It’s been nearly 3 years since I first heard Howard Dean say, “You have the Power” and my life was changed. At first it was just politics. After a 15 year break from politics and hope, I threw myself into the Dean campaign. I was thrilled to find a candidate who so clearly spoke his mind. And he said so many things that I agreed with! Well, I can’t tell you how happy I was to work for him.
Howard Dean’s campaign for president is over. But what he said was true, “You have the Power”. And that power has been exercised in many different ways by former Dean volunteers. For me, Dean’s voice saying, “You have the Power” echoed through my brain last summer as I was considering how to get control of my health.
But, how to use it?
Last summer I was obese, diabetic and had constant digestive problems. In spite of knowing that I “have the Power”, I felt helpless and out of control. My future felt limited. And I was all too aware that if I didn’t get the diabetes under control, my future was actually very limited. This was the bleakest time of my life.
I’d been through so many diets. I’d succeeded with Weight Watchers, I’d watched my blood sugars, I’ve lost hundreds of pounds — all for what? If you saw me in the grocery store you’d have thought I was just any old fat lady.
It isn’t a matter of self-control, I quit smoking in a day without ever looking back. I knew that if a person could quit eating, I could do that without trouble. But, you can’t do that. We have to learn to eat, with control. How does a person with eating issues learn to do that?
And then it came to me — a genius idea. It is so simple, it can’t fail:
. Just Today. And I’ll try it for a year.
Well, I’ve been doing this for half a year — and it’s changed my life. I’ve lost weight at a constant rate. My blood sugars are at a normal, healthy level. My digestive problems are improving every week. I’ve talked about it with friends, and family and at the BoomanTribune. And it’s become clear from my conversations that there is a real need for a national conversation about food & eating and associated health issues — much like Howard Dean’s “Great American Conversation” of 2003.
So, I’ve started Eat 4 Today, a place for those conversations. If issues of health haunt your life, if you are struggling to take control of your future, visit Eat 4 Today.
It’s been open a week and the response has been tremendous. We’ve published stories from 5 authors and had hundreds of comments. It’s a lively place filled with smart, supportive people. Eat 4 Today is not for everyone, but if you’re interested, I invite you to come and visit.
I believe that a healthy population is a powerful population. As long as we are weakened by our ill-health we cannot effectively fight Bush and his cohorts. “You have the Power”, come to Eat 4 Today and exercise it.
[Cross-posted to the Daily Kos]
It’s a real trifecta for you.
Here’s the only thing I disagree with:
Eat 4 Today is not for everyone
because there is something there for everyone.
Maybe I should clarify the statement to say, “not for you if you have no health concerns or interests”
Well, but you guys let me work on breaking my addiction to that computer game. I dunno, you may not want a bunch of stuff like that, that isn’t related to food, but it is related to your ideas, and to mental health. Or, and here’s a thought, maybe you could have a Just4Today thread that’s for non-food, non-exercise related disciplines.
It’s like you’ve said about my Steps book, Kb–it’s applicable across the board. So are these ideas of yours, and this site of yours, though you won’t want it taken over by non-foodies.
I don’t want to make too much of that remark. I just wanted a disclaimer for any of the dKos crowd who might want to jump on me for talking about something they don’t care about.
And to discourage trolls from going there.
You don’t want to make too much of that remark? Snort! Never fear, you won’t have to. Andi and I will jump on it and grab it and run it into the ground for you.
We might have to consider the possibility that we are the trolls.
Snort redux.
Well, that would be dead people, right?
Seriously though, as kansas points out, there’s a lot to be gained from the site even if people don’t think they have a direct interest. And some people who don’t have a direct interest might learn things that help someone else.
(smile)
I agree. It’s simple-everyone has to eat therefore this site has ideas for everyone..even if they may not put the ideas or recipes into action right away they may percolate in the brain and in the end get you to do something about your diet, health, exercize-whatever it is that you most want to accomplish.
{{chocolate ink}} — Your kind words made me tear up (or maybe it’s the Johnny Cash song – I walk the line – playing in the background)
I know that what’s happening at Eat 4 Today feels right. The right articles, the right comments from the right people.
And I really believe it will make a difference to the world.
It’s made a difference for me…not that I’ve committed to anything but as I said things being written there are percolating in my brain(maybe that’s the problem with my brain-to much percolating)and I am hoping to work on better eating habits. That is the hardest thing to do…just getting fucking started.
Although I have made an attempt the last 2 days and had oatmeal for lunch(and I hate oatmeal).
And I certainly didn’t mean to make you tear up however if tearing up burns a few calories than that’s ok.
Tears, calories. There are some very funny people on this site.
Well, I had just come in from an exhausting 2.5 mile dog-walk & we had Johnny Cash going — I’m sure it was that as much as what you said!
I love the idea that what you read has been percolating. It has with me too (I just replied to something Ductape said this morning — I thought about his comment during my walk).
Ah yes, there’s the thing with Mr. Fatwa-he makes us think whether we want to or not.
but when katiebird says “Your health is your power,” she is telling a very universal truth.
It is your power to be a good ancestor, husband, friend, your power to do well in your chosen field – and to choose one!
It is your power to learn, to teach, to grow better roses, make better hot chocolate, to find your inner peace, whatever your passion, whatever you love about life, your health is your power to enjoy those things.
This does not mean that you must have perfect health to accomplish any of this, some of us will never have perfect health – diabetes is a good example. But just as there are things one can do to work toward controlling diabetes, there are things that everyone can do to improve the health they have, and thus increase their power!
katiebird and Andi of the Forest have both worked very hard to create a place where people can learn, share, and support each other in this quest, and they even patiently help old people who are so not a nerd when they can’t get their posts to do right.
{{{Ductape!}}}
If so, I have squeaked! 🙂
I had just finished writing to you at E4T — and everytime I see you, I want to give you a hug!
And consider yourself reciprocally hugged!
I’ve had so many windows open it took me a while to track this down. I typed out a comment to you, but never pressed “post”. Instead, I went on to some other screen (checking email). I had 4 tabs open, so I hit the back button on each of them until I found the window with the partially completed comment to you (http://www.eat4today.com/?p=43).
I finished it & hit post.
That would be the weirdest thing I’ve done all day. Except I had to do the same thing with a reply to chocolate ink a couple of hours ago. I’m so frazzled, I don’t remember to post my comments. That’s gotta change.
I have a nephew with Muscular Dystrophy, and from his diagnosis at age 6 until the present (age 17) I have watched it steal first his legs, then his torso, then his arms and head, and now finally his hands and fingers. His heartbeat is now irregular and he has difficulty breathing.
Of course there is nothing he or his parents could have done to prevent this disease. But every time I see him sitting there in his wheelchair watching other people move about, swim, play basketball, drive a car, dance, take a sip of water, or shoo a fly away from their face, I think of how tragic it is that those of us who are lucky enough to have our health waste it by whining, or being sedentary, or filling our bodies with junk food, or smoking, or drinking to excess.
If we can change even one of our bad behaviors we should do it in honor of people like Brady.
It makes me think we should have a page where we can post to whom we are dedicating our health-quest. Like the badges you where when you do the MS walk.
To new articles, Just 4 Today & Eat 4 Today, the Commitment are at Eat 4 Today for discussion.
“To” should be “Two”