We have all heard it. We most probably have all said it. ‘Oh, go on and have some, a little bit won’t hurt you!’ A little bit of what exactly? Heroin? Cigarettes? Alcohol? Sugar? Cheese? Arsenic?
Let’s spend a little time today exploring the validity of that little expression – and see if its impact is not more harmful than we suspect. As our guide we will ask Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. M.D. for some advice and counsel on this matter. And we will use The Pleasure Trap by Drs. Lisle and Goldhamer as our reference.
On page 61 of their book, the good doctors write …
“Most physicians reassure their patients that ‘everything in moderation’ is acceptable. Not so, says Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., a nationally acclaimed surgeon at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. As the former president of the American Association of Endocrine Surgeons, Dr. Esselstyn is well aware of the current state of conventional medical thought and advice. ‘Oil, dairy, and meat are atherosclerotic linchpins,’ says Dr. Esselstyn. ‘We must eliminate the lethal phrase, ‘this little bit won’t hurt.’
In his study, patients who complied with the program and who had collectively experienced 48 cardiac events prior to the program experienced zero cardiac events during the subsequent twelve-year program. His success lies in his relentless, but caring, insistence on a health-promoting, plant-based diet.
One woman, after her second heart attack, was told by her cardiologist to go home and prepare to die. Fortunately, she was introduced to Dr. Esselstyn and was persuaded to become a research subject in his program.
Her outcome thus far is somewhat better than would have been expected from standard medical care. At her fifteen-year checkup, she was still going strong.”
Here's another gem often overheard in modern society, ‘You have to try this! But have some toilet paper/antiacids ready afterwards!’. Enjoy ... but prepare for pain!
How is that the thought pattern of a logical, and supposedly advanced brain? Just thinking about this hurts my head.
For an intelligent and analytical brain, it surely does let us down when it comes to understanding our addictive Pleasure Traps and their true impact on our health and wellness.
Let’s remember that addiction is when we compulsively choose behaviors that bring harmful consequences to our lives. Choosing to consume/ingest/believe ANY-THING with the knowledge that it is not optimal for our health is plain and simple crazy coo-coo!
Unfortunately, these types of expressions are so common in modern society that we are made to feel embarrassed or judged if we deny ourselves these ‘pleasures’ in life. It is almost as if those around us would like us to hurt as much as they do! And when medical professionals tell us that anything in moderation will not hurt us, how are we to properly decipher which pleasures are indeed safe and which ones are not pleasures at all but hidden pains?
Well, what if those expressions went a little something like this …
Oh, go on and have some! One cigarette won’t hurt you! Just try it! But keep your inhaler near by in case you have a coughing fit.
Oh, go on and have a bit! One shot of heroin won’t hurt you! Just try it! But stay close to the bathroom in case you throw up afterwards.
Oh, go on and have a bit! One scoop of ice cream won’t hurt you! Just try it! But stay close to the toilet as it may cause some intestinal problems afterwards.
Oh, go on and try it! One jump off the cliff won’t kill you!
But, then again, maybe it will.
We have no obligation to make poor choices simply because others want us to do so. We are not obligated to validate their poor choices by joining them. Misery does love company (another good expression for our little chat here today!) and the physically miserable would rather you suffer than change their own behaviors. You see, if everyone suffers together, then suffering must be normal, right?! Wrong.
That very idea is a trap. It is time for an idea that frees us from that trap, breaking the cycle of deleterious behaviors and allowing us to see a truth about our lives. The moment we accept that we are responsible for every single choice we make, we empower ourselves to not be led, not to be swayed and not to be distracted.
We empower ourselves to create the lives we wish to live with the health, wellness and fulfillment we desire.
And it is that empowerment that frees us from our own pleasure traps and allows us to thrive in good health for all of our days.
Our lives truly are our masterpieces and we create them each day, moment by moment with every decision and action we take. Choose wisely. Create (healthy) Life!
Knowledge – certain substances are not safe, even in small amounts
Wisdom – remove those substances from your life
6D Book Club is exploring The Pleasure Trap and each week we will share some of the ideas presented in the chapters we will be reading. Also, we will look at ways in which these ideas can be transformed into action in our lives; transforming knowledge into wisdom for ourselves in the process.
Those musings will be posted here on our blog each week in our new series entitled Knowledge to Wisdom. You are very welcome to join the discussion by commenting. We ask only two things before you post - please always remain sincere and respectful and before posting a claim or fact, be sure to CRAAP test that information.
Knowledge - the learning of ideas
Wisdom - the experiencing of ideas
6D Book Club brings people together in an international digital community with a common interest in learning about healthy, balanced living.
6D Book Club Connections
Weekly emails with topics for discussion, thoughts about our reading as well as links to relevant articles and videos
6D Book Club Forum to dig deeper into the content and share ideas about what we are learning
6D Community meetings every Week via Zoom at 11:00 EST (various days of the week - small groups of around 20 people)
6D What's App Chat Group keep the discussion flowing over multiple time zones (open to all groups; the Whole of the 6D Book Club Community)
We are each responsible for our thoughts and words and how we choose to express and share them as knowledge. Our 6D Community is a place of exploration, information and consideration - respect and kindness are our guides.
Optimal Guiding Principle when Sharing Claims or Facts
Be well
Stop.Breathe.Focus.Move.Flow.
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