My dad sent me this email on his thoughts about 'feeling better' and what that truly means to him and older Herbies:
"Just wanted to relate some of my opinions on feeling better on a plantbased diet. I know many of your fans comments and or testimonials state the same thing about feeling better. But what does that mean particularly for someone of my 67 years?
What it doesn't mean is that you get rid of your aches and pains, they still remain, muscular, arthritic or whatever, comes and stays with old age.On my recent trip to PA, I found myself having to explain "feeling better" to a lot of people and I believe only a few understood after I tried to explain it.
They could see how much better I looked, with almost 20lb. weight
loss, and you could show them the real improved medical #'s but it was
difficult to explain to someone "feeling better" unless you've been
there.
In my short 7 months of being plant-based here is what that
means to me:
--have more pep and energy
--feel less sluggish
--feel less tired
--have less instances of wanting or needing a nap
--less procrastination--you take care of most things now
--feel better about yourself
--walking or minor exercise isn't a chore anymore
--just feel good in general
While in Pa. someone said to me (when countering our plant-based diet) that when your time is up, it's up.
My response to that was:
You are 100% correct, but what about the quality of life between now and then. I may die next year, or whatever, but having felt the best I have in many many years has afforded me a great "quality of life.:
I'd be curious what some of your other "senior" fans opinions are
about "feeling better"
Love Dad"
This is how I responded to the email (specifically the quote about your time being 'up'):
This kind of thinking suggests you are a helpless victim with no control over your life. While you surely cannot control everything (i.e. drunk driver hitting and killing you) you have control over your health, which is what kills most people. With every bite you vote. You vote for health or sickness.
When you had your heart attack, Mom said to me "here we are exercising, trying to eat better and your father still has a heart attack. it's like why bother?" She felt like a helpless victim, with no control over her destiny or yours.
That's when I told her, it was because you'd started to eat better, and exercise, that it was a mild heart attack, not a massive fatal one, and that you have the power -- the exceptional blessed opportunity to rewrite your history.
and You did.
