The Eat to Live Diet is a plan developed by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, a well-known physician practicing in New Jersey. The diet aims to help people who have tried all other methods of weight loss and failed, but it can also be followed by anyone who wants to break the "addiction" to a toxic way of eating. Eat to Live is a primarily vegetarian plan that makes you a "nutritarian," a word that Dr. Fuhrman created to describe people who guide their food choices by looking for the highest nutritional quality. The diet promises to improve your health and reduce your risk of chronic disease.
Features
The Eat to Live Diet requires you to choose foods with a high nutritional quality. You can measure the quality of your diet by considering the level of micronutrients, macronutrients and toxic substances present in each item you choose. You want to maximize nutrition while eliminating toxins, which include sodium, added sugars and trans fats. Fuhrman calls for 90 percent of the diet to be made up of plant foods, including green and non-starchy vegetables, fresh fruits, beans and legumes, raw nuts, seeds, avocados, starchy vegetables and whole grains. Up to 10 percent of the plan may include animal products, sweets or processed products.
Benefits
The diet claims to improve the quality and length of your life. Fuhrman also notes it will help you reach your ideal weight. Eating nutritionally-dense food will also "reverse" diseases, including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. By following the Eat to Live plan, you can also avoid having to take medications to manage conditions such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure. People of any age, including children, can follow the Eat to Live Diet to improve health. The Eat to Live diet can help you understand how to choose healthy foods for a lifetime.
Considerations
The book includes a six-week plan to stimulate quick weight loss. This plan is vegetarian, but Fuhrman also includes an additional plan that is less aggressive and permits small amounts of fish and egg whites. As long as you stick to the recommended foods, you do not have to count calories. Oil intake should be limited to just 1 tsp. per day and all white breads, pasta, white rice and sugary foods are off limits. The plan may seem very restrictive, especially if your current diet includes a lot of processed and convenience foods. Following the Eat to Live plan also requires you to cook at home often and to spend a lot of time shopping for and preparing fresh produce.
Sample Meals
Breakfast might consist of oatmeal cooked with vanilla, cinnamon, apples, blueberries, walnuts, flax seeds and raisins or a smoothie consisting of bananas, milk, berries, spinach and flax seed. For lunch, you might enjoy a tomato bisque made with carrot juice, fresh tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, celery onions, spices, cashews and spinach along with a dark green salad with chick peas and olive oil dressing. For dinner, you might cook a vegetable curry with fresh herbs, peppers, eggplants, mushrooms, green beans and tofu to serve over brown rice. Homemade banana-oat bars could serve as dessert or a snack. You might add a small amount of chicken or steamed flounder to one of the meals if you feel you must consume animal protein.
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