O.K. - O.K. It might be an over-simplification, but think about it! How many empty calories do you drink or eat per day? - Now compound that with how few glasses of water you actually drink per day! I think this might be the “elephant-in-the-room” that no-one wants to really talk about!

Really look closely at the picture above: One can of soda per day is equal to 15 pounds a year! (there are 10 teaspoons of sugar in a can of soda!) - I think most people (especially kids) drink more than 1 can of soda a day, or eat the equivalent empty calorie foods like fries, donuts, chips, candy bars etc. per day right? And what happens to all the toxins in junk food that we DON’T flush out of our system with 6 glasses of water? What is this “combination” of drinking too many sodas and not drinking enough water really doing to us?

Could it really be that simple? I don’t think so, but I think we don’t take sodas and water as seriously as we should. In fact, I think that we’re actually addicted to these empty calorie foods much more than we realize… Sodas, for instance, have caffine (addictive). Sugar gives us a short rush (like a drug) that quickly stops our withdrawal pains (hunger pangs) - but, just like a drug, it makes us want more… (makes us hungrier!) which we MUST then satisfy with the fastest delivered drug - SUGAR - or other empty calorie foods!!! Anything we can find… quick… a candy bar, cookies, anything that will stop our hunger pangs… So we go to our local “pusher” (the vending machine at work) to get a quick FIX that will make us feel good (for a few hours - maybe!! Think about it! We’re all “hooked on this “JUNK”, Junk-Food that is!

If we SERIOUSLY think about it as an addiction (to ourselves), and realize it, I think we can more easily ween ourselves off all this.

My Take: How do we stop food abuse? Well, let me tell you first that it’s not easy. If it was, everyone (even myself would be thin). I realize the problem is much more complex than what I’ve explained here, but I think we’ve been promoting exercise as the main solution… and I think most people have shown they don’t want to do it… So what can the average person do?

We’ll, I return to the idea that we need to break our addiction first. If you exercise a lot, and then cool down with a few sodas (or beers), you’ve just exercised for NOTHING! I know that most people in the USA don’t exercise enough… but what if you really tried seeing food as the DRUG that it really is!

If you stand back from yourself and calmly realize that your body is simply addicted to food-based-drugs, It’s much easier to start weaning yourself from these empty foods… The key is to not be mad at yourself! Anger is your enemy… just realize the facts, stay conscient of what you put in your mouth and take it one meal at a time.

Many years ago (about 25 years ago) I did the Atkins diet (when it wasn’t very well thought-out yet), You see, most people don’t understand the Atkins diet and think that they can eat all the meat and fat they want -WRONG! The concept of the Atkins diet is that our bodies have two ways to get energy. The easy way (quick sugars - glucose, and stored fat). If you eliminate most bad carbs (simple carbs like white flower and white sugar) from your diet, in two days or so your body (thinking that it’s starving, switches to burning it’s own fat). When this happens, your blood sugar stabilizes and amazingly YOU WILL NOT BE HUNGRY! plus, you’ll have MORE energy! It takes a VERY strict carb control (onlye about 25 carbs a day for 2 days). Eat one french fry and you’ve blown it!

YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO EAT WHEN YOU’RE NOT HUNGRY ON THE ATKINS DIET!

You see, the Atkins diet is actually a modified fast! The problem with a fast is that your body not only starts to use it’s own fat for fuel, but it uses it’s own muscles for food too! With the Atkins diet (when done EXACTLY) you ONLY eat when you’re hungry! And since your body is feeding from it’s own fat, you don’t get hungry that often. I remember actually forgetting to eat lunch!!! Because I didn’t get hungry! - The reason you eat mainly protein on the Atkins diet is to simply replace the muscle that your body is consuming.

Another mistake most people make on the Atkins diet is fail to take vitamins, fail to drink enough water, fail to eat enough of the permitted vegetables and nuts… but most importantly, forget to count calories… You see, it still matters how many calories you eat, meat, you can quickly eat too many calories! And of course, you must drink enough water!

So what happened when I was on it? Well, It was actually amazing. I lost 70 pounds in 6 months! Unfortunately, back in the 80’s there wasn’t much in the way of carb free foods available, so like any diet, I got sick of it… and gained all the weight back. The good news though, is that I learned two important lessons… I now know how to control hunger pangs (I don’t eat simple carbs alone)… if I have a steak, I eat the salad first - so the fiber traps some of the fats in the stomach. If I start getting hunger pangs, I know I did something wrong… like have ice cream etc. But I am in control! I know that I can lose weight whenever I need to by simply cutting out simple carbs… and in just 2 days your hunger practically dissapears… and you can concentrate on eating right!

(Please note that I’m not suggesting you do any of this! This is just my experience, and I, of course, recommend you first check with your doctor before doing anything that could affect your health).

The final word: WATER! Good, Clean Water (especially distilled water) can help you flush YEARS of toxins out of your body. Of course, when an addict (which you are) is told to change their ways, you’ll resist…. You’ll make all the excuses in the world… but the key to success is to not fight yourself! Don’t get angry, Don’t get happy, just recognize whatever emotion you’re feeling…. Be aware of the present, and do what you need to do - DRINK WATER! Most people don’t realize that they’re actually hypmotized most of the day… You get into your car and it’s like the car “knows” how to get you work… You go to lunch and your hands stuff your face with food while you have a nice conversation with friends… All on auto-pilot! By the time you notice, You’ve had 2 sodas and ate all the fries!!!

How should you start? Start by drinking a glass of water 10 minutes before each meal (yes, even breakfast!) you’ll eat less and many times, what you though was hunger, was simply THIRST! So next time you have a stomach pang - don’t reach out for empty callories like a soda, a candy bar, donut, etc, drink a glass of water! and wait 5 mintues… I, know, I know, It doesn’t taste as good, but you’re body will get used to it… and you’ll be MUCH healthier and you’ll live longer… The hard-part is to remember to do it long enough to develop the habit (which takes about 2 weeks!) - Do anything for two weeks and you’ll develop that habit! The trick is to do the RIGHT things for 2 weeks!