Customer Reviews

Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep It Off, Look Younger, Live Longer (2 Volume Set)

5 star:		(72)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I first read Joel Fuhrman, M.D.'s book "Eat To Live" May 2007 after my father died of heart disease. I have always been a vegetarian but I have always been overweight as well. I had 50 extra pounds to lose and my main goal has always been health over looks. I learned from his book that being a Vegan also means no processed foods or animal products of any kind. I love that book and lost those 50 pounds that I had never been able to lose before age 42.

After a year living the "Eat To Live" plan I read "Eat For Health" twice. The differences are huge. The biggest difference is that Dr. Fuhrman takes us Americans through 4 stages of gradual eating changes by doing some food exercises and stepping down animal products and processed foods. The only foods he asks us to eliminate immediately are all cheese, butter and transfats. I can see why he changed his point-of-view to gradually add vegetables, fruits and beans to our diets because otherwise it can be a shock to our typical way of eating and most people will reject it as they did in his book, "Eat To Live."

I find I need the extreme approach right off the starting line and I have learned to love vegetables and fruits. I feel that his gradual steps to eliminate meat and processed foods and grains was backpedaling from his original book, but on the other hand I fully understand why he did it and that was to reach as many people to change their eating habits as possible and so in this content, it makes perfect sense. Before May 2007 I was a vegan who rarely ate fruits and vegetables thinking cereal and popcorn was healthy, now I thrive on those foods and have kept my weight down to near ideal with no effort at all.

I have always loved reading nutrition books and before Joel Fuhrman, M.D. I thought Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Oz were the best, but now I see that they both focus far too heavily on whole grains, which Dr. Fuhrman says to eat very little of because they are not dense in nutrition. The rule of this plan is to eat foods highest on the nutrient index and avoid foods with little nutritional value all-together.

Here's a list of the foods he says we can eat from his book in unlimited quantities, and these are the only foods I eat myself. This plan is the only book that made perfect sense to me and I knew in my core that this is the only choice I would make for optimal health and wellness.
HIGH-NUTRIENT FOODS THAT CAN BE EATEN
IN UNLIMITED QUANITIES

LEAFY GREEN VEGATABLES
romaine lettuce, leaf lettuces, kale, collards, Swiss chard, cabbage, spinach, bok choy.

SOLID GREEN VEGATABLES
artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, celery, cucumber, peas,
Green peppers, string beans, zucchini.

NON-GREEN, HIGH NUTRIENT VEGATABLES
beets, eggplant, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers, water chestnuts, cauliflower,
squash, carrots.

BEANS AND LEGUMES
red kidney beans, pinto beans, soybeans, lentils, black-eyed peas, black beans.

FRESH FRUITS
apples, apricots, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, grapes, kiwis, mangoes, nectarines,
all melons, oranges, peaches, pears, pineapples, plums, strawberries, tangerines.

Joel Fuhrman's two book set, "Eat for Health: Lose Weight, Keep it Off, Look Younger, Live Longer," debunks many of the current trends in dieting while presenting a worthwhile sensible system that will consistently slim one down and successfully build a nutritional body armory that will fend off disease as one ages.

Fuhrman's idea is a simple one. Instead of worrying about macronutritional intake--the three common most caloric components one finds on a food label--protein, fat and carbohydrates--he suggests ingesting foods imbued with the most nutritional value. He explains that foods that are nutrient dense are naturally low in calories and supply your body with "14 different vitamins, 25 different minerals, and more than 10,000 phytochemicals . . . that have profound effect on human cell functions and the immune system."

Adhering to Fuhrman's formula--H = N/C where H equals `health' and N/C represents nutrient per calorie density, will definitely do the trick. You will find a fully nutritioned body becomes a satiated body--(think along the lines of The Volumetrics Eating Plan: Techniques and Recipes for Feeling Full on Fewer Calories where more nutritious low-calorie food fills the stomach leaving less room for animal proteins and fats that consolidate a greater amount of calories in a lesser quantity.)

In practical terms, eating a large salad consisting of different raw vegetables (lettuce, romaine, arugula, spinach, kale, tomato, carrots, celery, onions, etc.) at the start of each meal will not only provide the nutrition a body craves, but also will fill the stomach leaving very little room for whatever else you think you desire. At first, this may sound boring and diet conventional, however, I can testify that it does work. And you do feel good without feeling the need to eat in between meals.

In fact, eating in between meals is a definite no-no on this plan. Fuhrman feels that the body needs time to digest and small snacks munched on between just disturbs one's natural rhythm causing dysfunction later on.

His ANDI (Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) scale ranks the nutrient levels of many common foods based on how many nutrients are delivered per calorie. Used in lieu of food labels, these scores will help the dieter/wellness desirer to select foods that will insure the highest outcome. For example cooked mustard greens are ranked 1000 points out of a possible 1000. Raw spinach receives a 739. Always thought of as a quintessential wellness staple, olive oil rates only a 2. Meals are planned based on Fuhrman's redesigned new food pyramid where raw and cooked vegetables comprise the meal's foundation and beef, sweets, cheese, whole milk, processed food and hydrogenated oil form the rarely consumed peak. Using another formula to calculate a meal's MANDI (Menu Aggregate Nutrient Density Index) value, Fuhrman urges plan participants to eventually aim for a MANDI score of 100 points per day and he suggests four phases that will gradually increase one's N/C.

Turning his gaze towards the most popular diets of the day, Fuhrman debunks them with firm and indisputable information that will forever put them on the back burner of feasible dieting options. In addition, he speaks about the danger of eating too much fish, supplies evidence that dairy products as staples of the Standard American Diet (SAD) increase the risk of prostate cancer and warns that acrylamides ( found in the crust formed on foods by grilling, barbequing, roasting, frying, baking) contain highly potent carcinogens that are just as cancer producing as trans fats.

One of the most revelatory bits of information I received from this book was contained in Fuhrman's discussion on what he calls `toxic hunger.' As we have become accustomed to eating our Standard American Diet that contain too much salt, saturated fats, sweets, meats and cheese and not enough high nutrient calories, we experience withdrawal pains once the digestive operation is completed. Withdrawal pains mean headaches, queasiness, weakness, stomach cramping, lightheadedness, growling stomach, esophageal spasms and irritability. Amazingly, I realized that what I was associating with actual hunger or an insufficient quantity of food was withdrawal from the addictive components of my last meal. Now instead of what I once considered a `good, healthy' portion of chicken or eggs--we all know what is deemed a `balanced' meal or carbs, fats and proteins a la the Zone idea of over fifteen years ago--I opt for highly nutrient dense foods, most of which are raw. Since then, I have yet to feel what I once considered a drop in blood sugar again. And my jeans fit!

While Book One dedicates itself to the makeover of one's mind with regard to dieting facts, Book Two devotes itself to presenting the four phases, providing menus and recipes.

Fuhrman's soup idea consists of a combination of vegetables and cashews. The results are delicious; the nuts give the soup a meaty consistency that mimics the addition of protein you might miss.

Bottom line? Joel Fuhrman's `Eat for Health' works. It is the most comprehensive system that I have ever read or tried. Not only does it make sense, it easily becomes a natural plan that one wants to follow simply because it makes the dieter feel so good. Fuhrman dedicates one entire book to intelligently reprogramming his reader and introducing his ANDI/MANDI point system, which once glanced at is easy to understand and remember. Phases, menus and recipes are incorporated in Book Two where salads and soups reign supreme. Highly recommended as both doable and effective for weight loss and overall health.
Diana Faillace Von Behren
"reneofc"

If you are plagued with so called age-related illness, let me tell you it has nothing to do with age and everything to do with the STANDARD AMERICAN DIET (SAD). You have the opportunity and ability to regain your health, live out the rest of your years feeling strong, energetic and mentally alert.

Dr. Fuhrman opened my eyes when I read his "Eat to Live" book and I will be forever grateful. In following his advice I shed 70 pounds in 6 months and have kept it off for almost two years If you would like to take control of your health destiny, instead of allowing drug companies to choose your fate, read this book.

I am very impressed with these books. I am sure I will refer to them many times in the future since they will be a key resource for me in the future. I also plan to use them in my work as a nutritional and wellness consultant. Dr. Fuhrman's capacity to distill medical, nutritional and wellness knowledge into a clear, practical, and powerful prescription for health is remarkable. His command of nutrition is incredible. His discussion of hunger and the power of addictive foods like caffeinated beverages, simple carbohydrate and nutrient-deficient foods, all of which dominate the standard American diet, is powerfully convincing. He also addresses the psychological factors that contribute to overeating and the importance of emotional factors like self-esteem and the impact of the peer group on eating and nutrition. In short, Dr. Fuhrman's new set books take the next step and helping people learn how to prepare and eat a nutrient-dense, calorie-lean diet that encourages good health, long life and vital living for those who are well and for those who are troubled by the so-called "diseases of affluence" like heart disease, diabetes, auto-immune disease, colon cancer and many others. It's a "must have" for anyone interested in promoting good health for themselves or their loved ones. I would hope that the medical community would take note and digest the nourishment that these books contain.

Eat For Health makes more sense than any other eating plan I have ever read about and over the years I have read more than my share. Some time ago I read about Calorie Restriction and how it is indeed the only proven thing to extend the longevity on one's life. (See calorierestriction dot org.) It involves restricting the number of calories that one eats but it also means that the calories you eat MUST be nutritious calories. Dr. Fuhrman takes this even further or at least makes it simple to apply. Using the information in his book all you need to do is make sure your diet includes an abundance of these nutrient rich foods. There is no need to count calories. If you stop eating the Standard American Diet [SAD] and adopt this nutrient dense way of eating you will at least greatly reduce your chances of ever developing heart disease, cancer, autoimmune diseases and who knows what else and you will not be overweight or be doomed to living your final years in physical pain and suffering from conditions like arthritis and type 2 diabetes etc.

I am in my 60s and I am 5 ft. 11 in. tall. In January of 2009 I was 205 pounds and decided it was time to lose a few pounds. I switched from eating what I thought was a very healthy diet which included avoiding junk like MSG and high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils and included seafood and almost never any dairy or red meat or poultry, to eating strictly vegan. I cut out the seafood and the cheese and eggs. I lost 12 pounds but could not lose anymore. In June I decided to drink a lot of grapefruit juice and sometimes had nothing but grapefruit juice all day and sometimes I would have one vegetarian meal. I did this for a couple of weeks and lost another 12 pounds but I was hungry all the time. Then I read Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat To Live, which is quite similar to Eat For Health. I started following it, eating the nutrient dense foods and one helping of beans/legumes a day and no more than one serving of grains/starch a day. I literally stuffed myself. I would spend my entire one-hour lunch at work eating. I don't drink fruit juice anymore. I eat the fruit instead and lot's of it. By the end of August I had lost another 12 pounds, getting my weight down to 169. When I started on this journey I never really expected to reach this point but when I saw how easy it had become there was no reason not to. I went from a 38 inch waste to a 32 inch waist. This information is the key to losing weight in a healthy manner and the key to keeping it off and living a healthy life free of disease. Here it is now December and I haven't yet had the cold that I normally come down with in October or November every year. I am sure eating right is contributing to this fact.

The nice thing about Eat For Health is that it offers the reader more options. It is designed into 4 phases so that you can stop at any phase you wish or can move from one phase to the next whenever you choose to at your own pace. You don't have to give up on animal foods entirely. This does not require being a vegetarian or being a vegan but it does require being a nutritarian and greatly limiting the animal foods that you eat.

Eat For Health is beyond calorie restriction, better than The Rave Diet and Life Style and and makes Fit For Life look archaic. Don't get me wrong those are good books in themselves but not as good as what Dr. Fuhrman delivers. Dr. Fuhrman IS a medical doctor and a former world class athlete. He lives by the information in his books as does his family. He has the scientific backing and studies that support his approach and he makes more sense than anyone else out there. This is pure logic people. Are your ready for it?

Get the hard copies of the books [It is a 2 book set] and get the audio CD to listen to. That's what I recommend and that's what I did.

I lost a lot of weight on the "Eat For Health" program. I feel great! My blood pressure was high, and now is normal. My cholesterol & triglycerides were high and they are now super low.
Eat For Health really works !!! A must read for anyone who wants to stay healthy, fight disease, and enjoy food.

I knew it was time to do something. Middle age and poor eating habits had caught up to me and I was feeling sluggish. None of my clothes fit anymore. My back hurt. I was getting wicked migraine headaches all too often--chalking them up to my 40-something hormones.

I looked at my family history. My mother died in her late 50's. One of my older brothers has had a mild stroke, one of my older sisters had a more serious one. My other brother just had a triple-bypass. If I didn't want my story to go that way, I knew that I'd have to make some changes. It was grow up time.

I researched my options and knew that I didn't want to resort to some fad diet that while delivering on weight loss, was probably no healthier than the way I was eating. What I wanted was to learn to eat healthy, knowing that if I did that, the weight would take care of itself.

Then I came across these books and it just felt right. I made the commitment and got started. At the very beginning, I decided that I would try the foods that Dr. Fuhrman recommended and if I liked them, I'd eat them--and if I didn't like them, I'd eat them. ;O)

Do I like all of the foods that he recommends? Honestly, no. I like most everything, but am not a fan of kale. The stuff is really healthy, though, so I'm trying to work it in to my eating plan in bits. The "peppery" flavor can be a bit overwhelming at times, but by playing around a bit with the quantities of the ingredients in the recipes, I'm learning to adjust.

I was prepared for this to be difficult, but to my surprise, it really hasn't been. Within a few days, my energy level was unbelievable. I have no cravings for junk food--which I find amazing. Instead of dropping from exhaustion after work, I find myself all pumped up to do some treadmill time. I'm sleeping great, sliding back into my jeans, my back doesn't hurt at all anymore, and I haven't had a headache since the second day of Eating for Health. At the time of this writing, I'm at Day 33 and though I've spent most of my life as a confirmed junk-food junkie, I don't ever see myself eating that way again. This feels just too good.

I bought these books because I read Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss a few years ago and was very impressed. This set of books is even better. Dr. Fuhrman who has helped thousands of people get their health back or keep it, explains in easy to understand language why we need to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. I never understood before reading his books how vitally important green vegetables are. It's not just the vitamins and minerals we know about, but all the phyto-nutrients that are still being discovered. When given this information, I had good reason to include more in my diet. I also learned that taking a multi-vitamin isn't the same as eating vitamin rich real foods.

These books go beyond his first book in rating different foods on their nutrient density. There are pages of food listings with different scores which makes it easier to decide what foods to eat more of and what foods to eat less of. These books are less stringent than his first and suggest moving toward healthier eating in stages and he lists those stages. It made me realize it's not all or nothing, moving toward healthier eating habits is a good thing.

One word of warning: When he says to check with your doctor when following his plan, that's good advice. I had been taking a mild blood pressure medication for years and 3 weeks after drinking some smoothies that were in the recipe section of his book each day, my blood pressure went down to a very low level. I had to stop taking the medication and haven't had to go back on it. That alone paid for the price of these books!

I couldn't wait until this book came out. I have read Dr. Fuhrman's "Eat to Live" book several times and, as a result, have lost over 40 pounds in 3 1/2 months and am the healthiest I've ever been. This new book is great for people who would like to ease into the program gradually or for those who are already in the Eat to Live program but would like some additional information and recipes. Get this book. It could save your life.

I have followed a very healthy lifestyle for 30 years, but changing to follow Eat For Health allowed to meet my health goals for the first time in my life !

I have followed Pritikin for many years. Ornish, McDougall, Esselstyn all are also nearly identical to Pritikin, and are all excellent programs. However, adjusting to Fuhrman's program allowed my cholesterol to drop 20 points better than ever on Pritikin, and I should be in reversal of atherosclerosis, without meds, for the first time. Fuhrman's background, insight and keen knowledge of the medical literature are unique in medicine, allowing him to create a program that, I believe, is the best known to medical science.

The next medical frontier is adapting health programs to individual needs. Dr. Fuhrman has made the best progress in this, as can be seen in his very active website.

Fuhrman's Eat For Health is the best resource for anyone who wishes to take control of their health.