Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

According to an article on livemint.com, a news website associated with The Wall Street Journal, the term ‘nutritarian’ is catching on.

Originally coined by Dr. Fuhrman, a nutritarian is someone who bases their food choices on micronutrient content per calorie of foods, striving to consume a broad array of micronutrients in their diet.

The article reports that “nutritarian” is poised to become a ubiquitous dietary definition on par with vegetarian, vegan, raw foodist, flexitarian, locavore… There is one major difference, though: the exclusion of cooked foods, meat, foods grown far from home, or even all animal products does not define a health-promoting diet. Nutritarian diets, however, always include an abundance of fresh, colorful fruits and vegetables accompanied by additional whole plant foods.  A nutritarian diet is health-promoting by definition.

The article’s advice for going nutritarian? “Eat the rainbow.” Excellent advice, since phytochemicals, antioxidants in particular, are pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vibrant colors. 

Read the full article on livemint.com.

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I’m soon approaching the two year anniversary of committing to Eat to Live, and I’m still amazed at the results of getting my health back. I almost forget now what it was like to survive in an obese body for almost twenty years of my life. I really can’t remember what chronic joint pain or chronic fatigue feels like anymore. When I was obese I had to lie down several times throughout the day to relieve my aching back from the excess weight that I was carrying around. I stayed indoors a lot, even on beautiful days. I gradually didn’t want to be in public, because I was embarrassed of my size and didn’t have “anything pretty to wear.” I never rode a bike or hiked trails. I rarely played ball or outdoor games with my kids. I never ran in races. I stood by the sidelines cheering for others at athletic events. I was a spectator of life; not a participant. I was a prisoner trapped in a foreign body that held me captive. I’d lost myself to obesity and deteriorating health.  

Recently I attended a party on a hot, summer day wearing shorts and a cute, summer t-shirt. Two years ago, I attended all social events on hot sultry days wearing my standard outfit, which I now refer to as my obese uniform; a size 3x pair of black, stretch pants with a black, long sleeved blouse over a black, knit top. Of course it covered up my fat along with causing me to perspire profusely, but little by little my body somehow adjusted to being overheated. My fingers were so puffy and swollen that years ago I quit wearing my wedding ring. I purchased a sterling silver band for ten bucks and put it on my finger instead.

Oh, and I mustn’t forget the constant fatigue and brain fog. I went to bed at night exhausted and woke up the next morning in a fog. My belly was always bloated, I ached all over, and I eventually accepted the general malaise feelings as a part of getting older. On top of being pre-diabetic, I had a heart catherization and was diagnosed with heart disease in 2003 and was racking up new medical bills with each passing birthday. With the combination of shortness of breath when climbing a flight of stairs and my blood pressure at 157/94, I knew that I was living precariously on the brink of danger so on July 10, 2008, I committed to get my health back. 

To make a long story short, within a year, I lost a hundred pounds and most importantly, I was set free from food addiction that held me captive to all kinds of eating disorders for years. (click here to view my transformation journey) Today I no longer experience lethargy, brain fog, achy joints and back pain, depression, and the emotional turmoil of not feeling well; and I’m off the radar screen for heart disease and diabetes. As an additional perk, I now have cute clothes that I enjoy wearing on hot summer days, and I love to ride my bike, hike trails, enter running races, and be in the great outdoors.

 

I encourage anyone who is sitting on the fence of indecision to take the plunge and embrace nutritarian eating all the way. Give 100% with both feet in. That doesn’t necessarily mean 100% perfection, especially in the beginning months of toxic withdrawal, but it does mean pressing onward through obstacles, no matter what; no excuses. Don’t ever give up on the dream of getting health back. Freedom is for everyone!    

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Recently Mike posted a thread titled, “Down 10 pant sizes!” on the member center of DrFuhrman.com.  I asked him if he’d be willing to be interviewed on Disease Proof to inspire others to get their health back also, and he graciously obliged to share his story.  Not only did he drop pants sizes, but also his bottles of medications.  Welcome to Disease Proof, Mike!   

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating-style?

Due to unhealthy eating habits, including eating out too much, I had been getting heavier and slowing down with each passing birthday. At age forty I weighed 165 lbs; at fifty I weighed 195 lbs; and at sixty I weighed 215 lbs.  I’d always been active at playing golf, surf fishing and cycling.  However, the extra weight made a walk around the golf course an adventure, surf fish very tiring, and small hills on bike rides seemed like pedaling the Alps.  I was also getting tired at work and needed stimulants to make it through the second part of each day. I was a fixture at the local chocolate shop as I needed a shot of chocolate to get me through the afternoons.
 
I was scared because I started having chest pains while climbing stairs, hiking hills on the golf course, and in stressful situations. One day I encountered difficulty swallowing, followed by chest pains which landed me in the hospital. I ducked a heart attack, but tests revealed that my left descending lower artery was 50% blocked so they started me on aspirin, blood pressure meds and statins.

How did you find out about ETL?

I’d given up smoking in the mid 80’s and tried Pritkin, McDougall, and a few others to get healthy, but they required a lot of food preparation so I eventually quit following them.  When I got home from the hospital, I wanted to see if there was anything “new” on the market for healthy eating so I scoured the book section of the local health food store and discovered The China Study and Eat to Live.  Eat to Live was just what I was looking for: simple to shop for and prepare, with very little clean up.  This was perfect for me as I worked and wanted to be able to do most of the shopping, prep and cleaning myself. 

I visited Dr. Fuhrman for the first time in January 2009.  After I was weighed and measured (including my waist size and level of nutrients in my body), he clearly explained to me that I needed to follow the “straight and narrow” and lose a lot of weight pronto, or else suffer the consequences.  He told me that the extra fat on my mid section was probably as much responsible for my artery blockage as my cholesterol, because that fat produces plaque; an important reason not to be overweight!  I decided to listen to Dr. Fuhrman as he made a lot more sense to me than the cardiologist who was only interested in my cholesterol and blood pressure. 

How do you feel now?

ETL has given me 10 to 15 years of my life back!  I’m now off of all meds (statins and blood pressure lowering meds), and I feel better, look better, and think better than ever before; plus, I have the additional confidence that I’ll live a long and healthy life devoid of needing to see a cardiologist again!  I also don’t have to worry about developing diabetes (it runs in my family) or having a stroke, and eating lots of cruciferous vegetables, fruits and beans greatly reduces my risk of getting cancer. From a mental perspective this is huge as I’m a big believer that actively doing something is akin to moving forward under fire, and increases confidence and outlook on life. 

[At age 63, Mike recently finished a 102 mile bike ride in 6:10; and over Memorial Day weekend he completed a sixty mile ride with an “A” team of cyclists, and was able to hang with the group for the entire time.  He finds this to be unbelievable, because two years ago he was afraid to ride to with “C” cyclists, because he didn’t think that he could keep up with them.  Now he’s approached by some of the top riders and asked, “What’s the name of that book you told me about?”!]

 

	before	now
Weight	216 lbs	158 lbs
Waist measurement	43”	33”
Blood pressure	145/90 (with meds)	115/70 (no meds)
Cholesterol	165 (105/35 ratio)	125 (60/45 ratio)

Do you have any success tip(s) to share with others?

Nutritarian eating is a simple and healthful way to eat that combats all major and chronic diseases killing modern man . . . so go for it!  You won’t be sorry!
 
Also, when I first read Dr. Fuhrman’s claims, and even after I’d met him, I wasn’t so sure if I was being taken as it seemed too simple: Greens to the rescue? No meds? No fancy formulas?  All these things sounded too good to be true, but I found everything to be true! 

Don’t wait for fear of a heart attack to be motivated to change!

Congratulations Mike ~ we applaud you for getting your health back!

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Barb is one of those committed and steadfast nutritarians who always has an encouraging word to share with others on the member center of DrFuhrman.com. Not only did she shed disease promoting habits and pounds, but she also gained a whole new way of celebrating life to the fullest. Welcome to Disease Proof, Barb!

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating-style?

I was forty-five, career focused, and pursuing very few of the activities of my youth. I suffered from daily indigestion, skipped and irregular heartbeats, hip pain, bleeding gums, heavy and painful periods, seasonal allergies, bad breath, constipation, hemorrhoids, back and shoulder pains, and nose bleeds in the winter. Both my mother and grandmother had heart attacks in their sixties and seventies so I figured that I would too since I seemed to have their same, weak heart symptoms; namely, mitral valve prolapse, and irregular/skipped beats.  

How did you find out about ETL?

I became a vegan and noticed health improvements so my curiosity led me to search the web, and that’s when I discovered the health benefits of a mostly vegan, whole foods diet.  After reading several books from various doctors, I decided Dr. Fuhrman's plan was the most scientifically sound so I decided to follow it.

How do you feel now?

I feel no pain, no tiredness, no irregular heartbeats, none of the above symptoms that plagued me for years.  In other words, I feel great!   I’ve recorded how my health has improved on my blog.

 

	Before	Now
Weight (5’9”)	158 lbs	118 lbs
Blood pressure	130/80	95/65
Resting pulse rate	70-80	45-55
Cholesterol		131

Do you have any success tip(s) to share with others?

At first, Dr. Fuhrman's eating-style seemed too extreme for me.  However, even with adopting a gradual approach, I noticed many health improvements (especially after cutting out dairy and meat) that it encouraged me to keep going and learn more.  The noticeable changes inspired me to take the next step which created an upward spiral of success for me.   Then I discovered Dr. Fuhrman's delicious salad dressings, dips, soups, and smoothies, and now I think this is the best-tasting food in the world! I find it easy to eat nutrient dense foods.

At first I did struggle with social issues, because I felt so different at restaurants and parties when I took my own food.  Now I don't care what other people think, and it turns out they don't care either!  Recently, I was at a meeting at my church and cookies were being served to everyone, and I was given carrots and celery.  It was hilarious.  I recommend persevering through the social issues as people are much more accommodating than imagined.  

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you? 

I am no longer focused on my career, but living my life to the fullest.  I'm pursuing all kinds of physical activities that I thought I was too old for ten years ago: mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, hockey, body power, boot camp, workouts at my gym; plus, I’m actively involved in community service.  My future will be completely different since I won’t have to save for expensive health insurance associated with the degenerative diseases that most people suffer from in their older years.  This changes my financial situation for the better and I can cut back on my workload substantially, which is revolutionary for me! Nutritarian eating has literally changed my life!

Congratulations Barb on getting your health and life back!

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