Back in the day, I ate peppermint patties every day

It took me the longest time to figure out, in my 20’s, that the reason I was sick and fat was because I ate toxic food every day. I try to remind myself of this, when I meet someone who is barely starting to think about the connection between their disease states, and their sugary, fried, chemical diet.

That you don’t know, until you know.

How would they know, the folks who show up in my audiences, at age 40, 50, 60, having not yet made the connections? If everyone around them eats the same kind of crap. If they’ve never tried anything different.

I had a meeting in an office where this big bowl of my former favorite food sat on the reception desk. Welcome to our office, eat some toxic crap that will make you sick!

I sat there and stared at these little goodies I used to eat two bags of a week. And felt a little moment of triumph, that I am not even slightly tempted by this any more.

(Am I tempted by things that aren’t good for me? Yeah. Some things. But LOTS of things that used to sound good to me, just don’t any more. Pizza, burgers and fries, ice cream, candy bars, soda–these are foods in my past, not my  present or future. These are things I never eat, nor do I fight cravings for any of them.)

After I stared at this bowl of candy, I took my cell phone out and took a photo, right in front of the receptionist. “It’s a long story,” I told her. “I used to eat bags full of these things.”

You can play a little game if you want, and find the other two types of candy bar, besides York Peppermint Patties, in this candy bowl photo. Sadly, I used to eat a ton of both of them—also former favorites, right up there with York peppermint patties.

I learned years ago, that my lifelong ANXIETY became totally manageable if I completely, totally stay away from CORN SYRUP that is the main ingredient of all these candy bars.

I learned that the more raw plant food I ate–juices, green smoothies, salads–and the less processed and animal-based and even cooked food I ate, the better I felt.

I didn’t know, until I tried it. Thousands of other people have discovered the same thing. Our body loves us for eating nutrient dense, easily digested food. Our emotions sing when we stop zapping them with chemicals-added fuel. Our mental acuity is sharp when we eat brain food.

Take a good, long look at this bowl of candy. Does it tempt you? Would you believe me if I said that if you follow a whole-foods lifestyle, in a committed way, there comes a point when your addiction demons have little or no power over you?

It’s really possible. And so exciting when it does.

Posted in: Lifestyle, Whole Food