A Second Heart Attack & Becoming A Nutritarian: The Irritation of Truth

I wasn't worried during my second heart attack. I missed experiencing the first one, having gone immediately unconscious (and scaring my wonderful wife to pieces).

Honestly, I knew I'd survived worse things. I was glad to be in a learning experience, and pretty confident we'd figure something out.

But I was more than glad, I was thrilled when I read Eat To Live, and when I became a nutritarian myself.

Yes, I have to admit, I'm a nutritarian. I didn't think I'd like that title, and it's not the most important thing in the world to me.

Honestly, my family comes first. But the pursuit of truth and goodness in my life is most important only after that. Being a nutritarian furthers both goals, in fact keeps me alive.

The title of this blog, The End Of Disease, probably sounds overly optimistic. Even crazy.

It refers to my most positive hopes and dreams., for myself, my family and the world, based on what I've learned is possible. The truth, as a TV show used to say, is out there.

But thousand lies compete for everyone's attention. And we live in a world where lies are common and popular. But where lies have speed, truth has endurance.

Truth is an irritation because it calls on us to change. And most of us don't change until it's abundantly clear we have to. So I am also hugely grateful to:

• The ER docs who insisted I go for surgery against my will, which I thought was thoughtless and unnecessary but turned out to be just ineffective,
  
• My wife who was persuaded by them, and who threatened me with arrest if I tried to drive myself anywhere, and
  
• The team of doctors at the University of Utah medical center who tried and failed to surgically treat my heart disease, and then made it clear if I was going to get better, I'd have to find my own answers from that point.
  

Now I know the value of what they were trying to do, but at the time I was really, really irritated. I thought "with friends like these who needs enemies?" (But I needed 'em regardless, and I could tell they cared, though at the time I was an ornery patient).

I'm also grateful for my friend Chris Daines. The origins of this blog, and my introduction to nutritarian eating, come from walking with him as he cared enough after my heart attack to get me into the daily walking habit.

On those walks we resolved the problems of the world, for a half hour every morning. He recommended and loaned me the book Eat To Live, and we agreed that if it was true it was precious, and worth living. It was also obvious that if it worked, it needed to spread.

And so we talked about creating a blog about nutritarian eating, where I'd recount my experience of being a nutritarian so a few others could benefit.

If Dr. Fuhrman's claims are true, those that would benefit include everybody we know. Every single man, woman, child of every shape, age and size. And I think Dr. Furhman thinks so, as expressed by the title of his book that's been out a couple of years now, Super Immunity.

Bold stuff for such an awkward word as nutritarian! The first time I read it I was offended. What is this? I thought when I first came across the word.

Who is making this word up? Who needs it! Certainly not me. I’d never describe myself that way. I’m already labeled by too many awkward things already. I’m so much more than any of these.

Harrumph.

Then I read the book Eat to Live. I was blown away. And overcome with joy.

It gave me hope.

Nutritarian describes a plan of eating that makes sense. It combines best nutritional truths I knew about somewhat, but amplified my understanding ten times. It has the power to promote health, vitality, long life.

It's an essential ingredient that can cure the disabling and killing diseases around me, including those affecting so many people I know and love – and miss because they’re no longer around.

It has the power to cure me.

And when I saw it, what I consider the heart of the book, I was ecstatic. Finally I understood what to do. I understood how to do it. Everything I had done, read, studied and hoped for physical health-wise was embodied in a couple of pages of text. A list rating foods. A principle of truth. It is, it seems to me, a form of Truth.

Many of my friends and relatives think this already. Yes, I am nuts. I’m nutty about truth, head over heels excited about it. Especially great, healing truth.

There’s plenty of if out there. It’s not popular. But it’s powerful, it’s effective, it works every time, and it heals everyone and everything it touches, the sooner the more powerfully.

The title of this blog, The End Of Disease, is what I believe is possible because I'm a nutritarian. It's what I believe is true. What being a nutritarian means is not final for me, it's underdevelopment, in my life and even by its author, Dr. Fuhrman.

But it's far enough along to have proved itself in my eyes, and in my life.

If you think I'm nuts to be such a big fan, I have to admit, "Yes, I'm nutty about the truth."

So if you pronounce it "nut"-ritarian, then thanks.