EATTOLIVE

TheAmazingNutrient-RichProgramforFastandSustainedWeightLoss

RevisedEdition

JOELFUHRMAN,M.D.

Little,BrownandCompanyNewYorkBostonLondon

BeginReadingTableofContentsCopyrightPage

Tomymother,Isabel,

forallherloveandsacrifice

and

inmemoryofmyfather,Seymour,

forinstillinginmeaninterestinsuperiornutrition

Thisbookisnotintendedasasubstituteformedicaladvicefromaphysician.Aphysician should be consulted if one is on medication or if there are anysymptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention. This book wascurrent as of October 2010, and as new information becomes availablethroughresearch,experience,orchangestoproductcontents,someofthedatain this book may become invalid. You should seek the most up to dateinformationonyourmedicalcareandtreatmentfromyourphysicianorhealthcareprofessional.

Foreword

AlthoughtheUnitedStatesisthemostpowerfulnationonearth,theoneareainwhichthiscountrydoesnotexcelishealth.Andthefutureisnotbright.Almostathirdofouryoungchildrenareobese,andmanydonotexercise.Nomatterhowmuch information becomes available about the dangers of a sedentarylifestyleandadietheavilydependentonprocessedfoods,wedon’tchangeourways. Ideally,Americansshouldbeable to translate financialwell-being intohabitsthatleadtolongerandbetterlives,untroubledbyexpensiveandchronicmedicalillnesses.Yet,intheUnitedStates,aswellaswesternEurope,Russia,andmanyotheraffluent countries, themajorityofadults areoverweight andundernourished.While high-quality nutrition is readily available throughoutthe United States, the American public, rich and poor, is drawn to eatingunhealthyfood.Indeed,thelistoftopcaloriesourcesforAmericansincludesmany items I donot consider “real” foods, includingmilk, cola,margarine,whitebread,sugar,andpasteurizedprocessedAmericancheese.

Thoughsmokinghasreceivedalotofattentionforthedangersitposestopublic health, and cigarettes have been heavily lobbied against, obesity is amoreimportantpredictorofchronicailmentsandqualityoflifethananyotherpublic scourge. In a recent survey of 9,500 Americans, 36 percent wereoverweightand23percentwereobese,yetonly19percentweredailysmokersand6percentheavydrinkers.Severalreasonsfor thisepidemicofobesity inmodern life have beenoffered.There is the pervasive role of advertising inWesternsociety,thelossoffamilyandsocialcohesiveness,theadoptionofasedentary lifestyle, and the lack of time to prepare fresh foods. In 1978, 18percentofcalorieswereeatenawayfromhome;thefigureisnow36percent.In1970,Americansate6billionfast-foodmeals.By2000,thefigurewas110billion.

Poor nutrition can also result in less productivity at work and school,hyperactivityamongchildrenandadolescents,andmoodswings,allofwhichheightenfeelingsofstress,isolation,andinsecurity.Evenbasicquality-of-lifeconcerns such as constipation are affected, resulting in Americans spending$600millionannuallyonlaxatives.

Withtime,theravagesofobesitypredisposethetypicalAmericanadulttodepression, diabetes, and hypertension and increase the risks of death in allagesandinalmosteveryethnicandgendergroup.TheU.S.SurgeonGeneralhasreportedthat300,000deathsannuallyarecausedbyorrelatedtoobesity.Theincidenceofdiabetesalonehasrisenbyathirdsince1990,andtreatmentcosts$100billionayear.Theillnessescausedbyobesityalsoleadtomorelostworkdays than any other single ailment and increase pharmaceutical andhospitalexpenditurestopalliateuntreatabledegenerativeconditions.

Governmentpolicyhashad limitedpower to stem the tideofobesity, yetournation’sleadershavesupportedformalreportscallingforanationalefforttoraiseawarenessofthedangersofbeingoverweight.AsapartoftheHealthyPeople 2010 initiative, the federal government has proposed several steps toreducechronicdiseasesassociatedwithdietandweightthroughthepromotionof better health and nutritional habits. It has set dietary guidelines and hasencouragedphysicalexercise,buttheseeffortshavenotmanagedtochangetheminds,orstrengthenthehearts,ofmostAmericans.Itiscleartothepublicthata minor change in one’s eating habits will hardly transform one’s life soreadily.Sothepublicturnstomagiccures,pills,supplements,drinks,anddietplansthatsimplydon’tworkorareunsafe.Afterafewfailures, theygiveuphope.

Unlike for many diseases, the cure for obesity is known. Studies withthousandsofparticipantshavedemonstratedthatthecombinationofadramaticchangeineatinghabitsanddailyexerciseresultsinweightloss,includinga60percent reduction in the chance of developing chronic ailments, such asdiabetes. Disseminating detailed information on these barriers is relativelyeasy, yet theplethoraof diet books and remedieshas created a complex andcontradictoryarrayofchoicesforthosewhoaredesperatetoloseweight.Withthe publication of Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, outlining a perfectly rational,straightforward, and sustainable diet, I believe we are witnessing a medicalbreakthrough. If you give this diet your complete commitment, there is noquestioninmymindthatitwillworkforyou.

Increating thisplan,Dr.Fuhrman,aworldexpert innutritionandobesityresearch, has gone beyond the dietary guidelines set up by the NationalInstitutes of Health and the AmericanHeart Association. Importantly,Eat toLivetakesthesenationallyendorsedstandardsaquantumstepfurther.Whereasconventional standardsaredesigned formassconsumptionandoffermodestadjustmentstoourpresenteatinghabits,Dr.Fuhrman’srecommendationsaredesignedforthoseseekingbreakthroughresults.IhavereferredmypatientstoDr. Fuhrman and have seen firsthand how his powerful methods excite and

motivate people, and have witnessed wonderful results for both weightreductionandhealthrestoration.

Iamacardiovascularsurgeoninfatuatedwiththechallengeandpromiseof“high-tech”medicineandsurgery.Nonetheless,Ihavebecomeconvincedthatthemostoverlookedtoolinourmedicalarsenalisharnessingthebody’sownabilitytohealthroughnutritionalexcellence.

Dr.Fuhrmanisdoctorasteacher;hemakesapplyingnutritionalsciencetoourownliveseasytolearn,compelling,practical,andfun.Hisowncommonsenseandhisscientificallysupportedsolutionstomanydiet-inducedailmentswill enablemany readers to achieve unexpected degrees ofwellness quicklyandeasily.Heremindsusthatnotallfatsorcarbohydratesaregoodorbadandthat animal proteins catalyzemany detrimental side effects to our health.Hepushes us to avoid processed foods and to seek the rich nutrients andphytochemicalsavailableinfreshfoods.Finally,heoffersamealplanthat istastyandeasytofollow.However,makenomistake,theinformationyouwillfindinthisbookwillchallengeyou;thescientificevidenceheciteswillmakeitharderforyoutoignorethelong-termimpactofthetypicalAmericandiet.Indeed, it is awake-up call for all of us tomake significant changes in ourlives.NowisthetimetoputthisinformationintoactiontobringoptimalhealthtoallAmericans.Goforit!

MehmetC.Oz,M.D.Director,CardiovascularInstitute

Columbia-PresbyterianMedicalCenter

Introduction

Letme tellyouabouta typicalday inmyprivatepractice. I’ll seeanywherefromtwotofivenewpatientslikeRosalee.WhenRosaleefirstwalkedthroughmydoor,sheweighed215poundsandwason twomedications(Glucophageand Glucotrol) to control her diabetes, as well as two more (Accupril andMaxide) to control her high blood pressure. She had tried every diet on themarketandexercisedbutstillcouldn’tmanagetolosetheweightshewantedto.She came to me desperate to regain a healthy weight but skeptical that myprogram could do anything more than what she experienced in the past—failure.

Iaskedherwhatinherwildestdreamsshewantedheridealweighttobeandhowlongitshouldtakehertoattainthatgoal.Shethoughtthatheridealweightshouldbe125poundsandshewouldliketoattainthatwithinayear.IsmiledandtoldherthatIcoulddesignadietforhertoloseaboutfivepoundsthefirstmonth or twenty pounds the first month and reduce her medications. Notsurprisingly,shepickedthelatter.

Afterhearingmyexplanationof theprogram Idesigned forher,Rosaleewaspsyched.Despiteall thatshehadlearnedfromreadingaboutdieting,sheneverrealizedhowall themixedmessageshadledherdownthewrongpath.TheplanIoutlinedforRosaleemadesensetoher.Shesaid,“IfIcaneatallthatgood-tastingfoodandstilllosethatmuchweight,Iwilldefinitelyfollowyourinstructions precisely.” When Rosalee returned to my office the followingmonth,shehadlosttwenty-twopoundsandhadbeenofftheGlucotrolforfourweeksandtheMaxidefortwoweeks.Herbloodpressurewasnormalandherglucosewasunderbettercontrolonlessmedication.Itwasnowtimetoreducehermedicationevenfurtherandmovetothenextphaseofthediet.

RosaleeistypicalofthethousandsofpatientsIhavehelpedinmypractice,menandwomenwhoarenolongeroverweightandchronicallyill.Igetsuchathrill from helping these patients regain optimal health and weight that Idecided to write this book to place all the most important information forweightlossandhealthrecoveryinonecleardocument.Ineededtodothis.If

you implement the information in the pages that follow, you too will seepotentiallylifesavingresults.

I also see many young women who want to lose twenty to fifty poundsquickly in anticipation of an upcoming wedding or trip to the beach. ThiswinterIsawaswimmingcoachwhohadtolookgreatinherbathingsuitcomesummer. These younger and healthier individuals are typically referred bytheirphysiciansorare informedenough toknow that it canbedangerous tocrash-diet. My plan is not only a healthful, scientifically designed dietcalculatedtosupplyoptimalnutritionwhilelosingweightquickly,italsomeetsthe expectations of those desiring superb health and vitality while they findtheiridealweight.Mydietstylecanbecombinedwithanexerciseprogramforastonishing results,but it canalsobeusedeffectivelyby those too illor toooverweighttoexercisesufficiently.

Inspiteofthemorethan$110millionconsumersspendeverydayondietsand“reducing”programs(morethan$40billionperyear),Americansarethemostobesepeopleinhistory.Tobeconsideredobese,morethanone-thirdofaperson’s body must be made up of fat. A whopping 34 percent of allAmericansareobese,andtheproblemisgettingworse,notbetter.

Unfortunately, most weight-loss plans either don’t work or offer onlyminor, usually temporary, benefits.There are plentyof “rules and counting”diets, diet drugs, high-protein programs, canned shakes, and other fads thatmightenableyoutolosesomeweightforaperiodoftime.Theproblemisthatyoucan’tstayontheseprogramsforever.What’sworse,manyaredangerous.

Forexample,high-proteindiets(andotherdietsrichinanimalproductsandlowinfruitsandunrefinedcarbohydrates)arelikelytosignificantlyincreaseaperson’s risk of colon cancer. Scientific studies show a clear and strongrelationshipbetweencancersof thedigestive tract,bladder, andprostatewithlow fruit consumption.Whatgood is adiet that lowersyourweightbut alsodramatically increases your chances of developing cancer? Because of suchseriousdrawbacks,moreandmoredesperatepeopleareturningtodrugsandsurgicalproceduresforweightloss.

Ihavecaredformorethantenthousandpatients,mostofwhomfirstcametomyofficeunhappy, sick, andoverweight,having triedeverydietarycrazewithoutsuccess.Afterfollowingmyhealth-and-weight-lossformula,theyshedtheweight they always dreamed of losing, and they kept it off. For the firsttimeintheirlives,thesepatientshadadietplanthatdidn’trequirethemtobehungryallthetime.

Mostpatientswhocometomesaythattheyjustcan’tloseweight,nomatterwhat theydo.Theyarenotalone. It isalmostuniversallyaccepted thatobese

patientscannotachievean idealweightorevenanacceptableweight throughtraditionalweight-lossprograms.Inonestudyofsixtyoverweightwomenwhoenrolled in a university diet-and-exercise program, none achieved her idealweight.

Mydietplanandrecipesaredesignedforthehardestcasesandthosewhohave failed to lose the desiredweight on other plans. Following the dietaryadviceofferedinthisbook,youwillachieveremarkableresults,regardlessofyourpreviousexperience.Weightlossaveragesfifteenpoundsthefirstmonthandtenpoundseachmonththereafter.Somepeopleloseasmuchasapoundaday.Thereisnohunger,andyoucaneatasmuchfoodasyoudesire(usuallymorefoodthanyouwereeatingbefore).Itwillworkforeveryone.

Mypatientsexperienceotherbenefitsaswell.Manyofthemoncesufferedfromchronicdiseasesthatrequiredmultiplemedications.Asubstantialnumberofmypatientshavebeenabletodiscontinuetheirmedicationsastheyrecoverfromangina,highbloodpressure,highcholesterol,diabetes,asthma,fatigue,allergies, and arthritis (to name just a few). More than 90 percent of mydiabetic patientswho are on insulin at the time of their first visit get off allinsulinwithinthefirstmonth.

WhenIfirstsawRichardGross,hehadalreadyhadangioplastyandbypasssurgery, and his doctors were recommending a second bypass operationbecausehischestpainhadrecurredandcatheterizationshowedtwooutofthethreebypassedvesselswere severelyblocked.Becausehehad sufferedbraindamage from the first bypass, Richard did not want to undergo anotheroperation. Needless to say, he was very motivated to try my noninvasiveapproach. He followed my recommendations to the letter, and within twomonthsontheplanhischestpainsdisappeared.Hisbloodpressurenormalized,his total cholesterol came down (without drugs) to 135, and he no longerrequired thesixmedicationshehadbeentakingforanginaandhypertension.Now,sevenyearslater,heisstillfreeofanysignsofvascularinsufficiency.

I see numerous patients whose physicians have advised them to haveangioplasty or bypass surgery but who have decided to try my aggressivenutritionalmanagementfirst.Thosewhofollowtheformuladescribedinthisbookinvariablyfindthattheirhealthimprovesandtheirchestpainsgraduallydisappear.Ofhundredsofcardiacpatientstreatedinthismanner,allbutafewhavedoneexceptionallywell,withchestpain resolving inalmost everycase(only one went to repeat angioplasty because of a recurrence of chestsymptoms),andIhavehadnopatientdiefromcardiacarrest.

With the help of their doctors, most patients can slowly reduce—andeventuallycease—theirdependencyondrugs.Thisprogramoftenenablesmy

patients to avoid open-heart surgery and other invasive procedures. It oftensavestheirlives.

HowevermanydetailsIprovideofmypatients’success,youarerighttobeskeptical.Thousandsofpatientswithsuccessfuloutcomesdoesnotnecessarilytranslate intoyour individual success.Afterall,youmightpointout,weren’tthesepatientsmotivatedbysevereillnessorthefearofdeath?Actually,manywererelativelyhealthypeoplewhocametomeforroutinemedicalcare.Theyfoundahiddenbenefit, and justdecided to “eat to live” longer andhealthierandlosetheextraweighttheydidnotneedtocarry,evenifitwasonlytentotwenty pounds. When faced with the information in this book, they simplychanged.

Dr.Fuhrman’sHealthEquation

Theseresultssoundfantastic,andtheyare.Theyarealsotrueandpredictableonmyprogram.Thekeytothisextraordinarydietismysimpleformula:H=N/C.

Health=Nutrients/Calories

Yourhealthispredictedbyyournutrientintakedividedbyyourintakeofcalories.

H=N/CisaconceptIcallthenutrientdensityofyourdiet.Foodsuppliesuswithbothnutrients andcalories (energy).All calories come fromonly threeelements: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Nutrients are derived fromnoncaloric food factors—including vitamins, minerals, fibers, andphytochemicals. These noncaloric nutrients are vitally important for health.Yourkeytopermanentweightlossistoeatpredominantlythosefoodsthathavea high proportion of nutrients (noncaloric food factors) to calories(carbohydrates, fats,andproteins).InphysicsakeyformulaisEinstein’sE=mc2.InnutritionthekeyformulaisH=N/C.

Every foodcanbeevaluatedusing this formula.Onceyoubegin to learnwhich foods make the grade—by having a high proportion of nutrients tocalories—youareonyourwaytolifelongweightcontrolandimprovedhealth.

Eatinglargequantitiesofhigh-nutrientfoodsisthesecrettooptimalhealthandpermanentweightcontrol.Infact,eatingmuchlargerportionsoffoodisone of the beauties of the Eat to Live plan.You eatmore,which effectivelybluntsyourappetite,andyouloseweight—permanently.

Eatingtolivedoesnotrequireanydeprivation.Infact,youdonothavetogive up any foods completely. However, as you consume larger and largerportions of health-supporting, high-nutrient foods, your appetite for low-nutrient foodsdecreasesandyougradually loseyouraddiction to them.Youwillbeable tomakeacompletecommitment to thisdiet style for the restof

yourlife.By following my menu plans with great-tasting recipes, you will

significantly increase the percentage of high-nutrient foods in your diet andyour excess weight will start dropping quickly and dramatically. This willmotivateyouevenmore tostickwith it.Thisapproachrequiresnodenialorhunger. You can lose as much weight as you want even if diets have neverworkedforyouinthepast.

This book will allow everyone who stays on the program to becomeslimmer,healthier,andyoungerlooking.Youwillembarkonanadventurethatwill transformyourentire life.Notonlywillyouloseweight,youwillsleepbetter,feelbetterphysicallyandemotionally,andhavemoreenergy.Youwillalsoloweryourchancesofdevelopingseriousdiseasesinthefuture.Youwilllearnwhydietshaven’tworkedforyouinthepastandwhysomanypopularweight-loss plans simply do notmeet the scientific criteria for effectivenessandsafety.

My promise is threefold: substantial, healthy weight reduction in a shortperiod of time; prevention or reversal ofmany chronic and life-threateningmedical conditions; and a new understanding of food and health that willcontinuetopaydividendsfortherestofyourlife.

AlltheInformationThatYouNeedtoSucceed

Themainprincipleofthisbookisthatforbothoptimalhealthandweightloss,you must consume a diet with a high nutrient-per-calorie ratio. Very fewpeople,includingphysiciansanddietitians,understandtheconceptofnutrient-per-caloriedensity.Understandingthiskeyconceptandlearningtoapplyittowhat you eat are themain focus of the book—but youmust read the entirebook.Therearenoshortcuts.

Ihavefoundthatacomprehensiveeducationinthesubjectisnecessaryformy patients to achieve the results they are looking for—but once theyunderstandtheconcepts,they“own”them.Theyfinditmucheasiertochange.Somakenomistake: thecompleteknowledgebaseof thebookisessential ifyou want to achieve significant success, but I know that after you read thisbookyouwillsay,“Thismakessense.”Youwillbeaweight-lossandnutritionexpert,andbytheendyouwillhaveastrongfoundationofknowledgethatwillserveyou(andyournewlyslimself)fortherestofyourlife.

Whyshouldyouwaituntilyouarefacedwithalife-threateninghealthcrisistowant health excellence?Most peoplewould choose to disease-proof theirbodyand lookgreatnow.They justnever thought theycoulddo it soeasily.Picture yourself in phenomenal health and in excellent physical condition atyouridealbodyweight.Notonlywillyourwaistbefreeoffatbutyourheartwillbefreeofplaque.

Still,itisnoteasytochange:eatinghasemotionalandsocialovertones.Itisespeciallydifficulttobreakanaddiction.Asyouwilllearn,ourAmericandietstyleisaddictive,butnotasaddictiveassmokingcigarettes.Stoppingsmokingisveryhard,yetmanystillsucceed.Ihaveheardmanyexcusesovertheyears,fromsmokersaimingtoquitandsometimesevenfromfaileddieters.Makinganychangeisnoteasy.Obviously,mostpeopleknowiftheychangetheirdietenoughandexercise,theycanloseweight—buttheystillcan’tdoit.

After reading this book, you will have a better understanding of whychanginghasbeensoextremelydifficultinthepastandhowtomakeithappenmoreeasily.Youwillalsodiscoverdramaticresultsavailabletoyouthatmake

the change exciting andwell worthwhile. However, you stillmust first lookdeepwithinyourselfandmakeafirmdecisiontodoit.

Iaskyoutoletmemakemycase,andtrythisplanforsixweeks.Afterthefirst six weeks—the hardest on the plan—it becomes a lot easier. You mayalreadyhavestrongreasonstomakeacommitmenttotheEattoLiveplan,oryouwouldnotbereadingthis.

Evenwithpatientsdeterminedtoquitsmoking,Iinsistthatiftheyarefacedwithsignificantwork-relatedstress,haveanargument,getinacaraccident,orexperience any other calamity, they should not go back to smoking and usesmokingasastressreliever.Iadmonishthem,“Callme,wakemeinthemiddleof the night if you have to; I will help you, even prescribe medication ifnecessary, but just don’t give yourself that option of self-medicating withcigarettes.”Itisnotsodifferentwithyourfoodaddictions—acceptnoexcusetofalloffthewagoninthefirstsixweeks.Youcanbreaktheaddictiononlyifyougiveyourbodyafairchance.Donotsayyouwillgiveitatry.Donottry;instead,makeacommitmenttodoitright.

Whenyougetmarried,doesthereligiousfigureorjusticeofthepeaceask,“Doyousweartogivethispersonatry?”Whenpeopletellmetheywillgiveitatry,Isaydon’tbother,youhavealreadydecidedtofail.Ittakesmorethanatrytoquitaddictions;it takesacommitment.Acommitmentisapromisethatyoustickwith,nomatterwhat.

Withoutthatcommitment,youaredoomedtofail.Giveyourselfthechanceto reallysucceed this time. Ifyoucommit to just sixweekson thisprogram,you will change your life forever and turning back becomes much moredifficult.

Makeaclearchoicebetweensuccessandfailure.Ittakesonlythreesimplesteps.One,buythebook;two,readthebook;three,makethecommitment.

The third step is the difficult choice, but that is all it is—another choice.Don’t go there yet. First, read the entire book. Study this book; then it willbecomeeasier and logical to take the third step—making the commitment tofollowtheplanforatleastsixweeks.Youmusthavetheknowledgecarefullyandelaboratelydescribedinthisbookbeforethatcommitmentismeaningful.It is like gettingmarried. Don’t commit tomarriage unless you know yourpartner. It is an educated choice, a choice made from both emotion andknowledge.Thesameistruehere.

Letmethankyouforbeginningthejourneytowellness.Itakeitpersonally.Isincerelyappreciateallpeoplewhotakeaninterestinimprovingthemselvesandtakingbettercareoftheirhealth.Iamcommittedtoyoursuccess.Irealizethateverygreatsuccessistheresultofastrongandsustainedeffort.Ihaveno

aspirationstochangeeverypersoninAmerica,orevenamajorityofpeople.But at leastpeople shouldbegivena choice.Thisbookgiveseveryonewhoreadsitthatchoice.

Alifetimeofcompromisedhealthdoesnothavetobeyourdestiny,becausethisplanworksanditworksmarvelously.Ifyouweren’tsure in thepast thatyoucoulddoit,letmerepeatthattakingthatbigstepmakesallthehardworkworthwhile,becausethenyougettheresultsyoudesire.

You have my respect and appreciation for making that choice to helpyourself,yourfamily,andevenyourcountrybyearningbackyourhealth.

Putmyideasthroughthissix-weektestbeforeevaluatingyourprogressordecidinghowhealthyyou feel.Do thegrocery shopping. Ifyouhave lotsofweight to lose, begin with my most powerful menu plans and instructions,without compromise, for the full sixweeks.Youwill find thephysiologyofyourbodychangingsosignificantlythatyouwillneverbethesame.Yourtastebuds will become more sensitive, you will lose most of your cravings toovereat,youwillfeelsomuchbetter,andyouwillseesuchremarkableweight-loss results that it will be difficult ever to go back to your former way ofeating.Ifyouareonmedicationfordiabetesorevenforhighbloodpressure,makesureyourphysician is awareofyourplanat theoutset.Heor shewillneed to monitor dosage to avoid overmedication. Read more about this inchapterseven.

Here is how the book works: Chapters one through four, consideredtogether, are designed to be a comprehensive overview of human nutrition.The foundation of your success is based on the scientific informationcontainedinthesefourchapters.Inchapterone,youwillseetheproblemswiththestandardAmericandietandlearnhowourfoodchoiceshavethepowertoeithercutshortoraddmanyyearstoourlife.Youmaythinkyouknowallthis,butletmesurpriseyouwithallthatyoudon’tknow.Chaptertwoexplainswhyobesityandchronicdiseasearetheinevitableconsequencesofourpoorfoodchoices. I explain the link between low-nutrient foods and chronicdisease/premature death as well as the connection between superiorhealth/longevityandhigh-nutrientfoods.Inchapterthreeyouwilllearnaboutthose critical phytochemicals and the secret foods for both longevity andweightcontrol.Youwillalsolearnwhytryingtocontrolyourweightbyeatingless food almost neverworks. The final chapter of this section of the bookexplains the problem with a diet rich in animal products and puts intoperspectiveallthemisleadingadvertisingclaimsaboutfoodsthatpeoplehaveacceptedastruth.

Thenexttwochaptersapplytheconceptslearnedinthefirstfourchapters

byevaluatingotherdietplansandtacklingmanyofthecurrentcontroversiesinhumannutrition.Chapterfivedeepensyourknowledgeofthecriticalissuesinorder tounderstand theaccurate information that isessential formaintainingyourweight lossover the long term—yourmost importantgoal.Chaptersixdiscusses food addiction and the differences between true hunger and toxichunger.

ChaptersevenillustratesthepoweroftheEattoLiveplantoreverseillnessand provides instruction on how to apply this plan to remedy your healthproblems and find your ideal weight. Applying the Eat to Live formula toreverse and prevent heart disease, autoimmune illnesses, and somuchmoreopensyourcriticaleyetoanewwayoflookingatyourwell-being.Healthcarebecomesself-care,withfoodyournewweapontopreventanddefeatillnesses.Thisisakeychapter,notjustforthosewithchronicmedicalproblemsbutforallwhowanttolivealonger,healthierlife.

Chapterseight,nine,andtenputtheadviceintoactionandteachyouhowtomakethehealthyeatingplanofthisbooktastegreat.Chaptereightexplainstherulesforswiftandsustainedweight lossandgivesyou the toolsyouneed toadjustyourdiettoachievetheresultsyoudesire.Itoffersguidelinesandasetprogram that allows you to plan your daily menus. Chapter nine containscookingtips,menuplans,andrecipes,includingthemoreaggressivesix-weekplandesignedforthosewhowanttoloseweightquickly,aswellasvegetarianand nonvegetarian options. Frequently asked questions and answers are putforth in chapter ten, and I providemore practical information to aid you inyourquesttoregainyourhealth.

Itismymissionandmyhopetogiveeveryonethetoolstoachievelifelongslimnessandradianthealth.Readonandlearnhowtoputmyhealthformulatoworkforyou.

DiggingOurGraveswithForksandKnives

THEEFFECTSOFTHEAMERICANDIET,PARTI

CaseStudy:Robertlostoversixtypoundsandsaved

hislife!

Iwasgenerallythinuntilaboutthirty-twoyearsofage.Igainedaboutthirtypoundsseeminglyovernight.Atthirty-four,Ibeganhaving

laboredbreathingandwasdiagnosedwithsarcoidosis,whichcausedsignificantscarringoveralargeareaofmylungs.Ibeganthestandard

treatmentofabiopsyandsteroids.Atagethirty-seven,Iwasfiftypoundsoverweight.Mylifechangedoneafternoonatanall-you-can-eatbuffet.Thebuttononmylast

comfortablepairofpantssnappedandthezipperbroke.Itwasfunny,embarrassing,anddeadlyseriousallatthesametime.Thatday,I

decidedIhadtochangeandwenttothebookstoretofindsomeanswers.IstumbleduponDr.Fuhrman’sbook,anditmadesensetome.Sixmonthslater,Iwassixtypoundslighter,butmywifebroughtto

myattentionalumpinmyneck.Thelumphadbeenthereforyears,butwithoutallmyfatobscuringit,itwasnowreadilyvisible.Ihadassumedthatmygaspingwasaresultofthesarcoidosis,butIhadamassive

thyroidcyst,whichblockedmywindpipeandcutoffmyairsupply.Thedoctorsdecidedthatitneededtocomeout.Acoupleofdayspriortosurgery,IwasgivenanMRI,whichshowedthatIhadnotracesofthesarcoidosis.Ithadcompletelyclearedup,justasDr.Fuhrmanhad

predicted.

Duringthesurgerythecystburstassoonasthesurgeonattemptedtocutitoutwithhisscalpel,causingmetogointoanaphylacticshock.Hadthedoctornotfirstdrainedthefluidwithaneedle,Imighthavedied.EvenmoresoberingisthefactthathadInotadoptedDr.

Fuhrman’sadvice,thecystwouldhaveremainedobscuredandwouldhaveburstonitsown.Iwouldnothavehadthebenefitofbeingonthe

operatingtable.Iamnowforty-sixyearsold,Irunabouttwentymilesaweek,andI

haveunbelievablestamina.Mysystolicbloodpressurewentfrom140to108,andmycurrentLDLcholesterollevelis40(thatisnotatypo).Ifeelgreat.IlooktenyearsyoungerthanIdidtwoyearsagoandtakenomedications.Ihavecompetedinseveraltriathlonsandampreparingfor

myfirstmarathon.Notlongaftermysurgery,IsoughtoutDr.Fuhrmantothankhim.

Youtoocanachieveyouridealweight,reversedisease,and,yes,evendelaytheagingprocess.

Americanshavebeenamongthefirstpeopleworldwidetohavetheluxuryofbombardingthemselveswithnutrient-deficient,high-caloriefood,oftencalledempty-calorieorjunkfood.By“empty-calorie,”Imeanfoodthatisdeficientinnutrients and fiber.MoreAmericans than ever before are eating these high-caloriefoodswhileremaininginactive—adangerouscombination.

Thenumberonehealthproblem in theUnitedStates isobesity, and if the

currenttrendcontinues,bytheyear2048alladultsintheUnitedStateswillbeoverweightorobese.1TheNationalInstitutesofHealthestimatethatobesityisassociatedwithatwofoldincreaseinmortality,costingsocietymorethan$100billion per year.2 This is especially discouraging for dieters because afterspendingsomuchmoneyattempting to loseweight,95percentof themgainalltheweightbackandthenaddonevenmorepoundswithinthreeyears.3Thisincredibly high failure rate holds true for the vast majority of weight-lossschemes,programs,anddiets.

Obesity and its sequelae pose a serious challenge to physicians. Bothprimary-care physicians and obesity-treatment specialists fail to make animpact on the long-term health of most of their patients. Studies show thatinitialweightlossisfollowedbyweightregain.4

Thosewhogenetically store fatmoreefficientlymayhavehada survivaladvantagethousandsofyearsagowhenfoodwasscarce,orinafamine,butintoday’smodern foodpantry theyare theoneswith thesurvivaldisadvantage.Peoplewhoseparentsareobesehaveatenfoldincreasedriskofbeingobese.Ontheotherhand,obesefamiliestendtohaveobesepets,whichisobviouslynotgenetic.So it is thecombinationof foodchoices, inactivity, andgeneticsthat determines obesity.5 More important, one can’t change one’s genes, soblamingthemdoesn’tsolvetheproblem.Ratherthantakinganhonestlookatwhat causes obesity, Americans are still looking for a miraculous cure—amagicdietorsomeothereffortlessgimmick.

Obesityisnotjustacosmeticissue—extraweightleadstoanearlierdeath,asmanystudiesconfirm.6Overweightindividualsaremorelikelytodiefromallcauses,includingheartdiseaseandcancer.Two-thirdsofthosewithweightproblemsalsohavehypertension,diabetes,heartdisease,or anotherobesity-relatedcondition.7It isamajorcauseofearlymortalityintheUnitedStates.8Sincedieting almost neverworks and thehealth risksof obesity are so life-threatening, more and more people are desperately turning to drugs andsurgicalprocedurestoloseweight.

HealthComplicationsofObesity

•Increasedoverallprematuremortality

•Adult-onsetdiabetes•Hypertension

•Degenerativearthritis•Coronaryarterydisease

•Cancer•Lipiddisorders

•Obstructivesleepapnea•Gallstones

•Fattyinfiltrationofliver•Restrictivelungdisease•Gastrointestinaldiseases

TheresultssomanyofmypatientshaveachievedutilizingtheEattoLive

guidelinesoverthepasttwentyyearsrivalwhatcanbeachievedwithsurgicalweight-reductiontechniques,withouttheassociatedmorbidityandmortality.9

SurgeryforWeightReductionandItsRisks

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), wound problems andcomplications from blood clots are common after-effects of gastric bypassand gastroplasty surgery. The NIH has also reported that those undergoingsurgical treatment for obesity have had substantial nutritional andmetaboliccomplications, gastritis, esophagitis, outlet stenosis, and abdominal hernias.More than 10 percent required another operation to fix problems resultingfromthefirstsurgery.10

GASTRICBYPASSSURGERYCOMPLICATIONS:14-YEARFOLLOW-UP11

VitaminB12deficiency 239 39.9percentReadmitforvariousreasons 229 38.2percentIncisionalhernia 143 23.9percentDepression 142 23.7percentStaplelinefailure 90 15.0percentGastritis 79 13.2percentCholecystitis 68 11.4percentAnastomoticproblems 59 9.8percentDehydration,malnutrition 35 5.8percentDilatedpouch 19 3.2percent

DangerousDieting

In addition to undergoing extremely risky surgeries, Americans have beenbombardedwith abatteryof gimmickydiets that promise to combat obesity.Almostalldietsareineffective.Theydon’twork,becausenomatterhowmuchweightyoulosewhenyouareonadiet,youputitrightbackonwhenyougooff. Measuring portions and trying to eat fewer calories, typically called“dieting,”almostneverresultinpermanentweightlossandactuallyworsentheproblem over time. Such “dieting” temporarily slows down your metabolicrate,sooftenmoreweightcomesbackthanyoulost.Youwindupheavierthanyou were before you started dieting. This leads many to claim, “I’ve triedeverything,andnothingworks.Itmustbegenetic.Whowouldn’tgiveup?”

Youmayalreadyknowthattheconventional“solution”tobeingoverweight—low-caloriedieting—doesn’twork.Butyoumaynotknowwhy.Itisforthissimple yet much overlooked reason: for the vast majority of people, beingoverweightisnotcausedbyhowmuchtheyeatbutbywhattheyeat.Theideathatpeoplegetheavybecausetheyconsumeahighvolumeoffoodisamyth.Eating large amounts of the right food is your key to success and is whatmakes thisplanworkable for the restofyour life.Whatmakesmanypeopleover weight is not that they eat so much more but that they get a higherpercentage of their calories from fat and refined carbohydrates, or mostlylow-nutrient foods. This low-nutrient diet establishes a favorable cellularenvironmentfordiseasetoflourish.

Regardless of your metabolism or genetics, you can achieve a normalweight once you start a high-nutrient diet style. Since the majority of allAmericans are overweight, the problem is not primarily genetic. Thoughgenesareanimportantingredient,physicalactivityandfoodchoicesplayafarmore significant role. In studies on identical twins with the tendency to beoverweight, scientists found that physical activity is the strongestenvironmental determinant of total body and central abdominal fat mass.12Eventhosewithastrongfamilyhistoryofobesityeffectivelyloseweightwithincreasedphysicalactivityandappropriatedietarymodifications.

Most of the time, the reason people are overweight is too little physicalactivity,inconjunctionwithahigh-calorie,low-nutrientdiet.Eatingadietwith

plentyoflow-fiber,calorie-densefoods,suchasoilandrefinedcarbohydrates,isthemainculprit.

As long as you are eating fatty foods and refined carbohydrates, it isimpossible to lose weight healthfully. In fact, this vicious combination of asedentarylifestyleandeatingtypical“American”food(high-fat,low-fiber)istheprimaryreasonwehavesuchanincrediblyoverweightpopulation.

KillingtheNextGeneration

Thisbookmaynotappealtoindividualswhoareindenialaboutthedangersoftheir eating habits and those of their children. Many will do anything tocontinue their love affairwith disease-causing foods andwill sacrifice theirhealth in the process.Many people prefer not to know about the dangers oftheir unhealthy diet because they think it will interfere with their eatingpleasure.Theyarewrong.Healthyeatingcanresultinevenmorepleasure.

Ifyouhavetogiveupsomethingyougetpleasurefrom,yoursubconsciousmay prefer to ignore solid evidence or defend illogically held views.Manyferociously defend their unhealthy eating practices. Others just claim, “Ialreadyeatahealthydiet,”eventhoughtheydonot.

Thereisageneralresistancetochange.Itwouldbemucheasierifhealthfuleating practices and the scientific importance of nutritional excellence wereinstilled in us as children. Unfortunately, children are eating more poorlytodaythaneverbefore.

Most Americans are not aware that the diet they feed their childrenguarantees a high cancer probability down the road.13 They don’t evencontemplate that eating fast-foodmealsmaybe just as risky (ormore so)aslettingtheirchildrensmokecigarettes.14

The1992BogalusaHeartStudyconfirmedtheexistenceoffattyplaquesandstreaks(thebeginningofatherosclerosis)inmostchildren

andteenagers!

You wouldn’t let your children sit around the table smoking cigars anddrinkingwhiskey,becauseitisnotsociallyacceptable,butitisfinetoletthemconsume cola, fries cooked in trans fat, and a cheeseburger regularly.Manychildren eat doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes, and candy on a daily basis. It isdifficult for parents to understand the insidious, slow destruction of theirchildren’sgeneticpotentialandthefoundationforseriousillnessthatisbeingbuiltbytheconsumptionofthesefoods.15

Itwouldbeunrealistictofeeloptimisticaboutthehealthandwell-beingofthe next generation when there is an unprecedented increase in the averageweightofchildreninthiscountryandrecordlevelsofchildhoodobesity.Most

ominouswere the results reported by the 1992BogalusaHeartStudy,whichstudiedautopsiesperformedonchildrenkilledinaccidentaldeaths.Thestudyconfirmed the existence of fatty plaques and streaks (the beginning ofatherosclerosis) in most children and teenagers!16 These researchersconcluded: “These results emphasize the need for preventive cardiology inearly life.” I guess “preventive cardiology” is a convoluted term thatmeanseatinghealthfully.

Anotherautopsystudyappearing in theNewEnglandJournalofMedicinefoundthatmorethan85percentofadultsbetweentheagesoftwenty-oneandthirty-nine already have atherosclerotic changes in their coronary arteries.17Fattystreaksandfibrousplaquescoveredlargeareasofthecoronaryarteries.Everyone knows that junk foods are not healthy, but few understand theirconsequences—serious life-threatening illness.Clearly, thedietsweconsumeas children have a powerful influence on our future health and eventualprematuredemise.18

There is considerable data to suggest that childhood diet has a greaterimpactonthelater incidenceofcertaincancersthandoesapoordiet later inlife.19 It is estimated that asmany as 25 percent of schoolchildren today areobese.20 Early obesity sets the stage for adult obesity. An overweight childdevelops heart disease earlier in life. Mortality data suggests that beingoverweightduringearlyadultlifeismoredangerousthanasimilardegreeofheavinesslaterinadultlife.21

DrugsAreNottheSolution

Newdrugsarecontinuallyintroducedthatattempttolessentheeffectsofournation’sself-destructiveeatingbehavior.Mostoften,oursocietytreatsdiseaseafterthedegenerativeillnesshasappeared,anillnessthatistheresultofthirtytosixtyyearsofnutritionalself-abuse.

Drug companies and researchers attempt to develop and marketmedications to stem the obesity epidemic. This approach will always bedoomed to fail.Thebodywill alwayspay aprice for consumingmedicines,whichusuallyhavetoxiceffects.The“side”effectsarenottheonlytoxiceffectofmedications. Doctors learn in their introductory pharmacology course inmedicalschoolthatallmedicationsaretoxictovaryingdegrees,whethersideeffectsareexperiencedornot.Pharmacologyprofessorsstressnevertoforgetthat. You cannot escape the immutable biological laws of cause and effectthroughingestingmedicinalsubstances.

Ifwedon’tmakesignificantchanges in the foodswechoose toconsume,takingdrugsprescribedbyphysicianswill not improveourhealthor extendourlives.Ifwewishtruehealthprotection,weneedtoremovethecause.Wemuststopabusingourselveswithdisease-causingfoods.

Surprise!LeanPeopleLiveLonger

In the Nurses’ Health Study, researchers examined the association betweenbodymass indexandoverallmortalityandmortality fromspecificcauses inmorethan100,000women.After limitingtheanalysis tononsmokers, itwasvery clear that the longest-lived women were the leanest.22 The researchersconcluded that the increasingly permissive U.S. weight guidelines areunjustifiedandpotentiallyharmful.

Dr. I-Min Lee, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said her twenty-seven-year studyof 19,297men found therewas no such thing as being toothin. (Obviously, it is possible to be too thin; however, it is uncommon andusuallycalledanorexia,but that isnot thesubjectof thisbook.)Amongmenwhoneversmoked,thelowestmortalityoccurredinthelightestfifth.23Thosewhowere in the thinnest 20 percent in the early 1960swere two and a halftimeslesslikelytohavediedofcardiovasculardiseaseby1988thanthoseintheheaviestfifth.Overall,thethinnestweretwo-thirdsmorelikelytobealivein 1988 than the heaviest. Lee stated, “We observed a direct relationshipbetweenbodyweightandmortality.BythatImeanthatthethinnestfifthofmenexperienced the lowestmortality, andmortality increased progressivelywithheavier and heavierweight.”The point is not to judge your idealweight bytraditional weight-loss tables, which are based on Americans’ overweightaverages.Aftercarefullyexaminingthetwenty-fivemajorstudiesavailableonthe subject, I have found that the evidence indicates that optimal weight, asdetermined by who lives the longest, occurs at weights at least 10 percentbelow the average body-weight tables.24 Most weight-guideline charts stillplace the public at risk by reinforcing an unhealthy overweight standard.Bymycalculations,itisnotmerely70percentofAmericanswhoareoverweight,itismorelike85percent.25

TheLongerYourWaistline,theShorterYourLifeline

Asagoodruleof thumb:foroptimalhealthandlongevity,amanshouldnothave more than one-half inch of skin that he can pinch near his umbilicus(bellybutton)andawomanshouldnothavemorethanoneinch.Almostanyfatonthebodyoverthisminimumisahealthrisk.Ifyouhavegainedevenaslittleas ten pounds since the age of eighteen or twenty, then you could be atsignificantincreasedriskforhealthproblemssuchasheartdisease,highbloodpressure,anddiabetes.Thetruthisthatmostpeoplewhothinktheyareat therightweightstillhavetoomuchfatontheirbody.

Acommonlyusedformulafordeterminingidealbodyweightfollows:

Women:Approximatelyninety-fivepoundsfor thefirst fivefeetofheightandthenfourpoundsforeveryinchthereafter.

5'4" 95+16=1115'6" 95+24=119Men:Approximately105poundsforthefirstfivefeetofheightandthen fivepounds for every inch thereafter.Therefore, a5'10"maleshouldweighapproximately155pounds.

All formulas thatapproximate idealweightsareonlyroughguides,sinceweallhavedifferentbodytypesandbonestructure.

Bodymassindex(BMI)isusedasaconvenientindicatorofoverweightriskand is often used in medical investigations. BMI is calculated by dividingweight inkilogramsbyheight inmeters (squared).Anotherway to calculateBMIistousethisformula:

ABMIover24isconsideredoverweightandgreaterthan30,obese.However,itisjustaseasyformostofusmerelytousewaistcircumference.

IpreferwaistcircumferenceandabdominalfatmeasurementsbecauseBMIcan be inaccurately high if the person is athletic and verymuscular. Ideally,yourBMIshouldbebelow23,unlessyou liftweightsandhaveconsiderablemusclemass.Asanexample,Iamofaverageheightandbuild(5'10"and150pounds) andmy BMI is 21.5.Mywaist circumference is 30.5 inches.Waistcircumferenceshouldbemeasuredatthenavel.

Thetraditionalviewisthatmenwhohaveawaistcircumferenceoverfortyinches and women with one over thirty-five inches are significantlyoverweight with a high risk of health problems and heart attacks. Evidencesuggests that abdominal fat measurement is a better predictor of risk thanoverallweightor size.26 Fat deposits around yourwaist are a greater healthriskthanextrafatinotherplaces,suchasthehipsandthighs.

Whatifyoufeelyouaretoothin?Ifyouhavetoomuchfatonyourbodybut feel you are too thin, then you should exercise to buildmuscle to gainweight. I often have patients tell me they think they look too thin, or theirfriendsorfamilymemberstell themtheylooktoothin,eventhoughtheyarestillclearlyoverweight.Bear inmind thatby their standardsyoumaybe toothin,oratleastthinnerthantheyare.Thequestiontoaskis,istheirstandardahealthyone? Idoubt it.Eitherway:Donot try to forceyourself to overeat togainweight! Eat only asmuch food as your hunger drive demands, and nomore.Ifyouexercise,yourappetitewillincreaseinresponse.Youshouldnottry toputonweightmerelybyeating,because thatwillonlyaddmorefat toyourframe,notmuscle.Additionalfat,regardlessofwhetheryoulikethewayyoulookwhenyouarefatterornot,willshortenyourlifespan.

Onceyoustarteatinghealthfully,youmayfindyouaregettingthinnerthanexpected.Mostpeopleloseweightuntiltheyreachtheiridealweightandthentheystoplosingweight.Idealweightisanindividualthing,butit ishardertolose muscle than fat, so once the fat is off your body, your weight willstabilize. Stabilization at a thin, muscular weight occurs because your bodygivesyoustrongsignals toeat, signals that Icall“truehunger.”True hungermaintainsyourmusclereserve,notyourfat.

TheOnlyWaytoSignificantlyIncreaseLifeSpan

The evidence for increasing one’s life span through dietary restriction isenormous and irrefutable. Reduced caloric intake is the only experimentaltechniquetoconsistentlyextendmaximumlifespan.Thishasbeenshowninallspecies tested, from insects and fish to rats and cats. There are so manyhundredsofstudiesthatonlyasmallnumberarereferencedbelow.

Scientists have long known that mice that eat fewer calories live longer.Research has demonstrated the same effect in primates (i.e., you). A studypublished in theProceedingsof theNationalAcademyof Sciences found thatrestricting calories by 30 percent significantly increased life span inmonkeys.27Theexperimentaldiet,whilestillprovidingadequatenourishment,slowedmonkeys’metabolism and reduced their body temperatures, changessimilar to thoseinthelong-livedthinmice.Decreasedlevelsof triglyceridesandincreasedHDL(thegood)cholesterolwerealsoobserved.Studiesovertheyears,onmanydifferentspeciesofanimals,haveconfirmedthatthoseanimalsthatwerefedlesslivedlongest.Infact,allowingananimaltoeatasmuchfoodasitdesirescanreduceitslifespanbyasmuchasone-half.

High-nutrient, low-calorieeatingresults indramatic increases in lifespanaswellaspreventionofchronicillnesses.Fromrodentstoprimateswesee:

ResistancetoexperimentallyinducedcancersProtectionfromspontaneousandgeneticallypredisposedcancersAdelayintheonsetoflate-lifediseasesNonappearanceofatherosclerosisanddiabetesLowercholesterolandtriglyceridesandincreasedHDLImprovedinsulinsensitivityEnhancement of the energy-conservation mechanism, including

reducedbodytemperatureReductioninoxidativestressReduction in parameters of cellular aging, including cellular

congestionEnhancement of cellular repair mechanisms, including DNA repair

enzymesReductionininflammatoryresponseandimmunecellproliferationImproveddefensesagainstenvironmentalstressesSuppressionofthegeneticalterationsassociatedwithagingProtectionofgenesassociatedwithremovalofoxygenradicalsInhibitedproductionofmetabolitesthatarepotentcross-linkingagentsSlowedmetabolicrate28

Thelinkbetweenthinnessandlongevity,andobesityandashorterlifespan,

isconcrete.Anotherimportantconsiderationinotheranimalstudiesisthatfatand protein restriction have an additional effect on lengthening life span.29Apparently, higher fat and higher protein intake promotes hormoneproduction, speeds up reproductive readiness and other indicators of aging,andpromotesthegrowthofcertaintumors.Forexample,excessproteinintakehasbeenshowntoraiseinsulin-likegrowthfactor(IGF-1)levels,30whicharelinkedtohigherratesofprostateandbreastcancer.31

In thewide field of longevity research there is only one finding that hasheldupover theyears:eating lessprolongs life,as longasnutrient intake isadequate.32All other longevity ideas aremerely conjectural and unproven.33Such theories include taking hormones such as estrogen, DHEA, growthhormones,andmelatonin,aswellasnutritionalsupplements.Sofar,thereisnosolid evidence that supplying thebodywith anynutritional elementover andabove the level present in adequate amounts in a nutrient-dense diet willprolong life. This is in contrast to the overwhelming evidence regardingproteinandcaloricrestriction.

This importantand irrefutable finding isacrucial featureof theH=N/Cequation.Weallmustrecognizethatifwearetoreachthelimitofthehumanlifespan,wemustnotovereatonhigh-caloriefood.Eatingempty-caloriefoodmakes it impossible to achieve optimal health and maximize our geneticpotential.

ToAvoidOvereatingonHigh-CalorieFoods,FillUponNutrient-RichOnes

Animportantcorollarytotheprincipleoflimitinghigh-caloriefoodisthattheonlywayforahumanbeingtosafelyachievethebenefitsofcaloricrestrictionwhile ensuring that the diet is nutritionally adequate is to avoid as much aspossiblethosefoodsthatarenutrient-poor.

Indeed,thisisthecrucialconsiderationindecidingwhattoeat.Weneedtoeatfoodswithadequatenutrientssowewon’tneedtoconsumeexcess“empty”calories to reach our nutritional requirements. Eating foods that are rich innutrients and fiber, and low in calories, “fills us up,” so to speak, thuspreventingusfromovereating.

Tograspwhythisworks,letuslookathowthebraincontrolsourdietarydrive. A complicated system of chemoreceptors in the nerves lining thedigestive tract carefully monitor the calorie and nutrient density of everymouthful and send such information to thehypothalamus in thebrain,whichcontrolsdietarydrive.

MORENUTRIENTSANDFIBERWILLREDUCEYOURCALORICDRIVE

Therearealsostretchreceptorsinthestomachtosignalsatietybydetecting

thevolumeof foodeaten,not theweightof the food. Ifyouarenot filledupwithnutrientsandfiber,thebrainwillsendoutsignalstellingyoutoeatmorefood,orovereat.

In fact, if you consume sufficient nutrients and fiber, you will becomebiochemicallyfilled(nutrients)andmechanicallyfilled(fiber),andyourdesireto consume calories will be blunted or turned down. One key factor thatdetermines whether you will be overweight is your failure to consumesufficientfiberandnutrients.Thishasbeenillustratedinscientificstudies.34

How does this work in practice? Let’s say we conduct a scientificexperimentandobserveagroupofpeoplebymeasuringtheaveragenumberofcaloriestheyconsumedateachdinner.Next,wegivethemawholeorangeand a whole apple prior to dinner. The result would be that the participantswouldreducetheircaloricintake,ontheaverage,bytheamountofcaloriesinthefruit.Now,insteadofgivingthemtwofruits,givethemthesameamountofcaloriesfromfruitjuice.

Whatwillhappen?Theywilleatthesameamountoffoodastheydidwhentheyhadnothingat thebeginningof theirmeal. Inotherwords, the juicedidnot reduce the calories consumed in the meal—instead, the juice becameadditional calories.Thishasbeen shown tooccurwithbeer, softdrinks, andothersourcesofliquidcalories.35

Liquid calories, without the fiber present in the whole food, have littleeffect in blunting our caloric drive. Studies show that fruit juice and other

sweetbeveragesleadtoobesityinchildrenaswell.36Ifyouareseriousabout losingweight,don’tdrinkyourfruit—eat it.Too

muchfiberand toomanynutrientsare removedduring juicing,andmanyoftheremainingnutrientsarelostthroughprocessing,heat,andstoragetime.Ifyouarenotoverweight,drinkingfreshlypreparedjuiceisacceptableaslongasitdoesnotserveasasubstituteforeatingthosefreshfruitsandvegetables.Thereisnosubstitutefornaturalwholefoods.

Thereisatendencyformanyofustowanttobelieveinmagic.Peoplewanttobelievethatinspiteofourindiscretionsandexcesses,wecanstillmaintainoptimalhealthbytakingapill,powder,orotherpotion.However,thisisafalsehope,ahopethathasbeensilencedbytoomuchscientificevidence.There isnomagic.Thereisnomiracleweight-losspill.Thereisonlythenaturalworldoflawandorder,ofcauseandeffect.Ifyouwantoptimalhealthandlongevity,youmustengagethecause.Andifyouwanttolosefatweightsafely,youmusteatadietofpredominantlyunrefinedfoodsthatarenutrient-andfiber-rich.

WhatifIHaveaSlowMetabolicRate?

Your bodyweightmay be affected slightly by genetics, but that effect is notstrong.Furthermore,Iamconvincedthatinheritingaslowmetabolicratewithatendencytogainweight isnotaflawordefectbutratherageneticgift thatcan be taken advantage of. How is this possible? A slower metabolism isassociatedwithalongerlifespaninallspeciesofanimals.Itcanbespeculatedthat if one lived sixty thousand or just a few hundred years ago, a slowermetabolic rate might have increased our survival opportunity, since gettingsufficient calories was difficult. For example, themajority of PilgrimswhoarrivedonourshoresontheMayflowerdiedthatfirstwinter.37Theycouldnotmakeorfindenoughfoodtoeat,soonlythosewiththegeneticgiftofaslowmetabolicratesurvived.

Asyoucansee,itisnotalwaysbadtohaveaslowmetabolicrate.Itcanbegood. Sure, it is bad in today’s environment of relentless eating and whenconsumingahigh-calorie,low-nutrientdiet.Sure,itwillincreaseyourriskofdiabetes and heart disease and cancer, given today’s food-consumptionpatterns. However, if correct food choices are made to maintain a normalweight,theindividualwithaslowermetabolismmayagemoreslowly.

Our body is like a machine. If we constantly run the machinery at highspeed, itwillwear out faster.Since animalswith slowermetabolic rates livelonger,eatingmorecalories,whichdrivesupourmetabolicrate,willcauseusonlytoagefaster.Contrarytowhatyoumayhaveheardandreadinthepast,our goal should be the opposite: to eat less, only as much as we need tomaintainaslimandmuscularweight,andnomore,soastokeepourmetabolicraterelativelyslow.

So stop worrying about your slowermetabolic rate. A slowermetabolicratefromdietingisnottheprimarycauseofyourweightproblem.Keepthesethreeimportantpointsinmind:

1. Resting metabolic rates do decline slightly during periods of lowercaloricintake,butnotenoughtosignificantlyinhibitweightloss.

2. Restingmetabolicratesreturntonormalsoonaftercaloricintakeisno

longer restricted. The lowered metabolic rate does not stay lowpermanentlyandmakefuturedietingmoredifficult.

3. Asuddenloweringofthemetabolicratefromdietingdoesnotexplainthe weight gain/loss cycles experienced by many overweight people.Thesefluctuationsinweightareprimarilyfromgoingonandgettingoffdiets. It is especiallydifficult to staywith a reduced-caloriedietwhen itnevertrulysatisfiestheindividual’sbiochemicalneedfornutrients,fiber,andphytochemicals.38

Those with a genetic tendency to be overweight may actually have the

geneticpotentialtooutlivetherestofus.Thekeytotheirsuccessfullongevityliesintheirchoosinganutrient-rich,fiber-rich,lower-caloriediet,aswellasgettingadequatephysicalactivity.Byadjustingthenutrient-per-caloriedensityofyourdiettoyourmetabolicrate,youcanuseyourslowmetabolismtoyouradvantage. When you can maintain a normal weight in spite of a slowmetabolism,youwillbeabletoachievesignificantlongevity.

AnUnprecedentedOpportunityinHumanHistory

Science and the development of modern refrigeration and transportationmethodshavegivenusaccess tohigh-quality,nutrient-dense food. In today’smodernsociety,wehaveavailabletousthelargestvarietyoffreshandfrozennaturalfoodsinhumanhistory.Usingthefoodsavailabletoustoday,wecandevisedietsandmenuswithbetternutrientdensityandnutrientdiversity thaneverbeforepossible.

Thisbookgivesyou the informationand themotivationyouneed to takeadvantage of this opportunity to improve your health and maximize yourchancesforadisease-freelife.

Youhaveaclearchoice.Youcanlivelongerandhealthierthaneverbefore,oryoucandowhatmostmodernpopulationsdo: eat tocreatediseaseandapremature death. Since you are reading this book, you have opted to livelonger and healthier. “Eat to live” and youwill achieve a happier andmorepleasurablelife.

Overfed,YetMalnourished

THEEFFECTSOFTHEAMERICANDIET,PARTII

CaseStudy:Charlottelost130poundsandreversed

herheartdiseaseanddiabetes!

Ihadbeenheavysincechildhood.Itwouldbeeasytoblamemy

problemsonheredity,sincethereisahistoryofobesity,heartdisease,anddiabetesonbothsidesofmyfamily.

ThroughtheyearsItriedmanydietswithonlyminimalandneverlastingsuccess.Ireachedatopweightof263poundsonafive-footfour-inchframeandhadresignedmyselftoforeverbeingaplus-size

woman.IwasdiagnosedwithTypeIIdiabetes(alongwithhypertensionand

highcholesterol)aftersufferingastrokeatagefifty-six.Tocontrolalltheseills,IwasprescribedmedicationsthatIwasexpectedtotakeforlife.Aboutayearafterthestroke,Iwasdiagnosedwithaseriousformoftachycardiathatrequiredimmediatemedicalattention.Iendedupwithtwoheartstentsbecauseofa95percentblockageandmore

prescriptions.Iavoidedseeingdoctors,becausealthoughtheylecturedmeaboutmyweight,theonlysolutiontheyofferedwasacalorie-restricted

versionofthestandardAmericandietonwhichIwasalwayshungryandmiserable.Myhusband,Clarence,searchedtheInternetforwaystohelpmebecomehealthierandfoundDr.FuhrmanandhisbookEattoLive,

whichclaimeddramaticresultsthroughdietarychanges.

Iquicklyshedpounds,andmylabtestresultsimproved.Althoughmy

diabeteswascontrolledtothesatisfactionofmydoctors,Dr.Fuhrmansaidthefirstprioritywastogetridofitcompletelythroughnutritionalexcellence.NophysicianIhadseenhadevermentionedthisasa

possibility.Now,aboutayearandahalflater,Iamnolongerdiabeticandhavehadnofurtherheartproblems.Myfastingbloodsugaraverages79

withouttreatment.SinceJuly29,2003,mytotalcholesterolhasdroppedfrom219to130,mytriglyceridesaredownfrom174to73,andmyLDL

cholesterolhasgonefrom149to70.Mycurrentweightisaround130,slightlylessthanhalfmy

maximum.Ashardasitistoimagine,thelasttimeIwasthisweight,Iwasunderagetwelve.Lessmeasurable,butimportant,benefitsarethatInolongersnore,havemoreenergy,andhaveincreasedresistancetocoldsandflusthatpreviouslyworemedown.TherearemanythingsIcandomoreeasilynowversusbeforewhenIwassooverweight.

IoweallthesepositivechangestoDr.Fuhrman’sEattoLiveprogram.Istillhaveaheartyappetite,butmyrelationshiptofoodisfarlessaddictive.PeoplemaythinkIhavelostweightthroughwillpower,butthat’snottrue.IfI’dhadanywillpower,Iwouldneverhavebecomesolargeinthefirstplace.TheEattoLiveprogramtakestimeandeffort,

butformetheresultshavebeenwellworthit.

Nowyouknowmyformulaforlongevity(H=N/C)andthatthekeytothisformulaisthenutrientdensityofyourdiet.Inotherwords,youmusteatadietrich in nutrients and fiber,with a very low percentage of foods that are notnutrient-and fiber-dense. It is the same formula thatwillenableyourbody toachieveslimness.

Tohelpyoulearnhowtoapplythisformulatoyourlife,youfirstneedtounderstandwhyyoumust follow it, exploring the relationshipsbetweendiet,health,anddisease.Todoso,youneedtotakealookattherealityofhowmostpeopleeatandwhattheygainorlosefromsucheatingpractices.

TheProsandConsofOur“NaturalSweetTooth”

Even though we havemany unique human traits, we are genetically closelyrelatedtothegreatapesandotherprimates.Primatesaretheonlyanimalsonthe faceof theearth that can taste sweetand seecolor.Weweredesignedbynaturetosee,grasp,eat,andenjoytheflavorofcolorful,sweetfruits.

Fruitisanessentialpartofourdiets.Itisanindispensablerequirementforus tomaintain a high level of health. Fruit consumption has been shown innumerous studies to offer our strongest protection against certain cancers,especially oral and esophageal, lung, prostate, pancreatic, and colorectalcancer.1Thankfully, our natural sweet toothdirects us to those foods ideally“designed” for our primate heritage—fruit. Fresh fruit offers us powerfulhealth-givingbenefits.

Researchershavediscoveredsubstancesinfruitthathaveuniqueeffectsonpreventing aging and deterioration of the brain.2 Some fruits, especiallyblueberries,are rich inanthocyaninsandothercompoundshavinganti-agingeffects.3Studies continue toprovideevidence thatmore thananyother food,fruitisassociatedwithloweredmortalityfromallcancerscombined.4Eatingfruitisvitaltoyourhealth,well-being,andlonglife.

Regrettably, our human desire for sweets is typically satisfied by theconsumptionofproductscontainingsugar,suchascandybarsandicecream—notfreshfruit.TheU.S.DepartmentofAgriculture(USDA)estimatesthatthetypical American now consumes an unbelievable thirty teaspoons of addedsugaraday.5That’sright,inoneday.

Asweshallsee,weneedtosatisfyoursweettoothwithfresh,naturalfruitsandotherplantsubstancesthatsupplyusnotjustwithcarbohydratesforenergybut also with the full complement of indispensable substances that preventillness.

NutritionalLightweights:PastaandWhiteBread

Unlike the fruits found innature—whichhavea full ensembleofnutrients—processedcarbohydrates(suchasbread,pasta,andcake)aredeficientinfiber,phytonutrients, vitamins, and minerals, all of which have been lost inprocessing.

Comparedwithwholewheat,typicalpastaandbreadaremissing:

•62percentofthezinc

•72percentofthemagnesium•95percentofthevitaminE•50percentofthefolicacid•72percentofthechromium•78percentofthevitaminB6

•78percentofthefiber

In a six-year study of 65,000 women, those with diets high in refinedcarbohydratesfromwhitebread,whiterice,andpastahadtwoandahalftimesthe incidence of Type II diabetes, compared with those who ate high-fiberfoods such as whole wheat bread and brown rice.6 These findings werereplicatedinastudyof43,000men.7Diabetes isno trivialproblem; it is theseventh leading cause of death by disease in America, and its incidence isgrowing.8

Walter Willett, M.D., chairman of the Department of Nutrition at theHarvardSchoolofPublicHealthandco-authorofthosetwostudies,findstheresultssoconvincingthathe’dlikeourgovernmenttochangetheFoodGuidePyramid, which recommends six to eleven servings of any kind ofcarbohydrate.Hesays,“Theyshouldmoverefinedgrains,likewhitebread,uptothesweetscategorybecausemetabolicallythey’rebasicallythesame.”

These starchy (white-flour) foods, removed fromnature’s packaging, areno longer real food. The fiber and the majority of minerals have beenremoved,sosuchfoodsareabsorbedtoorapidly,resultinginasharpglucosesurge into the bloodstream.The pancreas is then forced to pumpout insulinfastertokeepup.Excessbodyfatalsocausesustorequiremoreinsulinfromthepancreas.Over time, it is the excessivedemand for insulinplacedon thepancreasfrombothrefinedfoodsandincreasedbodyfatthatleadstodiabetes.Refinedcarbohydrates,whiteflour,sweets,andevenfruitjuices,becausetheyenter the bloodstream so quickly, can also raise triglycerides, increasing theriskofheartattackinsusceptibleindividuals.

Everytimeyoueatsuchprocessedfoods,youexcludefromyourdietnotonly the essential nutrients that we are aware of but hundreds of otherundiscoveredphytonutrientsthatarecrucialfornormalhumanfunction.When

the nutrient-rich outer cover is removed from whole wheat to make it intowhiteflour,themostnutritiouspartofthefoodislost.Theouterportionofthewheat kernel contains trace minerals, phytoestrogens, lignans, phytic acid,indoles,phenoliccompounds,andotherphytochemicals,aswellasalmostallthevitaminEin thefood.Truewholegrainfoods,whichareassociatedwithlongerlife,arevastlydifferentfromtheprocessedfoodsthatmakeupthebulkofcaloriesinthemodernAmericandiet(MAD).9

Medicalinvestigationsclearlyshowthedangersofconsumingthequantityofprocessedfoodsthatwedo.Andbecausetheserefinedgrainslackthefiberand nutrient density to satisfy our appetite, they also cause obesity, diabetes,heartdisease,andsignificantlyincreasedcancerrisk.10

Onenine-yearstudyinvolving34,492womenbetweentheagesoffifty-fiveand sixty-nine showed a two-thirds increase in the risk of death from heartdiseaseinthoseeatingrefinedgrains.11Summarizingfifteenepidemiologicalstudies,researchersconcludedthatdietscontainingrefinedgrainsandrefinedsweets were consistently linked to stomach and colon cancer, and at leastfifteen breast cancer studies connect low-fiber diets with increased risks.12Eatingadietthatcontainsasignificantquantityofsugarandrefinedflourdoesnotjustcauseweightgain,italsoleadstoanearlierdeath.

RefinedFoodsAreLinkedTo:

•Oralcavitycancer•Stomachcancer•Colorectalcancer•Intestinalcancer•Breastcancer•Thyroidcancer

•Respiratorytractcancer•Diabetes

•Gallbladderdisease•Heartdisease13

Ifyouwanttoloseweight,themostimportantfoodstoavoidareprocessed

foods:condiments,candy,snacks,andbakedgoods;fat-freehasnothingtodowithit.Almostallweight-lossauthoritiesagreeonthis—youmustcutouttherefinedcarbohydrates,includingbagels,pasta,andbread.Asfarasthehumanbody is concerned, low-fiber carbohydrates such as pasta are almost asdamagingaswhitesugar.Pastaisnothealthfood—itishurtfood.

Now I can imaginewhatmany of you are thinking: “But,Dr. Fuhrman! Ilove pasta. Do I have to give it up?” I enjoy eating pasta, too. Pasta cansometimes be used in small quantities in a recipe that includes lots of greenvegetables, onions,mushrooms, and tomatoes.Whole grain pastas and beanpastas, found in health-food stores, are better choices than thosemade fromwhiteflour.Thepointtorememberisthatallrefinedgrainsmustbeplacedinthatlimitedcategory—foodsthatshouldconstituteonlyasmallpercentageofourtotalcaloricintake.

Whataboutbagels?Isthe“wholewheat”bagelyoujustboughtatthebagelstorereallymadefromwholegrain?No; inmostcases, it isprimarilywhiteflour. It is hard to tell sometimes. Ninety-nine percent of pastas, breads,cookies, pretzels, and other grain products are made from white flour.Sometimesa littlewholewheatorcaramelcolor isaddedand theproduct iscalledwholewheattomakeyouthinkit istherealthing.It isn’t.Mostbrownbreadismerelywhitebreadwithafaketan.WheatgrownonAmericansoilisnot a nutrient-dense food to begin with, but then the food manufacturersremovethemostvaluablepartofthefoodandaddbleach,preservatives,salt,sugar, and food coloring to make breads, breakfast cereals, and other

convenience foods. YetmanyAmericans consider such food healthymerelybecauseitislowinfat.

SoilDepletionofNutrientsIsNottheProblem—OurFoodChoicesAre

Contrary tomanyof thehorror stories youhear, our soil is not depletedofnutrients.California,Washington,Oregon,Texas,Florida,andotherstatesstillhaverich,fertilelandthatproducesmostofourfruits,vegetables,beans,nuts,and seeds. America provides some of the most nutrient-rich produce in theworld.

Ourgovernmentpublishesnutritionalanalysesoffoods.Ittakesfoodfroma variety of supermarkets across the country, analyzes it, and publishes theresults.Contrarytoclaimsofmanyhealth-foodandsupplemententhusiasts,theproduce grown in this country is nutrient-rich and high in trace minerals,especially beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.14 American-producedgrains, however, do not have the mineral density of vegetables. Grains andanimal-feedcropsgrowninthesoutheasternstatesare themostdeficient,buteveninthosestatesonlyasmallpercentageofcropsareshowntobedeficientinminerals.15

Thankfully,byeatingadietwithawidevarietyofnaturalplantfoods,fromavarietyofsoils,thethreatofnutritionaldeficiencymerelyasaresultofsoilinadequacyiseliminated.Americansarenotnutrient-deficientbecauseofourdepletedsoil,assomenutritional-supplementproponentsclaim.Americansarenutrient-deficientbecausetheydonoteatasufficientquantityoffreshproduce.Over90percentof thecaloriesconsumedbyAmericanscome from refinedfoodsoranimalproducts.Withsuchasmallpercentageofourdietconsistingofunrefinedplantfoods,howcouldwenotbecomenutrient-deficient?

Sincemorethan40percentofthecaloriesintheAmericandietarederivedfromsugarorrefinedgrains,bothofwhicharenutrient-depleted,Americansare severely malnourished. Refined sugars cause us to be malnourished indirectproportiontohowmuchweconsumethem.TheyarepartiallytoblameforthehighcancerandheartattackratesweseeinAmerica.

It is notmerely dental cavities that should concern us about sugar. If weallowourselvesandourchildrentoutilizesugar,whiteflourproducts,andoiltosupplythemajorityofcalories,asmostAmericanfamiliesdo,weshallbe

condemning ourselves to a lifetime of sickness, medical problems, and aprematuredeath.

Refinedsugars include tablesugar (sucrose),milksugar (lactose),honey,brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup,molasses, corn sweeteners, and fruitjuiceconcentrates.Even thebottledandboxed fruit juices thatmanychildrendrinkareapoorfood;withnosignificantnutrientdensity,theyleadtoobesityanddisease.16Processedapple juice,which isnotfar fromsugarwater in itsnutrientscore,accountsforalmost50percentofall fruitservingsconsumedby preschoolers.17 For example, apple juice contains none of the vitamin Coriginallypresentinthewholeapple.Orangesmakethemostnutritiousjuice,butevenorangejuicecan’tcomparewiththeoriginalorange.Incitrusfruits,most of the anti-cancer compounds are present in the membranes and pulp,whichareremovedinprocessingjuice.Thosecardboardcontainersoforangejuice contain less than 10percent of the vitaminCpresent in an orange andevenlessof thefiberandphytochemicals.Juiceisnotfruit,andprepackagedjuicesdonotcontainevenone-tenthofthenutrientspresentinfreshfruit.

Processedcarbohydrates,lackinginfiber,failtoslowsugarabsorption,causingwideswingsinglucoselevels.

Empty calories are empty calories. Cookies, jams, and other processed

foods (even those from the health-food store) sweetened with “fruit juice”soundhealthierbutarejustasbadaswhite-sugarproducts.Whenfruitjuiceisconcentrated andused as a sweetener, thehealthynutritional components arestripped away—what’s left is plain sugar. To your body, there is not muchdifference between refined sugar, fruit juice sweeteners, honey, fruit juiceconcentrate, and any other concentrated sweetener.Our sweet tooth has beenputtherebynaturetohaveusenjoyandconsumerealfruit,notsomeimitation.Fresh-squeezed orange juice and other fresh fruit and vegetable juices arerelativelyhealthyfoodsthatcontainthemajorityoftheoriginalvitaminsandminerals.Butsweetfruitjuicesandevencarrotjuiceshouldstillbeusedonlymoderately,astheystillcontainahighconcentrationofsugarcaloriesandnofiber.Theyarenotanidealfoodforthosedesiringtoloseweight.Ioftenusethesejuicesaspartofsaladdressingsandotherdishes rather thanaloneasadrink.Freshfruitsandevendriedfruitsdocontainanassortmentofprotectivenutrientsandphytochemicals,sostickwiththerealthing.

LesterTraband’sYearlyCheckup

MypatientLesTrabandcameinforhisyearlycheckup.Hewasnotoverweightandhadbeenfollowingavegetariandietforyears.Idida

dietaryreviewofwhatheateregularly.Hewaseating“healthy”flaxseedwafflesforbreakfast,lotsofpasta,wholewheatbread,andvegan(noanimalproducts)preparedfrozenmealsonaregularbasis.

Ispentaboutthirtyminutespointingoutthathewascertainlynotfollowingmydietaryrecommendationsforexcellenthealthandpresentedhimwithsomemenusuggestionsandanoutlineofmy

nutritionalprescriptionforsuperiorhealth,whichheagreedtofollow.Twelveweekslater,hehadlostabouteightpoundsandIrechecked

hislipidprofile,becauseIdidn’tliketheresultswereceivedfromthebloodtesttakenthedayofhischeckup.

Theresultsspeakforthemselves:

2/1/20015/2/2001Cholesterol 230 174Triglycerides 226 57HDL 55 78LDL 130 84Cholesterol/HDLratio 4.18 2.23

EnrichmentwithNutrientsIsaHouseMadeofStraw

White or “enriched” rice is just as bad as white bread and pasta. It isnutritionally bankrupt.Youmight aswell just eat theUncleBen’s cardboardbox itcomes in.Refining therice removes thesame important factors: fiber,minerals,phytochemicals, andvitaminE.So,whenyoueatgrains,eatwholegrains.

Refining foods removes somuch nutrition that our government requiresthat a few synthetic vitamins and minerals be added back. Such foods arelabeledasenrichedorfortified.Wheneveryouseethosewordsonapackage,itmeansimportantnutrientsaremissing.Refiningfoodslowerstheamountofhundreds of known nutrients, yet usually only five to ten are added back byfortification.

Aswe change food through processing and refining,we rob the food ofcertain health-supporting substances and often create unhealthy compounds,thusmakingitamoreunfitfoodforhumanconsumption.Asageneralruleofthumb:thecloserweeatfoodstotheirnaturalstate,thehealthierthefood.

NotAllWholeWheatProductsAreEqual

“Wholegrain”foodsarenotalwaysnutrient-dense,healthyfoods.Manywholegraincoldcerealsaresoprocessedthattheydonothaveasignificantfiberperservingratioandhavelostmostoftheirnutritionalvalue.

Eatingfragmentedandunbalancedfoodscausesmanyproblems,especiallyforthosetryingtoloseweight.

Wholewheat that is finelygroundisabsorbedinto thebloodstreamfairly

rapidlyandshouldnotbeconsideredaswholesomeasmorecoarselygroundand grittier whole grains. The rapid rise of glucose triggers fat storagehormones. Because the more coarsely ground grains are absorbed moreslowly,theycurtailourappetitebetter.

Wholegrainhotcerealsarelessprocessedthancoldcerealsandcomeupwithbetternutritionalscores.Theycanbesoakedinwaterovernightsoyoudonothavetocooktheminthemorning.

Unlike eating whole grain foods, ingesting processed foods can subtractnutrients and actually create nutritional deficiencies, as the body utilizesnutrientstodigestandassimilatefood.Ifthemineraldemandsofdigestionandassimilationaregreaterthanthenutrientssuppliedbythefood,wemayendupwithadeficit—adrainonournutrientreservefunds.

Formostoftheirlives,thedietsofmanyAmericanadultsandchildrenareseverely deficient in plant-derived nutrients. I have drawn nutrient levels onthousands of patients and have become shocked at the dismal levels insupposedly “healthy” people. Our bodies are not immune to immutablebiologicallawsthatgoverncellularfunction.Givenenoughtime,diseasewilldevelop. Even borderline deficiencies can result in various subtle defects inhuman health, leading to anxiety, autoimmune disorders, cancer, and pooreyesight,tonameafew.18

FatandRefinedCarbohydrates:MarriedtoYourWaist

Thebodyconverts food fat intobody fatquicklyandeasily:100caloriesofingestedfatcanbeconvertedto97caloriesofbodyfatbyburningameasly3calories.Fatisanappetitestimulant:themoreyoueat,themoreyouwant.Ifafood could be scientifically engineered to create an obese society, it wouldhavefat,suchasbutter,mixedwithsugarandflour.

The combination of fat and refined carbohydrates has an extremelypowerful effect on driving the signals that promote fat accumulation on thebody.Refinedfoodscauseaswiftandexcessiveriseinbloodsugar,whichinturn triggers insulin surges to drive the sugar out of the blood and into ourcells.Unfortunately, insulinalsopromotes thestorageoffaton thebodyandencouragesyourfatcellstoswell.

Asmore fat is packed awayon the body, it interfereswith insulin uptakeintoourmuscletissues.Ourpancreasthensensesthattheglucoselevelinthebloodstreamisstilltoohighandpumpsoutevenmoreinsulin.Alittleextrafataround our midsection results in so much interference with insulin’seffectiveness that two to five times as much insulin may be secreted in anoverweightpersonthaninathinperson.

Thehigherlevelofinsulininturnpromotesmoreefficientconversionof

our caloric intake into body fat, and this vicious cycle continues. People getheavierandheavierastimegoeson.

Eating refined carbohydrates—as opposed to complex carbohydrates intheirnaturalstate—causesthebody’s“setpoint”forbodyweight to increase.Your “set point” is theweight the body tries tomaintain through the brain’scontrolofhormonalmessengers.Whenyoueat refined fats (oils)or refinedcarbohydrates such as white flour and sugar, the fat-storing hormones areproduced in excess, raising the set point.To further compound the problem,because somuchof thevitaminandmineral contentof these foodshasbeenlost during processing, you naturally crave more food to make up for themissingnutrients.

OurOil-RichCountry,orFromYourLipsRighttoYourHips

Aneffectivewaytosabotageyourweight-lossgoaliswithhigh-fatdressingsand sauces. Americans consume 60 grams of added fat in the form of oils,which isover fivehundredcaloriesaday from this formofno-fiber,emptycalories.19Refinedor extractedoils, includingoliveoil, are rich in caloriesandlowinnutrients.

Oils are 100 percent fat. Like all other types of fat, they contain ninecaloriespergram,comparedwith fourcaloriespergramforcarbohydrates.Therearelotsofcaloriesinjustalittlebitofoil.

ANALYSISOFONETABLESPOONOFOLIVEOIL

Calories 120Fiber noneProtein noneFat 13.5gmSaturatedfat 1.8gmMinerals none(trace,lessthan.01mgofeverymineral)Vitamins none(traceofvitaminE,lessthan1IU)

Fat,suchasoliveoil,canbestoredonyourbodywithinminutes,withoutcostingthebodyanycaloricprice;itisjustpackedaway(unchanged)onyourhipsandwaist.Ifwebiopsiedyourwaistfatandlookedatitunderanelectronmicroscope,wecouldactuallyseewherethefatcamefrom.Itisstoredthereaspigfat,dairyfat,andoliveoilfat—justasitwasintheoriginalfood.Itgoesfromyour lips right to your hips.Actually,more fat fromyour lastmeal isdeposited around yourwaist than on your hips, for bothmen andwomen.20

Analyzingthesebody-fatdepositsisanaccuratewayforresearchscientiststodiscernfoodintakeovertime.21Havingresearchsubjectsrememberwhattheyate(dietaryrecallanalysis)isnotasaccurateasatissuebiopsy,whichreportsexactlywhatwasreallyeaten.

Foodscookedinoilorcoatedwithoilsoakupmoreoilthanyouthink.Alow-calorie “healthy” food easily becomes fattening. Most Americans eatnegligibleamountsofsaladvegetables,butwhentheydoeatasmallsalad,theyconsumeaboutthreeleavesoficeberglettuceinasmallbowlandthenproceedtopour threeor four tablespoonsofoilydressingon top.Sinceoil is about120 calories per tablespoon, they consume some400 (empty) calories fromdressingandabout18fromlettuce.Theymightaswellforgetthelettuceandjustdrinkthedressingstraightfromthebottle.Onekeytoyoursuccess is tomakehealthful saladdressings frommy recipes inchapternineoruseotherlow-calorieandlow-saltoptions.

The message Americans are hearing today from the media and healthprofessionalsisthatyoudon’tneedtogoonalow-fatdiet,youmerelyneedtoreplacethebadfats(saturatedfatsmostlyfromanimalproductsandtransfatsin processed foods)with olive oil.Americans are still confused and receiveconflictingandincorrectmessages.Oliveoilandothersaladandcookingoilsarenothealthfoodsandarecertainlynotdietfoods.

Thereisconsiderableevidencetosuggestthatconsumingmonounsaturatedfats such as olive oil is less destructive to your health than the dangeroussaturatedandtransfats.Butalower-fatdietcouldbemoredangerousthanonewithahigherleveloffatifthelower-fatdiethasmoresaturatedandtransfats.Also,reducingfatandaddingmorelow-nutrientcarbohydratessuchasbread,white flour, pasta, white rice, and white potatoes is not a significantimprovement in nutritional quality. Low-fat does not mean nutritious andhealthful.

Inthe1950speoplelivingintheMediterranean,especiallyontheislandofCrete,wereleanandvirtuallyfreeofheartdisease.Yetover40percentoftheircaloric intake came from fat, primarily olive oil. Ifwe look at the diet theyconsumed back then, we note that the Cretans ate mostly fruits, vegetables,beans, and some fish. Saturated fat was less than 6 percent of their total fatintake. True, they ate lots of olive oil, but the rest of their diet wasexceptionallyhealthy.Theyalsoworkedhardinthefields,walkingaboutninemilesaday,oftenpushingaploworworkingothermanual farmequipment.Americansdidn’ttakehomethemessagetoeatloadsofvegetables,beans,andfruitsanddoloadsofexercise;theyjustacceptedthatoliveoilisahealthfood.

TodaythepeopleofCretearefat, justlikeus.They’restilleatingalotof

oliveoil,buttheirconsumptionoffruits,vegetables,andbeansisdown.Meat,cheese, and fish are their new staples, and their physical activity level hasplummeted. Today heart disease has skyrocketed and more than half thepopulationofbothadultsandchildreninCreteisoverweight.22

Even two of the most enthusiastic proponents of the Mediterranean diet,epidemiologist Martijn Katan ofWageningen Agricultural University in theNetherlands and Walter Willett of the Harvard School of Public Health,concedethattheMediterraneandietisviableonlyforpeoplewhoareclosetotheiridealweight.23ThatexcludesthemajorityofAmericans.Howcanadietrevolvingaroundafattening,nutrient-deficientfoodlikeoilbehealthy?

Ounce forounce,oliveoil isoneof themost fattening, caloricallydensefoodsontheplanet;itpacksevenmorecaloriesperpoundthanbutter(butter:3,200calories;oliveoil:4,020).

The bottom line is that oil will add fat to our already plump waistlines,heighteningtheriskofdisease,includingdiabetesandheartattacks.Oliveoilcontains 14 percent saturated fat, so you increase the amount of artery-cloggingsaturatedfatasyouconsumemoreof it. IbelieveconsumingmorefatteningoliveoilinyourdietwillraiseyourLDL(bad)cholesterol,notlowerit.Weightgainraisesyourcholesterol;unprocessedfoodssuchasnuts,seeds,andvegetables,utilizedasasourceof fatandcalories insteadofoil,containphytosterolsandothernaturalsubstances that lowercholesterol.24Also,keepinmindthatinItaly,wheretheyconsumeallthatsupposedlyhealthyoliveoil,peoplehavetwicethechanceofgettingbreastcanceras inJapan,wheretheyhaveasignificantlylowerintakeofoil.25

TheMediterranean diet looked better than ours because of the increasedconsumption of vegetation, not because of the oil. Peoplewho use olive oilgenerally put it on vegetables such as salads and tomatoes, so its use iscorrelatedwithhigherconsumptionofproduce.Theirdietswerebetterinspiteoftheoilconsumption,notbecauseofit.

Ifyouarethinandexercisealot,onetablespoonofoliveoiladayisnobigdeal,butthebestchoiceformostoverweightAmericansisnooilatall.

ThePopularityoftheMediterraneanDiet

Ihaveonlyafewbones topickwith thoseadvocating theMediterraneandietstyle.First,theyclaimthatcookingfoodinoliveoilincreasesphytochemicalabsorption and that eating vegetables without a high-fat topping is not asnutritious since the phytochemicals are not absorbed. When vegetables arecooked, or eatenwith fat, some nutrients aremore efficiently absorbed andotherheat-sensitivenutrientsarelostorrenderedlessabsorbable.Manystudiesshow that raw fruits andvegetablesoffer thehighestblood levelsof cancer-protectivenutrientsandthemostprotectionagainstcancerofanyotherfoods,includingcookedvegetation.26Anyadvicenotrecognizingthatrawvegetablesandfresh fruitsare the twomostpowerfulanti-cancercategoriesof foods isoffthemark.Plus,whenyouuserawseedsandnutsinsteadofoil,youreceivedramatic health benefits without all the empty colories because of the highmicronutrientcontent.

Paul Talalay, M.D., of the Brassica Chemoprotection Laboratory at theJohnsHopkinsSchoolofMedicineisinvolvedwithresearchingtheeffectsofcooking on phytochemicals. He reports “widely different effects on thecompoundsinvegetablesthatprotectagainstcancer.”27Thesecompoundsarebothactivatedanddestroyedbyvariouscookingmethods.

I recognize that raw, uncooked vegetables and fruits offer the mostpowerfulprotectionagainstdisease, and I encouragemypatients to eathugesaladsandatleastfourfreshfruitsperday.Dietswithlittlerawfoodsarenotideal.As theamountof rawfruitsandvegetablesare increased inaperson’sdiet,weightlossandbloodpressureareloweredeffortlessly.28

Additionally, raw foods contain enzymes, some ofwhich can survive thedigestiveprocessinthestomachandpassintothesmallintestines.Theseheat-sensitive elements may offer significant nutritional advantages to protectagainst disease, according to investigators from the Department ofBiochemistry at Wright State University School of Medicine.29 Theseresearchersconcludedthat“mostfoodsundergoadecreaseinnutritivevalueinadditiontothewell-knownlossofvitaminswhencookedand/orprocessed.”Mostvitaminsareheat-sensitive,forexample20to60percentofvitaminCis

lost,dependingonthecookingmethod.30Thirtyto40percentofmineralsarelostincookingvegetablesaswell.31Consumingasignificantquantityofrawfoodsisessentialforsuperiorhealth.

Forthebestresults,yourdietshouldcontainahugeamountofrawfoods,alarge amount of the less calorically dense cooked vegetation, and a lesseramount of the more calorically rich cooked starchy vegetables and grains.Cookingyourfoodinoilwillmakeyourdiet lesseffectiveandyouwillnotloseweightaseasily.Youmaynotevenloseanyweightatall.

Keep in mind, weight loss slows down over time. Most people startingalmostanydietaftereatinghaphazardlylosesomeweightinitially.Itiseasytodrop a few pounds by merely counting calories, but many overweightindividualswithastronggenetictendencytoobesityandslowmetabolismwhoneedtoloselotsofweightmayloseverylittleornoneatall.Somemaylosean initial five to fifteen pounds, but then when further weight loss becomesevenmoredifficult,theygiveup.

AnotherproblemwiththeMediterraneandietisthepreponderanceofpastaand Italianbread,whichnotonly causesdifficultywithweight control but isalso an important factor in increasing colon cancer risk in populationswiththiseatingstyle.32

For the very overweight individual, the Mediterranean diet, like otherconventional weight-loss programs, is neither restrictive enough nor fillingenough to achieve the results desired. Because olive oil adds somany extracalories to theirdiet, thedieters stillhave tocarefullycountcaloriesandeattinyportions.Allthosecaloriessuppliedbyoliveoil,almostone-thirdofthetotalcaloricintake,makethedietsignificantlylowerinnutrientsandfiber.

You can always lose weight by exercising more, and I am all for it.However,manyveryoverweightpatientsaretooillandtooheavytoexercisemuch.Asaformerathlete,andtodayasaphysician,Iamanexercisenutandafanaticaboutrecommendingexercise tomypatients,butmanypeoplecannotcomplywith a substantial exercise programuntil they are in better health orlosesomemoreweightfirst.Theyneedadietthatwilldropweighteffectively,eveniftheycan’tdolotsofexercise.

Ihavetestedmyrecommendationonmorethantwothousandpatients.Theaverage patient loses themostweight in the first four to sixweeks,with theaveragebeing about twentypounds.Theweight loss continuesnicely—thosefollowing this program continue to lose about ten pounds the secondmonthandaboutapoundandahalfperweekthereafter.Theweightlosscontinuesatthiscomparativelyquickrateuntiltheyreachtheiridealweight.

The bottom line about healthy fats is that raw nuts, seeds, and avocadoscontainhealthyfats.However,youshouldconsumealimitedamountofthesefoods,especiallyifyouwishtoloseweight.Alsorememberthatoil,includingolive oil, does not contain the nutrients and phytonutrients that were in theoriginal olive. The oil has little nutrients (except a little vitamin E) and anegligibleamountofphytochemicalcompounds.Ifyoueatthequantitiesofoilpermitted on the typical Mediterranean diet, where all the vegetables arecookedinoil,youwillhavedifficultytakingofftheweightyouneedtolose.

Youcanaddalittlebitofoliveoiltoyourdietifyouarethinandexercisealot.However,usinga small amountof rawseedsandnuts in saladdressingsanddipsisabetter,morehealthfuloption.Plus,themoreoilyouadd,themoreyouareloweringthenutrient-per-caloriedensityofyourdiet—andthatisnotyourobjective,asitdoesnotpromotehealth.

The“Magic”ofFiber—ACriticalNutrient

Whenwethinkoffiber,weusuallythinkofbranorMetamucil,somethingthatwe take to prevent constipation and that tastes like cardboard. Change thatthinking.Fiberisavitalnutrient,essentialtohumanhealth.Unfortunately,theAmericandietisdangerouslydeficientinfiber,adeficiencythatleadstomanyhealthproblems(forexample,hemorrhoids,constipation,varicoseveins,anddiabetes) and is a major cause of cancer. As you can see, if you get fibernaturally in your diet from great-tasting food, you getmuchmore than justconstipationrelief.

HOWYOURBODYBENEFITSFROMTHEFIBERFOUNDINPLANTFOODS

When you eat mostly natural plant foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and

beans,yougetlargeamountsofvarioustypesoffiber.Thesefoodsarerichincomplexcarbohydratesandbothinsolubleandwater-solublefibers.Thefibersslowdownglucose absorption and control the rate of digestion.Plant fibershavecomplexphysiologicaleffectsinthedigestivetractthatofferavarietyofbenefits,suchasloweringcholesterol.33

Becauseoffiber,andbecausepreciousfoodcomponentshaven’tbeenlost

throughprocessing,naturalplantfoodsfillyouupanddonotcauseabnormalphysiologicalcravingsorhormonalimbalances.

ConfusionintheMarketplaceovertheRoleofFiber

Somepeoplearesoconfusedthattheydonotknowwhattobelieveanymore.For example, two studies about fiber received sensational coverage by themediaafterappearingintheNewEnglandJournalofMedicine.34 Newspapersproclaimed the bold headlines HIGH-FIBER DIET DOES NOT PROTECT AGAINSTCOLON CANCER. No wonder our population is so confused by conflictingmessages about nutrition. Some people have actually given up trying to eathealthfullybecauseonedaytheyhearoneclaimandthenextweektheyheartheopposite. There’s a lesson to be learned here: Don’t get your health advicefromthemedia.

Iambringingupthisissuesoyourealizenottojumptoconclusionsonthebasisofonestudyoronenewsreport.Youcanseehowresearchinformationis often (mis)reported in the news. I have reviewedmore than two thousandnutritional research papers in preparation for this book and many more inprior years, and there is not much conflicting evidence. As in a trial, theevidenc