Eat to Live

Background

Some of the most renowned New York doctors rely on the nutritional guidance of Dr.Joel Fuhrman whenever they have a patient whose life depends on losing weight fast.

Fuhrman claims that dieters who have tried other diets and failed to lose weight will achieve success on his plan with promises of weight losses of up to 20 pounds within six weeks.

Diet Basics

The basic concept is centered on the idea of nutrient density that is expressed by the formula Health=Nutrients/Calories. Fuhrman says that our health is directly related to this ratio.

In his book Fuhrman provides an aggressive six-week vegetarian plan for dieters who want to lose weight quickly as well as a more moderate plan that allows the intake of limited amounts of animal products.

If dieters feel they must have some animal products on the plan they are permitted to have one serve of lean fish such as flounder, sole or tilapia once per week and one egg white omelet per week.

There is no requirement to count calories or portions however it would be very difficult for dieters to achieve a high calorie intake so long as they follow the recommended guidelines.

Recommended Foods

• Raw vegetables in unlimited amounts. Fuhrman advises dieters to regard salads as the main dish.
• Cooked green vegetables, eggplants, peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes.

Dieters are advised to aim for an intake of at least 1 pound of raw vegetables and one pound of steamed vegetables daily.

• Beans, bean sprouts and tofu – 1 cup daily at least and more if desired
• Fruits – at least 4 serves daily
• Starchy vegetables such as potatoes and corn as well as whole grains are limited to one cup daily.
• Raw nuts – 1 oz maximum per day
• Avocado – 2 oz maximum per day
• Ground flax seed – 1 tablespoon per day

When oils are included in meal plans the maximum amount recommended is one teaspoon per day.

All refined carbohydrates are to be avoided including bread, pasta, white rice, fruit juice and sugar.

Sample Diet Plan

Vegetarian Meal Plan (for aggressive weight loss)

Breakfast Baked apple with raisins and cinnamon

Lunch Whole-wheat pita bread stuffed with hummus and salad Fresh fruit

Dinner Mixed baby greens with peppercorn dressing Broccoli and red pepper soup 1 slice seven-grain bread Corn on the cob with veggie based seasoning

Non-vegetarian meal plan (for moderate weight loss)

Breakfast 2 cups cooked oatmeal with 1 tablespoon ground flax seed 1 banana 1 oz raisins 1/2 cup soy milk or skim milk

Lunch Green salad with balsamic vinegar and 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 cup chickpeas Vegetable soup Fresh fruit

Dinner Salad with orange and lemon juice Stir fried vegetables with chicken and tofu Steamed string beans with onions and mushrooms

Look for other vegetarian and non-vegetarian recipes here.

Exercise Recommendations

Fuhrman advocates the importance of exercise however if the ability to be active is limited due to health issues then his aggressive menu plans will still allow dieters to lose weight without exercise. Regardless he does also state that almost anyone can exercise and even if dieters are unable to walk it is still possible to do light arm weight exercises or use an arm cycle.

Try these exercises with the Eat to Live Diet.

Costs and Expenses

The book ‘Eat to Live‘ retails at $14.99. (paperback)

There may be an increase in the weekly grocery bill due to the extremely high intake of fresh produce that is a requirement for this diet.

Pros

• Educates dieters with information so that they are able to make informed choices regarding healthy dietary choices.
• High nutrient and low calorie diets may increase longevity.
• Promotes the intake of fresh fruit and vegetables (at least two pounds of vegetables and four serves of fruit daily).
• Reduces risk of and may actually reverse diseases associated with aging such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.
• Beneficial for individuals who need to lose weight quickly in order to prepare for surgery.
• Includes menu plans and recipes with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.

Cons

• Extremely restrictive which may make eating out very difficult.
• Requires a fair amount of time spent on food preparation.
• May not provide adequate protein for many dieters especially those who are very physically active.
• Some dieters such as those with inflammatory bowel disease may not tolerate the large amounts of raw vegetables and fruit.
• Many dieters would probably not enjoy eating this way.

Conclusions

Dr. Fuhrman’s diet plan is very extreme however it is well supported by scientific research particularly in regard to its potential benefit for dieters with high cholesterol, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

It is however important to be aware that not everyone responds favorably to this approach and some dieters achieve more beneficial results when they include larger amounts of healthy fats and protein in the diet.