Hi Carl!

I'm sure you'll get lots of advice so I'll throw in my couple of cents now.
 I used to love chocolate until I started eating lots of sweet fruit,
gradually lost my taste for chocolate completely.  Now, after five years of
hygiene, have reduced my sweet fruit comsumption to just a couple of pieces
per day as you may have read since you said you've been reading these
postings for a while.

What has really motivated me big time is reading and reading and reading!  I
would guess I've read about a hundred hygiene books plus another hundred on
health and nutrition in general, countless magazines and newsletters plus
I've been a  member of the NH M2M since the first issue.  And I've listened
to hundreds of hours of health and nutrition and NH audiotapes.  You could
say I'm a bit obsessed and you'd be right!  I also correspond with and hang
out here with some very knowledgeable folks in these areas.  Other areas I
read enthusiastically in are stress management, meditation, yoga, psychology
and exercise.  There is so much out there in our society in general that
exists only to make a buck for somebody else at the expense of our health and
happiness.  I decided a long time ago, in my early 20's, that I didn't want
anybody else controlling my life, consciously or unconsciously and so I began
to explore.  This is my life, my one and only life (as far as I know!) and I
intend to continue to live it with as much awareness, knowledge, health and
happiness as I am able.

It takes a lot to combat all that is out there.  I have disconnected from the
mainstream as much as is comfortable to reduce negative influences.  My hubby
and I have two TV's but they are connected to neither cable or an antenna.
 We can watch videos but do so rarely.  We almost never go to movies.
I really try to protect myself from the dominant paradigm.  Don't listen to
the radio.  Stopped long ago all the "women's magazines" telling me I have to
look a certain way to be acceptable (to whom, I began to wonder), for
example.  Stopped going to malls except when absolutely unavoidable, and so
on.

I hope these ramblings are of some help, I'm sure you'll get much more.

Smiles,

Sandy