Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

Eat to Live 191

What if My Family Does Not Want to Eat This Way?

Nobody should be made to eat healthfully. Encourage your family to

learn about what you are doing and to read this book so that they

can help support you. The key is for them to learn what you are do-

ing out of love and respect for you, not because you are trying to

force this way of eating down their throats. That will be their deci-

sion later. The best way to help other people is by setting an exam-

ple. Lose the weight, get in great health, and wait for your friends

and family to ask how you did it. Very few people object to the pres-

ence of healthy foods as long as you do not take away their comfort

foods. You can always make healthful meals for yourself and some

extra food for the rest of the family. Over time it will get easier. Keep

in mind that some people require more time to make changes.

My patient Debra Caruso faced this dilemma. Her teenage son

and daughter told her they were definitely not going to cat this way.

Debra knew they could all afford to lose weight. There was so much

junk food in the house that it was even tempting her. Yet Debra lost

more than fifty pounds that first year. Luckily, she had a loving and

supportive husband who tried his best to help any way he could. The

first thing he did was buy an extra refrigerator that they kept in the

garage. Debra and her husband had a family meeting to enforce

the rule that any unhealthy food would be kept in one cupboard and

in the refrigerator in the garage. If the teenagers wanted something

other than the food prepared by their mom, they could make it

themselves and clean up after themselves. She agreed to cook their

favorite main dishes, whatever they wanted, twice a week. Some off-

limits foods such as ice cream, cheese, and other rich desserts would

not be allowed in the house. They had to be consumed in another lo-

cation. Debra and her husband also took the teenagers to the health-

food store to purchase healthier snacks. It was important to give the

children some say in what they ate. Finally, the entire family came to

two of my lectures. After that, Debra's children chose a healthy diet

for themselves as well.

It may not work out the same way for you. But the main point to

bring home is compromise and patience.