I don't know if I'd call myself disciplined. It's more like, I set up systems for myself, and once I'm used to the system, I don't have to think about it. That's not really discipline, I'd say. More like a crutch.

I didn't have the discipline to go for one all-encompassing dietary magic bullet, like going veggie. But I've reexamined every aspect of my diet, and changed most, and made a game of it along the way. Reform in little increments seems to work for me.

It wasn't a matter of discipline that I gave up smoking, either. I'd tried many times before, and failed. But during the heart attack and two days in the hospital I never had a chance to think about smoking. They applied nicotine patches in the hospital when I said I smoked, but I don't think they were a big factor. I bought the four-week "course" of patches when I got out, but stopped using nicotine patches after a week. Didn't seem to need 'em, and I was getting a nicotine buzz from the patches.

I think what happened was just that the trauma of the heart attack simply burnt the nicotine addiction out of my brain. It took the irresistable force of excruciating pain coupled with a brush with death to overcome the immovable obstacle of the addiction.

As for the specifics of your diet, sounds commendably like mine ;-) Healthy nuts are a whole topic in themselves, because the range is so broad, from bad to really good. I buy raw almonds, broil for ten minutes, and season with Mrs. Dash, and they're pretty good. (Still, I confess that the one food I still put a little salt on is roast almonds. Sometimes they just need salt to be really good. But that's the only place in my entire diet where I add salt.) Almonds also make a good sweet: Crush and mix with honey, eat with a spork. Magnifique!