"Eat To Live" Program

[Lisa]

Hey everyone,

I'm halfway through the book "Eat To Live" written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, and I've already started trying it.  Has anyone here ever tried that diet?  He says most of your calories should come from vegetables, followed by a cup of beans a day, four fruits, and no more than an ounce of raw nuts/seeds.  He also recommends soups as a way of curbing the appetite.

Now since it's Passover, I haven't been eating the beans.  But I'm already having trouble sticking to the program.  He says if you're going to have any animal products (meat, chicken, fish, dairy, eggs) it should be no more than 10% of all your calories. 

From what I've read so far, this diet seems even stricter than how Chaim eats. 

So I'm curious if any of you have done this program.  If so, have you managed to make it work with any modifications?

[Zelhar]

I am vegan and don't eat junk food so I can see many similarities between my diet and what you describe. I don't know if it's possible to get most of your calories from just vegetables unless he has some broad definition to what is a vegetable. Carrots and onions have some calories but you will turn orange if you eat so many carrots. Leafy vegetables hardly have any calories.

My guess is that in this diet in terms of volume vegetables are the prime source, but in calorie count I think you get most of them from the other sources.

You need the diet to contain all the essential amino acids ("complete protein"), so you have to combine grain and beans because they complete each other. Soy bean is the only one that has complete protein but you shouldn't eat too much soy and diversity is good with foods as a rule.

I don't think his soup tip is that good, because soups usually contain too much salt. It's better to eat big veggie salads without dressing. It lasts longer and it can be filling.

[angryChineseKahanist]

none of these programs work because no one can follow them. of course,  Im not fat.
how about, just eat then krap it out?
after youve eaten whatever you wanted have some:  strong tea or coffee, they're are diarretic. lots of fiber like metamucil keeps you regular.
of course, when I see 800LB people at the local diner, I can't imagine how they could ever lose weight.

In Lisa's case, any dieting may work well becase she isn't large. Some live yogurt would work well.

[Lisa]

Thanks AKC. 

Now according to this book, I'm 40 lbs overweight for my height. 

[Ephraim Ben Noach]

I can't help, the majority of my diet is meat...

 Also, the height to weight ratio is a bunch of crap, I can have zero fat on me, and I'm still overweight...

[drlmg]

I can't help, the majority of my diet is meat...

 Also, the height to weight ratio is a bunch of crap, I can have zero fat on me, and I'm still overweight...

The height/weight chart was formulated many decades ago when people were smaller and not as muscular.

I agree with you, I am the same...... I exercise 6 days/wk. and am NOT overweight, but the BMI charts say I am obese. Muscle is much heavier than fat.....

The BMI chart works for people in 3rd world countries like DPRK (North Korea) with an insufficient diet and thus puny build.... not in developed places.

[Draughts]

Some people have serious medical reasons which are responsible for the extra weight, some people just have a proneness and are inclined to be overweight, maybe if it is in the family and bad eating habits and no excercise simply pass from one to the other generation,  but generally those who live to eat, and don't eat to live will always have weight issues.