Jordan Rubin - The Great Physicians Rx for Health and Wellness: Seven Keys to Unlock Your Health Potential

THE GREAT
PHYSICIANS
R x
for
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Seven Keys to Unlocking Your Health Potential

JORDAN RUBIN
with David Remedios, M.D.

Every effort has been made to make this book as accurate as possible. The purpose of this book is to educate. It is a review of scientific evidence that is presented for information purposes. No individual should use the information in this book for self-diagnosis, treatment, or justification in accepting or declining any medical therapy for any health problems or diseases. No individual is discouraged from seeking professional medical advice and treatment, and this book is not supplying medical advice. Any application of the information herein is at the readers own discretion and risk. Therefore, any individual with a specific health problem or who is taking medications must first seek advice from his personal physician or health-care provider before starting a nutrition program. The author and Thomas Nelsons, Inc., shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to loss, damage, or injury caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the information contained in this book. We assume no responsibility for errors, inaccuracies, omissions, or any inconsistency herein.

In view of the complex, individual nature of health and fitness problems, this book, and the ideas, programs, procedures, and suggestions herein, are not intended to replace the advice of trained medical professionals. All matters regarding ones health require medical supervision. A physician should be consulted prior to adopting any program or programs described in this book. The author and publisher disclaim any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this book.

2005 by Jordan S. Rubin

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or otherexcept for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc.

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Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from The NEW KING JAMES VERSION. 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE , The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked The Message are from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, KING JAMES VERSION.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Rubin, Jordan.
The Great Physicians Rx for health and wellness / Jordan Rubin with David Remedios.
p. cm. ISBN 978-0-7852-1352-X (hc)
ISBN 978-0- 7852-8884-8 (tp)
ISBN 978-1- 4016-0426-4 (mm)
1. Self-care, Health. 2. Health. I. Remedios, David. II. Title.
RA776.95.R828 2005
613.2dc22

2005024890

Printed in the United States of America

08 09 10 11 12 RRD 5 4 3 2 1

I dedicate this book to my son, Joshua Michael. When I hold his tiny hand in mine and look upon him with a breadth of love I didnt know I was capable of feeling, I more fully appreciate the love and sacrifice God made for me over two thousand years ago by sending His only Son to die for my sins.

CONTENTS

W henever I speak at a Sunday worship service, I like to shake things up by springing a pop quiz on the congregation.

This morning, I want you to turn to the person next to you and tell him or her what you ate for breakfast. No matter how you slice it or serve it, theres something all-American about breakfast, even if its a meal of French toast, Canadian bacon, and English muffins.

From my vantage point, what happens next is a fascinating display of human behavior. Muffled voices and whispered exchanges emanate from folks clearly embarrassed to reveal what they ate before arriving at church. Perhaps thats because breakfast was an Egg McMuffin snatched up at the drive-thru window, chased with a cup of cream-filled coffee sweetened with several packets of Splenda, or a quick stop at Dunkin Donuts for sticky treats topped with chocolate and sprinkles.

Others shrug their shoulders, as if to say, Hey, I hadkids to get ready. I didnt have time to eat. But those who enjoyed a hearty, home-cooked breakfast pridefully regale their captive audience with an enthusiastic description of scrambled eggs with American cheese, crisp bacon, sizzling sausage, andespecially in the South where I livea heaping helping of grits.

After the conversational buzz dies down, I toss out a second questionone even more penetrating: How many of you consider what your neighbor ate to be healthy?

I usually hear nervous laughter and some twittering, and you should see the folks in the pews sit on their hands. After an awkward moment or two, I spot a few arms raised timidly in the air. Thats because most people intuitively understand that diving into a plate of high-sugar, high-fat breakfast foods such as, well, French toast made from white bread, with a side order of Canadian bacon, does not constitute healthy eating, and neither does wolfing down a fast-food egg sandwich or chocolate clairs on the way to church.

People who dont eat healthy are not thriving the way God wants them to, and Ill show you why in The GreatPhysicians Rx for Health and Wellness. Eating healthy and enjoying the fruits of an active lifestyle have been my passion for ten years, and its a message I love sharing with Gods people. Its my strongly held belief that if Christians were healthier than the general populationand were not, in my estimationthen our churches would be overflowing on Sunday mornings. Why? Because people would be drawn to learn more about why we are so different. I want them to think, Oh, there are a couple ofChristians. Look how healthy and vibrant they are. I wantwhat they have.

Its my dream that someday every one of the nations leading TV programs, radio broadcasts, magazines, and newspapers will report that scientific evidence shows that followers of Jesus are three or four or five times healthier than those who dont believe in Jesusthat Christians have less cancer, less heart disease, less diabetes, and less obesity. Wouldnt it be awesome if Gods people were so full of good health, so vibrant, that others would notice us from ten or twenty feet away? If that were to happen, our churches wouldnt be big enough to fit the numbers of people rushing to hear about the Great Physicians prescription for their good health. I believe that people from all walks of life would break down the doors to learn more about what God says about living a long and abundant life and ultimately come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.