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Summary: Lost 10 pounds the first Month
Review: I got this book on the recommendation of my doctor who believes that food is medicine.Though I am still skeptical because of a life of successes and then weight gains after a year or so, I am very pleased with the beginning results. After I read the book I handed it to my husband and said I was going to eat this way and see if it works like it says it works and I would appreciate his support. He read the book in two days and is doing the diet with me. He has also lost 10 pounds in the first four weeks. And we were only 25 lbs over weight to start out! We plan on eating this way for life. What I liked most about the book was all the research in it. I am not the least afraid that I am not eating right based on all the current research out there. I was doubtful on the high-protein "Body for Life" plan (where I gained muscle and weight and didn't feel better or sleep better). I had thinning bones and the high protein diet made that worse. Another great thing is I am not hungry and my cravings for chocolate and french fries have disappeared. I thought that was impossible! The hardest part is watching people I love not eat this way. I have a hard time keeping my mouth shut!
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Summary: Not a diet, but a new way of eating
Review: After reading a positive article about this book in the Economist, I bought it and (perhaps somewhat delusionally) expected it to corroborate all of my presumed healthy eating habits. I have always been very fit, with excellent endurance and cardio values, low cholesterol levels, no serious health problems whatsoever. But I had tried in vain for years to drop the paunch around my middle -- no amount of running, weight-lifting or tummy crunches could do the trick. As it turned out, my eating habits were not SO healthy after all: lots of empty calories in various forms going straight to my mid-section. So I gave the Fuhrmann program a very informal try. After only three weeks, I dropped ten pounds, and all in the right places. After six weeks, I seem to have leveled off at 12 pounds below my starting weight, which I suppose is a sign that the gratuitous fat is now gone. The secret to this diet is simple: maximize nutrition per calorie. For me, this has meant the elimination of butter, margarine, cheeses, cooking oils, salad oils, fried foods and the like from my diet. The first three days on this diet were tough; but then that drained, hungry feeling disappeared; and I felt even more energetic than before. My running times have come down, and I feel a lot better overall. And it doesn't feel like a sacrifice in any way. That's why it's really not a diet, but simply a new way of eating.
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Summary: Very Useful for Weight Loss and Certain Diseases
Review: This is by far the best food book I have read. Having lost 25 pounds in the first month, I can attest that the plan is effective, especially when combined with exercise. Apparently, weight loss of 20 pounds in the first month is not uncommon, although the norm is 15 pounds during the first month. As remarkable as the wieght loss plan is, the book is also a trove of information about disease and its relationship to food. For example, there are interesting pages on immune system related diseases, including certain kinds of arthritis, that may be resolved through diet instead of medication designed to surpress the immune system. And, of course, there is also much information about cardiovascular problems, such as high blood pressure, that may be positively affected by a change in diet. Incidentally, I also found the author's website of real use -- but the key is the book and the information in the book.
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Summary: Thank you, Dr. Fuhrman!
Review: I received this book from a close friend one day and finished reading it that very day. The next morning, I was ready to start Eating to Live. I've just finished my second week on the weight-loss program prescribed therein, and I've already lost 8 pounds. I look forward to sticking with it. Only rarely do I feel tempted to have something prohibited on the weight-loss plan, and when I do, I simply go back to Fuhrman's book and read his compelling account of how our American way of eating is killing us all slowly. I am satisfied on this plan, and I am enjoying food more than I did before. It's a whole new experience to enjoy the taste of my food while knowing that I'm also treating my body well. We do only get one body, you know. It's true, the recommendations are restrictive, but really only for the first six-week diet portion of the plan. On the Life Plan, you have much more leeway, as long as you continue to get the nutrients we need from unrefined plant food.
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Summary: This book has changed my life
Review: On April 15 I was 206 pounds. I have worked out at the gym (typically swimming) five days a week for years. Yet, I have put on about 20 pounds over the last 8 or 9 years. I thought I ate healthly. I focused on lean animal proteins, pasta, rice, and some vegetables and fruit. I was very frustrated. I didn't understand why I didn't lose weight. I read Dr. Fuhrman's book and it was like a light going off in my head. It really made sense. I have been following his recommendations since about April 15th. I weighed 190 pounds this morning (16 pounds in six weeks). I feel great. I no longer "battle" with food. I don't worry about how much I eat. I don't deprive myself of food. I just mainly eat fresh vegetables, fruits, beans and tofu. I feel really healthy. My performance swimming has increased and my muscle tone is better. I don't see a problem at all following this eating plan forever. Try it. It is life changing. It is not a fad. It makes sense and feels right when you do it (unlike Atkins - which I never tried - it seems unnatural to eat just meat and cheese).
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Summary: Comment on inaccuracy in a negative review
Review: One unnamed reviewer from Atlanta, Georgia USA, wrote, "The author cites studies to back up his position but totally ignores information from those same studies that undermine his no saturated fat and animal protein hypothesis." This is nonsense. If the reviewer had actually read Fuhrman's book, one will observe that Dr. Fuhrman includes recipes with animal foods such as fish and chicken. So how can Dr. Furhman forbid animal protein on his program, if he includes recipes with animal foods? The answer is that the the "reviewer" did not read the book. One does not need to become a strict vegetarian--i.e., avoid all animal protein--to gain the benefits the EAT TO LIVE program. But to know that one would have to actually read the book.
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Summary: The Last Diet Book You'll Ever Read
Review: Fuhrman presents a slam dunk case for why nutritional density is the key to healthy eating. After reading this book, it would be impossible to ever look at eating the same way again. Fuhrman summarizes countless medical studies, sifts through the evidence, and presents the broadest picture possible of what makes us healthy, what hurts us, and why. That said, one important caveat: his hardcore diet plan was too restrictive for me, and I'm not alone. He recommends ungodly amounts of green vegetables every day with very few grains and no meat. I have found that, to keep my energy levels up during exercise, I must eat more whole grains and a small portion of fish to round out this diet. I still have the monster salads and tons of fresh fruit, but I have modified the diet to fit my own tastes and needs. And you know what? It stil works. This is sensible stuff. Buy it, read it, and learn from it. Better health is available to all of us.
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Summary: Finally, a diet that makes good health sense
Review: I've been on Fuhrman's diet for five months. I prayed for a diet that would be HEALTHY as well as contribute to fat-loss. The secret of Eat to Live is that high-nutrient, high-bulk foods satisfy the body's needs, with the result that you don't feel hungry. As the pounds almost literally fell off, I felt no cravings or nagging hunger whatsoever. The diet makes sense, and it's backed by 27 pages of scientific references. Fuhrman says nothing that he doesn't document with care. Also, he's a former US National Team gymnast, and I'm a very old athlete. The diet works for those practicing intense endurance sports. All you do is bump the carbs a bit, and you still lose tons of weight.
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Summary: The only diet and nutrition book you will ever need
Review: Dr. Fuhrman, True Scientist
I've studied Dr. McDougall's, "Maximum Weight Loss" program and I've studied Dr. Fuhrman's. Superficially, they may seem the same, since they both include virtually the same foods. However, fundamentally they are different. If someone was to ask me what the differences are, I would say the following: "McDougall's program places starches at the base of the pyramid and vegetables, secondary, whereas Fuhrman place's vegetables, especially greens at the base. Starches are secondary. Further, Fuhrman encourages fruit consumption whereas, McDougall limits fruits. I would guess that Fuhrman's claims that his diet is a prophylaxes and advances health is sound in light of the science that supports it. In addition, if you want to lose weight rapidly, with Fuhrman, you will. With McDougall, your weight loss will be much slower and you'll never be hungry. You won't be hungry with Fuhrman either, but you have to dedicate yourself to eating more vegetables and limited starches.
Regarding nutrition and weight loss, I'm deeply interested in separating fact from fiction, and good science from pseudoscience. I have also spent many hours reading other websites and books by M.D.s and it takes awhile to "get it". Dr. Fuhrman is the only one who in the best scientific tradition is courageous enough to admit when he doesn't know something, as well as expressing doubt when he isn't sure, because he's aware that knowledge is only tentative and "facts" should be revised when new information becomes available. However, when he is sure which he derives from good science, he tells you. Dr. Fuhrman the only one I trust in the nutrition field because he's so damn sincere, caring, honest and free of hype.
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Summary: Vegan Revolution?
Review: This book is fascinating. It contains so much, what to the everyday reader, is groundbreaking information, that by the end of the book you may be tempted to become vegan. Spotlighted studies, the author has reviewed thousands by the way, include the Oxford China study which found a negative correlation between percentage of fresh produce in the diet and occurance of heart disease and cancer. To learn more about this and other studies as well as basic nutrients and phytochemicals (plant-derived chemicals) I would definately recommend buying this book.
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