Basically, my problem was attributed to stress more than anything. I don't know what that does and I guess doctors can tell you that there's chemicals that build up in your system when you go through a lot of stress and constant stress.
- Mike Ditka Quote

Eating properly is great. I mean you cut the fat down, cut the cholesterol out, but still you got to get your rest and you got to have some form of exercise.
- Mike Ditka Quote

Here's what I tell anybody and this is what I believe. The greatest gift we have is the gift of life. We understand that. That comes from our Creator. We're given a body. Now you may not like it, but you can maximize that body the best it can be maximized.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I always tell people I want to live to be 150 and they say why would you want to do that. I say, well there's a few people I haven't made mad yet, I want to get them.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I do like beer, but lately I've started drinking non-alcoholic beer and I like the taste of it and I don't get the alcohol, so that's a good alternative also.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I don't know how to put it, but yet you know we have so many people who the way they look at life, the way they work depends on what happens, us winning or losing. It's kind of crazy. So, I kind of got caught up in that, I'm gonna try to stay away from that.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I mean, when you've had a problem in your past, whether it's attributed directly to high cholesterol or not, you want to lower your cholesterol. You want to eat healthy. You want to feel healthy. You want to have a little more energy.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I really believe the only way to stay healthy is to eat properly, get your rest and exercise. If you don't exercise and do the other two, I still don't think it's going to help you that much.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I think your alcohol intake has to change. You know, usually a big person feels they can drink anything they want to and as much as they want to and I've cut that way back.
- Mike Ditka Quote

I've been into the habit of freezing white grapes and using them as a snack. Instead of eating peanuts or popcorn or something like that or pretzels, I just eat the white grapes.
- Mike Ditka Quote

If things came easy, then everybody would be great at what they did, let's face it.
- Mike Ditka Quote

It's your body and you're going to have a much better life, you are going to have a quality life, better lifestyle, you're going to be healthier, you're going to be happier, you're going to enjoy the people around you and they're going to enjoy you more.
- Mike Ditka Quote

Not really, and actually my cholesterol was 190 when I had the heart attack. 190, which isn't that high. I took it down to about 130 and it's probably about 140 or 145 now.
- Mike Ditka Quote

One of my favorite things is mayonnaise and I have to tell you that. I love mayonnaise, but I don't eat it any more. If I do I put light mayonnaise on it, which I know is still not good but it's a lot better than the other one and I don't eat it that much.
- Mike Ditka Quote

Really, if I'm gonna eat a meat, I'd rather eat venison than anything and I do like it a little on the rare side. That's probably my favorite meat and I've had some awfully good venison in some of the great restaurants.
- Mike Ditka Quote

So, when it comes to eating healthy, it's just doing the right thing. And it's not something you have to do 365 days a year, but I think it's something you have to do 25 days a month. Let's put it that way.
- Mike Ditka Quote

Success isn't measured by money or power or social rank. Success is measured by your discipline and inner peace.
- Mike Ditka Quote

The ones who want to achieve and win championships motivate themselves.
- Mike Ditka Quote

We have a strange and wonderful relationship - he's strange and I'm wonderful.
- Mike Ditka Quote

What you feel spiritually. I think a lot of that has to do with it. If you have no spiritual life, chances are everything is going to aggravate you, you're going to fly off the handle at everything and that's what I did in the past. I've kind of got that under control now.
- Mike Ditka Quote

When I put some Tabasco on things, and there's really nothing in Tabasco, it's not bad for you in any way, so that's kind of become my substitute. Now you got to get used to a hot mouth, but that's okay.
- Mike Ditka Quote

You see people who have been very heavy in their life who have taken that body, trimmed it down, firmed it up through discipline, exercise and being able to say no. Eating properly, that all comes into it.
- Mike Ditka Quote