Eat to Live DIet

The Eat to Live program was created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. The focus is on eating a lot of vegetables and very little starches and meats. Not meant just as a weight loss technique, eating in this manner can reverse a whole host of diseases including adult onset diabetes, arthritis, heart disease and more.

The diet focuses on the idea of nutrient density...that is how many nutrients are packed into a food as a ratio to calories. Fruits and vegetables of course have the highest nutrient density, with something like candy having little nutrient density at all.

Big on Salads

According to Dr. Fuhrman, you should start every meal with a HUGE salad, then also eat many other vegetables, which can be cooked. You can eat one cup of a starch per day (rice, potatoes, pasta, etc.)

It's better if you avoid meat and dairy products, but Dr. Fuhrman says that it's OK to follow a 90/10 rule--if you eat on the plan 90% of the time, you'll be in pretty good shape.

You can eat as many fruits and veggies as you want, but you should strive to eat a pound of leafy (salad) greens and a pound of cooked vegetables a day. This is a ton of vegetables and it may be hard to eat that much when you are first starting out. Sound boring? Not to worry! The book offers many recipes that are compliant with the plan.

Broccoli vs. Beef

Most interesting thing in the book...Dr. Fuhrman points out that PER CALORIE, broccoli has more protein than beef. Take that all you "but where do you get your protein?" meat eaters!

The Eat to Live plan may be extremely difficult for die-hard meat eaters. Many people simply have it ingrained into their brains that their bodies need meat. This is not the case, but meat eaters may want to look elsewhere for an eating plan that's more compatible.

That said, how could you say that there's anything wrong with a diet that encourages you to eat primarily fruits and vegetables? It is a perfect diet for those who are already vegetarians, but still want to lose weight (not all vegetarians are skinny...).

Drawbacks

Some may be concerned about the lack of starchy foods that make up most people's diets. Dr. Fuhrman has stated in interviews that once you have reached your goal weight, you can incorporate more starches if your body is able to handle them. Watch the scale to know where you stand.

The Eat to Live plan may seem a bit drastic to many people, but it is an incredibly healthy way of eating. The first few days may be difficult, but once you see how your body reacts positively to this type of diet, you will have all the motivation you need to continue.