I have done my level best since discovering the miracle of eating correctly not to overwhelm people I know with advice and nagging. It certainly bothers me when people tell me how to live. So I avoid telling people too much about my diet, although I feel like shouting it from the mountaintop. When it comes to the media bashing lc lifestyles, I go out of my way to defend, citing research and examples. But for the food choices made by people I know, I am reticent to critique. For example, my wonderful fiance will not give up beer. He brews his own and loves it. I'm not going to be passive-aggressive nor a nag about it, even though I think it hurts him. A girl he knows, a carb-loading, exercise freak "health nut," drinks soy milk, eats tofu, does everything possible with soy. She's twenty and has tumors in her ovaries. My best friend eats cereal for breakfast, something equally bad for lunch, and then pasta for dinner. Although she buys all of this packaged food, she says she can't afford to do lc.

I feel all I can do is hope that they will discover the truth. But man, I so want to buy everyone copies of Neanderthin and copy articles about things.

>I feel all I can do is hope that they will discover the truth. But man, I so want to buy everyone copies of Neanderthin and copy articles about things.<

I, too, want to buy the book for alot of people. I have friends who could definitely benefit from this WOL, but they always come up with reasons why not. Frustrating.

Ozarkren

You can't convince anyone of anything. You CAN be an example. "Actions speak louder than words." And others can see your results over time. You can tell others about your way IF THEY ASK and are curious. Unless people are asking, you're just wasting your time.

First of all, look at your own life and the process that brought you to NeanderThin. How did you come upon this WOE? How long did it take you to become committed? How bad did you have to feel before you did something about it? Other people must have the experience that takes them to the threshhold of discovery and commitment. For me, no one told me about NeanderThin. I "came across" the information on the internet when I was ready to see it, when I had hit rock bottom in my health and had to have a new way.

Diet is like anything else controversial: politics, religion, how to raise children, etc. People seek their own level, and if what is chosen isn't working, if they start to have horrible results and they can see that their results are a direct result of their choice, THEN they will start looking for a new method. Then they will start asking. Until then, presenting a new method is just "spitting in the wind."

I'm teaching myself to have unconditional compassion for everyone in my life (and this ain't easy). To me, unconditional compassion is allowing others to seek their personal truth and follow their own path without judgment. Just because YOU can see the "error of their ways" doesn't mean THEY can. And until they do, they won't be seeking another way.

When my adult son was visiting yesterday, I saw him feeling kind of lousy. I also saw him drinking a lot of alcohol, not drinking water, eating junk, and feeding sugar to his step-son, while at the same time wondering why the boy is so demanding and agressive. It kills me to see this. He was slightly curious as to why I was eating my own separate dinner, different than anyone else, but when I told him, he didn't pursue it. He didn't want details. The conversation quickly shifted to something else. And I had to stop with just a brief explanation. This is very difficult. Maybe some day, he'll ask me more and be interested. Maybe some day, my results will be so impressive to him that he'll begin to wonder. Maybe not. That's the way it is.

Hey Everyone: I'm one of those people that also wants to shout from the rooftops (mountaintops, whatever) every day, but instead as I'm walking from the bus stop to work I keep repeating to myself over and over again "Zip your lip Hellistile."
No matter what happens there are people out there that will keep on popping pills, feeling miserable, keep increasing the quantity of medication they are taking, go in for surgery repeatedly, live with constant pain, bowel problems, acid reflux and insomnia, but refuse to take a closer look at what they are eating. I personally know lots of people like this.
Unfortunately, no one I ever knew tried to convert me to a low-carb lifestyle. If they had, maybe I would have been converted sooner, because I would have been willing to do anything to feel better.
Regarding my family, I told them what I was doing and left it at that. One day my son says to me, "Mom, you don't look pregnant anymore," and that decided him to start low-carbing. My sister, who weighed close to 300 pounds took a little bit longer to come around but finally did about 1 month ago.
I have not given up in my crusade to spread the word. If people don't like it they will just have to come right out and tell me to my face to "Shut up."
lol

I am so bad about this, it's terrible. I want to just shake my friends and make them wake up!

I have to content myself with sneak attacks. It goes something like this.

me:blah blah blah I started doing Neanderthin.
them: uh huh
me: I feel really great.
them: that's nice
me: I stopped taking my allergy pills weeks ago....
them: *does double take**looks at all the pollen* REALLY?
me: yep, wanna borrow my book?
them: yes, I would

Tee hee, I know they've all seen me have allergy attacks, so I know that will impress them. I don't fight fair.
But, after that, you have to leave it alone and let it sink it. They will follow on their own, or not at all. *shrugs*

One of my friends has all kind of digestive problems, IBS, can't gain weight... we often talk about health issues and diets, but she won't commit. I stopped feeling sorry for her health woes since she keeps eating junk food. Now, when she says she is feeling bad, I ask her what she has been eating. Tough Love.

I totally agree, guys, it is tough to keep one's mouth shut sometimes. My mom
is on oral diabetes medication, and it sometimes brings me to tears to think of what she will go through if she doesn't change her diet. I am always telling her about some new research I have read on the issue, and that she should ask her doctor to help her get away from that medication, but she is reluctant. I guess everyone trusts doctors, even when their methods are proven to kill many thousands of people each year. Personally, I am mildly hypoglycemic (fasting glucose between 50 and 60 dg/l) and mom thinks I am crazy when I refuse to eat something sugary to bring my level up. I just say "Mom, I feel fine." And as long as I eat plenty of fat, I do.

The good news in all of this is at least people in this forum can share the truth with each other, even if people we care about refuse to listen.

Your comment about allergies rings true with me, BatGirl, just substitute hypoglycemia as the problem. People used to know me as the woman who had to eat when she had to eat, no exceptions, no questions asked. Now that I am cured, it is a good intro into the diet. However, one friend told me, "Well, I can see how a lot of fat would work for you because of your hypoglycemia, but my body wouldn't tolerate that. It would be bad for me." I had to smile and nod as she is a vegetarian and is destined to develop diabetes (overweight, family history, never eats fat).

Does low carb really help with pollen allergies? That would be so wonderful. I suffer for about 4 months each year and am dreading this spring. I've been low carbing for months (fell off the wagon around the holidays), and would love to hear about others' experiences.

Nela,
I started doing the Neanderthin diet at the beginning of January. (I was really bad during the Holidays) For my entire life, I have been a victim of severe allergies: dust, mold, pollen, and animals. Of course, I didn't help matters by refusing to give up my pets. I have been taking prescription allergy pills, latest is Zyrtec, daily for nearly 20 years.

I stopped taking my pills 6 weeks after starting the new diet. It is springtime here in North Floriday and that mean POLLEN. From about Feb-May, there is so much pollen in the air, it turns the cars yellow. It piles in drifts in the ditches. I use to get really tired and headachy, even when I took pills. So, it's been a month and I haven't had any problems yet.

So, yeah, it will probably help your seasonal allergies.

Good luck!

Batgirl, thanks so much for your reply! That gives me hope. It's springtime here too, and there's so much pollen flying around. This lasts for several months, well into June. Then we have another month in autumn, when other species of plants are active, so I just get a respite in winter/summer.

I hope this can help me out. I'm not allowed to take any anti-histamines because I'm undergoing fertility treatment and the doctor doesn't want to expose a potential pregnancy to the meds unless it's absolutely necessary.

I took some meds last year in any case, and they made me very drowsy, so I had to stop them. What's worse...falling asleep at work or being in a full swing allergy attack?

Nela, funny you should mention the pregnancy issue. We are planning to start trying to get pregnant with our first sometime this fall, and I too was worried about the allergy pills! Plus, breast feeding. All the medication I have taken says not to use it while breast feeding. Yikes! I certainly hope my health stays good so I can avoid the whole problem.

.....falling asleep at work or allergy attack? With the size of my sneezes, I know my co-workers wish I were asleep, anyway.

What good news for you that you don't need the meds anymore. Especially with trying to conceive in the fall. We certainly don't need any nasty chemicals circulating around our bodies is there's the slightest chance we're pregnant!
My allergies today are quite bad, in fact. General stuffy nose and sneezing. I hope the low carbing kicks in soon before it gets any worse. Yikes!

LOL at.....