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

Dr. Fuhrman was recently asked by the scientific journal Current Sports Medicine Reports to write a review of the literature and accordingly provide dietary recommendations for vegan athletes. His review was published in the July/August 2010 issue. An abstract of the article, "Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete", can be found on the American College of Sports Medicine's website here. 

A complete summary of Dr. Fuhrman's specific recommendations, specific considerations, a menu plan and recipes for maximum performance can be found in Dr. Fuhrman's Healthy Times Newsletter Issue #42 (available free to Members in the Member Center library). Dr. Fuhrman discusses the links between diet and athletic performance, specifically the role of plant foods in maintaining the health and performance of serious athletes. 

Athletes have specific nutritional needs due to the long-term physical stress of daily intense physical activity.

Athletes require a greater amount of caloric energy than sedentary individuals in order to fuel their training, and are particularly susceptible to certain micronutrient deficiencies as well as viral infections. Dr. Fuhrman's review provides guidance on using dietary means to maintain immunocompetence and to avoid exercise-induced oxidative stress as well as supplementing properly to circumvent deficiencies.

There is a widely held belief that a large amount of animal protein is required in order to build significant muscle or to sustain intense physical activity.

Plant foods are health-promoting, but lower in caloric density than animal foods. They are therefore thought by many to be inferior forms of fuel for athletes, especially in size and strength sports such as bodybuilding. However, the micronutrients in plant foods are indispensable for overall health; maximizing long-term athletic performance requires much more than protein (macronutrient) adequacy, micronutrient density and adequacy are crucial as well. Dr. Fuhrman addresses these issues and gives recommendations for obtaining adequate but not excessive amounts of protein with whole plant foods and also discusses the potentially deleterious effects of excess protein consumption by athletes.

Read Dr. Fuhrman's Newsletter, Fueling the Vegan Athlete.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (14)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

A recent New York Times article focused on Scott Jurek, an ultramarathoner with an impressive record – for example:

• 7 consecutive wins in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run
• 3 wins in the 152-mile Spartathlon in Greece
• 2 wins in the 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon in California
• 1 win in the 100-mile Hardrock Hundred in Colorado

And he also happens to be vegan.

When Scott Jurek was in college, he began to realize the connections between lifestyle and disease, and he transitioned his diet toward unrefined plant foods.

Scott Jurek recently competed in the 24-Hour-Run world championship in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France. He broke the American record by running 165.7 miles in the single-day run, finishing second overall. USA Today then named him their Athlete of the Week.

So what does Scott Jurek eat?

According to Mark Bittman’s article in the New York Times, Jurek’s lunches and dinners consist of “huge salads, whole grains, potatoes and sweet potatoes, and usually beans of some sort or a tempeh-tofu combination.”

Sounds quite close to a nutritarian diet, doesn’t it? Dr. Fuhrman would of course make sure that nuts and seeds were included in this overall plan. A diet based on unrefined plant foods benefits overall health, lifespan, immune function, and cardiovascular health, so it should certainly promote athletic performance also. Phytochemical-rich foods may suppress exercise-induced oxidative stress and micronutrient adequacy promotes immunocompetence, which helps to prevent disruptions to the training schedule due to illness. Unrefined plant foods, high in micronutrients, are therefore well-suited foods for athletes.

To the average person, it might seem unthinkable that Jurek could run these extreme distances fueled only by plant foods, which speaks to our society’s misguided overestimation of the importance of protein.

Scott Jurek simply increases his number of calories as he increases training volume – Dr. Fuhrman agrees with this approach. Athletes do have elevated protein needs compared to sedentary individuals, since protein is the raw material for muscle growth. However, protein needs increase proportionally with calorie needs. The main concern for vegan athletes is obtaining sufficient calories because of the high nutrient to calorie ratio of plant foods. Dr. Fuhrman advises athletes that they can easily meet these needs by putting additional focus on foods that are rich in both micronutrients and protein – like seeds, tofu, nuts, whole grains, and large quantities of green vegetables.

Dr. Fuhrman addresses dietary considerations for vegan athletes in his most recent newsletter, Fueling the Vegan Athlete, and in his recent publication in Current Sports Medicine Reports.  In this newsletter, Dr. Fuhrman discusses micronutrients and supplements of particular concern to vegan athletes, as well as strategies for meeting their enhanced calorie and protein needs.

References:

New York Times. Diet and Exercise to the Extremes by Mark Bittman. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/13/sports/13runner.html?ref=health

USA Today. Scott Jurek sets record in 24-hour race, earns athlete of the week. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2010-05-17-athlete-of-the-week_N.htm

Fuhrman J, Ferreri DM. Fueling the Vegetarian (Vegan) Athlete. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2010 July/Aug;9(4):233-241

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Anthony was only 33-years-old when he was denied a life insurance policy due to obesity and poor health. In desperation he had to do something so he scoured the internet and discovered Eat to Live. Today, Anthony is 163 lbs lighter, has his health restored, and has more energy than he could’ve ever imagined. Most importantly, he doesn’t feel like he’s given up anything; he’s truly been set free from toxic food addiction!  Welcome to Disease Proof, Anthony! 

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

I thought my life was fine; not great, but certainly not too bad either. I describe my prior life as being “functionally obese.” I was relatively active, usually happy and able to do almost anything I wanted.  I’ve been snowboarding, skateboarding, bicycling, and hiking for the past 20 years and was pretty good at those things.  However, there were some things I couldn’t do:

• go on rides with my son at amusement parks
• wear a seat belt on an airplane without an extension
• ride in small cars
• sit in plastic outdoor chairs,
• climb a ladder (unless it was extra heavy duty)
• weigh myself on a "normal" bathroom scale
• participate in anything that had a weight restriction

I also had frequent migraine headaches, and when I had a headache I couldn't do anything except lie very still.

Health wise, I was in bad shape. Doctors had been telling me to lose weight and watch my blood pressure for as long as I can remember, and I eventually stopped listening. I accepted obesity as a part of who I am, because it is common in my family.  We all looked the same and had similar health concerns so it was easy to accept my condition as unavoidable.

I did occasionally get depressed in the evenings after finishing the better part of a decadent pint of ice cream.  I distinctly remember my beautiful and physically fit wife consoling me through some of those tough times.  The problem was neither one of us knew what to do about it. I hit my lowest when I was denied a twenty-year term life insurance policy at age 33. The thought of not making it to age 53 hit hard, especially coming from a life insurance company.  Logic told me that insurance companies have the data to predict life expectancy and want monthly premiums, so the fact that they didn't want my business was not good. I had to do something.

How did you find out about ETL?

Luckily I discovered Eat To Live while scouring the internet for weight loss information. I needed something that made sense to me, and I bought it immediately after reading the description and reviews. I couldn’t wait to start reading it!  [After finishing the book I was surprised to find out that Dr. Fuhrman's practice is about eleven miles from my house.  I'm still looking forward to the day that I bump into him and introduce myself as one of his success stories!]

How do you feel now?

Now I feel great!  I wake up every morning ready to take on the day.  I can do all of the things I enjoy in life, now better than ever.  I can out run my kids and all of their friends.  I’m always in a good mood and calm. I have more energy today than I could’ve ever imagined, and I never get tired during the day.  I also never get sick or feel depressed.  My self confidence is higher than it has ever been, and I’m truly proud to be me!  [read more . . .]

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

The first tip is to not worry if you slip-up once in awhile.  The most important thing is to keep moving in the right direction.  Think of slip-ups like speed bumps; they don't stop you from trying to get where you are going, they just slow you down a little.  As long as you stay on course and keep moving in the right direction, it will get easier and you will hit fewer speed bumps, and eventually you’ll be exactly where you want to be.

Another tip is to never allow junk food to displace healthy food.  If you do slip-up, and eat something unhealthy, make sure to also eat some healthy food as well. 

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

Nutritarian eating has given me a new life!  I actually feel like a new and improved version of myself.  I am better in every way!  Some things are also much easier for me now.  I fit comfortably into airplane seats.  I buy regular size clothes from regular stores.  I don't worry about weight limits on chairs, ladders or anything else.  I enjoy snowboarding, skateboarding, biking, and hiking more than ever, and I've now added running to my list of favorite activities.

I truly enjoy eating the most nutritious foods available. I love knowing that by doing so I am ensuring my own health, and setting a great example for my family and friends.  Becoming a nutritarian has added so much to my life that I never even think about the things I used to eat and drink.  People sometimes ask how I could give up this or that.  The truth is I don't feel like I have given up anything!  What I have gained is so great that it could never compare with the temporary feeling of putting junk into my body.

Congratulations Anthony ~ we celebrate with you and applaud your life-saving accomplishment of earning health back!

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (14)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link