Thanksgiving is not far away. We’ve come a long way from the famed feast of 1621 in Plymouth, Massachusetts when the Pilgrims gathered to celebrate their good harvest. Today, we’re faced by an endless bounty of available food, something that should prompt thanks, if so much of it didn’t also threaten health. The approach of the holidays and the New Year is a good time to think about what we really want from food – good health for ourselves and our families – and the best way to get there. “The Brain Warrior’s Way” can turn you into a warrior for your health.
Let me explain.
I’m a black belt in Tae Kwon Do and a brown belt in Kenpo karate. In martial arts, we talk a lot about warriors. Warriors are strong and powerful. They see success as the only possible option—the word failure isn’t in their vocabulary. They never think of themselves as victims, no matter what life throws at them. However, it doesn’t mean that they don’t have challenges or that they don’t fall. Wearing a black belt means that you never give up. To get a black belt you can’t cave in to doubts and fears, and when you fall, you get up and figure out how do it better next time. You persevere! Warriors fight to protect themselves and use every possible tactic to defeat their enemies. They are unstoppable and relentless.
This is a war for your health, and we need warriors! No one will fight for it more than you. The food industry doesn’t have your best interest in mind. Only you can make the decision. There will always be a holiday, a celebration or some other excuse to hurt yourself. When will make the decision to make a change?
I learned that the hard way.
In my early twenties was diagnosed with thyroid cancer that had metastasized into my lymph nodes. For the next 11 years, while my friends were falling in and out of love and studying for exams and starting careers, I endured surgeries and radiation therapy. I became so angry, so sorry for myself. I sunk into a deep depression. I felt attacked. But the attackers were inside my own body.
Somehow, I summoned every ounce of power in my being and, with God’s help, transformed my anger and fear into a positive energy that fueled a phoenix-like rise from the ashes of poor health. Yes, my inner warrior disappeared for a while, knocked to the mat by cancer. But it was not conquered. It fought and gained strength. Its spirit filled me, and once again, I became a warrior, stronger than ever before.
A Warrior for Your Health
That is what I want for you. You may feel frustrated or defeated. Your body may seem like your own worst enemy. Your job is to channel that inner warrior call for your health. I see people transformed every day. I watch with overwhelming pride as the people I work with beat diabetes, overcome obesity, ward off disease. . . These are people, just like you and me, who never believed they could be so healthy. I’ve watched these everyday heroes rise through the ranks and earn their “black belts” in health!
Health warriors make big, dramatic changes to their diets and their lives, but they do it one day at a time. They walk away from sedentary ways and approach exercise with a fighting spirit. They figure out what must be done, and they do it. They commit 100 percent to the tenets of good health—the very core of The Brain Warrior’s Way—and they transform themselves in ways that they never dreamed possible.
I challenge you to join the journey to optimal health. Make the commitment. Educate yourself about the power of food. Transform yourself into the healthiest, best you possible. Become a warrior for your health! I will be with you every step of the way, explaining what you need to do, showing you exactly how to do it, and helping you understand why it’s necessary. I’ll be enthusiastically by your side giving you encouragement, advice, and tips. Throughout my books, you’ll find inspiration that will give you strategies to help you change old habits and stay committed. I’ve created a long list of tried-and-true techniques that will allow you to lean on skill rather than will when temptation strikes.
You have to want it. You have to know your motivation. And you need the formula. Once you start, you’ll soon see results; and once you see those positive changes your enthusiasm will add exponential power to your progress, like a snowball growing larger as it rolls down a hill. Before you know it, you’ll begin to feel happier, healthier, and more energetic. That’s the Brain Warrior’s Way.
