While it is no doubt convenient to eat the SAD, this way of eating shortens your life by 25% to 50%.
Given today’s average life expectancy of a “high” of 78.9 years of age,^30 that means that some people
eating the SAD will sacrifice nearly one-fourth of their lives and leave us 25 years short of the
healthy life expectancy of 95-105 years^31 ,^32 —an age that is in reach for those who have nutrient-
rich nutrition and lifestyle management skills.
Why Do We Continue to Eat Ourselves to Death?
Despite the negative health effects, many people continue to eat the SAD simply because they have
vested interests. One of these, perhaps the ultimate vested interest, is food addiction. Yes, nutrient-
poor food is addicting. If you don’t believe this, simply stop eating highly concentrated animal-
based and refined foods that are prepared in unhealthy ways. Stop completely for a day and instead
eat lots of vegetables and fruits. See how you feel in 48 hours.
Chances are you'll experience serious cravings, upset stomach, the jitters, headaches and/or more.
Giving up nutrient-poor food is like giving up an addiction to coffee. People often “solve” those
jitters by drinking more coffee. And people often “solve” nutrient-poor cravings and addiction
symptoms by eating more nutrient-poor food.
These symptoms you may experience are symptoms of detoxification. You may need to go through
food detox, much like a drug addict does when stopping a drug. Detoxification is what happens
when your body attempts to rid itself of accumulated toxic food substances, control free radicals,
and repair broken DNA.^33
It is important to let these symptoms run their course, as they are signs of healing and recovery,
rather than medicate or palliate them with more toxic nutrient-poor foodstuffs. This is the only way
to break the habit of eating poorly and release yourself from your addictions. If you don’t let the
symptoms run their course, and instead you go back to eating nutrient-poor again, you will never
become nutrient-rich and healthy.
Besides keeping withdrawal symptoms at bay, eating the SAD also feels easier because it is a
common, convenient and a socially acceptable way to eat. It is also familiar and habit-driven. Lack
of knowledge is still another reason.
But many people, like you, are starting to really think about what they are eating and the effects
that food is having on them. Just eating whatever, whenever is quickly turning into a poor status
symbol. Today, the affluent are beginning to eat nutrient-rich and calorie-appropriate, not calorie-
(^30) World Bank. Life Expectancy: United States. Updated June 5, 2012.
(^31) Fuhrman J. The 7 Secrets of Longevity, Section 10. Group Start Lecture Series, Nutritional Education
Institute.
(^32) Robbins J. Healthy at 100: The Scientifically Proven Secrets of the World’s Healthiest and Longest-Lived Peoples. New York,
NY: Ballantine Books; 2007.
(^33) Fuhrman J. Preventing Cancer with Diet. Nutritional Education Institute, Nutritional Lecture Series.