When the Question for "Perfect Health" Makes People Less Healthy. The Stress-Centered Approach to Health with Dr. Steve Prentice

Nutrition has been a hot topic for decades now. But over the past several years extreme quests for health have become more commonplace. There are books about people who haven’t had sugar for an entire year. Eating regimens that eschew entire food groups are the norm. And more and more people are involved in extreme fitness whether it’s boot camps, spending hours at the gym, or running ultra-long distances.

As a chiropractor, Dr. Steve Prentice was not only in active pursuit of the perfect diet, weight loss, and exercise regimes, he was recommending them to his clients. Then he noticed a recurrent theme for himself and those he was trying to help: “The more people did to get themselves to the next level, the upper echelon of health and wellness, the worse they ended up.” Not only did he stop his quest for health perfection, he wrote a book about it entitled Wrecked: Why Your Quest for Health and Weight Loss Has Failed and What You Can Do About It. In episode 13 of The Healthy Family Podcast, he’s sharing his story and what he thinks is behind it all.

Jump Ahead

Highlights from the Show

What ultimately drove Dr. Prentice to write Wrecked and his own health and weight struggles.
The myth about his weight he believed and that kept him stuck. How he found the true issue with health — and it had nothing to do with food or weight loss.
The false sense of control extreme health regimens give us (and why) and the sign that they aren’t working.
The negative role social media plays in health obsession and why it’s like throwing “gas on the fire.”
Why Dr. Prentice thinks stress-related issues are the key reason people get sick and that stress is the most important thing we need to get control over.
How extreme health solutions add more stress to an already stressful existence and why the body fights against extreme changes.
How eating trends and popular diets start and catch on fire and the one thing they all have in common.
Dr. Prentice’s take on the growth of digestive issues and food sensitivities, and what people can do.
Why Dr. Prentice thinks kids have the right idea about eating and how to keep them from becoming emotionally attached to food.
Why instead of new diets and exercise, people need to grow emotionally and learn to be at peace instead of living with anger, resentment, and fear.
Why we need to get rid of the idea of good food, bad food, and enjoy a variety of foods in moderation.
How to choose healthy habits that honor the body. Dr. Prentice explains what he calls “The Stress-Centered Approach to Health” and how it can fill in the missing gaps.

Quotes from Wrecked

..the motivation to write this book stemmed from watching the health and quality of life of too many people be destroyed by adopting health practices that, while sounding good, actually caused harm.

You will never, ever, ever reclaim your health, your peace of mind, or your contentment until you eliminate the act of eating as a source of stress. — Dr. Steve Prentice author of Wrecked