8 Top habits of Highly Successful people and The Rest!

Have you ever wondered how those successful people get to the top?    These observations have been on my mind about what sets Highly Successful people apart from The Rest.  See which ones you can identify with (I found quite a few about myself that needs tweaking).

1)  Decision making. 

Highly Successful people make quick decisions, for the most part.   They don't spend a lot of time weighing the pros and cons and examining things too long.   When they see something that makes sense to them, they go for it.   They don't dwell on the drawbacks of the decision before hand.  

"I love that car, it runs great, has terrific gas mileage, and is easy on the eyes - I'll take it!"

The Rest spend a lot of time analyzing, deciphering and over-questioning something before making a decision.  They will often dwell on the roadblocks of what they are deciding on before moving ahead.

"I really like that car.   I think I will look up the reviews on it and see what people don't like about it.  I don't want to get stuck with a lemon.   What if it is unreliable?  I wonder what problems others have had with this car, or maybe I should just keep looking as there might be a better one for me.  I need to think this over."

2)  Accuracy.

For the most part, Highly Successful people don't care so much about accuracy as they do about focusing on their goal.  Unless perfection is their goal, such as a figure skater.   Have you ever noticed how some Highly Successful people make errors in things they do but don't seem to care?  Either errors in spelling, grammar or even how they do some simple things...and it seems to drive The Rest kind of crazy.    

The Rest are more focused on doing things right the first time, they are more afraid to make mistakes/errors.   It tends to hold them back.  Which brings me to the next habit...

3) Failure.

Highly Successful people experience a lot of failure, but you wouldn't know it unless they told you.   Because they are always picking themselves up and "trying again".   They are focused on achieving their goal so they know they are going to fall back and fail and they are okay with it.  They take it as stepping stones to their goals.

The Rest don't make so many mistakes, or are very careful not to.  So often that will hinder them in doing things more than once.  They want to get it right the first time.   It takes a lot more effort to do something right so they don't have to do it again.

4)  Sharing with others.

Highly Successful people rarely share their "problems" or "issues" with others.   They have them, and sometimes more than The Rest, but they don't show it.   Like the saying goes - "Never let them see you sweat".   Highly Successful people rarely complain even though they experience a lot of stress.  When they do complain, often it's more like an  observation of something going on in their lives and a way to find a solution from others.  What you will see and hear from Highly Successful people are all the great things they experience that they want to share with others.

The Rest often will complain, many constantly, about mundane things in their lives, their day-to-day problems, relationship issues, or just how much they hate things in their lives, like the weather, the way they were treated by a customer service agent, how much they hate their job, etc.  Sure The Rest share triumphs but not as often as their problems.  

You can tell who is who just by looking at your Facebook news feed!  Look at the ones who post about awesome things in their lives, and look at the ones constantly complaining or commenting on all the little roadblocks in their lives.

5)  Problem Solving.

Just as Highly Successful people are not big complainers, they still run into a lot of problems and issues, however they don't dwell on them and often look for solutions.   They often ask for help but not in a way that makes them look weak.  Many times they will get help by making it seem like the helper will benefit a lot from helping them out.   

"I have a great job for you, a good way for you to make some money - I am looking for someone to help me clean up after my party".

The Rest will often be stuck by a problem or dilemma.  They will feel helpless and vent about their issue without really looking for an answer.  They want more sympathy and people to resonate with their feelings than to find a solution.  

"I'm so frustrated because my friend who said she'd help me with my party has cancelled on me - she said she was going to go to the movies instead.  Can you believe her?"

Highly successful people look more for answers and solutions while The Rest often look for sympathy and understanding.

6)  Bad experiences with others.

Highly Successful people don't let themselves dwell too much on a bad incident that happened to them.   Things occur, feelings are hurt but they force themselves to move on.   Life and opportunities are too short for them to spend a lot of mental energy on their hurt feelings.

The Rest will often dwell on something that happened, or something that was said or written to them.   They spend a lot of time on how they should have reacted, or shouldn't have reacted.   They think in circles about how they feel and about how the "other person" did or said something to them.   Often it will ruin the rest of their day, or sometimes the rest of the week!

7) Blame.

Highly Successful people often blame themselves when something goes wrong and look for ways that they can change the way they went about something so it won't happen the next time.  

"Next time I will be more prepared and leave earlier when the weather takes a turn.   Then I will be on time."

The Rest often blame something outside of themselves when something goes wrong.    It is never their fault, it is always another person, situation or something that was beyond their control.  

"The stupid weather! I wouldn't have been late if the snow didn't cause that accident that kept me on the highway for an extra 10 minutes, and it made me late for my appointment!"

8) Unexpected changes in daily life.

Highly successful people tend to turn unexpected changes, into opportunities.   When Highly Successful people are laid up in bed for something unplanned, they will often use that as a way to make progress in their goals and make connections.  They will use any situation that is given to them to use as an advantage.

The Rest may use situations like being laid up in bed, bad weather, a sick child, or a number of other things that are unexpected situations as obstacles to stop them from doing something that could have been productive.

Now that you know these habits, what will you do about them?  You can use many of these habits to your advantage to help you reach a goal such as weight loss, starting a business, or even cleaning your house.   Whatever the goal, you can do it if you change your behavior and your thinking - try it and see!

How do you handle eating away from home? Survey Says....

With the holidays coming up, I wanted to get some answers from top plant based people, about how they approach social situations in different scenarios.    Here they are - I hope they help you on your journey!

This is the question I asked:

**For those who will not go off plan or compromise their diets when eating away from home** 

With all the holidays coming up, thought I'd take a little survey of "what would you do" in some different kind of social situations. How you would handle your meals - including if you would or would not tell the host/ess that you are on a different diet:

A) At an event, like a wedding/banquet seated type of event where the meal is served to you on a plate, and is pre-selected.

B) If you are invited to someone's home who doesn't really have a clue about how you eat, and they announce they will be ordering in a pizza or something similar that everyone can have

C) A holiday event/gathering where there will be a lot of holiday themed appetizers/desserts to choose from


D) When a well-meaning person/host makes something for you that obviously you cannot have (like the example of a soup made with animal broth) - do you make an exception for this, and if you won't what is your response?


And here are some of the responses:

  A) I would probably eat before leaving for the event and then push around whatever is on my plate, maybe get lucky and have a potato or veggies on the plate, possibly a side salad.  B) I wouldn't eat. I am not going to compromise what I believe in and how I eat to fall off the wagon and eat some poor food choice, especially pizza with all the dairy and oil. C) I would ask if there is anything I could bring and then create something I know I could eat.

 It's not about the food for me. It's about the party, visiting and celebrating with others. I keep this as my focus when I'm eating dinner at home or a potato in the car on my way to a party or event. I never want to miss a party or celebration because of my dietary consciousness. I love to talk, catch up, hug my friends and visit way more than eat. I'm grateful for my healthy life. I was eating all those party foods and my health was deteriorating and it was making it hard for me to go to parties. My clothes didn't fit, I felt to tired, heart burn, bloat, and depression. When I reflect back on my past life it makes those treats at a party seem very unattractive.

A) I frequently have this scenario at business luncheons. I always carry my own salad dressing so if there's a salad or a plain baked potato I can eat both. If they serve the potato with stuff already on it I'll ask the server if I can get one plain, same with the salad if it comes already dressed. Usually they're very accommodating. B) I would probably just let her know that I have doctor imposed dietary restrictions and "rather than impose on you I'll bring something I can eat." And I would take enough to share. C) Either bring something or eat before I go and assume that there will be some veggies or a fruit tray that I can eat at least some of the offerings. If it's a buffet, appetizer type situation rather than a sit down affair nobody will even notice that you're not eating. D) Once upon a time I used these occasions as an excuse to compromise, not to eat animal foods, but oily, salty, etc. Not any more. The older I get the more priority my health takes and I'm not willing to compromise. Anyone that wants to try to make me feel bad because I don't conform is not going to be a friend for long. Sounds harsh but it's just how I feel. I've come too far to go back now.

 I would not mention my preferences unless asked, and then I would minimize the importance of it since it's not my event. At A, push the food around on the plate. At B, say thanks, I'm not very hungry. At C, take my own ONLY if that is what is being done by others, otherwise, don't eat. I don't have to always be eating when other people are, something I learned the hard way...

When someone appears to be stressing over MY food, I quietly point out that this is what I do to meet my needs and reassure them that it is not a commentary on their choices.

...they need feel no responsibility for providing my food... "I'm okay, really I am!"

 For plated, I always request a vegan option. Sometimes it may just be a salad. Being an ethical vegan, I cannot accept a plate of meat. 

B. I would tell her my preferences and offer to bring something vegan to share. C. I would just make do and likely just skip the food.

 I had a friend make vegetable soup for a get together and made a point to tell me it had no meat in it so I could eat it. About half-way through the bowl I mentioned that the broth was very rich. Well, she used beef broth, "but it doesn't have any meat, just broth." What are you going to do? 

 I don't compromise, I'm talking about animal products. I have a friend who goes out of the way to make pizza or other things using vegan cheese. Even though it's not McDougall - I eat it. It doesn't happen often, but when someone goes to that trouble I'm going to have a piece.

I always assume there will be nothing I can eat anywhere, anyplace, anytime. I will not compromise and carry my own food everywhere and i mean everywhere. I couldn't care less what anyone thinks. The best compliment I've received recently was "Every time I see you, you're eating a bunch of veggies." Yep, that's right


 I told my sister-hostess to please not bother with making anything for us and we would bring our foods since DH is on a strict heart heatlhy diet and I have celiacs. It was a potluck and she put a couple of family members up to bringing food that she thought would work, but in the end, only the fruit plate worked for us. So..... we ate a lot of fruit and we ate Dr. McDougall's Heart Healthy Lentil Sloppy Joe sandwiches that I had in the cooler in the car afterwards. Seriously, because of my celiacs, that's the way it usually turns out.


 D) This is the most common situation I run into. I have some great friends, one is an outstanding cook! While she isn't plant based, she does eat quite a few dishes as so, but has been known to go heavy on the oil or add dairy (cream, etc) in her sauces. She is well meaning at all times, and some of those time I will fancy a dish of what she has created, but it's an exception, not the norm.

I had a family member make a salad that was obviously for me and she was so proud of it and described every ingredient in a loud voice and slowly to me, like I was in kindergarten, "this has KALE, Quinoa, Pinenuts, and Tomatoes, all Superfoods" and it was tossed with an oily vinaigrette! I ate it and thanked her profusely because she meant well!


 For a wedding/banquet I would personally talk to the caterers, tell them where I'm sitting and ask to either not bring me a plate; or, to bring me a plate of raw veggies (I wouldn't trust them to cook without oil). I carry balsamic in my purse. I've brought a little thermos with soup/casseroles, etc or cooked, cold taters, steamed veggies, anything really.

For a party with appetizers; seeing all the overweight, sick people stuffing their faces is enough to deter me from eating it; but, I carry fruit, veggies, if I think I'll need to munch.

I wouldn't eat anything someone else prepared unless I was planning to eat "off plan"

When people are curious about what I'm eating; I tell them. I don't preach or try to push my beliefs on them. However, I have lost over 160 lbs and my results speak for themselves. I no longer feel the need to defend myself and no one else here should either!!  If you don't protect your weight loss/health, no one else will either!


 I rarely leave the house without taking small, whole, cooked potatoes with me. They are so easy to carry, easy to eat and fill me up. Brown rice cakes are also easy to carry, have in the car. I have a Tupperware container that fits perfectly in my car cup holder and holds exactly one can of rinsed & drained garbanzo beans. Baby carrots, cut up apples, cut up cucumbers are all easy to carry.

Scenario D: I have rarely had people fix something thinking it would work for me. When they do, I don't ask what it has in it, I ask point blank but gently whether it has any animal product, salt, sugar, or oil in it and add that I am eating this way for medical reasons and that I do appreciate the effort.

I carry with me things like raw veggies and fresh fruit, steamed potatoes and baked sweet potatoes and have no problem taking them out when I need to. Today I took a container of chickpea gravy with me to a steakhouse and poured it on my sweet potato. My husband is used to it and my MIL did not even bat an eye; I was very impressed with her. I packed food in a suitcase and carried food into banquets at a conference last year because sure enough my pre ordered vegan, no fat meals were not quite the thing.

I bring my own food to all events. just the way it is and people get used to it.

 since there are six of us I can't get away with not saying anything, so we always let people know for any events that we will be eating beforehand or bringing our own food... for years we were very strict (and would still be if we saw any difference but in more recent years we are okay with some occasional white flours and/or sugar and salt) so I just always made it clear that unless it came directly from the produce section with nothing added we wouldn't be eating it... before I had a family when I went to places I used to just move stuff around on my plate and I also frequently brought a date that was happy to get extras so it was a win-win. Of course I married the one that said, oh no, I don't want to eat that stuff either, ha! What I hate is how many activities have a cost that includes food... many times too things my children are involved in they are asked to contribute money towards food

 I don't say anything about my WOE, the host/hostess have enough to deal with. I will pack my insulated food bag with my food. And yes I've done this for weddings, holidays etc...no problem so far

My family and friends already know I'll bring my own food and for other at home events I just bring it - no one seems to mind.

I won't make an exception, and in many cases I can't even if I wanted to, because of my dairy allergy. I attended a party yesterday, and the offerings were butter cake, brownies, and chips with beer cheese dip. I just had something to drink, and mostly avoided the location where the items were located. As for other, bigger events, I have been known to have just salad, and then eat something when I get home, or to tell people that I am not hungry (regardless of whether I really am), and then eat later. I just figure that I am not going to starve to death or anything, so waiting is not unreasonable.

This is my first holiday season as a McDougaller... I'm going to bring a hearty side dish and a WFPB dessert to share at each party and just eat that. I plan to knock their socks off with anything I bring, too!

 I carry potatoes every where I go and chickpeas and balsamic. However, I have no problem telling folks the way I eat and I welcome questions, disparaging remarks, etc. because it gives me the opportunity to teach and share information about healthy eating. Usually, by the time I leave, I have several e-mail addresses who want more information. And, those who want to argue go by the wayside. I do offer to send them info if they want to compare it to their scientific knowledge. Most of the time, I have had no problem taking care of myself like this. I always offer to bring a dish also. Worked good so far.


When asked for specifics or asked "why" about my food, I will simply say that it is for health reasons AND too complicated to go into at that moment but I will be happy to get with them about it another time. I want to be able to simply be part of what the host has planned.

That was quite a variety of answers - my hope is that you may identify with at least one of them and make it work for you!  

xo 
Sharon

Plant Based Cassoulet

Rancho Gordo is a specialty food shop that sells classically grown, gourmet heirloom beans.   I was blessed to receive their sampler pack, and was looking for something to make with their Classic Cassoulet Bean:  "A beautiful white runner bean developed by French farmers over generations to be the foundation of the classic cassoulet" with its original seed stock coming from Tarbes, France - as it says on the label.   Any soft white bean can be replaced in this recipe.

This was a hearty feel-good full meal.  Perfect for the cooler fall weather.

And if it weren't for some mushroom dislikers in my family, I would have added lots of fungi to this dish, which will definitely be added to the leftovers!    The heartiness of the 'shrooms would give it a bite and texture which it needs after all the meat, dairy and fat has been removed.  I loved the crumb topping with its garlicky parsley flavor.

I served it with roasted Japanese yams.

Plant Based Cassoulet

3 medium leeks
4 medium carrots, diced
3 celery ribs, diced
1-2 cups of your favorite mushrooms, sliced (optional)
4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground cloves
4 cups cooked Cassoulet Beans or any cooked white bean (or 2 - 3 small cans)
2-3 cups vegetable broth (use more of less for extra moisture in cooking)


1)  Slice leeks lengthwise and chop - then place in a bowl filled with cold water, agitating the leeks until all the soil drops to the bottom of the bowl.

2)  Heat large wide pot over medium heat with an optional spray of olive oil.  Cover the bottom of the pot with a layer of vegetable broth.

3)  Scoop the leeks out of the water with your hands and place into the pot.    Add the remaining vegetables, herbs and spices except for the beans.   Cook for about 15 minutes or until all the vegetables have softened.

4)  While the vegetables are cooking, prepare the breadcrumb topping (below).

5)  After you have prepared the crumb topping, add the beans and remaining broth to the pot and cover the pot, and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

6)  Discard the bay leaf and then either mash some of the beans with a potato masher or use a hand immersion blender blending about 1/4 of the vegetables and beans to give a creamy texture.  Season with salt and pepper to taste and cover with the breadcrumbs prior to serving.

Breadcrumb topping

4 cups breadcrumbs (I used a mixture of bread I had in the pantry with panko crumbs and chopped it in my high speed blender)
1/3 cup vegetable broth (I scooped this right out of the cooking pot)
1 Tbs garlic, crushed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Set oven to 400.  Stir breadcrumbs, broth and garlic together in a large bowl and spread out on a baking sheet.   Salt & pepper to taste and spray the top with olive oil (optional).   Bake for 10 minutes on top rack, and then stir the crumbs and return to the top rack to bake another 10 minutes, or until all the crumbs have browned evenly.

Remove from oven, stir in parsley and cool while the cassoulet is cooking.

What have I been up to for the past couple of months?  Well, I've been on an organizing and planning adventure.   I joined up with some groups of hard-core organizers and planning addicts.    Needless to say, aside from probably spending too much time reading and researching and checking in with these groups, I feel like I can say that I have some direction that I was lacking before.   I have a plan.   And, I just opened up an Etsy shop for some unique printable items that I am hoping will reach a specific market that is untapped.  

My first offering is a plant-based fill in printable grocery list.   It has sections for fruits, roots, veggies, sprouts, grains, legumes and even a little area for the non-plant based eaters in your life, so they don't feel left out!  

I'm also working on something big for the holidays - I'm very excited about it!   I've run into some roadblocks because I'm not very tech savvy but thank goodness I have a very techie family to help me smooth out some of the wrinkles I've encountered!

Come check out my new Etsy page!

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/MakeItBe 

xo  Sharon

Inexpensive Photo Gallery

I've been bit by the organizing bug!    I was going through some of old family photos and came across some that were really cute and gave me warm & fuzzy memories.   

When I was at the Dollar Tree - I found these nice, basic black 4 x 6 frames.    The perfect place for small frames is a small wall.     If you group the pictures together the right way, you could use a larger wall, so it depends on how they are arranged.  

I almost put them up in my office which has a couple of large bare walls, but those walls were way too large for them.   I either need a grouping of larger photos (8 x 10 or bigger) or a super large framed artwork for my big walls.    I found this little bare spot between two doors and thought it would be perfect for a vertical gallery with these small 4 x 6 frames.  

I used to think the Dollar Tree was a crappy little store, but I can spend hours in there.   Especially for organizing - love all the bins and caddies that they have - and many times they are packaged in 2-3 pieces so you are getting a great deal!  

Being a Minimalist vs. being a Consumerist

There's a growing trend about being a minimalist.     Minimalist's goals are to live with as little as possible, and some are even living with just 100 items.     They say living with less is more freeing, and less focusing on getting more and more and relying on that for happiness.    Minimalists are on a constant quest to own practically "nothing".    Their happiness is based on the ability to live without - because even something fun or pleasurable is almost considered sinful.     Their spaces often look cold and feel uncomfortable,  and lack personality or style.  I love a great new kitchen gadget, or a variety of shirts to choose from.     When I see something that will make a part of life easier, or more fun, or make me feel a little better, there's nothing wrong with adding it to my life.   My happiness is from something deeper and I don't base it on possessions.  

On the other end of the spectrum we have consumerists.    Those who have to go out and buy the latest thing, or just keep adding to what they already have without a real purpose, or just because it's "pretty" "neat" "cool" or "pleasing to the eye".   There is no real purpose for buying other than it makes the person feel good just to look at it, so they must have it.    Some who have the unlimited resources will make sure it is brand spanking new  - while others who have more financial limitations will go on the hunt for the most inexpensive means possible to get that item, whether it is searching for the best price or buying it gently used.  Or some will just go to store after store, or garage sale after garage sale, or site after site and see something that will make them feel good and just keep buying.    They end up accumulating so much stuff that their life has become a cycle of getting the next best thing, while the old items find their way into the corners of their dwellings, unused and unappreciated.    Often it ends up as clutter, or a waste of money.    I have never been one to "keep up with the Jones'" - and find this to be very limiting and can cause a real lack of creativity in one's life. 

Part of Living Well is enjoying the things I have without trying to get rid of things that I will use for a maximum for every couple of years, and on the other hand, not hanging on to things that I have no use for and have little meaning.   So I often go through the house and purge things - donate or recycle those things that are now just taking up space in my home that someone else will could have a use for.

I have gotten a lot better about bringing things into my life.   In my younger years I used to get things just to "have" them because I like them, even if they didn't serve a real purpose in my life.   Now I like to have things that provide a use or purpose more than anything, and that keeps things in my home manageable and enjoyable without the home looking like a sterile environment with no personality, or a big cluttered mess.  

I love this example of a space with style.   There are just enough items that gives personality to a space.   A well-thought-out design, not cluttered yet not empty and boring.   A space where the resident feels happy and a guest would be very comfortable. 

It has been about 4 years since I've blogged here.   I am picking it up again and changing the theme of this blog to reflect my current life of pursuing living well, one step at a time - to a better, fuller, more simplified life.   Encompassing a richer spiritual life, a  fulfilling family life, an organized home and a healthy eating plan are the focused building blocks to a harmonized state of being.

I look forward to sharing here what I've been up to - what's new and exciting and what's working!  

xo

Sharon

Change Your Life with Replacement Thoughts

One of my resolutions at the start of this year was to become a better mom. That meant for me, to become a better person and get over some obstacles in my life.

Well, this year is soon coming to a close and the growth I've experienced, personally and spiritually has really been tremendous.

One of the things I've done that helped me with this growth was an activity called "Replacement Thoughts".

By doing this activity it helps to lesson the negative thoughts that we have on a daily basis.

Even people who believe they have the most positive outlooks on life will be surprised at the amounts of negative thought processes that go through their heads on a daily basis.

Most people have extraordinary amounts of negative self-dialogue in their brains on a daily basis. It can start right after the alarm clock goes off:

"oh my head hurts; I don't want to get up; I feel like crap; why do I have to start the day"

These thoughts can happen in a manner of 5 seconds apart, so just imagine how much can build up in a day. It is possible and even quite probable that people have thousands of negative commentaries going on in their brains about themselves, others and their situations in life.

The simplicity of replacement thoughts is having a little spiral bound notebook by your side at all times and writing them down.

The importance of writing it down means that you get to concentrate on replacing those negative thought patterns as written rote, rather than mental rote in your head, which come and go very quickly.

By writing down those replacement thoughts, you are taking more time and energy to think about how to turn your negative thoughts around, and it commits to memory more concretely the more you do it.

Also making realistic replacement thoughts is important. We can't delude ourselves, and won't allow it anyway. You'll never believe something so extremely opposite of what you've already convinced yourself is happening.

So, a bad or unrealistic example of a replacement thought is this:

negative thought - "I feel terrible today"
unrealistic replacement thought - "I have never felt better today"

A realistic replacement thought for "I feel terrible today" would be "I know I'm going to feel so much better after I take a hot shower (or pray, turn on some uplifting music, have some fruit, etc.)"

Some other examples of replacement thoughts:


"I look horrible" (negative)

"I look like Marylin Monroe" (unrealistic/bad example)

"As soon as I wash my face and drink a big glass of water I'm going to feel a lot better" (realistic replacement thought)




"That idiot just cut me off!" (negative)

"What a wonderful man - he must be rushing his pregnant wife to the hospital" (unrealistic/bad example)

"I'm sure there must be an explanation for his driving erratically - I shouldn't jump to conclusions about him, and I know I've done that before!" (realistic replacement thought)



"The weather stinks today, I hate the rain/snow/fog" (negative thought)

"The sun will come out soon and everything will be dandy again" (unrealistic/bad example)

"It might be cold and gray today, but I won't let it get me down." (realistic replacement thought)



I cannot begin to explain how therapeutic practicing replacement thoughts are, and how important it is to write them down. Try it for a couple of days and not only will you realize that there is a lot of negativity going on around you as you become more aware, but you will feel a new-found send of freedom about how you feel and your outlook on life in general!

Simply write down every negative thought that comes to your mind and follow with a realistic but helpful and uplifting replacement thought, and you will feel a tremendous difference in your life!

You may have heard of a dentist named Dr. Weston A Price and his book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, where he researched the world over to find answers about degenerative dental health.

The information is intriguing and very convincing, yet there seems to be a missing link between his research dating back to the 1930's and what the Weston A. Price foundation today recommends as a healthy diet - by consuming a lot of animal products, fat and organ meat and limiting fruit and vegetable consumption.

Here's a great article all about his research and what the current foundation espouses.

http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/fuhrman_dietary_myths.htm

Also thanks for John Coleman for providing me with this quote:

"...cooking renders food pasty, so that it sticks to the teeth, and undergoes acid fermentation. Furthermore, the cooking of food greatly diminishes the need for use of the teeth; and thus tends to diminish the circulation of blood to the jaws and teeth, and to produce under -development of the maxillary and contiguous bones—thus leading to contracted dental arches, and to malocclusion and impaction of the teeth, with complications of great seriousness."- Forbes, E. B., The Ohio Journal of Science. Vol. 33, No.5 (September, 1933), 389-406

Addicted to salt?

Most of us wouldn't think so - we usually say we are addicted to sugar, caffeine or some other kind of substance.

I believe that salt is one of the most addictive and dangerous substances. Can you eat cooked vegetables without salt? Most people can't. What about soups? They are very bland and need salt. The same with pastas and rice.

Excellent info about salt (I pasted article below the link, to see footnotes, click on the link):

http://www.raw-food-health.net/TooMuchSalt.html

Eating Too Much Salt?

Want to find out if you're eating too much salt?

If you're consuming any table salt, whether is be sea salt, rock salt, or something fancy with a name like raw Himalayan salt, you're eating too much, and science is pretty clear that the habit will harm you.

Our culture shovels down salt in such huge quantities that we hardly stop to question the habit, but think about it in terms of sea water. Everyone knows that if you're stranded on a desert island, you can be surrounded by an ocean of water that's useless because you'll die if you try to drink it.

What do you die of when you drink it? Dehydration. Ponder this for a moment. Salt has such a dehydrating effect that you can drink a gallon of water laced with it and still die of dehydration.

Our bodies clearly reject salt. Put salt in an open wound and it will burn painfully. Drink salt water and you'll throw it up. Put salt on a slug, which lacks protective skin, and its body will "melt" from dehydration because it uses the water in its body in an attempt to dilute the burning substance.

Salt is such an effective killer that it was once used as a form of suicide by the Chinese (1).

We Can Have Too Much Salt, But We Need Saline

The body needs saline to function, but we must make a distinction between extracted sodium chloride salt, which is an irritant, toxic, and deadly (1) if consumed in high quantities, and the sodium and other salts that occur naturally in whole plant foods.

The later is a nutrient important to every cell in the body, and eating celery, tomatoes, and other vegetables gives us the organic salts and other minerals out bodies need in just the right amounts and combinations.

Cells rely on a regulated ratio of extracellular sodium and intracellular potassium, and when this is thrown out of whack it seriously compromises bodily functions.

There are plenty of expensive salts out there. Some is mined from the dead sea or the Himalayas. Raw food gurus hawk the stuff to make a quick buck, but the nutritional claims they make about it are false.

They'll tell you that you need extracted minerals to meet the deficiencies of modern life. We need many minerals, but we need them in the quantities and the form in which they occur naturally in whole food so they are a benefit and not a burden to our system. This is similar to how we need vitamins, but they're harmful to us when extracted in pill form.

Too Much Salt Will Damage Your Health

There are so many reasons not to eat extracted salt that its overwhelming. For one, you only need to eat about 1 g per kg of body weight to kill yourself with it (1).

For a 220 pound man (100 kg) that would be 100 grams, which is just shy of four ounces. We average 9 grams a day in the U.S., so the average American eats 1/10th of a lethal dosage for a large man every day.

But even at non-lethal doses, it's still not good for us.

Conservative health organizations like the American Medical Association and the World Health Organization tell us we're harming ourselves by eating so much.

We know that sodium consumption raises blood pressure (2), causes stomach cancer (3) and reduces bone density and contributes to osteoporosis (4).

In most people the consumption of salt leads to water retention because the body needs the water to render the salt inert until it can be expelled. It's not unusual for a person to be carrying around five pounds or more of extra water weight.

Too Much Salt: Get Free

Most people eat way too much salt in the wrong form, and there are many benefits of giving it up.

Besides the fact that you're likely to live longer, your food will taste better. People often pour on salt because they think food is tasteless, but that's only because their taste buds have adjusted to the huge amounts of salt and spices they eat.

Cut out salt, and inside two months you'll be noticing delicious new complexities in your food.

I can't tell you how much I love the flavors in my favorite salad dressing. When your taste buds adjust, you can notice the natural saline in things like tomatoes and celery, and the experience is like an explosion of flavor.

Cutting out salt will usually lead to the quick loss of water weight, which your body stores to keep the salt inert until it can be expelled.