The Standard American Diet (the SAD diet) is saturated in toxins.

Sweets are loaded with sugar. Snacks are loaded with salt. Meat is loaded with saturated fat. The fact is, you’re lucky if there are any nutrients left at all—most have been stripped away and replaced with a cocktail of chemicals that you can’t even pronounce. And you don’t have to take my word for it, just look at the ingredients!

Anything with bread and meat (hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza and pastries) seems like the staple of the American diet. But there is an old saying, we are what we eat. And it shows.

According to the CDC, a whopping 40% of Americans are obese, and over 50 million Americans are living with diabetes. Out of every 100,000 men and women, approximately 439 of them will be diagnosed with cancer.

Why are things like this?

There are many factors that can be attributed to all of this of craziness, but largely (no pun intended) it comes down to what we eat.

The food that everyone is eating

In most developed nations, cheap fast food is available in abundance, and we eat it constantly. We often gravitate towards foods that taste good, is cooked fast, and comes cheap.

We don’t eat to survive anymore, we aren’t even interested in the nutrients we need, because no foraging or hunting is necessary. It’s not about survival. We often eat just to satisfy our cravings for sugar, fat and salt. All you have to do is pull up to a drive-thru window.

The situation is no better when you shop for your own food.

When you walk into a grocery store and go up and down the aisles you will see rows and rows of products that are boxed, packaged, and wrapped in plastic. Almost everything is processed. And when you start reading the ingredients, pretty much all of it looks to be unhealthy in some way and this is a real problem.

Cheap food comes at a great cost

Companies that operate in the food industry are constantly seeking to raise their profits. They do this by keeping their prices competitive and using the cheapest ingredients possible. This is the only way that they can make food in bulk and also keep their prices low.

Sadly though, even the “organic” options that they give us often still source cheap ingredients (and GMOs) because many businesses are solely interested in increasing their profits. It seems like money is always the only thing that drives productivity. Profits always take precedence over human health for them and nothing will change unless consumers wake up and only start buying healthier options.

Every single time we eat, we are either fueling disease or feeding health. But we do have a choice. We can eat highly processed foods, or, we can eat whole/natural foods.

Ineffective food regulations

Even though the FDA in America requires food manufacturers to put nutrition labeling on the packaging of their food, it doesn’t strictly enforce the amounts of additives (like sugar salt) that gets put into such products.

Chemicals are added into the mix of ingredients to help processed food have a longer shelf-life, and at fast food restaurants, you can buy a hamburger as cheap as $1 dollar, whereas a salad might cost almost $5 dollars. Many families struggle financially to afford their necessities so naturally they will look for cheaper options.

The more flavor these foods have (usually provided from sugar, fat and salt) the more consumers seem to like them. The more sales these companies make, and the more wealthier a few executives at the very top become. But the majority of consumers suffer with poor health, a shorter life span, and diminished happiness as a result of poor nutrition.

So we cannot solely rely upon food regulations to get every single thing right.

Eating food is essential for human survival, but the food industry is primarily a business at its core, and they are out to make profits. And since selling of food for profit is something that won’t change any time soon, what can be done?

Rising above it

Consumers are often confused by all of the conflicting opinions about nutrition that some think EVERYTHING is bad. But the truth is, everything is not bad.

The healthiest foods that you can eat are the foods that come directly from nature: whole foods like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, oats and grains. These foods don’t cause any adverse effects from eating them over a prolonged period of time. In fact quite the opposite is true; people lose weight, they have improved health, and may even live longer. These foods are packed with phytonutrients and antioxidants which nourish our bodies, and remove free radicals.

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FACTS

• No nutritionist in the world will ever say that eating fruits and vegetables is unhealthy.
• 90 percent of all cancers are due to poor diets that contribute to the growth of free radicals.
• Most diseases are NOT hereditary, it’s our habits that are hereditary. But habits can be changed.

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Changing how we eat also means we can educate ourselves about nutrition and then work hard to stick to a healthy diet. Many foods that taste extremely sweet or savory are that way because huge amounts of refined sugar and salt. Very little nutritional value. Additionally, foods with a lot of oil have too much fat, which is not healthy. Try to remember that.

Try to substitute a candy bar for some fruit. Replace a hamburger for oatmeal. Swap salty/oily snacks for grapes, nuts, or other kinds of berries. Think of your body like an investment for the future. Eventually your body will stop craving foods that offer little to no nutrition, and you’ll feel more energy and vigor from giving your body what it needs so it can run at peak performance.

It might be a bit more expensive to buy natural organic foods, but healthcare is also not cheap. So eat clean today, and save on hospital bills tomorrow. Good health to you!

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Additional Resources

• CDC – Obesity and Overweight Statistics
• Statistics from the National Cancer Institute
• Current Eating Patterns in the United States
• The Standard American Diet is Even Sadder Than We Thought

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Disclaimer: the information provided on this web site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. The author of this blog is not a licensed dietitian or medical professional. Please consult with a licensed medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not responsible for any decisions that you choose to make.

I used to love eating movie theater popcorn, or just popping my own popcorn at home in the microwave. It seemed like the perfect complement for any great movie. But I no longer do that.

Over time I have come to understand that there are many fundamental problems with the way food is made and delivered to us today.

The convenience of being able to quickly and easily throw a bag of popcorn in to the microwave and almost instantly have a perfectly popped bag with butter & salt that requires no preparation/cooking comes at a great cost.

What is that cost? I’m glad you asked.

Genetically Modified Ingredients

Actual popcorn itself is not a GMO. However, ingredients included in the microwavable bag of many popcorn brands (corn oil, soy oil, or soy lecithin, etc.) are all common GMO ingredients or GMO-derived ingredients.

GMOs have never been tested long term on human beings and are linked to a slew of health issues that are rising in this country and abroad. Most popcorn brands do not use organic corn either, so you can be sure they contain harmful pesticides.

Toxic Artificial Butter Flavoring (Diacetyl)

Many popcorn brands have used artificial butter flavoring in their microwave popcorn. This chemical is called diacetyl and it has caused respiratory and lung problems and may even cause brain damage related to alzheimer’s disease.

Although most popcorn manufacturers have reportedly removed diacetyl from their products today, it’s been replaced with other kinds of butter flavoring that some scientists say are just as bad as the original stuff.

Prefer margarine?

Margarine (basically fake butter spread) and similar oil-based products typically also add diacetyl and acetoin (along with beta-carotene for the yellow color) to make the final product butter-flavored, because it would otherwise be relatively tasteless. This fact alone should make you rethink your dietary choices.

Bronchiolitis Obliterans

The artificial butter flavoring (diacetyl) can cause lung problems for some, and it HAS afflicted enough people working in popcorn factories to garner it’s own disease – it’s called “popcorn lung” or bronchiolitis obliterans.

This disease is irreversible and can cause permanent lung inflammation, scarring and even restricted airflow resulting in breathing trouble. In extreme cases it can be life-threatening. Thankfully chances of contracting this disease today is very rare.

Perfluorooctanoic Acid in The Bag

One of the worst things about microwave popcorn are the chemicals that come in the bag itself.

Perfluorooctanoic compounds are used in many Teflon coated (non-stick) frying pans, it is also used in grease-resistant packaging material such as popcorn bags and pizza boxes. We were never meant to eat this stuff, but when exposed to extreme heat sometimes Perfluorooctanoic Acids (PFOA) get released and get into our food.

In nature almost all organic compounds break down/decay and eventually decompose. Well, not this stuff… As kernels are popped in the microwave, the compounds coating the bag break down into PFOA, and when PFOA enters the bloodstream it takes a long time before it leaves the body.

Studies show that PFOA does not break down by any known environmental degradation mechanism: hydrolysis, photolysis, or biodegradation. It is also not broken down in the human or animal gut, but remains unchanged in the body, and stays for years once it finds its way in.

The Environmental Working Group

The scary thing is that PFOA is a known carcinogen and has been shown to cause developmental and other adverse effects in lab rats. PFOA is widely thought to cause cancer. Why is it acceptable to still sell these? Apparently the government doesn’t think there are enough quantifiable issues with the amount of PFOA transferred to foods. The amount of PFOA used on boxes/bags is much lower than the amount needed before you see signs of trouble, but I still wouldn’t recommend it.

Preservatives

Many brands of microwave popcorn use preservatives that are toxic and can cause health problems. Propyl gallate is a preservative usually added to foods containing oils and fats to prevent oxidation.

The FDA considers it safe for Americans to consume, but it’s interesting that many other counties have banned it or limited it’s use. It may have caused tumors in lab rats.

Because of the possible adverse effects of propyl gallate, it is being phased out of food products in many other countries, but unfortunately the United States has yet to draw attention to this one.

A healthy snack?

Even with all of the above items stated, many sources will still make the claim that popcorn in general is a healthy snack.

Sure, popcorn itself is a much better choice than eating candy bars or greasy potato chips, but let’s not mince words, foods that are rightly called “healthy” give us nutrients that our bodies need to be nourished and fight off disease. The amount of nutrients that can be found in popcorn is negligible, mostly just carbs.

That being said, eating organic popcorn in moderation (without excessive salt and fake butter) won’t hurt you, but for all the reasons mentioned above, microwave popcorn is not the best choice for a healthy snack.

But I love popcorn!

Yes I know. This is also a childhood favorite of mine too, and it’s extremely hard to pass up sometimes. If you do want to still keep some popcorn around, don’t buy the heavily processed variety.

The absolute best option is to buy raw organic popcorn kernels and just pop them yourself in a popcorn popper. You can add real butter or coconut oil. You can also sprinkle a small amount himalayan pink salt (which is better than processed/refined white table salt).

For cooking in general, it’s best to use cast iron, or glass cookware as much as possible. These are your best options, but stainless steel (as shown) is also okay.

Don’t use cheap materials in the microwave; like brown paper bags, plastic tupperware, or cook with metal pans that easily degrade or emit toxins when exposed to extreme heat.

The main lesson to take away from all this is that you should stick to real, organic foods and ingredients as much as possible. Food manufacturing companies are always looking for cheap alternatives (in packaging or the product itself) to cut costs, and to raise profits and the last thing that they have time to be concerned with is your health. So you need to do your own due diligence, eat clean, and watch what you eat!

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Additional Resources

• 7 foods that should never cross your lips
• Why Microwave Popcorn Is An Absolute Health Nightmare
• Why Microwave Popcorn is Bad and What to Eat Instead
• PFAS: Man-Made Contaminant the “Forever Chemical”
• Why you need to know about PFAS, the chemicals in pizza boxes and rainwear
• PFCs: Global Contaminants: PFCs Last Forever

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Disclaimer: the information provided on this web site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. The author of this blog is not a licensed dietitian or medical professional. Please consult with a licensed medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not responsible for any decisions that you choose to make.

It’s been described as the healthiest diet on the planet. It can lower cholesterol, blood pressure, and blood sugars. It can prevent or reverse heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. It can also reduce symptoms of arthritis and improve your overall quality of life. What is it?

It’s called the Whole Foods Plant Based (WFPB) diet.

It’s a diet is that centers on whole, unrefined, and unprocessed foods. It’s made up of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Similar to a vegan diet, a WFPB diet excludes all meats, fish, dairy, and eggs, however, it also steers clear of most refined and processed foods like refined white flours and grains, refined sugars and processed oils. The terms, ‘Whole food’ and ‘plant-based’ are terms typically used to describe something that is made from whole/natural plant foods that have not been refined in any way.

You might be thinking, “it sounds wonderful, but what’s wrong with eating meat, and oil? Aren’t these healthy?”

Well, I have personally adopted the WFPB diet myself this year, and I had those exact same questions too, so let’s dive in.

The problem with eating meat

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified red meat as a Group 1 carcinogenic to humans. Interestingly, smoking tobacco and asbestos are in that same group.

In other words, there is more than enough evidence now that proves eating red meat causes cancer. Yet, no one ever thinks about this when they go to eat a steak, a hamburger, or sausages.

I believe that humans are herbivorous creatures. Yes, we CAN eat meat, but it’s not the best choice for our bodies. We’re made to eat plants. Just like smoking; yes it’s something you CAN do, but everyone knows it’s bad for you and so you shouldn’t.

What happens when you stop eating meat?

• It reduces inflammation in your body
• It lowers bad cholesterol levels
• It restores beneficial bacteria in your intestines
• It reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes/cancer
• And it may help you to control acne and avoid arthritis

People often think, “we need protein” and yes this is true. We do. But did you know that most people who eat meat are actually taking in TOO MUCH protein?^[a] The amount of meat that Americans are eating today puts way more protein in their diet than they even need. And let’s not forget about all the other toxins from the meat. How many times have you heard about meat/fish recalls due to a salmonella outbreaks?

The truth is, when you eat a balanced variety of vegetables your diet will contain enough protein for you to remain healthy. But the meat and diary industry would never want you to know this. They want you to think that “Milk does a body good.”

The reality is that the odds of you catching some crazy parasite or food borne illness is far less likely if you aren’t eating any meat. Because many species of flies (such as mosquitoes, horse-flies, blow-flies and warble-flies) can transfer parasitic disease to domestic animals, and transmit organisms that cause diseases.

People who follow fads like “keto” diet or the “carnivore” diet may lose some weight in the short term, but they are giving themselves a one-way ticket to the dialysis clinic or the chemotherapy ward if they stick to these diets long term. On the other hand, the WFPB diet is by far the healthiest diet on the planet.

Milk does a body good?

The problem with diary products is that cow’s milk is a growth hormone designed to nourish baby cows. Not humans. Nature intended for human breast milk to nourish human infants. And all mammals (except for humans) stop drinking milk after infancy.

Infant mammals are born with an immature immune system, and their mothers milk is designed to help them to jump start their immune system by stimulating growth. The milk secretion creates extra mucus in the infant. This is fine if you are a baby because you need it, your digestive system is programmed to break down the amino acids in lactate and use it. But if you are a 40 year old man who drinks this same growth hormone, you might be growing free radicals that will grow colon cancer for you or grow prostate cancer. I doubt that’s what you want.

The only way for mother cows to produce this milk on a regular basis is through artificial insemination. They are impregnated on a regular basis, the farmer shoves his arm in the cows you-know-what and then as soon as the baby cow is born, it’s taken away from its mother within 24 hours so the farmer can then “steal” the mothers milk all over again. This is unquestionably shocking and cruel to both mother and baby, and farm hands definitely don’t treat the newborn calf with tender loving care. If it’s a male calf, it could be instantly killed because bulls are far less profitable.

This is not the circle of life. This is not a natural system like what we have in nature. This is a human-fabricated product line, designed only to bring profits to the people who operate the dairy industry. And their animals have no rights, no voice, no workers union. And every time you eat meat you are paying for the death of that animal, and the next one in line at the slaughterhouse.

Additionally, mother cows are given antibiotics on a regular basis just to fight off diseases that come from existing in unsanitary close quarters. The milk is a combination of estrogen, puss, and other bacteria which was designed for an animal to ingest, not humans. No other creature on the planet drinks the milk of a different species!

The majority of the human race can’t even handle the lactose in milk, but yet we teach our kids that they need to drink milk for calcium so they will have strong bones, when in reality they don’t. All the calcium that we need we can get from eating green vegetables like broccoli and other green leafy plants.

When I was growing up, as a child in school, I often had snotty nose, allergies, stomach aches, headaches, fatigue and other issues. And I used to wonder why, but now I KNOW why—my body was rejecting the animal hormones that I was taking in (out of ignorance) because I was told that I needed it. The reality is that a corrupt industry fed us disease-inducing food from an early age. The statement that “Milk does a body good” is nothing more than television marketing. It has no basis upon human health or nutrition.

Recent scientific studies have also shown that if you feed a human infant cows milk before the age of 1-years old it can trigger type 1 diabetes (T1D) in the child.

It’s no surprise to me that a babies immature immune system would be thrown into confusion like this after ingesting the milk of a different species—something which is an aberration of what is natural. The body tries to reject the animal growth hormone, but mistakenly destroys it’s own insulin-producing cells, and that is the irreversible onset of T1D.

Let’s talk about oil

Most consumers are Walmart shoppers. Meaning that people want to buy everything as cheap as they can find it, including food. But you should NEVER bargain shop when it comes to food.

Cheap food is often made with ingredients, preservatives and additives that are toxic or outright poison originally, but are processed/refined to be edible.

Here’s a few examples:

• Conola oil is made from the rapeseed plant. These plants contains toxic erucic acid, known to increase the of risk of lung cancer; and anaemia. They are allowed to sell it because the toxicity level averages 0.01 percent.
  
  
• Cottonseed oil is another ingredient that you will sometimes see added to food, but last time I checked, cotton is not even edible. So how can they extract the oil from Cotton and add it to food? ^[b]
  
  
• In 1995, canola oil was genetically engineered to contain bacterial DNA that would make it resistant to toxic herbicides (Roundup). Released to the market as a “healthy” oil, consumers weren’t told that 82% of the world’s canola is a GMO.

Oil is added to nearly all processed foods, food bought in stores, in restaurants and sold on the street. All of that oil (processed fat) is killing people. Cardiovascular deaths kill more people every year than all forms of cancer combined.

What about healthy oils?

By now I’m sure you’re thinking, “But we need healthy fat!” and yes, I agree, we do. But let me break this down.

Oil is fat. Omega-3 and Omega-6 are nutrients that we get from fat. The human body cannot produce these, so we need to get them from food. This is the only reason why oil is considered healthy. But these nutrients don’t need to come from UNNATURAL sources, like man-made oils. We can get enough healthy fat from whole/natural food sources like avocados and nuts.

According to Google, “Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that are important in preventing and managing heart disease.” Note that getting Omega-3 is good for us, but it’s not the only way to prevent heart disease.

And for Omega-6^[c], Google says Omega-6 is “a type of polyunsaturated fatty acid that helps stimulate skin and hair growth, maintain bone health, regulate metabolism, and maintain the reproductive system.”

So yes we do need fat, but as stated earlier, you can get Omega-6 NATURALLY; from foods like corn, tofu, nuts/seeds, avocados, etc. You don’t need to drizzle a bottle of highly processed oil (made with toxic ingredients and possibly GMOs) on your food!

Your body is made of mostly water. Oil and water don’t mix. So if you pour an oil-based dressing on a salad, that doesn’t make it healthy. What it does is cause your blood to coagulate and it fills your arteries with atherosclerotic plaque. Not cool.

A better alternative

Imagine if you ate nothing but whole/national foods on a daily basis. What would that do to your body, your heart, your circulation, your blood, and metabolism? It could do nothing except give you all the necessary nutrients that you are now missing, minus all of the bad stuff like absurd amounts of sugar, fat, salt and toxins.

Eating like this and you will no longer need to be concerned with eating bad cholesterol from meat, eating heavy metals from fish, eating hormones in dairy, and you will have lower chances of developing cancer, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular issues and many other preventable diseases. You’d only see a doctor once per year for your yearly checkup.

Almost all of these plant based foods contain fiber and water so there is no need to portion control, no counting calories, no hydration issues, and no constipation if you balance it out by eating a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains.

Below is the food pyramid that I wish they would have taught me in school. If I had been eating like this I would not be diabetic today, and neither would 1/3rd of the population in America.

You’d also have the satisfaction of knowing that less animals will have to endure horrendous torture/suffering and death in a slaughterhouse, because you aren’t buying any animal products.

But a plant based diet is a win for everyone; humans, animals and the environment. So, what’s on your plate? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Additional Resources

• What happens to the body when you stop eating meat?
• Vegan Protein: A Simple Guide to Getting What You Need
• Q&A on the carcinogenicity of the consumption of red meat and processed meat

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Disclaimer: the information provided on this web site is for educational purposes only, and does not substitute for professional medical advice. The author of this blog is not a licensed dietitian or medical professional. Please consult with a licensed medical professional or healthcare provider if you are seeking medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. We are not responsible for any decisions that you choose to make.

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Footnotes

[a] According to WebMD an adult male only needs about 56 grams of protein (10% of his caloric intake) per day. American adults eat about 5 times the amount of needed protein per day according to the World Health Organization, and according to the USDA Americans eat only twice the needed protein that they recommended. Too much protein could lead to bad breath, weight gain, constipation, diarrhea, dehydration, calcium loss, and worst case scenario, kidney damage and even heart disease.

[b] We can only eat cottonseed oil because they remove the gossypol in it. gossypol can cause all sorts of issues like respiratory distress, weight gain, anorexia, weakness, and death after several days. With gossypol removed, sure you may be able to eat this oil, but I do NOT recommend it.

[c] Most people get there Omega-6 from eating fish like salmon, but where do the fish get it from? Fish eat algae and phytoplankton. You too can also get Omega-6 from eating seaweed capsule supplements if you want to avoid eating fish on a plant based diet.

Imagine for a moment that you could change your life to be whatever you wanted. Would you be rich? Would you live care-free with no worry or stress about money, work, or your family? Do you imagine yourself driving sports cars, eating lavish foods, taking exotic vacations, and freely traveling the world? Or perhaps something else?

These things may sound like wishful thinking, but the reality is that none of us knows for certain where this crazy thing called life can take us.

Some people have actually made their dreams come true. But if you feel that your dreams are not at all possible, then they will always be an unrealistic thing for you. Nothing will change unless you first change your mindset.

For example; in life we all will have struggle, we all will have problems. But the state of your mind will determine how well you will solve the problem, and how you react to it.

Most people have a broke mindset; so they just lay down and act like they are a victim. “I’m broke. I’m poor. I can’t do that. I just cant afford it.” is what they often say. Their disposition is fixed. They make an excuse, and quickly give up.

But people with a growth mindset act as a survivor; so they get up, shake it off, set goals to solve the problem and then make their dreams happen through hard work and determination.

A growth-oriented person never says, “I can’t afford it.” because they figure out how to raise the money they need, or they already have enough money saved & assets invested to do whatever they want. Making things happen is about setting goals, planning and hard work.

So let’s talk more about these two distinct kind of mindsets.

The broke mindset

People with a poor/broke mindset think that there are only winners and losers. So when you try to teach them finances or investing they don’t want to listen because if you are winning they think of themselves as losing!

So you must cautiously instruct them this way: “This is not my way, its just a better way.” Help them to see that we can ALL be winners.

The majority of people with a broke mindset are stuck in a debt cycle which prevents them from enjoying life more so. All that they know (and are willing to do) is continue to pay the minimum balance on their credit cards which keeps them broke and struggling for decades. They never learn to manage money right. And this in turn causes much more anxiety and stress in their life/marriage than there needs to be.

Signs of a broke mindset

• Wanting something for nothing
• Blaming others for your situation
• Wanting to get rich quick/not being patient
• Complaining about problems instead of fixing them
• Not willing to work/learn/invest anything
• Not willing to sacrifice time/money/energy today for a better tomorrow

This kind of person usually also has a “fixed” mindset, meaning they don’t want to learn, to grow, or to even change their situation. They don’t think that they can’t do any better so they just continue to settle for struggling.

Instead of getting up and fixing their problems they just sit around and complain about them. They say:

• I hate my job | Go find a new job, and don’t give up until you succeed.
• I can’t afford it | Build a side income/business so you can afford it.
• I don’t like living here | Get up and move somewhere else better.
• I don’t have enough money | Stop spending & raise your financial IQ.

All of the above-mentioned solutions on the right would present a situation of unknowns, so most people won’t do it. Most are too comfortable (in their current crappy situation) to put themselves in a perceivable worse outcome if they attempt to do something unknown. But this unknown is what those with a growth mindset would call opportunity.

The growth mindset

Having a growth mindset basically means seeking to better oneself through constant refinement and increased knowledge. You push yourself to reach the goals that make you the best version of yourself in the future.

If you have a growth mindset, there is so much to learn. You are expanding your horizons — by reading books, by exercising and by trying to learn new skills: marketing, coding, investing, automation, blockchain, etc.

There is so much to learn (and do) that could potentially benefit you in the future. But why do it?

Money is not the goal

The goal is not money. The goal is freedom. Those with a growth mindset recognize that real wealth (good health and meaningful relationships) and real assets (like time and your brain) are what enable you to constantly improve yourself (by learning) and then in turn to help others around you to also become successful. You are neither intimidated by successful people or selfish about your own achievements.

None of this has anything to do with money, but as you increase your productivity and knowledge, more money inherently follows.

Having a growth mindset (the belief that you are in control of your own ability, and can learn and improve) is the key to success. Yes, hard work, effort, and persistence are all important, but not as important as having that underlying belief that you are in control of your own destiny.

Quoted from skillsyouneed.com

Having a growth mindset is about improving your entire life.

When one has a growth mindset coupled with financial literacy you recognize that there is absolutely NO GOOD REASON for most people to be broke, poor and struggling. None.

Ignorance is never a good excuse. Nor is laziness. Yet, those two things are almost always the culprit for people who are poor. Poor people tend to act like they know it all already. They think they are just a victim of society, and they expect you (or the government) to pity them and provide for them. Even if this has been true to any degree, its not a good excuse to remain poor.

If your mindset is not about growth, you won’t want to learn anything new. You’ll say “That’s too hard.” or “I can’t do it.” Yes, those with a fixed mindset are stuck in the past, they cling to their previous misfortune, come up with lame excuses why they can’t do better and they impose limits on their own opportunities, by sticking to the way things have always been.

What to watch for:

People who you associate with can also have a huge impact upon the kind of mindset you will have. So be watchful of who you hang around with.

A growth mindset individual: reads daily, sets goals, eats healthy and tries to exercise, saves money, compliments others, is continuously learning, avoids all addictions, builds a side income in their spare time. Learn from this person.

A broke mindset individual: watches TV constantly, never sets goals, eats unhealthy food, accumulates debt, criticizes others, think they know it all, has addictions like smoking/alcohol/porn/sugar, and parties every night/weekend. Avoid this person and cut ties.

Additionally, filter everything that comes at you, (on the news, on TV and the internet) because if you don’t, you too will have a broke mindset, and you’ll end up like everybody else.

If you keep doing what the majority of people do, you’re gonna end up like the majority of people.

Jaspreet Singh, Minority Mindset

Why you should care

People with a broke mindset end up having a life that is a lot harder and more stressful than it needed to be, just because they limited themselves in their own mind instead of reaching for the enumerable opportunities all around us.

This is why there are people who began life struggling, and then they win the The Lottery, became millionaires but eventually end up right back where they started (broke and bankrupt) because of making bad choices and keeping “friends” who weren’t beneficial to them at all.

These people always had a poor mindset from day one, and never learned to have the growth mindset.

Remember, having a growth mindset means that you never stop learning. The greatest opportunities only come to a small minority of people who dare to think different. Changing your mindset is key.

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Disclaimer: This article was written for educational and entertainment purposes only. This is NOT financial advice. Always do your own research and please consult with a licensed attorney before making any serious investment. We are not responsible for any investment decisions that you choose to make.