Kenneth's Story

I am 21 years old and never had a salad in my entire childhood. I ate very little vegetables and fruit as a child. Orange juice, corn and French fries were it.  As the years passed my mother gained weight, and a few years ago had a mild heart attack. Now, in her mid-forties, she is on about six different medicines. My father’s weight always fluctuated until he died in a tragic car accident when I was 12. They were, and my mother still is, definitely on the SAD. My father ate fried chicken, French fries, hot dogs, hamburgers, and pizza almost every day and very rarely ate vegetables except for white potatoes. He made me eat Flintstones every day. That was probably my sole source of micronutrients.

When I was about 15 years old I started to care a lot about my image and appearance. My mother bought me a bench press and I started to lift very often.  I was very ignorant about vegetables, but I had always heard spinach and green beans were really good for you. I thought if I ate these foods a lot I would get really lean and muscular, feel more comfortable in my own skin, and be smarter. I started to buy unflavored cans of spinach and green beans. It never crossed my mind that they could possibly taste good in a some kind of recipe or that I could buy them raw or fresh. I first started with the green beans and it was fairly easy for me to tough through them. I would just eat them warm. Sometimes I would gag and it was unpleasant, but I rose to the challenge pretty easily. Then one day I raised the stakes and bought a can of spinach. I was terrified to even look at it. This very green and exotically healthy plant was absolutely disgusting. But if I managed to eat it, I figured I would start becoming superior to my peers.

On my first attempt I utterly failed and threw away the can. It was intolerably disgusting and I gagged.  I eventually got the hang of it (although I gagged a lot) and would consume about a can every day and even got to the point where I mildly liked it. I then moved on to broccoli and mixed veggies, and discovered I could steam vegetables in the microwavable pouches. A salad, soup, or recipe still never crossed my mind.

Over the next three years or so I realized that my food was very bland and eating was becoming an unpleasant chore. Thankfully, a miracle happened when I went on a trip to the beach with my girlfriend. I turned on the TV and saw a doctor talking on PBS about poor American eating decisions, fad diets, and how you're supposed to get your fat from nuts, seeds, and avocadoes. I can still vividly remember how much my mind was locked onto the screen. I loved and appreciated every word of it and Dr. Fuhrman became an instant hero.  I knew the difference between when public figures were being insincere and when they were truly trying to educate people for the better. It was easy for me to realize how Dr. Fuhrman was not cutting any corners or dumbing anything down; there were no gimmicks or fads involved. Dr. Fuhrman was telling people a hard truth, but he did so in a compassionate way and offered many solutions for going forward. I had never before bought anything on a TV infomercial, but I immediately bought his 3 Steps To Incredible Health program.

After I watched the amazing presentation, it finally occurred to me that I could make my food taste good. Also, the bland food I had been eating was not diversified enough because I never ate things like lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mustard greens, etc. After I got the program I immediately started to read the main book and bought the tools I needed like the Vitamix. It took me a couple of months to attempt making any of his recipes. But I finally started making a few, and, at first, was a little disappointed, but optimistic anyway. I messed up the measurements a few times, and another time I put too much dressing on a salad, which I now know can totally ruin a salad regardless of the kind of dressing you use. But I was persistent and now I can say that I absolutely love his recipes and crave them all the time. My favorite is the cheesy kale and anticancer soups and the cashew Caesar dressing.

I feel better now that my diet is diversified and is healthier. Now I can convince people to eat a healthier diet by letting them try my recipes and setting a good example. Dr. Fuhrman has made me a very passionate advocate and I stress to a lot of my friends, family, and coworkers the dangers of the SAD diet and how awesome tasting the micro-nutrient diet is. I love people’s reaction to me when explaining the benefits of phytochemicals, the drawbacks of vitamins, and how fat is supposed to come from nuts, seeds, and avocadoes. Even if they do not fully embrace the program, and it's just not the right time and place for me to wholly convince them, it seems to leave them with a new perspective on food. And, more and more often, I see my coworkers tell me how good my food looks compared to their more standard food.

Dr. Fuhrman, thank you for being so compassionate to your patients, listeners, and viewers. I want you, myself, and everyone else on the program to help as many people as we can understand the pleasantries of healthy eating. Your wisdom, intelligence, and compassion have changed many lives. Thank you and congratulations on everything you have achieved. The best is yet to come and you are a giant whose shoulders many will stand.

Results may vary.