Diets Don’t Work and the System is Broken

Back in the 90’s, when I was still driving truck, I had to go in for a DOT physical to keep my CDL. The doc ordered a blood test, and sure enough, my triglycerides came back sky-high. Not shocking, really — considering I was living on truck stop diner food, fried food, and whatever junk I could grab on the go. Coffee, greasy breakfasts, late-night burgers. If it was quick and cheap, it was on my plate. That was the way of life for a lot of us truckers back then. Fuel for the rig came before fuel for the body. And that was my mistake.

The doctor looked me straight in the eye and told me the numbers were bad. His prescription? Pills and a diet plan. He suggested I try the Atkins Diet — meat, dairy, cheese, eggs. That’s it. He also wrote me a script for cholesterol medicine and sent me on my way. Wanting to trust my doctor, I figured he knew best. So I started down that path. For the first week, I ate nothing but heavy meats and dairy. My cooler was packed with precooked steaks, blocks of cheese, lots of hard-boiled eggs. But here’s the truth: after a few days, I was falling apart.

I remember one night in particular. I’d just finished a long haul, pulled over, and opened my cooler. It was empty except for some scraps of lunch meat and cheese. My stomach turned. I was sick of it all. Meat and more meat. The variety was gone, and my body was screaming for something else. I needed more — color, freshness, life. This wasn’t sustainable. It was boring, and my sanity was slipping. Sure, I dropped a few pounds in those first weeks, but I lost my energy, my focus, and nearly my will to keep at it. Within a month, I gave up and slid right back into my old ways.

And then came the side effects of the statin. At first it was subtle — a little muscle ache, a little fatigue. But it grew. My energy tanked, and I didn’t feel like myself. I brushed it off until I started hearing radio programs and other drivers talking about the same symptoms. That’s when it hit me: it wasn’t just in my head. The drug was doing something to me. That was my turning point. Most people would never dare to stop taking what the doctor prescribed, but I made a choice — I had to pivot away from both the pills and the plan.

So I did what millions of people have done before me: bounced from one “miracle” diet to the next. Grapefruit diet. Cabbage soup diet. Starving myself. Later on, Keto. And I failed at them all. Each one offered false hope, quick results, and the same crash landing. I’d lose some weight, get excited, then burn out and regain it. Over and over again. It took me years of trial, error, and frustration to understand the truth: it was never about dieting. It was about lifestyle.

And here’s the hard truth no one in the mainstream wants to admit: the system is designed this way. Doctors are trained to hand out pills. Food companies push junk disguised as “healthy.” Government agencies write guidelines that benefit corporations, not people. We’re told to count calories, cut fat, and eat according to their food pyramid — a pyramid designed not by health experts, but by lobbyists. And what happens? People stay sick, overweight, dependent, and confused. The system thrives on it. You’re not broken — the system is.

That realization forced me to start asking new questions. What if the problem wasn’t me, but the playbook I was given? What if the very foods pushed on us were part of the reason for our declining health? That’s when I began to read more, listen to books during long drives, ask questions, and dig deeper online. Little by little, I started experimenting. I swapped processed carbs for real whole foods. I began paying attention to labels and saw how much sugar, seed oil, and chemicals were hiding in nearly everything. And slowly, it started to click: food isn’t just calories. Food is information. It tells your body how to function. It can be medicine, or it can be poison.

Through nutrient-dense, whole foods and clean eating, I discovered a sustainable way to live that didn’t leave me drained or crazy. I felt stronger. My mind was clearer. I wasn’t chasing fads anymore; I was fueling my body with what it actually needed. That’s the difference between diets and real nutrition. Diets punish, restrict, and leave you feeling empty. Real nutrition restores, builds, and heals.

But here’s the kicker — no one in power wants you to figure this out. The food industry makes billions selling processed food designed to keep you hooked. Big Pharma makes billions more treating the damage caused by those foods. And the government? They sit in the middle, protecting corporate profits with policies that keep the cycle alive. From glyphosate-sprayed crops to subsidies for corn syrup and cheap wheat, the system is rigged against us.

That’s why I created the Healthy Rebel Report. This is where I share what I’ve learned the hard way: my personal, no-holds-barred insights on clean eating, my critiques of government food policy, and natural health tips that actually work. No sugarcoating. No quick-fix scams. Just the truth — and the practical action steps you can take right now.

At 66, I’m retired. I’m not perfect — I still stumble from time to time. But I’m strong, active, and still learning. Not because of diets. Not because of pills. But because I chose to step outside the broken system and reclaim my health. And that’s exactly what I want for you: the freedom to live strong, on your terms, not theirs.

So here’s my promise: every issue of the Healthy Rebel Report will bring you straight talk, tools, and strategies you can use to build lasting health. No fluff. No hype. Just results. Together, we’ll expose the lies, fight back against the system, and reclaim the truth about health.

👉 Stay tuned for the next issue, where I’ll share more about what those cholesterol pills really did to me — and why I’ll never look at them the same way again. Sign up HERE to be notified when I post.