A Doctor’S Prescription for Longevity and Survival: The Perfect Diet + Environmental Hazards & Toxins to Avoid

By Vincent N. Cefalu Sr. M.D.

This book offers advice to people who would like to hopefully increase
their longevity and have as much enjoyment and fulfi llment out of life
as possible. I present an honest and commonsense approach on how to
remain as healthy as theoretically possible while keeping some credibility
and satisfaction in life. I provide many recommendations that deal with
real-life situations instead of fantasies and present conclusions based
on my having personally performed over 1,500 autopsies and my own
deleterious consequences of having developed atherosclerotic disease from
being over four hundred pounds for over thirty years. In this book, I detail
a very strict diet plan, the perfect diet, which I created, that resulted in my
losing 272 pounds over a ten-month period, and whereby my continued
adherence has allowed me to be able to maintain this weight. However,
I relate the many problems that I developed in following such a rigorous
diet program and offer prophylactic advice to people electing to lose
weight extremely fast so that they wont encounter the same problems. I
also provide some very inexpensive and easy-to-prepare low-calorie recipes
that I concocted which are good appetizers and fi ller-uppers.
In my usual witty, satiric manner, I discuss many dangerous drugs that
should be avoided and mention several foods that should be eliminated
from a persons diet, along with furnishing some of my own little
homemade poems along the way. Through my experiences as having
served as coroner, I disclose many hazards that exist in our environment,
mention some simple things that people tend to forget that, too often,
result in fatalities, and present my views of many of the over-the-counter
products. By making overweight and diabetic individuals aware of certain
physiological processes that are continuously occurring in our bodies,
hopefully they would be in a better position to understand and interpret
my suggestions. In brief, I have something to offer all my readers from the
most radicalmy diet planto the most realistic and conservative. In a
nutshell, I lived through what I now advocate against, since I discovered
too late what obesity could do to the human body.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Mar 28, 2015
• ISBN: 9781503556430

Vincent N. Cefalu Sr. M.D.

Vincent N. Cefalu Sr., MD, graduated from Amite High School in 1966. He subsequently received a bachelor of science degree in zoology from Southeastern Louisiana College and a medical degree from Louisiana State University in New Orleans, accomplishing the latter in just three short years. He completed a one-year “rotating 0” internship at Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge and then moonlighted for many years in emergency rooms all over the state of Louisiana. He eventually held many professional jobs, practiced family medicine for thirty years, and held the position of coroner for fourteen years at a midsized Louisiana parish.

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Copyright © 2015 by Vincent N. Cefalu, Sr., M.D.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015904587

ISBN:      Hardcover            978-1-5035-5641-6

                Softcover             978-1-5035-5642-3

                eBook                   978-1-5035-5643-0

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Rev. date: 03/26/2015

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CONTENTS

Disclaimer

Dedication

My Medical Background

Understanding Bipolar Illness

Introduction

Heredity Does Count

Preface

Some Beginning Commonsense Poems

Key To Longevity

My Diet Program

Last Thought On Healthy Eating

Continuance

Combination Of Obesity And Stress Is A Catastrophe

The All-Important Obesity-Diabetes Relationship

Continuing Advice

Commonsense Poems On Emotional And Physical Health

Conclusion

Closing Statements

Something To Think About

Change Now Before It’s Too Late

Never Impossible To Reduce

Our Cesspool

Final Thoughts

Life: My Analogy To Building Blocks

Some Commonsense Poems Of Mine

Departing Real-Life Poems

I lived what I now advocate against, since I found out the hard way what obesity could do to the human body.

I discuss the physiological processes that are constantly occurring in our bodies, along with providing true facts about diabetes and consequences of being overweight.

I disclose a host of environmental hazards and toxins, along with mentioning simple things that people tend to forget that, too often, result in accidents, sometimes fatalities.

DISCLAIMER

ALTHOUGH MUCH OF the information in this book was taken from my coroner records and patient files, many of my opinions are based on my personal recollections and true-life experiences. Some of my recommendations and statements are highly argumentative but legitimately derived from my past work at a public health clinic, a local mental health clinic, a substance abuse clinic, and several hospitals. If any of my opinions appear to conflict with your personal physician’s advice, I would adamantly defer to his or her viewpoint. I always encourage individuals to strictly follow the guidelines established by their private physicians.

A Journal on Healthy Eating and Self-Preservation

DEDICATION

THIS BOOK IS dedicated to my six grown children—Vincent Jr., Nathan, Lauraleigh, Nicole Ann, Peyton, and Zachary—and my loving wife, Patricia, who stood firmly by my side throughout my entire practice and during my many trying times. It was they who made my life pleasant and filled with an eternity of memories. I have always possessed and still have a vast amount of love and affection for them. I sincerely regret depriving them of many activities and enjoyment by my always-working attitude, demanding schedule, and lack of vacations and other lax time.

MY MEDICAL BACKGROUND

I GRADUATED FROM Amite High School in 1966, received a bachelor of science degree in zoology from Southeastern Louisiana College in Hammond, Louisiana, and then received my MD degree in three short years from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. I subsequently completed a one-year rotating O internship at Earl K. Long Memorial Hospital in Baton Rouge, where I moonlighted very frequently in the extremely busy emergency room there and then worked for many years in emergency rooms all over the state of Louisiana as a contract physician on weekends. Of course, during my education at LSU Medical School, I was fortunate in being able to receive my training at the busiest and largest public health hospital in the state—Big Charity. Between these two state-owned facilities, I received an unbelievable experience and acquired a tremendous amount of education and training. In January of 1974, I entered private practice as a solo physician in Amite, Louisiana, but my stay there only lasted one year. I chose to relocate to Hammond, fifteen miles away, due to a multitude of factors, including general dissatisfaction and extensive overworking. While in Amite, I worked almost every weekend at the Hood Memorial Hospital emergency room, along with providing prenatal care to several dozen pregnant ladies. In fact, I delivered my first private practice baby at this hospital and then subsequently delivered twelve more healthy newborns in their newly opened maternity unit.

When I first entered private practice, I provided medical care to ten to fifteen nursing home patients, but upon being appointed coroner later on, I decided to terminate this service due to my demanding schedule. I always had a somewhat busy hospital practice, as I generally kept between eight to ten inpatients. Over the years, for varying periods, I served on the staff of Hood Memorial Hospital in Amite, Seventh Ward General Hospital in Hammond (later becoming North Oaks Medical Center), and St. Helena Hospital in Greensburg, Louisiana, a small rural hospital located sixteen to seventeen miles northwest of Amite. My practice consisted of seeing patients of all ages and encompassed pediatrics, whereby I would perform well-baby checkups and provide routine immunizations and geriatrics. I even practiced obstetrics for a three-to four-year period during my thirty years of medicine, as I delivered well over 350 babies at our local hospital in Hammond. I was extremely fortunate in having a knack for being able to keep an abundance of patients, which I attributed to my great personality, ability to relate well to other people, and overt passion and understanding toward less-fortunate individuals.

After my move to Hammond, I contracted with several state agencies—the local mental health clinic, substance abuse clinic, and public health clinic—working in both the family planning and STD sections. My two jobs at the public health clinic arose from an unexpected resignation of the doctor and the inability of the state to find someone willing to immediately step in. I was asked to join the staff of the mental health clinic because of my past experience of having worked with several psychiatrists in our area through my deputy coroner and coroner positions. My work at this psychiatric center included performing physical examinations on substance-dependent individuals, counseling, and other services to mental patients, such as providing instructions regarding medication adjustments and dosages. I was also contracted with the child protection agency in both our parish and our neighboring parish, Livingston, where my duties included performing physical examinations on potentially battered or neglected children and providing professional consultation, particularly at their informal monthly meetings. I continued my association with these state agencies for a very long time until my forced retirement due to an acute cerebrovascular accident (stroke) that resulted in a significant memory loss.

Fourteen years during my family practice was spent serving as coroner of our midsized rural parish of Tanigipahoa, which was located midway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. I probably enjoyed this position more than anything else since along with it came enormous prestige. At that time, the coroner’s office only consisted of one person, that being the coroner himself, unless he was fortunate enough to have other physicians interested in assisting, for which I never was. Briefly, there are several important functions of the coroner’s office. The first one, and most important, involves his responsibility in handling deaths due to anything other than natural causes, including suicides, homicides, all types of accidents, deaths from infectious processes, deaths resulting from drug abuse or toxins, stillborns, abortions, and premature infant deaths. Because our parish at that time didn’t have any type of official coroner’s office or morgue, the over 1,500 autopsies that I personally performed took place at funeral homes since the funeral directors graciously donated their establishments.

The second function pertains to the coroner’s participation in dealing with mental patients and substance abuse individuals as he can order an immediate or emergency evaluation of any individual suspected of having an emotional, psychiatric, or drug problem. After the individual is taken into custody by the police department, the coroner has the option of either evaluating the person himself or referring him or her to another facility where there would be a social worker, psychologist, or psychiatrist. I chose to evaluate most of these individuals myself since I felt that I would have firsthand knowledge and thus be in a better position to determine whatever future steps, if any, needed to be taken. Again, because of not having a regular coroner’s office, my office was utilized for this purpose.

There is another function that a coroner in a larger parish is sometimes allocated, which involves his serving as jail physician, as this obviously pertains to his providing medical treatment to the inmates. Although our parish never did empower this position to the coroner, I was asked by both the sheriff and Hammond police chief to provide medical services to the inmates in their jails, which I readily accepted for many years. As you can imagine, my practice became extremely demanding with the addition of these extra obligations. I worked out a schedule whereby I would routinely visit the city jail at around 6:00 p. m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday after seeing all my private patients and arrive at the parish jail in Amite at 4:30 a. m. on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, hopefully finishing in time to be back at my office for 8:00 a. m. I would also be on call for any jail emergencies, along with always having to be available for my other coroner responsibilities, my two public health clinic jobs, my mental health clinic position, and my two contracts with the child protection agency. And on top of this, I managed to have a very busy medical practice, consisting of both appointment and walk-in patients, along with constantly being on call at the hospital for any emergencies involving my patients.

UNDERSTANDING BIPOLAR ILLNESS

My Double-Edged Sword

IN ORDER FOR my readers to be able to fully understand my writing techniques and demeanor, including how I formed my avid opinions, I feel compelled to explain my inherent diagnosis of bipolar disorder and relate as to how it affected my life both advantageously and detrimentally. I was not considered a gifted child or possess any above average mental capability, so I had to depend on some other means to be able to obtain my goal in life, which had always been to become a medical doctor. On the positive standpoint, my bipolar disease undoubtedly assisted me throughout my educational path since my ability to overachieve and outperform was obviously a result of this syndrome. It is a known fact that bipolar individuals tend to have a higher IQ and possess a canting ability to succeed in any endeavor that he or she pursues. In reality, a person afflicted with this syndrome definitely possesses the all-important attribute of motivation, so the person must use it to his or her advantage. In my situation, without my innate desire to study more intensely, obviously resulting from this affliction, I never would have been able to complete my education successfully. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that my ability to concentrate and focus on something for long periods of time was derived from this disorder. On the other hand, I strongly feel that by detailing some of the untoward consequences that I incurred from its presence, this would hopefully place the reader in a better position to envision as to how it seriously impacted my life and molded my opinions on obesity and other hazards. Under normal circumstances, any physician could easily encounter a personal or social problem in such a high-profile profession that carries a demanding schedule, and certainly, I was no exception. To start with, doctors are faced with difficult challenges in treating their patients as they are constantly placed in a position of having to make difficult decisions at crucial times. Secondly, they are subjected to social issues, including family problems, due to their busy schedules and thus lack of quality time with the spouse and children. Then, the physician always has easy accessibility to narcotics and sedatives, creating a tempting environment, especially during the many times that he or she feels stressed out or emotionally drained. My overworking attitude and obsessive compulsiveness gradually crescendoed into a medical disaster in the early 1970s after just several years of practicing medicine. In 1974, I started self-administering both oral and injectable Demerol, a schedule II narcotic, and Stadol, a schedule III controlled substance; and this addiction would totally engulf me in a six-month downhill escapade. At that time, it was obvious that the many years of my manifesting symptoms compatible with bipolar disease—hyperactivity, depression, inferiority, and despair—attributed to my eventually being diagnosed with this disorder, which culminated in a total collapse or so-called crash—this drug abuse nightmare. However, due to my ready acceptance of having this disease and willingness to face reality, along with my strong willpower to continue, I soon returned to my practice. Truthfully, it was only through my wife’s extreme understanding and patience that I managed to get through this ordeal. Any person diagnosed with bipolar disorder who, unfortunately, experiences some type of severe emotional downfall must develop the drive to continue to succeed, along with having someone in the family who could be depended on and who is willing to bend over backward and offer mental support, including participating in counseling sessions. In my case, my wife graciously and relentlessly served as my eternal source of strength and nurtured me throughout this period of strife; and for that, I will be forever grateful.

My price tag for having bipolar illness and suffering from its consequences set the stage for a lifetime of misery, for which I will briefly explain. Back then, doctors took a nerve-racking three-day test called the federal licensing examination (FLEX) in order to obtain a license to practice medicine in our state, and it was fairly common not to pass it the first time. I was so excited over my being able to achieve a score of 84, with the lowest acceptable score being a 75, especially in view of my obvious academic deficiency, that I literally burst into one of my professor’s offices at Earl K. Long Hospital, where I was presently serving an internship, to boast. There was absolutely no doubt that my compulsive attitude mainly contributed to this explosive behavior. Anyone affected with bipolar illness would know that some type of positive stimulus, reinforcement, or ammunition is constantly needed to be able to function properly. In other words, there must always be something—some type of driving force—present to keep the person afloat and prevent a low period or depressed state from becoming more pronounced. Whenever feelings of inferiority and depression surface, which would be very common in this syndrome, the person would reach for anything that could possibly help in alleviating some of these feelings. In my case, I was no exception, but little did I know at that time that this same professor who I confronted was a member of the Louisiana state board of medical examiners and would hold a lifetime vendetta against me by subsequently never forgetting this incident and eventually concocting ways to later discipline me. Fairly soon after beginning my private practice, I began to experience some of the consequences of my terrible misfortune of having chosen such a vindictive person. In all honesty, I don’t regret having made him aware of my test results; it was just the manner in which it was done. A much lower-keyed appearance would have been sufficient, but bipolar people, by nature, tend to overdo it. I was later disciplined by the State Board of Medical Examiners in having my medical license suspended for three months, after which I was reinstated and continued to practice medicine. However, this same state agency proceeded to harass me throughout my entire medical practice, resulting in a lifetime of misery. I was petitioned to attend formal hearings on a multitude of occasions, and each time my Earl K. Long nemesis would be the complainant. His complaints revolved around my prescription habits regarding my private patients as I was constantly accused of overprescribing controlled substances, mainly pain medication and anorexics, which is honestly a common problem among physicians. On the other hand, I do admit that my overconcern and enormous compassion for people probably played a significant role in these accusations. I also acknowledge that I probably had a more-than-willing attitude to prescribe something to alleviate my patients’ pain and suffering. But in spite of this, in regard to my three month suspension, most doctors experiencing a one-time episode similar to mine would have been allowed to seek professional treatment without any type of penalty to his or her license, but my adversary at Earl K. Long Hospital made sure that I was punished more harshly. Fortunately, with the exception of this three-month sanction, my very competent legal counsel managed to keep me from sustaining any other serious consequences, but the amount of stress resulting from this over the years was extensive. A very favorable decision was finally handed down from the federal courts, which represented an inclusive judicial ruling against the state medical board. This verdict kept the board from harassing me during the last five years of my practice, but in terms of the emotional impact, it really came too late. Stress, as I will discuss later, can cause an enormous number of problems, of which weight gain can be one of the consequences. There was no doubt in my mind that constantly staying tensed up was a very important factor in the development of my massive obesity, as I kept a horrendous appetite during most of my lifetime. Probably this obesity, along with my hypertensive condition, was responsible for my eventually having a stroke, which I will explain later.

On the other hand, my uncontrollable hyperactivity and constant feelings of depression and despair, apparently related to my bipolar illness, also played a part in my incredible appetite. Basically, I subconsciously used both the external stress factors and my annoying symptoms as excuses to keep overeating. To a bipolar individual, nothing is ever in the middle. When I finally decided to create my diet program, there was no way that moderation would work in my case. In other words, my all-or-nothing attitude typical of this syndrome served as a driving force in the creation of my diet plan, fed my desire to shed pounds, and then further supported my impetus to keep my weight down. I possibly even used my compulsive tendencies to create somewhat of an anorexia since there is no doubt that I have developed a definite fear of my gaining some of the weight back, and my obsession with exercises may be the other part of it. However, as long as a person does not become undernourished or severely underweight as the result of a diet/exercise program, that should be perfectly acceptable in every respect. This concern of overdoing a diet is commonly expressed in bipolar individuals. Again, a person must use whatever he or she can to get the job done and keep things under control, especially considering how important a person’s health is.

Several of my siblings are upset over my deliberate but honest disclosure of my bipolar illness, as complete secrecy always seems to be the only acceptable norm. They basically feel that I’m degrading myself, but I strongly disagree. There is no doubt in my mind that my illness was inherited from my father, since although he had never been diagnosed as such, and considering that he had never sustained any serious consequences during his lifetime, he certainly had the typical symptoms of walking and talking extremely fast. Furthermore, he possessed a terrible temper and was unable to obtain insurance due to his having been involved in a multitude of car accidents, most of them resulting from excessive speeding. Through my association with the local mental health clinic, I concluded that many people were like my dad in probably having the illness but somehow managing to overcome its temptations and untoward consequences. Obviously, there are individuals much stronger than I who possess enough initiative and willpower to overcome its detrimental effects. I also found that bipolar disorder is extremely more prevalent than most people are aware of. And there is certainly no one to blame for an individual inheriting this disorder as I never had any say-so in the matter. Furthermore, there should be no excuses regarding potential consequences or embarrassment or remorse over having it. Considering the vast number of people all over the world affected with this disease, there should never be any shame over seeking professional help or asking other family members to be more tolerant. During my practice, I observed that the overwhelming majority of my patients over the years who were affected with this syndrome appeared to be filled with shame and disgrace over their having it, but I tried to impress upon their being honest and open-minded, instead of remorseful, and accepting their illness, thus making them more amenable to treatment and prognosis much brighter. Unfortunately, once a person is diagnosed with this disease, there is no such thing as total eradication; but the person, as in my case, could not only continue to do incredibly well but, as I previously explained, possibly use it to his or her advantage. A significant percentage of my patients didn’t even require medications on a permanent basis since awareness alone seemed to help significantly.

In my situation, in spite of my family’s medical background—six of my siblings being doctors—they just can’t grasp as to how extremely prevalent bipolar disorder is today or understand exactly what goes on and why. The fact remains that anyone with this illness should be encouraged to be aware of the early warning signs consisting of hyperactivity, depression, and/or flight of ideas, easy excitability, and temper tantrums, and not try to cover up a symptom or deny its presence when it does manifest itself. Their knack for maintaining complete control can result in a lifetime of successes rather than constant failures as there is no doubt that earlier recognition and treatment can be substantially rewarding. Also, my strategy includes getting other people to become aware of this disorder and accept it as a highly treatable condition and not look upon the affected person as being weird or strange.

INTRODUCTION

THIS IS MY fourth and, undoubtedly, the last book that I will write since I seem to have depleted all my knowledge of medicine in the form of these presentations. My first book Achieving So Much With So Little was about my many hardships and constant battles with bipolar illness and obesity. I explained how I managed to convert my pronounced limited academic ability into an incredibly advantageous situation whereby my ability to overachieve and outperform would make up the difference in my being able to obtain my ultimate goal in life: medicine. In this book, I also detailed the many unusual cases that I handled as coroner during my fourteen-year stint. My second publication, Through a Doctor’s Eyes: Our Problematic System, resulted from my oldest inquisitive daughter who, after thoroughly dissecting my first book, complained that much information pertaining to my thirty-year medical practice was not mentioned, so I agreed to disclose everything, including my innermost secrets and confessions that I held for many years, regardless of how gruesome they appeared. My third book, Leveling the Playing Field In Spite of Myself, resulted from two of my daughters alleging that much information that I conveyed to them earlier regarding my childhood days and medical experiences was erroneously omitted and that I needed to add and discuss more pertinent data. I depicted this sequel as an updated revision of my previous autobiography, including a recent injury that resulted in a minor disability. In this book, I consolidated my previous two publications by detailing the many unusual cases that helped mold my life and influenced my decisions. I had absolutely no intention whatsoever of attempting a fourth project until my unlikely decision came after I viewed a doctor on television reporting that he had just published a small journal with his recommendations for people who wanted to extend their life expectances. Although some of the details were far-fetched with skepticism filling the air, his book appeared to be an honest approach for the person who would strictly adhere to everything that he suggested. However, I quickly realized that he didn’t offer much encouragement for the average person who couldn’t possibly abide by every strict guideline and would be turned off by its extremeness. Maybe a little bit of my obsessive-compulsive behavior—my overworking tendencies, again, probably from my bipolar disorder—came into play. Like anyone else affected with this syndrome, just because my illness had been in remission for an eternity didn’t preclude my experiencing occasional explosive urges. And boredom—having nothing productive to do—probably contributed handsomely in my decision to write again. As usual, I would present this book in my typical witty, satiric manner, providing homemade poems on the way, the no nonsense version, regardless of how inappropriate or repulsive they may appear. Because of my unexpected struggles in finding a name for my final publication, my youngest son surprisingly suggested the title that I eventually chose: A Doctor’s Prescription for Longevity and Survival.

Generally speaking, in our society there is no way that any person could abstain completely from the multitude of substances and devices that are considered possibly harmful in one way or another or totally eliminate the deleterious effects of sunlight or other environmental factors. My book promises to present a common-sense approach as to how to remain as healthy as theoretically possible while keeping some credibility and satisfaction in life. In reality, no one would want to spend a lifetime being miserable by attempting to heed all the advice dished out from the many so-called experts dictating as to how shortened our lives would become without strict compliance, less well striving to follow some of their more impossible proposals. Simply put, attempting to adhere to every guideline and eliminate every compound known to be harmful to the human body can result in a lifetime of agony and frustration and cause the two most important aspects of life to vanish: happiness and fulfillment. On the other hand, through my experiences of having served as coroner, I issue warnings about certain hazards that exist today that should be reduced or avoided completely and present both truths and fallacies regarding many of our products. I discuss various physiological processes that are continuously occurring in our bodies in order to set the stage for my being able to explain why certain things must be followed in order to accomplish the most out of life—maximum survival. Also, by becoming aware of these enzymatic reactions and mechanisms, a person hopefully would become better equipped to handle more harmful situations by understanding why they are disastrous. However, I do offer a down-to-earth approach in hopes that my readers would make every effort to follow as many of my suggestions as possible and, at the same time, not overtax the body more than he or she can handle physically or mentally.

Most of my colleagues would undoubtedly disagree with my piecemeal approach of tackling the issues of prolonged life, and they would more than likely find my book extremely controversial and consider some of my recommendations to be too radical and others too senseless and not realistic. On the contrary, I offer a down-to-earth approach based on my thirty years of experience in the practice of medicine, my fourteen years as coroner, and over l,500 autopsies. By having done these postmortem examinations, I can attest to the changes that I witnessed in the human body and explain the effects that certain elements, including environmental factors, played. On a personal basis, I am a legitimate victim of the deleterious consequences that occur from obesity since I can directly attribute my irreversible atherosclerotic disease to my weighing over four hundred pounds for over thirty years. In this book, I was selective in using only the research findings that appeared to be legitimate since the results can vary significantly and reflect the powerful influence of money from the large manufacturing and pharmaceutical industry. In other words, far too frequently, I concluded that the outcome of many of these studies was swayed by the powerful groups funding them rather than realistic concerns. It was obvious that less-than-respectable companies are forced to obtain favorable results in order to be able to successfully promote their products. After all, they had everything to lose.

My association with our local substance abuse and mental health clinics and public health clinic gave me the opportunity to witness different types of problems that a family practitioner would not encounter. Many of my suggestions are derived from my personal treatment of the patients and not influenced by advice from other doctors or so-called experts, and some of my statements may not be based on known facts. Instead, they would reflect my personal knowledge and recollections. There is no doubt that a person could markedly extend his or her life expectancy by deleting some of the more toxic substances, including dangerous drugs, and reducing other detriments, so I offer a less demanding and more practical approach. Some of our catastrophic patterns and habits can result in a vicious cycle of no return, so I attempt to point out some of the more damaging influences and, at the same time, hopefully keep a person’s life somewhat more satisfied and manageable. And rest assured that I am not going to sugarcoat any potential disastrous situation or product. On the other hand, I offer a more rational approach based on moderation and utilization of common sense and realization and not employ drastic or absurd methods. After all, if eliminating certain things can cause a tremendous improvement in a person’s health, that doesn’t necessarily imply that only extreme abstention would be effective, especially in terms of longevity of life. Let’s be honest! The value of life itself in feeling content and associated with less anxiety and depression is certainly a more important asset than the built-up frustrations of attempting to be compliant to all the extensive recommendations, especially regarding obesity. This is where my piecemeal approach can come into play since my theory encompasses reducing a number of dangerous situations and still being able to reap lasting benefits in terms of improving a person’s welfare. On the other hand, experiencing emotional problems from any cause can be disastrous, so I attempt to work around this factor. In regard to everyday life situations, I also offer some generous dos and don’ts based on many of my past experiences.

I discuss many substances and chemicals in our world that are literally polluting our bodies, and I relate as to which ones should be totally avoided in a perfect world. However, considering that medicine is not an exact science and so diversified, I will admit that some of my recommendations and priorities may be totally reversed in days to come as research continues to bare out new findings and statistics. Some of my opinions are molded so solidly that no future laboratory findings would ever convince me otherwise. I also detail and provide examples of some improprieties that exist in our society, although, in real life, there isn’t much that can be done about some of them.

I certainly readily confess to not being anything close to a genius and maybe not even an incredibly smart person, but no so-called expert should criticize me or dispute my opinions since they represent my many years of medical practice and service as coroner. No one can question what I lived through and witnessed. Regarding my poems, I certainly accept their possibly being somewhat inappropriate or out of place and maybe even stupid, but I intentionally made them satirical in order to garner more attention from my readers. More or less, they are used as an emotional stimulus to keep my readers awake and hopefully break up any monotonous pattern or boredom that could possibly be forming—basically, to keep them interested. Not only this, my poetic expressions are used liberally to further emphasize my points and stress some of the more important issues. In general, hopefully, you will find them somewhat entertaining and amusing.

Besides the sun that we all know can exert harmful rays and cause serious health problems, I will detail many other environmental factors that are potentially hazardous and that most people might be unaware of. On the other hand, for the individual who has arrived at the point where his or her willpower is at a maximum and is yearning for a diet plan to trim down, one that will produce an incredible amount of weight loss in a relatively short period of time, I will detail the very strict or even crazy diet that I created and successfully followed. By explaining the relationship and interaction between glucose and insulin, I hope to make my readers more conscious of what’s going on in our bodies and why. By making them more informed, they would be in a better position to face the challenges that occur from changes in diet patterns. All you will need to do is supply a little initiative and fortitude and be serious about losing weight, and I will provide the knowhow and expertise.

On the personal side, I offer warnings and stipulate things that must be followed in order to prevent some of the consequences that I encountered during my diet, along with mentioning several foods that are forbidden. Of course, realistically speaking, there is no way that a person could avoid every little food substance known to be deleterious, but hopefully, enough of them would be deleted in order to make a substantial impact on his or her life. I was able to lose 272 pounds over a ten-month period. If I was forced to relive that period in my life, I would undoubtedly choose the same plan but with slight modifications. In this book, I also provide some very inexpensive and easy-to-prepare low-calorie recipes that I concocted that are good appetizers and filler-uppers for anyone wishing to shed some serious pounds. Some of my food creations may sound terrible or downright disgusting, but don’t knock them until you’ve tried them. In brief, I feel like I have something to offer all my readers from the most radical—my diet program—to the most lenient and conservative. Not only did I depend on this diet to become slim, but it continues to serve me well by my having maintained this same weight for the past fourteen years.

After having stated all the reasons behind my writing this book, if I was to deny that my ulterior motive was to introduce my incredibly successful but stringent diet program, I would be untruthful. You can put your total trust in what I have to say since I definitely lived under the auspices of the many powerful destructive influences all around us, of which unhealthy foods was at the top of the list, and suffered from many of their consequences. Again, as I reiterate, my opinions are based on my beliefs that even if a person could not totally eliminate a fattening food or