Yet another diet book for the brain-dead
I have just had the somewhat dubious privilege of reading yet another diet book — this one called “Eat to Live” by Joel Fuhrman, MD. The reviews on Amazon are glowing. Most of them say it is a life-changing book.…
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— go to most recent comments26 - Indygal
What plan would you advocate, if not Furman? I am a dropout of Fat Flush, Rosedale, Zone, etc. I believe I need to seriously limit animal fats, and to reduce regular fat (olive oil, avocados, etc). It wasn't that I could not live with them, I could. Each of them. But after a while health issues would come up. If I perservered, they got worse. If I gave up the plan, they usually got better.
I'm uncertain of how much/what type of carbs to consume. I want something that I can live with, darn it. I'm TIRED of beling misled by people who seem to want only to sell books. BTW, I was a vegetarian for about 18 mo back in the 90's and I really destroyed my health trying that. Some people can get all the aminos they need from plant sources. I didn't seem to be one of them.
In spite of a library full of nutrition tables and many books on vegetarianism, I could not find a formula that worked for me.
27 - dohdoh
I haven't read the book. I've been trying to decide if its worth it. So far, it sounds like the same common sense diet that has been proclaimed for over 100yrs: lots of fruits and green veggies, low carbs and refined foods, cut back on meats and sweets. Sounds like nothing new to me. The extremes that this reviewer claims the book proposes are, as he says, his understanding of it. And he sounds like he gives an accurate description that the author, Furhman, does indeed suggest an extreme form of the common sense diet. So as for sticking to this diet, to me, it doesn't seem necessary. I think suggesting the extreme is the author's way of trying to shift your diet in the continuum of extremes (extremely "bad"/delicious to extremely "good"/misery). Somewhere in the middle should do well for most people with some regular exercise. Hmmmm...balanced diet and exercise? I'm sure I've heard that somewhere before. I guess I dont need to read this book.
28 - Gretchen Goel
Sorry to hear you find eating as many fruits and vegetables as you want every day a hard plan to follow. Personally, I'd rather eat this way than try to fit in with the rest of society and eat Standard American Diet fare that makes you feel lethargic and ill short term and ruins your health long term. I've been following his plan and recommending it for the past three years. I've regained my health after suffering with thyroid disease and high cholesterol and helped friends who were struggling with weight to lose the weight permanently.
Some people may treat this program as diet rather than a long term change of eating habits. Those are the people that will struggle with the plan and possibly worsen their health. Reading Fuhrman's new book, "Eat for Health", will help anyone transition slowly from Standard American Diet to Nutritarian. It is less extreme than "Eat to Live" and helps people transition in gradual steps.
29 - Amane
I have been following the recommendations in this book and feel great. I have lost 50 pounds in 6 months and feel stronger and healthier. Dr. Fuhrman both sees very sick patients who have turned their lives around by following his plan (at least with 90% adherence) and also has numerous reserach citations to back up his theory. REad "The China Project" by T. Colin Campbell - this is the way we should be eating!
30 - Casey
Guatam - you seem to be.. annoyed(?) that people are still talking on here about it more than four years after your original post - but this is a good place to talk about it, and as long as it's still up and comment-on-able, people will still talk.
Personally, I've had success with ETL, I modified it slightly to allow for my personal tastes, so my 10% is more like 15-20% sometimes, and the foods are my old favorites; pasta, ice cream, etc.
It's a diet, and they take willpower. If you're not willing to make some sacrifices for the greater good - your health - that's fine! People make a bigger deal out of this than is necessary, I think. If you want to be healthy, okay. If you don't, okay.
I choose to be healthy, but don't judge those who don't. We all like what we like and no one's the same. Also, different plans work for different people. This happens to work for a lot of people, other things work for others.
Yay for variety and availability!
31 - Natalie
I am reading the Furman diet also and have to admit that I am a bit disturbed about cutting out dairy, eggs, etc. People have been eating eggs for centuries. The other problem is that high cholesterol is bad, but I heard that a cholesterol below 150 makes you more susceptible to cancer. Cells need cholesterol for normal functioning. Cells can become cancerous when they don't have enough cholesterol to protect them. I read that anything below 150 is a concern for a greater risk of cancer.
I can't help but think of Jackie Kennedy O. She was very thin, ate a lot of veggies and fruits, was basically starved. She died of cancer. I wonder what her cholesterol level was? We have to be careful about all this stuff. Frankly, the stress of a toxic system and stress from everyday life can cause heart problems also.
Some people eat a lot of stuff but they're happy and live longer. There is a mind and body connection to consider as well.
32 - karla
Fuhrman's book is basically a rehash of the McDougall and Pritikin books of the 80s and 90s. Nothing new. Since its publications, a lot has been written on the benefit of health fats such as olive oil, coconut, flax, avocado, etc. Still, anybody is going to be better off by incorporating more fruits and veggies and less refined food and meat in their diet. I think while Fuhrman's book may inspire some, a more livable plan is to follow what the American Cancer Society recommends. Fill 1/2 to 1/3 of your plate with fruits and veggies. Eat that first... then have the rest filled with what you normally like. Easy to implement anywhere.
33 - Charlotte
Uh.. you said it doesnt allow dried fruits? -- it does. Desserts -- it does.
ANNDDD.
you can do the "nonvegetarian" diet.
SCREWYOU(:
34 - Lewis
The name of the game is "Practicality". If you can follow the book advice to the last letter, then you're extremely determined. In that case, you deserve to be living better.
The sad truth is that a majority of people simply cannot follow this plan. It has to do with life obligations (jobs, kids, etc). Not to mention, even if half the population switched to this there'd be economic hell to pay.
Extremes in life are bad. Eating donuts for breakfast and snacking on bacon is bad. People out there do that. Eating a pounds of veggies a day, sorry to say, I think is bad too. Not from a health stand point. The sustainability stand point is what I'm talking about.
Also I can't let go of the fact that having a good source of lean protein in the diet is essential. Lean meats (chicken, fish) are almost pure protein. This is how I feel about it and not a jab at anyone who wants to do this diet.
I know the review is 4 years old but my wife and I researched this plan and I wanted to say something. We concluded that we'd have to change our lifestyle around the diet instead of integrating a better diet into our lifestyle. We are creatures of habit and some, in particular, are very moody when habit is disturbed. So a gradual change to a sensible sustainable diet is key for us. I say diet as in what we're eating, not a "diet plan" such as Atkins, Zone or whatever.
We're not going to buy tons of books and use their plan. We're going to research nutrition and what our bodies need. We'll then eat accordingly to both lose some body fat and also gain lean mass.
So, if you can do it, do it! If you can't, there are other things out there for you.
35 - Gautam Patel
@Charlotte: "Screw you"? Because I have a view that doesn't accord with yours? Thanks for the offer, but no thanks. The very least you can do is keep it civil.
The last few comments (Amane, Casey, Natalie, Lewis) make sense. What I genuinely dislike in many of these books (not this one in particular; I've long since contrived to lose my copy) is their direct or indirect trashing of other approaches. Eat carbs. Don't eat carbs. Eat proteins. Don't eat proteins. And on and on. Simple mantra maybe: skip the processed foods, the junk food, the alcohol binges, load up on the fruits, vegetables and salads, drinks lots of water and exercise regularly. Then it doesn't matter if you splurge on that gooey chocolate cake on Sunday. Isn't that about it?
36 - Addie Jane
Gautam Patel seems to miss the point entirely. Amazing all the positive comments about this book. Good nutrition is not rocket science; Dr. Furhman simply compares the fad diets to good nutrition and some simply don't measure up. Why wouldn't we want to learn about this? Also what is nutrient dense food? And don't we want the best food to defend us against disease? That's what Dr. Furhman tells us in his book.
37 - Kathy
I am a 50-yr-old female diagnosed with Type II diabetes ten yrs ago. I let my weight creep up to 207. I'm 5'3" and was taking five glucophage a day for the diabetes. My dr told me insulin was the next step. It scared the crap out of me. A colleague told me about Dr. Fuhrman's book, "Eat to Live."
I'm one of many Americans addicted to food, four-star restaurants around the globe all the way down to Big Macs. I've done Atkins, NutriSystem, WeightWatchers (three times), and countless other 'diets.' I felt motivated to read and try Dr. Furhman's "eat to live" as a way of life.
I've been following it for the past nine months. I've lost almost 30 lbs and am off ALL DIABETES medication. I'm not perfect. I still dine out at expensive, fabulous restaurants. I just get RIGHT BACK ON THE PLAN the very next day. That's what's so great and realistic about what Dr. Fuhrman says in the book. It's not about judging or being perfect. He says specifically "any change you make towards being more healthy" is a positive step. The book reviewer is simply way off base. I'm a diehard "foodie." I DO still have chocolate, wine, lobster, oysters, mussels, rice bran pasta, and glutenous desserts made with butter, wheat flour, and fondant, BUT ONLY VERY SELDOM. I try to follow this "eat to live" plan at least 90 percent of the time. I do NOT feel deprived. I feel energetic and DO feel I could do this for a lifetime. I eat SO MUCH spinach, mushrooms, oranges, apples, beans, cashews, almonds, broccoli, cauliflower, onions, bananas, and smoothies made with almond milk it's freaky. I don't weigh anything. My mantra is "vegetables, fruit, beans, and nuts." If it ain't a friggin' vegetable, fruit, bean, or nut KIBOSH! I tell myself to go drink a glass of water and chill out. It's wonderful to feel in control and like I am the caretaker of my body.
I feel like I know a big secret that only a few folks know about. It's that great.
I send love, peace, and all good things to the book reviewer. I feel he is sadly misinformed.
38 - Gautam Patel
Are we having fun yet? Because I for one find this b-o-r-i-n-g.
It would be nice if someone approached the review with a more open mind. Here, everyone seems to think that having a contrary opinion is a Bad Thing and somehow entitles you to be infernally rude to the reviewer.
Every single one of the comments that extols the virtues of this classic of the dieting genre proves my point: what the good doctor tells us is (a) blindingly obvious to absolutely anyone, or should be; or (b) is entirely unsubstantiated (the Crete example being the one mentioned in the review).
It's not rocket science and needs no PhD or an endorsement from a cardiac surgeon to know that a steady diet of pizza, burgers, fries and soda, with no exercise, is going to make you look like the Goodyear blimp. And it's a really screwy society that thinks there's nothing odd about ordering a Big Mac, double fries and then a diet Coke.
Here's a formula that works for anyone.
1. Eat less. Drink less alcohol.
2. Don't eat junk food all the time.
3. Drinks lots of water
4. Eat fresh fruits, vegetables.
5. Exercise daily, within your limits
6. Be sure to get enough sleep.
7. Cut out the late-night snacking.
Basically, give your stomach a rest. Many "less civilized" societies have a culture of a once-a-week fast. You'd be amazed how well these people eat when they have a meal, and how little they eat between meals.
Binge by all means, but not all the time, and after you binge, go back to your "normal" lifestyle (see above).
This is not from the book. It's what any physician will tell you. It's what common sense tells you. So if the book *also* tells you that, what's the big deal about it? What's this great revelation from Dr F? How is this being misinformed, sadly or otherwise?
On second thoughts, I take it all back. This is a brilliant book. It's the book of the decade. It's the book of the century. It's the best book ever written. It's outstanding. It's staggering. Whatever froths your cappuccino.
Time to move along, yes?
39 - Gretchen
I must add my support to the proponents of Mark Fuhrman's Eat To Live book. As a physiologst and nutritionist myself,I must say that Dr. Fuhrman offers excellent health/nutritional advice in this book. If everyone followed this advise - which allows some meat eating for those who choose - we would no longer have heart disease, stroke, and diabetes in this country. His explanation of nutrition for the layperson is excellent.
Other excellent books to read which actually explain the research which makes a nutritional truth-teller out of Dr. Fuhrman are: The China Project by T. Colin Campbell (of Cornell University) and Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D. (The Cleveland Clinic - internationally known cardiology hospital)as well as The Rave Diet by Mike Anderson and his documentry "Eating", which can be found on www.RaveDiet.com. If you are sick of being sick, the above books will help you get well.
My final comment concerns the demeanor and tone of the original review by the author which I found to be despicably and unnecessarily caustic beyond any reasonable need. It is one thing to disagree with the content of a book one is reviewing . . .it is quite another to intentionally contribute to the degredation of polite and respectful discourse. My suggestion to the author on this point is to enroll in a course on manners and polite conversation.
PS - Mehmet OZ, M.D., who wrote a supporting comment in the front pages of Eat To Live is not only a cardiac surgeon but also follows Dr. Fuhrman's diet - he is a vegetarian himself.
PPS - I, too, have followed the diets recommended by Fuhrman, Esselstyn, Campbell and Anderson (all similar) and I find it convenient, easy, and full of flavor and good things to eat that, until I made the changes, did not realize were out there. I, at first, chose this diet "for a while" to iron out some health concerns. I have since decided it will become my permanent lifestyle. I don't feel the least bit "deprived".Thank goodness for Fuhrman and the above-mentioned authors who have the courage to get the word out there.
40 - Gretchen
A comment to Natalie in regrdes to Jackie Kennedy's cancer and cholesterol.
Our liver's are able to make all the cholesterol we need - we can manufacture our own cholesterol needed for cell structure, hormone synthesis, enzymes, etc. We don't require extra cholesterol in our diets - it is not an essential nutrient on any level (ask any nutritionst or dietitian you know).
Jackie Kennedy died of Hodgkins Lymphoma - well associated with smoking of cigarettes which she did all of her adult life - including up to her death. Careful of her public image, she hid this from the public/media, but this fact is well known.
41 - Cindy
"The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child
Gautam,
I appreciate your spirited review. I also like the entertaining commentary it inspired. I think there are some points I can agree with on both sides.
I doubt I could live on a diet like this. But I must say trying out something radical has, on occasion helped me break out of old ways of imagining myself and I have been surprised by what changes I could adapt to and enjoy. I recall my stay at Mother Earth News years ago. At mealtime there was a wealth of whole grains, peanut butter, salad, and other things that made me frown. (Bread and peanut butter offered at dinner!)
By the time we got home, I was longing for their food buffet. And I occasionally still do, 30 years later. I only wish I could remember what else was on it.
Anyway, it is surely fun reading the debate. Thanks for coming back to join in!!
42 - Gautam Patel
@Gretchen. If you publish a book, you should be prepared for the caustic. I was addressing the content of the book -- a point you seem to have missed entirely -- not the person. I would have been wrong, and you right, had I attacked the individual. You are, of course, entitled to your views on my review. But nothing gives you the right to attack *me* rather than the review itself. I could deliver homilies, too, because that's extremely easy to do.
This is really wearying now. I don't know how else to say this (sigh): *Don't shoot the messenger*.
And Cindy, many thanks. :-)
43 - Mcas76
I just started Monday. Monday was rough, but the rest of the week hasn't been that bad. The recipe's are awful, but I am adjusting and plan on sticking with it for the 6 weeks. I only have 20 pounds to lose, so I'm thinking of adding some lean protein into the diet next week. Wish me luck!
44 - Gautam Patel
@Mcas76: best of luck, truly!!
45 - Harold O'Conner
I'm sorry, Gautam Patel, that you came away with these impressions after reading this book. Your words are a disgrace to the human race, and may even cause harm to those who believe you. Why, I must ask, do authors like you intentionally wish to harm others? Were you paid for this review? What incentive can you possibly justify for this? People, this author must have a severe phsycological disorder. Avoid this piece of trash.
46 - Gautam Patel
Eric. As last advised, just above the comment box is a line in boldface that says "Personal attacks are NOT allowed." What would you say this is?
@Harold. "Disgrace to the human race"? "Severe psychological disorder"? Because I didn't like a book you liked, and said so? Tsk, tsk. So much angst, so much irritability. Been on the diet long, have we?
But thank you very much. I believe you just made my point.
By the way, I doubt anyone could ever have a "physcological" disorder, severe or otherwise. No such thing.
47 - Matt Bartolone
I think it's important to let everyone know that the author of this article clearly didn't read the book. This is an irresponsible review that should have some sort of warning on it that the book wasn't fully read before fully reviewed.
Side note:
We all know we're supposed to eat more fruits, veggies, beans, nuts and seeds, eat less dairy, and eat less fats and refined food. However, it's clear that just knowing these things isn't nearly enough. We need to know why. We need to know to implement these ideas. We need much more information about this. Knowledge, more so than will power, is the key to success with weight loss. A book like "Eat to Live" or more scientifically, "the China Study", will provide anyone with much needed knowledge about nutrition.
Turning into a depressed person while Eating to Live?
I think the author is talking about food detoxification. When starting Eat to Live you will go through an unpleasant detox period because of the years and years of processed garbage in your system. This is inevitable when you first start eating this healthy. This normally lasts for 1-2 weeks and is, of course, more than worth it and is completely normal. The fact that one detoxes shows how bad the stuff we were putting in our bodies was beforehand (like nicotine addiction). After detox the mind emerges more clear, happy, revitalized and not imprisoned by food addiction. I've seen many people come off anti-depressants and mood disorder pills thanks to Eat to Live, because many ( certainly not all) of our mood problems can stem from our diets.
48 - Tom Conolly
I enjoyed the comments much more than the review. A couple of things I have not seen. At the top of this review I see a competitors advertisement and I wonder about that. I just finished reading the book and enjoyed it more than any other book I have read. I learned so much about nutrition that I never knew before. I read it after seeing a friend of mine for 30 years lose over 60lbs using this diet in 6 months. He does occasionlly eat wings or steak for a treat but likes the new food better and feels much better. He was 300lbs for years. He asked me to read the book because he was worried about me. I committed to reading it but told him I don't plan on eating rabbit food the rest of my life. After reading it I thanked him. I was shocked at what I learned. I am going shopping tomorrow and starting a 6 week committment the following day. I know what I have been doing for 51 years is not working. I am also 300lbs. I can see doing this for whatever time I have left. My thanks also to the doctor who wrote this book and included his contact information so that readers can contact him if they need any help for their particular needs. If money was the motive why would he do that? The book cost less than a pizza. He is not selling any products. He is saving lives for those who need help badly enough to break bad addictions and to be open minded enough to use common sense based on results.
49 - Kevin
I have been following the ETL guidelines since early 2005. I am 35 years old. I ran a 10K with my sister this weekend. Tomorrow is heavy weights day. I'm squatting just over 340 pounds at a weight of 165 pounds. I'll be squatting over twice my body weight by this summer. My blood work is phenomenal. The only supplement I take is a little B12 a couple of times a week. ETL works and it works well.
This review is unfortunate, but it still seems to be helping to spread the good word about ETL, so thanks Gautam Patel.
50 - Kevin
That should have been "I'm squatting just under 330 pounds at a weight of 165 pounds." I get a little excited about the big numbers and jumped the gun.
51 - Gretchen
Somewhere in the comments a person mentioned concern about cholesterol levels that might be considered to be too low. I thought that a fair question and did a little research. The Directory of Cardiology at the Cleveland Clinic - an internationally known hospital for its cardiac programs - addressed this issue. Their official perspective on a cholesterol level that is too low is 25mg/DL. (yes, 25mg/DL - no typo). Although there was, at one point, some concern that 150 mg/dl levels were too low due to a particular research study, that information has since been corrected to say that a 150mg/dl level does not cause any untoward problems.
As a matter of interest, the 200mg/dl cut off for "healthy cholesterol level" has, in fact, no research/fact basis behind that number at all. In fact, the 200 mg/dl number is simply the average cholesterol number of the American public - it has no health-associated value at all. It is simply the average. When we look at the average cholesterol numbers of other countries and cultures, we see that even our 200 mg/dl number is very high compared to the rest of the world - and so it our rate of heart disease, cancer, stroke. Seventy-five percent of the American population will die prematurely of cardiovascular related disease and cancer - all diet related - rather than old age.
People and the books reviewer can be caustic and make fun of Fuhrman, Esselstyn, Barnard, et. al. if they choose to. And each is entitled to choose whatever diet they find satisfying even if it does shorten their life while living with the disability of obesity and pharmaceutical drug-taking with all of their nasty side effects. The beauty of Fuhrman's book is that he give those of us who want another option for our lives that choice and the "how to" to get there. I simply wish the reviewer had said, in essence, "I understand the premise of this book but it's not for me" and said it with polite respect.
52 - Elise
Hi there. It isn't really a diet, its more of a lifestyle change.
53 - b hooves
I think that you missed the point of the book by Dr. Furhman. It is more book on good nutrition--his edict is to get the most nutrients per calorie consumed. He allows for human frailty. The wise reader of this book learns to monitor his diet and retreat into Furhman meals when the burgers and fries add up, and stamina and strength go down. It is a book on nutrition.
54 - LT
I loved "Eat to Live". I've been following it 90% of the time and feel better and have way more energy. Just because some people are addicted to eating unhealthy foods and can't cut the habit is no reason to attack the book. This book is very well researched and it only makes sense that eating more fruits and vegetables will make you healthier.
55 - Mattie
"... imagine a life of eating salad, vegetables, restricted nuts and fruit day in and day out. What would you do? Stay at home? Get a divorce? Lose your friends?"
My mother reveres this quack, and the above statement describes her life these days to a "T," she rarely leaves the house, and has lost friends. Luckily she has a very tolerant husband. Oh, and her weight has ballooned and she can't lose it.
56 - Renee
I follow the eat to live plan and couldn't be happier. I have to comment on your one paragraph: Imagine living like this: no wine, no drink, no soda, no chocolate, no dessert, no ice-cream, no cheese, no meat, no butter, no dried fruits, no bread, no pasta, no pizza, no popcorn, no rice, no wheat. Why live at all if you have to live like this?
I'd like you to imagine living like that 5 out of 7 days a week. And then the other two days, you can put on your skinny jeans, look and feel fabulous and go out and have your wine, chocolate, meat etc. Furman states in the book that its normal and ok to go off the plan once in a while. If you're smart about it, you can have your cake and eat it too.
57 - sparrow
Like Tom, I've found this an interesting read regardless of the review.
I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis (for which I take strong medication) in my teens and have also been plagued by years of eating disorders.
As I was approaching 80 kilos, a colleague who was raving about the Dukan Diet suggested I give it a go to drop some excess weight. I tried it for a period of about 10 days and at the end of it was in BLINDING pain. I have never had such an extreme reaction to food (high protein) and I questioned then whether I'd be able to continue working full time.
Feeling very depressed about not being able to walk properly and having such bad pain in my hands, I Googled "anti arthritis" and discovered Dr Furhman's ETL.
I must say, something just suddenly clicked. After just a week on ETL, I could walk normally again. Although I still have the arthritis, it is much much more bearable than it has been in a very long time and I know that my eating issues (bulimia) are now gone for good.
If you are reading these comments, have serious health issues and are considering whether to give it a go, why don't you get the book from your local library and see if it's for you.
Indeed, weight falls off, which is a wonderful benefit, but you will undoubtedly feel a lot better than you have in years.
:)
58 - Realist
This is not a quick fix diet book. People nowadays tend to fixate on the "can'ts" of healthy eating "omg I can't eat pizza anymore my life is ruined!" This seems too much like a reaction from an individual in today's instant-gratification, spoiled society that wants its cake and to eat it too and gorge themselves to death. It's been scientifically proven that eating nutrient dense, low-calorie foods improves your biomarkers for aging and health across the board; this is not some fad diet. The research is sound and I can't believe that a reviewer would post such a thing without bothering to understand what the doctor actually wrote. I follow a milder version of Calorie Restriction without strict calorie counts and am thin and healthy (great blood pressure, clean bill of health from doctor) without feeling the least bit deprived and have been the SAME weight for nearly five years (even while going on vacation, so much for "unsustainable"). This is a lifestyle, not a diet. I eat with relish and love my food. If you're a junk food lover, this is bad news for you. If you like REAL food - delicious, fresh healthy food like that eaten in the Mediterranean before the advent of processed food - this sort of eating is near effortless.
59 - Gautam Patel
Um, Mr/Ms Realist. Read your post again. You've answered your own diatribe, and proved my point. The book states (read: overstates) the obvious. Junk food isn't healthy. Healthy food is healthy. You need a book to tell you that eating badly isn't good for you? Tsk, tsk. I stand by everything I wrote. And its supporters have been going around madly in circles for the last two years saying the same thing. Yawn.
60 - Realist
Can't you come up with a better counter-argument than that? The book is obviously meant to help those who have no idea -how- to eat healthily. You sir are being contrary for the sake of being contrary.
61 - Gautam Patel
Ah. Sorry about that. Didn't realize it was intended for /that/ kind of audience. It didn't say so, you see. And none of the others who commented here thought so either, by the looks of it. So. Let's understand it. A book that overstates the obvious and, according to some, is meant for those who don't know that living off BigMacs and fries isn't exactly the road to longevity is by definition a good book? Somehow, I think not.
62 - Realist
By eating healthy I mean beyond the conventional 'common sense approach' which you've dreadfully oversimplified here in an attempt to bludgeon the book and its author (I also don't understand why you seem to devote so much energy to disliking it so much, given that you're dead-set in your way of thinking). It's pretty much well known nowadays in much of the West that many people struggle to maintain their weight even while on various programs, following what's thought to be "healthy" but knowing nothing of real nutrition. If you need to exercise to keep your weight down (at your current levels of everyday activity) you're simply doing it wrong, yet your average American seems to need to do this because of excessive intake. While one needs some exercise to maintain muscle tone and bone thickness, the fact that even rather fit people do the above indicates that they are simply taking in too much, and likely of the wrong foods. These are not Big Mac eaters by any means.
There are also women who can't seem to lose or maintain their weight even while eating "healthy" by "conventional" standards AND exercise. Yet you act as if such cases like this don't exist when it's fairly common. As far as this review goes, what I found most insightful were the comments, rather than your statements that bordered on outright dishonesty (e.g. not being able to enjoy certain foods or being miserable eating this way). Rather than "going around in circles" as you like to pretend they do, some present very good points. I would expect a lot of commentary having posted such a review, anyway. It borders on flamebaiting.
63 - lisabt
I enjoyed reading all the comments - wow, 4 years worth - and while I don't agree with you on your opinion of the book, I do agree that the prospect of following the advice within for a lifetime is daunting & can be off-putting. I also don't agree that the book overstates the obvious - at least, not to me. It has offered me a different perspective, one that I appreciate & have learned from. I am convinced that ETL is a better way to eat, and that meat/dairy is not necessary in a healthy diet. That being said I plan to keep on enjoying a cheeseburger & fries every now & then :) Thanks for providing an interesting 20 minute work break!
64 - Jacob F
Hey, Gautam Patel! I AGREE WITH YOU! Why live at all if one has to give up EVERYTHING GOOD TO EAT! Who the heck WANTS to live to be 150 and be depressed because you have to eat carrot sticks !!!!? If Jack LaLanne couldn't make it to 100 as careful as HE was, who CAN?! (Besides the odd one with quirky but helpful genetics.)
I completely agree. Your review was excellent. Yes, the world has turned a few times since you wrote this, but you're still correct!
65 - Beertruck
Yipper, they call me the Beertruck. I am 47 years old and 7 Weeks ago I weighed 297 lbs. I have played ice hockey 2 times a week for at least 5 years now and didn't really eat snack foods (Doritoes, etc). I was in the office of teammate at work and I saw a picture of myself and thought, I look like a whale.
I have heard Dr Furhman speak on the Allan Handleman radio show many times and always thought what he said made sense. I got the book and read it before I started in on my lifestyle change (He says make sure you read the WHOLE BOOK before starting in on the program).
I am now at 257.5 ibs (lost 39.5 pounds in 7 weeks) and have not been perfect. I am perfect for Breakfast and Lunch, but dinner sometimes I have a little piece of chicken. I even had a burger one day because everyone wanted to go to 5 guys for a co-workers last day at work. I have coffee on the weekends and none during the week. My dentist asked me what I was doing because my coffee stains on my teeth were WELL below what they used to be.
I feel great, I am looking better, and I will make it to my healthy body weight because I am never hungry and have learned a better way to eat. Just goes to show you that even without perfection, it can be done.
It helps me to think that Food is just fuel for the body like gas is for a car. I have learned to change highlights of life from foods that I consume to watching my son play baseball, exercise 6 days a week, talking with friends, doing things with people. I have heard "You are what you eat", I am pretty sure that is one of the truest statement ever made.
Good Luck if you choose to follow this healthier way of living.
Thanks,
Beetruck
66 - Tassar
My body intuitively told me to eat this way to heal a disease. Later I found this book (and others). It's hard for sure. But my body is through eating s$it for socializing or feel good. It wants to look and feel good.
67 - gipfelspitze
what a passive agressive review with a total disregard for the fact that fuhrman's statements are not only very well referenced but also easily followed. at no point does furhman say there cannot be a less strict version of his diet. I have followed my own interpretation (the odd refined sugar, some fish, some animal protein on occasion) and I am doingt fantastic. Even on this less strict version of his nutritional plan (let's not call this a diet as it does not limit caloric intake at all) I have lost 10 pounds in 4 weeks and counting. His point is to make anything known to be problematic an exception instead of it being the bulk of your eating.
that is how I look at it and it has worked great for me. I think the advice given in the review that it is impossible to avoid, wine, soda, sugar, meats, etc may simply apply to his own inability or unwillingness to do so. drinking soda does not equate nutritional heaven for all other people and avoiding it may be quite a simple and enjoyable thing to do for a lot of people.
68 - Gautam Patel
Seven years on, and they're still chanting the same old mantra. Good for you gipfelspitze, if it works. But you didn't need this book to tell you what's stark, staring obvious, did you? And no, it's not "very well referenced", not by a very long shot. He makes such a to-do about Crete; did you see a single reference? There wasn't one seven years ago, for sure. Feel free to trash the review as much you like, but know that you're just being b-o-r-i-n-g if you're just repeating the same old comments.
Finally, try this diet and you'll lose 20 pounds in 4 weeks and keep it down. Exercise. Eat less. Eat better. Sleep enough. Binge every now and then, sure, but just use common sense. Capice?
69 - Amber
I'm pretty outraged by this review. I've been following Dr. Fuhrman's "diet" for over a year now, and it is definitely a life changing book. It is certainly not impossible to commit to and stick with it. If you read the entire book you would have read that it's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change. It's not something you do for 6 weeks and then go back to your old ways. The 6 week plan is obviously more strict because you want to rid your body of toxins and toxic hunger. I don't feel that my diet is restricted at all. In fact I am very passionate about food and cooking and I cook delicious food for me and my family everyday. In a little over a year I have lost 100 pounds and am at my ideal body weight. I will NEVER go back to eating like I did before. I have more energy now at 30 years old than I have had in my whole life. All thanks to Dr. Fuhrman. I seriously hope that this review does not discourage people from making this wonderful lifestyle change. It can only improve your life, not worsen it. At my heaviest, 235 pounds, my life was pretty sad. I would have done anything to lose weight and feel better about myself. Eat To Live was the best thing that ever happened to me.
70 - Annie
The positive reviews of this book both here and on Amazon sound suspiciously similar in the way they defend the book, always acting like it was so so easy to adopt the diet for 2 year or 3 years and solve medical issues comma medical issue. I suspect something other than real people are finding this diet so darn easy. To me, I've been trying, but find it extremely restrictive.
71 - Robert
Oh it sounds like the same argument you would expect from a smoker, explaining how the menthol helps his breathing. Why did an independent study clearly show a 33% reduction in bad cholesterol when they followed his diet. Statins only do 25% while it makes your arms feel weak. And is hard on your liver. Now the drug that raises good cholesterol recently was shown not to help your health. You cant fool mother nature with all those chemicals.
I guess Dr Fuhrman should point out his side affects. Weight lose, better cholesterol, being denied the opportunity to become a type 2 diabetic.
And as new science studies come out, the doctor will adapted and apply to his diet.
72 - gautam patel
Excuse me? This was a review of the BOOK, not the field of health and nutrition. And what you say proves my point: stating the obvious and then citing studies to reinforce that isn't any kind of breakthrough.
73 - Dina
Give Gautam Patel a break, people. This reviewer had an opinion that the dietary plan advocated in the book is impossible to follow and if he can't eat the foods that he loves then he can't be happy. Don't get me wrong, I disagree with his book review completely. I think the book is valuable and informative. I believe that if Patel at some point suffers adverse health effects from eating the standard American diet, as many people do nowadays, he will find the pleasure of eating these unhealthy foods is outweighed by the misery of illness and his opinion may change and the dietary changes won't seem so impossible. I have, however, read his later posts in response to reader comments and he has modified his earlier statements somewhat to suggest that there is value in eating more like Dr. Fuhrman advocates.
Unfortunately, Patel still thinks that the book doesn't offer much since he believes that what Fuhrman talks about is actually common sense/ common knowledge. Again I disagree. This book is very valuable, regardless of whether you feel it states the obvious or isn't well referenced. The scientific evidence backing much of what Dr. Fuhrman advocates says is now available and if these ideas take hold then our modern lifestyle will not longer be in conflict with healthy eating and you won't be "a social retard" when dining out with friends. But, enough with the "you suck Gautam," already. Let's stick to positive statements about the value of the book and it's ideas and maybe more people will decide to read it despite the negative review.
74 - Gautam Patel
:-) Thank you Dina. Much appreciated.
75 - Tonya
I saw Dr.Furhman on PBS and many times, ignored what he had to say and continued flipping channels. Then, I spent a week caring for my father. An extreme diabetic who believes he should take his insulin shot, then eat a Little Debbie snackcake. There is no convincing him. But for me, I had ignored my diabetes for years. Blah blah, whatever. Seeing my father, about to lose both legs, having a ramp built that week because of the severe neuropathy, brought me down to earth. I have only gotten to read a small part of the ETL book so far. Yes, I'm very interested and even though my husband and I haven't started the 6wks, we have already began to try, at least, to eat healthier. I understand where Mr Patel is coming from, to an extent. At any point, eating healthy and exercising can improve anyone's help. But Furhman does an amazing job of breaking down "the system" to help people understand what needs to be done and how to do it. It may seem simple to some, but for many of us, it was just frustrating and made us want to say 'To heck with it'. I, for one, thank you, Mr. Patel, for your review. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and not everything works for everyone. But if nothing else was gained from this forum, it is HOPE. Hope that I can finally make a difference and at least I can finally understand how my body works. Yes, there are many books out there explaining many of the same things. For me, this was the book I chose and the reviews just strengthened my belief that I can make a lifestyle change. I personally have to treat my diabetes as a drug or alcohol problem. It can kill me. So yes, even if it's the same old adage of "eat healthy and exercise", for many of us, it's the stepping block that we need.