 5”, so the seat size needed to increase.

That’s an extra inch of our derriere every 10 years… it’s been another 50 years since the remodel. Those seats are again snug for many Americans. Watch old movies or read old books, and consider what they ate and how they looked—sure, actors are always thin, but look at old pics of your own family.

We’re larger than ever. And guess what? Our rates of illness increase every year, too.

Cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, brain disorders, frailty/falling, kidney diseases, flus, depression… they’re preventable and reversible.

Risk increases as your weight increases. Conversely, losing weight reduces your risk.

Diseases of Affluence = DOA

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Diseases of Affluence (DOA) run rampant in our culture, yet we’re more and more confused about what to eat. 76% of Americans are overweight or obese; 36% of those are obese. When you go out today, consider 3 of the 4 people you see are overweight and nearly half of the people are obese.

My job is to help you be the minority… as you age, being toned and slim isn’t about vanity metrics. We need our health for survival. I call these diseases DOA because your diet kills or heals you—the plate of oily pasta, burgers and fried potatoes, chips and dip, or fried fish are Dead on Arrival. The second we eat them, our entire physiology changes, right down to the lil’ bugs in our intestinal tract.

Why I Left Social Media…

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“Wokeness is a Shield to be Mean and Cruel.” -Elon Musk

I hate social media (SM). I’m a private person and don’t enjoy sharing details about myself with strangers. I also hate the echo chamber effect, regardless if it’s “my side” of an agenda or not. I find no solace in it. I don’t get the dopamine hits people get from it.

At the end of December, I invested in a coaching program. I LOVE talking to people. I’m obnoxiously curious and people rarely understand why I’m asking questions… so I explain WHY I’m asking so many questions, so they understand I’m not challenging them. I just need to understand the WHY behind what I’m explaining. I LOVE knowing what people are thinking and why they do what they do.

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