When I first became interested in eating whole foods and growing and juicing my own greens * sprouts, wheat and barley grass * I was considered to be a tad eccentric and ridiculed. Greens were a novelty and I was said to be eating “rabbit food.” Times have changed and we now have Green Juice Bars everywhere .. Even at airports for the traveler on the go.

I realized that, as a friend told me, the reason why people ridicule others who are forming new patterns in their eating (which then impacts upon their overall lifestyle) is that they pose a “threat” to people who still want to indulge in foods/behavior that will ultimately damage their health.

I feel that often someone who says “I eat everything. I don’t care. You know, you eat well and then you die anyway, might as well have fun” KNOWS deep down that they do need to consider changing their “habits/addictions” but they don’t have whatever it takes to initially resist their unhealthy “desires.”

So how to support these people is the challenge to people who have already made the quantum leap into healthy living.

The understanding of criticism is key. I was criticized, so I defended, justified and became critical of non-healthy eaters and it works the other way. Criticize people for non-healthy eating and they will justify what they do and became critical of non-healthy eaters.

It took years for me to become less evangelical and then gradually friends started to take a real interest in the healthy things I was doing.