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the eden diet newsletter
October 2008
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We are so honored to have Dr. Clark Gerhart, MD as a guest author this month. Please welcome our special guest surgeon and Christian author in his article:
 When Eating Takes Over
Serious and Surprising Side Effects of Overeating
by Clark Gerhart, MD
Surgeon and Christian Author, Say Goodbye to Stubborn Sin
(Strang Communications, 2005)
www.ClarkGerhart.com
During a
recent operation I was using a laparoscope, a long skinny telescope, to look
around someone's insides where I found a surprise. My goal was to remove the
patient's gallbladder, but after entering the abdomen, I discovered a severely
diseased liver. The normally smooth, glistening, deep purple surface was now
gnarled and lumpy and gray. It resembled the nasty liver you'd expect to find in
a person who had spent the last few decades drinking his meals out of a bottle.
However, this
patient wasn't an alcoholic. Except for his gallstones, he was overweight but
otherwise very healthy-at least he appeared so from the outside. Since there was
no other reason for his liver disease, after pulling his gallbladder out through
his belly button, I biopsied the liver to find out what was
wrong.
The answer:
steatosis, or fatty liver, a common side effect of obesity where fat cells
invade and take over the liver. In most cases this is very benign. Like the
spare tire most of us carry around our waist, the liver just has a few excess
pounds. But when the obesity is severe and prolonged, the normal liver cells are
crowded out and liver function is gradually reduced. In advanced cases, like my
patient, it produces inflammation around the hepatocytes (liver cells) that
leads to fibrosis, or scarring, and cirrhosis-just like an alcoholic's
liver.
Boy was he
shocked to find out that he had the liver of a drunk laying in a gutter. He never saw
his weight problem as that serious-at least not serious enough to take drastic
measures to fix. But I wonder what steps he would take to find a cure if he was
an alcoholic facing the slow shriveling death of his liver. I'll bet he'd join
AA, talk to a pastor, see a doctor, use medication, and even consider an
inpatient stay in a rehab facility. Obesity treatment needs to be just as
comprehensive. Support groups, spiritual guidance, medical help,
hospitalization, even surgery can all be appropriate.
So over
eating and over drinking have something in common-and it's not just their
effects on the liver. They both slowly invade and take over your life causing
deep, often hidden, severe problems. And they are also both caused by similar
complex physical, spiritual and emotional factors and need multi-modal therapy.
You wouldn't tell an alcoholic the answer to his problems is just to drink
less. Just eating less is not the answer to obesity. Addressing the underlying
spiritual and emotional causes-while also dealing with physical factors-is the
only way to produce a lasting cure.
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 Is Pride Making You Swallow?
By Rita Hancock, MD
You've heard about swallowing your pride, but did you know that pride can also make you swallow --- literally? If you think about the emotional triggers that can lead to unnecessary eating, you find that many of those emotions can be traced back to pride.
What is pride? It can be defined as excessive concern over one's self-image. Pride is all about us: how powerful we feel, how we perceive other people to treat us, whether we feel loved or respected, whether other people remember to worship us and follow our commands. It is always completely ego-centered thinking, "Me, me, me."
If we feel out-of-control, powerless, frustrated, unintelligent, or unattractive, it threatens our self-esteem; and so we eat. Eating brings us momentary pleasure, and distracts us from feeling bad about ourselves.
Do you tend to eat when your self-esteem is threatened? If so, I would like to help you find a healthier solution. The answer has to do with undergoing a change in your thinking. You must replace the old, destructive tapes in your mind with new tapes-tapes that lead to healthier attitudes and habits.
Here's how to begin that mental transformation: first, learn the truth as God revealed it in the Bible- particularly in the New Testament. Read the passages that deal with food and eating. Prayerfully and intentionally seek God's will in that area of your life. Otherwise, as you begin your analysis of your thoughts and attitudes about food, you won't know which of your beliefs are godly and which thoughts originate in your flesh or in the world.
Second, pay attention. Police your thoughts. If you identify an inappropriate urge to eat, capture that thought and dissect it. Say to yourself, "Wait a minute...am I actually physically hungry right now?" If the answer is "No," then next ask yourself, "What triggered me to want to eat? Did I feel angry or frustrated or insecure for some reason? Did something challenge my sense of importance or self-esteem?"
Third, remember the truth. No matter what your emotions and your flesh tell you, you are not really all that powerful anyway (no offense). Neither are the people that you measure yourself against. Only Jesus is Lord.
When you feel powerless, realize that eating excess food does not make you more powerful, intelligent, appreciated, or respected. It only causes you to become overweight, miserable, and sick; and it leads you to an early grave. It's exactly what Satan wants. He wants to destroy you, and he does it through your pride.
Finally, submit to God and act accordingly. Choose to act opposite to your prideful impulses. Exercise the self-discipline that you have as an adult. If you're not hungry but low self-esteem tempts you to eat, leave the kitchen before you put food in your mouth. Drive right past the restaurant without stopping for food. Quote Scripture and say other positive things, such as "Jesus is Lord, food is not," and "I am worthy because I am a child of the King."
Remember what the Bible says, "Pride goes before destruction..." (Proverbs 16:18, NIV). Don't let it go before your destruction. Eat only when you're hungry-not to medicate a bruised or fragile ego.
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Do you eat for emotional reasons? 
Then listen to Dr. Hancock's
"A Walk on the Beach" relaxation CD.
Do you want to learn how to love
exercise, the way you did when you were a kid? Then, listen to the "A
Walk in the Forest" CD.
Do you want to learn how to control your
eating at social events? Then, listen to the "A Picnic at the Lake" CD.
All three are now available on TheEdenDiet.com! (click on link below)
To reinforce your Eden Diet experience, Dr. Hancock has created audio relaxation exercises filled with positive, godly, weight loss affirmations.
They may be used at the end of workshop meetings or in the privacy and comfort of your own home.
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Dr. Hancock's next Radio Broadcast: OCTOBER 10 
Be sure to catch Dr. Hancock as she is interviewed on KKNG "King Country" radio FM 93.3 (Newcastle/Oklahoma City) from 8:40am-9am on Friday October 10th.
She will be talking more about back pain.
Dr. Hancock is extremely excited about this opportunity.
DON'T MISS IT!
Set your alarms and start your day off with encouragement and inspiration!
Friday, October 10
8:40am-9am
KKNG FM 93.3 (Newcastle/Oklahoma City)
Dr. Hancock knows first-hand that The Eden Diet works. It's how she lost 75 pounds and kept it off for 25 years.
Dr. Hancock is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist with a subspecialty board certification in Pain Management. She has been in full time practice in Norman, Oklahoma for ten years.
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The Eden Diet hits Amazon.Com and Barnes & Noble!
The Eden Diet Book
will be available on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com
in approximately 6 weeks!
We are extremely excited about being available to more readers and helping more people overcome the temptation to overeat!
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October SPECIAL:
(expires 10/31/08)
If you purchased a book from Dr. Hancock,
leave a comment about it in the guestbook for a chance to win a FREE audio CD!
One out of every ten participants will win. Names will be drawn randomly, and
there will be no charge for shipping.
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PS - If you liked this newsletter and want to forward it to a friend, see the below link entitled, ' Forward email'. You may also join our monthly newsletter list by hitting the 'Join Our Mailing List' button below! Thank you for the opportunity to serve you in your quest to 'thin-ness'.
May your QUEST be BLESSED!
Sincerely,
Rita M. Hancock, M.D.
www.TheEdenDiet.com
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