What is your primary motivator for improving your eating habits?

After blogging about the New York Times David Murdock article a few days ago, I have been thinking about the primary motivations that lead people to improve their diet. Which motivation is most likely to be successful in preventing your return to your old habits?

In Murdock’s case, the emphasis seemed to be on longevity as the 87-year old planned his 125th birthday. That may or may not be his primary motivator as the writer may have just been looking for a catchy title. But living a long time is the primary motivator for some people; for others is might be weight-loss or vibrant health.

Co-writer J. Stanfield Hicks and wife Lisa both lost some excess weight they didnt even know they had; until they began eating at the "4-Leaf" level, deriving over 80% of their calories from whole plants.

Let’s take weight-loss first. As reported in our book, diets to lose weight simply do not work for the vast majority of people. 97% of the Americans who go on “diets” to lose weight eventually gain all of the weight back — or more.

Yet, the weight-loss business is huge as people continually seek quick and easy solutions to their problems. With our nation as one big laboratory, during the past fifty years (the heyday of the diet business), our nation as a whole has become fatter and fatter almost every year.

As for longevity, all of us are on the clock and will perish one day — of that we can be certain. In the case of my parents, they both eventually died after having strokes, which were probably driven by restricted blood flow — a result of diet-driven build-up of plaque in their arteries. My father died at 91 and my mother a bit younger, but I am convinced that they both could have lived decades longer if they’d learned what truly healthy eating was all about much earlier in their lives.

If we eliminate the primary causes of premature death like cancer, stroke and heart disease, then the majority of us will simply die of old age and enjoy an active and disease-free life up until our last day on the planet. My guess is that with a super-healthy diet and lifestyle that I probably have the genetic potential to live to be 105 or maybe longer. But like I said in an earlier blog, my primary goal is not to outlive all my friends and family. For me, it’s all about vibrant health NOW.

My brother asked me once, “Who would even want to live to be 105 anyway?” My answer, “How about the 104-year old guy that had great sex last night?”

As my son signs every single one of his notes to his health clients, Always remember, vibrant health is the goal. The 4-Leaf Program — The Pursuit of Vibrant Health. In a future blog, I will cover the top 100 symptoms of vibrant health — and only one of them is a trim body at your ideal weight forever — effortlessly. FYI, eating at the 4-Leaf level simply means deriving over 80% of your calories from whole plants — in nature’s package.

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

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