had no future, and was overweight. Within months he had lost 55 pounds and he felt energized. In the past he had tried to pass the General Education Development test (GED) 3 times and failed. While he was on the program he took the GED again, and this time he passed. He was so proud. Thomas said of the program:
“My life was a mess, now it’s a message. I have been tested, now I have a testimony. I was a victim, now I’m victorious. I went through trials, now I am triumphant!”
The good news is that you can be triumphant too. You can also help your patients become a warrior by following the 4 simple steps laid out by the Daniel Plan.
The First Step – Educate Patients on an Emotional Level
Take the time to educate your patients on the dangers of unhealthy food. Too often healthcare providers forget that our patients do not have our knowledge. You need to take the time to teach them. When I took the time to teach the group at the drug treatment program they became advocates for their own health. I showed them what junk food does, and that it is actually more addictive than cocaine and morphine. They were shocked, but it did make sense to them.
One of the women on the program, Tammy, was addicted to doughnuts. She told me that she just could not imagine her life without eating doughnuts every morning. She was also diabetic and her blood sugar was never under 160, even with medication. We all know what high blood sugar does to your body, but it has no meaning for the majority of patients. You have to reach into their limbic or emotional brain and make them never forget it.
So, in the next class I taught them about diabetes and about my experience with my grandmother. I told them that I still remember being little and giving my grandmother her shots, and worrying that if I gave her the wrong dose I could make her really sick and possibly even kill her. I told them that my grandmother suffered from neuropathy and that she would have needed to have her toes amputated if she had not died of heart disease first. I told them about how she went blind and had to be helped when bathing and using a commode – which was devastating for a modest woman. I told them about the new research that is referring to Alzheimer’s disease as type 3 diabetes.3 I told them that obesity doubles the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease and that new research has shown that type 2 diabetes is a risk factor for Alzheimer’s. I told them how the sugar and trans fats present in foods such as doughnuts not only leads to type 2 diabetes, but also significantly increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. I told them that people with type 2 diabetes are 2 to 4-times more likely to die from heart disease, just like my grandmother did. I also told them about how cancer feeds on sugar, and about research showing that people with type 2 diabetes are not only at higher risk for developing breast and colon cancer, but they are also more likely to die from it. I finished off my talk by telling them how sugar causes rapid aging, damage to vital organs, and even causes more wrinkles. While I was telling them all this I was showing them some rather graphic slides (some of which can be seen in Figure 2). Yes, some of the slides are shocking for patients to see, but my intention was to hit them at an emotional level, so that I would make them sit up and realize how eating the wrong foods can destroy their health.
Figure 2. Graphic images can have a significant impact on patients.
Fortunately, my slideshow worked. Tammy came to me 2-weeks later and told me that she had been unable to eat a doughnut for the whole 2-weeks. In fact, she said that she could not look at food in the same way. After understanding the impact it had on her body she changed her diet, and her blood sugar dropped from 160 to under 90. She was so astonished that she tested it several times. She simply could not believe that making small changes to her diet could have such a rapid and dramatic effect on her blood sugar.
Images such as those in Figure 2 tend to have little impact on medical professionals, simply because we are used to seeing similar images on a daily basis. However, they can have a life-changing impact upon your patients.
The Second Step – Create Simple Food Guidelines
Patients will respond better to simple guidelines. The guidelines in the Daniel Plan are:
•Eat high-quality calories – it is not as simple as calories in versus calories out. Swap junk food for a huge plate of salad and a bowl of homemade soup. You will get to eat a lot more and your body will receive significantly more nutrients;
•Don’t drink calories – drink ½ your body weight of water in ounces;
•Have clean protein with every meal – we suggest small doses throughout the day. Research suggests that balancing protein intake may be a better way of extending lifespan than radical calorie restriction4;
•Eat healthy fats – fat is not the enemy, but fried fats, trans fats and fats from industrial-raised animals should be avoided. Roberts found that people who ate a (healthy) fat-based diet have a 42% lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, whereas people who ate a carbohydrate-based diet are 4-times more likely to develop the disease5;
•Focus on smart carbohydrates that are low-glycemic and high-fiber – lots of vegetables and some fruits, especially berries;
•Eat from the rainbow – eat fruits and vegetables of as many colors as possible;
Add herbs and spices to your food – many herbs and spices are so powerful they should be kept in the medicine cabinet instead of the kitchen cabinet:
•Garlic and oregano increase blood flow to the brain;
•Saffron is a natural antidepressant;
•Curcumin (from curry) decreases beta amyloid plaques – especially when combined with vitamin D;
•Rosemary, thyme, and sage enhance memory;
•Cinnamon boosts attention, balances blood sugar, and is supposedly an aphrodisiac for men;
•Stop eating potentially toxic foods – eliminate sugar, processed foods, gluten, most grains, dairy, soy, and corn from the diet.
The Third Step – Know Your Motivation
You need to ask your patient why they want to be well. Remember, you have get into their limbic brains to get cooperation, so ask them why they want to be well to make sure that they understand the consequences of not investing in their health.
Figure 3 shows a patient called Doreen who got clear on her motivation. She lost 100 pounds and started competing in bodybuilding competitions at 57-years-old. She was an 8th degree black belt and a karate champion, but she was also secretly bulimic and very depressed for over 20-years. One day she attended the funeral of a 22-year-old girl who was the daughter of her best friend. She said she had never seen pain and grief like that mother was going through, and that it put her life into perspective. She went home, she got on her knees and thanked God for every problem she has ever had, got off her rear, went to the gym, and then ate a salad. Her motivation is to be an example of health and empowerment for female athletes.
Figure 3. Doreen before (left) and after (right) following the Daniel Plan.
Figure 4 shows my mother. She got clear on her motivation after watching my grandmother deteriorate with diabetes and after taking care of other people for so many years.
