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.…
Article comments
76 - Gautam Patel
That, Tonya, is a truly wonderful and moving post. That post (and that one alone) makes me want to caveat the review by saying something to the effect that while it may work for some, it is perhaps no universal panacea; and while some may find it obvious, for others it might well be of assistance. Again, thank you.
77 - Mike
Guatam,
The average Joe is told that it is ok to eat meat, etc but only limit calories. Then their cholesterol goes up, they go on medication. Then they become dependent on medication and do nothing to improve their health. They then get a heart attack and other illnesses.
Dr. Fuhrman is say that you don't need to be on medication and you rhealth will improve. My brother weighed 260 llbs and now he lost 100 llbs. His blood pressure is 112 over 73. He used to have acid reflux and took precription drugs and now he doesn't take any.
Finally, why do this when you can live your life to the fullest? You don't want to die when you are 40 and 50.
78 - katy
I began the six-week plan a 1 1/2 years ago and have maintained the 20 pound weight loss that resulted until now. While adding some of the junk back into my diet, I have continued many of the healthy habits this plan incorporates and I have felt better than ever. My cholesterol went from 218 to 173. To see this as a way of life that promotes overall well-being rather than as a way to fit into a bikini, is a key to it's success. It is not about vanity, but about health, and for me, even about spirituality, as I have become free from my gluttonous lifestyle.
79 - Kali
So sad you are so ignorant and unaware. One day you may grow up. Glad to read most reviews on your comment are not in your favor. Perhaps time to learn something?
80 - Gautam Patel
Oh yes, sure. From you, perhaps Kali? As a criticism goes, that one is singularly uninformed. And ignorant. And unaware. And, according to you, because "most reviews" are not in my favor, therefore I am "ignorant and unaware"? Back to class, child.
81 - Marita McDonough
I've been on Dr. Fuhrman's nutritarian diet for just a couple of weeks, so I can't say anything about the 'long run'. I came off the traditional meat and potatoes diet.
What I want to say it that the food is actually very delicious and for some reason (no salt or sugar?) I can taste things in food like just vegetables that I didn't taste before. Who knew that just steamed swiss chard was so delicious? Or a bean and veggie soup. I have been so surprised that I have absolutely enjoyed my meals. So, it's not all deprivation, by any means. I could get used to eating and enjoying my food so much!
82 - tshann
Hi,
Well, I have read MOST of the book. But I'd already lost about 40 lbs before reading the book. I made many of the changes Dr. Fuhrman suggested by other readings and research. Then I picked up his book and began to refine my dietary "experiment."
For my part, I've successfully changed my diet to the zone, and a few other diets for short periods. With the zone, I roughly followed it for a year. But they were not so sustainable - for me.
I've been following the ETL principles (namely eating WAY more veggies, fruit, nuts, etc) for almost 2 years now. So far, it is working well. I had some GI distress (gas and bloating from all the beans and cruciferous veggies initially) initially, but over time, my digestion adjusted.
If I can look back several years from now, as some posters here report, and still be mainly following etl's recommendations - then I'll say it's sustainable - for me.
But being a physician, I think ANY significant change in diet MUST be sustainable. Otherwise, it's just another short term fix. That's okay, but ultimately we all want a diet that is pleasurable, satisfying AND health promoting. Those are what ultimately make it sustainable.
I think this reviewer of ETL is saying, albeit not in the most graceful way, that he has no real commitment to making this type of significant change in his life. IMHO, to really test out the diet and see if it in-fact does satisfy - that takes an initial commitment.
I don't know this reviewer, so I can't say for certain. But it SOUNDS like he's too put off by the principles to really try it out. And without trying the diet out for real, I think it's impossible to see if it's a fit, or if it's viable.
For my part, I would NEVER had imagined I could eat this way and actually enjoy it. Several years ago, my diet was completely different - much more refined food products, etc. So to see what I'm eating now, and to actually prefer it to my old diet. Well, that could not have been anticipated for me. Thus, it was necessary for me to be make the changes and give them time to see that I too could change in my preferences.
But I gradually made the changes and am now looking at adding in even more changes - given how well it's working out so far.
The reviewer appears cynical that this diet is sustainable for him, thus it's not realistic for anyone else. It's called generalization.
However, the great thing is that if you read all the posts here, and those on amazon, there is AMPLE evidence that this way of eating CAN be sustained, and pleasurably. That's one of the reasons I have added it into my dietary research.
So, reviewer repent! Just kidding! But hopefully the review you posted, and all the ensuing posts, will at least help you to be a BIT more open. Hopefully it will help others who are trying to see whether ETL is at least worth the trouble of reading and more importantly putting into practice.
By the way, the only criticism I have of ETL is that it doesn't really devote enough text to the option of slow going. In other words, in my patients, I've seen people who want to make changes. However, they often need to do it gradually like I did. True, there are some who do better with the "all or nothing" approach. But I do see many others who need to take on ETL over some time to really integrate it and not feel deprived. Therefore, I would have liked to see more text devoted to pacing oneself.
So when I recommend the book to patients (who are actually interested in a good lifestyle and diet), I often insert my own caveat: "the book is great for it's science and recommendations. But some find it a bit austere at first. Therefore, you MAY find it more useful to trial some of the changes slowly. For some patients, they do better with it cold turkey. So that is up to you. But please don't be put off by all the restrictions - be kind to yourself and find YOUR pace." So I usually recommend the book with the above caveat, and so far, people seem to be doing well with it.
Peace
83 - Cindy
I got all excited when I learned of Dr. Fuhrman and his eating plan. Spent a fortune on his books, the obscene cost of joining his website, and his vitamins (the only ones in the world good for you, according to him).
So I followed his diet to the letter. Holy shit (literally) -- I had severe diarrhea for days. Could not even make it to the bathroom most times. It was awful! Now, it is not like I was eating junk food and this new way of eating was a shock to my system.
Bottom line, after doing this diet: NO THANKS! I do not want to shit my pants (literally) every day.
I have gone back to my very healthy mediteranian diet, which is what I have been eating for years, and feeling super-healthy on it.
To follow Dr. Fuhrman's program, you have to turn into a rabbit, because you'll be eating a lot of rabbit food and you have to have severely constricted bowels otherwise the outcome will be... ahem... explosive.
84 - Cindy
P.S. There are many people on his website who complain of digestive issues on this diet: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. How can this be healthy? And don't give me this, "it's your body detoxing, just like if you were detoxing from heroine." That may be true for the first couple of weeks if someone goes from eating McDonald's every day to suddenly eating nothing but fruits, raw veggies, and nuts. But even drug addicts take only a matter of days to detox. On the website, there are people who are months and years into the ETL plan who are still complaining of diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Again, how can anything that makes you sick be healthy?
85 - Anonymous
Any diet that requires supplements is not "the ideal" nor "healthiest" diet for humans. That's common sense.
On Dr. Fuhrman's diet, the extreme version of it, what he calls the "optimal" eating plan, requires one supplements with B12 and iodine because the human body DOES require SOME salt even though he recommends zero salt in the diet. And only animal products have B12.
So how can a diet that is missing 2 essential nutrients be healthy?
Not to mention that plant-based nutrients such as iron and protein are poorly absorbed, if absorbed at all.
86 - Leslie
What a terribly childish review.
87 - Gautam Patel
What a terribly meaningless comment. You were expecting profundity from inanity?
88 - Gautam Patel
Get Stuffed
89 - Arun
I understand that you wrote your review a long time ago, but since it's still available to the world, I think it important to correct some of your criticisms. Not sure if the Notes Section was in the edition you read, but the Crete example is referenced in the 2011 edition (see endnote 22, Chapter 2 on p. 326). The particular study can be found here. Also, nowhere in the book does Dr. Fuhrman advocate entirely abstaining from meat, fish, oils or dairy. He simply advocates that these be consumed sparingly, if one chooses to eat these foods. The same goes for alcohol.
I agree with your assessment that the advice in the book is nothing more than common sense, if one understands proper nutrition. However, many people do not. Furthermore, many who fall prey to fad diets would do well to read the book to gain an understanding of proper nutrition and also a means to lose weight, improve health and maintain the two throughout the remainder of their lives.
On the tenor of harsh criticism that has been thrown at you, I think it goes back to the fact that your review simply was not factual and betrayed your own personal biases and/or lack of comprehension of the material in the book and its overall message. In other words, those who read the book and took away from it a positive message thought your criticisms unfair and misleading. Some examples:
"For anyone passionate about food and cooking, this book is pure poison. Following it will make you feel wretched, and will turn you into a thoroughly unpleasant human being -- depressed, angry, distressed, stressed, curmudgeonly, cranky, irritable and a complete social retard."
Was this based on any personal experience of yours, or was it simply rhetoric?
"The book makes no allowance for human frailities, needs, wants, desires or the simple fact that it is now impossible to undo (let alone in six weeks) over fifty years of "bad" eating habits."
The book makes no such claims that you can undo improper nutrition in just six weeks. The fact is, the book advocates eating healthily for the rest of your life and includes evidence of how some persons following this lifestyle have improved their health.
"You only have to look around at Italy, France, Germany and other European countries to understand why. It's not the olive oil, stupid; it's the refined food and the lack of exercise."
On both counts, refined food and lack of exercise, Dr. Fuhrman devotes significant space in his book.
"Fuhrman misses two vital points. No amount of dieting is going to result in permanent weight loss. That can only come from regular exercise combined with a sensible diet."
I think it is you that missed these points when reading since a lot of page space is devoted to both (i.e., there are 30 entries in the Index for exercise, and well, the whole book is about eating a nutritional diet for the rest of your life).
I think two important points can be gleaned from the book from anyone who IS passionate about food and cooking: (1) everything is on the menu and (2) it's all a matter of proportion.
Another important point is that if you're going to write a critique that challenges the content of a book, you should be prepared to back up your counter-claims, which is something you neglected to do in your review.
And lastly, I would like to express my agreement with the last line of your review, ". . . this just is not a diet to which you could ever give your complete commitment in the first place." It is clear that this is basically a reflection of your own personal capacity and obviously not of others.
90 - Gautam Patel
Finally something interesting, but one that comes too late in some respects. I no longer have my 2004 edition and I can't therefore say whether it had the notes section. I will have to presume that the 2011 edition, to which you refer, has more material. That said, I'll get another copy and respond. I can't imagine the core material has changed much. There certainly was no reference to the Crete study anywhere at that time. But isn't it a little odd to use a 2011 edition to critique a 2004 critique of a 2004 edition? If there *is* new material now, I'm not going to be able to tell, am I?
91 - Steven G - a family physician
As a family physician, what I find most compelling about this diet is the anecdotal evidence of the reversal of allergies, asthma and automimmune diseases such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus etc. The causes of these diseases have puzzled the medical profession for years. I find the theory that a deficit in micronutrients (particularly phyttochemicals), essentially may "short circuit" the complex functioning of our immune systems, to be compelling. I look forward to the scientific studies which may confirm this theory. Widespread acknowledgement of positive results should (in a sane health care system), revolutionize our management of these diseases. Personally, my suspicion is that the notion of optimizing micronutrient intake IS the better way to treat our modern day epidemics of diabetes, hypertension and coronary artery disease and to prevent cancer. As a type 2 diabetic who had in past reversed my own disease by regular exercise and the elimination of refined carbohydrates, I look forward to continuing on the Fuhrman diet which I started only several weeks ago. At this time I seem to be over the gastrointestinal issues, which I assume are related to higher fiber intake and changes in bowel flora. I actually feel very good,and see no reason not to continue this eating pattern. I continue to eat fish and dairy occassionally and had a small serving of turkey at Thanksgiving. I now regard the ingestion of animal based products as delicacies, not staples.
Kudos to Dr. Fuhrman.
92 - reverebison
P.S. Cindy, I acuse you of being Guatam Patel. Its obvious. Guatam, you are one sick little puppy.
93 - Gautam Patel
Sorry to disappoint you, reverebison. I am neither sick nor little. And if insulting someone with whom you happen to disagree is your idea of debate or dialogue, I can only admire your limitless vacuity.
94 - Fomb
This criticism was obviously written by someone who didn't try the lifestyle, and it is just that, a lifestyle change. Yo-yo diets don't work because they are nutritionally unsustainable. This works because it is a lifestyle change the asks us to abandon the things that are killing us and we absolutely don't need in our lives. It is backed by the most exhaustive and modern science collected to date. If the critic isn't interested in science then he/she should be quite content to eat wretchedly until early oblivion sets in.
95 - Gautam Patel
@Fomb. Yawn. Same old, same old. An no, there's no "science" in it. See this.
"Fuhrman recommends minimum animal protein. He also recommends less protein consumption than the RDA amount. An interesting anecdote from Eat to Live: Fuhrman always asks his new patients Which has more protein? One hundred calories of sirloin steak or one hundred calories of broccoli? According to Fuhrman, most people don't know that "broccoli has about twice as much protein as steak" (Page 142). And Fuhrman was wrong or exaggerating! After carefully checking the USDA nutrient databases, we found no data to support Fuhrman's claim that broccoli has twice as much protein as steak (per calorie)."
And there's a lot more there, and elsewhere. If you care to look. Yeah, science, sure, right.
96 - Gautam Patel
Sorry for the typo. It should be "And no,". Missed the d.
97 - Big Bear
Speaking as a former 400+ pound guy who hates to exercise, I thank God I read Fuhrman's book. When I started following it's eating plan I immediately started losing 1/2 to 1/3 pound per DAY. I have tried every type of diet for over 40 years, with typical yo-yo results. This plan, I can live with. I eat all I want, with meat or fish 1 to 4 times per week, and wine and vodka whenever I want (usually daily). I estimate I follow it 85% of the time; I wonder how fast I would lose if I followed it 100%?! (I have cut out high fructose corn syrup, sugared drinks, and white- non-whole grain- bread and pasta 100%.) I feel better, more clear-minded, and more regular. I take fish oil, B12, D3, and iodine supplements, as he recommends (I had decided on these long before I heard of Dr. Furhman). I'm not down to my ideal weight (185?) yet, but I never thought I'd be this far along, and I'm still losing at the same rate. Wish I'd found the book in 2004!
98 - Kevin
First of all, massive kudos to Gautam Patel for enduring so much traffic on this review! I hate that some people were just flat out nasty toward you, though...
Well, I'm reading the book now, and I have chosen to give his plan a try, to a great extent, but perhaps not what Fuhrman calls "optimal." Anyway, I appreciate this post for the abundance of personal testimonies for or against Fuhrman's claims and the perspective it helped me gain on the matter.
Maybe one day I'll return and post my own.
Thanks again.
99 - Dan
Cindy, I'm sorry to hear that Furhman's diet caused you to mess your pants, that must have been embarrassing, not to mention inconvenient. The last thing you need is a diet the requires you to carry an extra pair of underwear with you whenever you go out somewhere!
Actually, I find the best diet for me is CONTROLLED carbohydrate, an omnivorous diet using quality foods from both the plant and animal categories. Just watch the sugar and starch. Made me lose weight, feel good, made my blood work look like a million bucks, fixed acid reflux and the digestive system - leaving me with very little intestinal gas and regular elimination. You get all the fiber you need from vegetables, nuts & seeds. I think Furhman's idea of consuming an abundance of micro-nutrients is sound (on this point he is in agreement with the late, great Robert Atkins! ), but the nutrients found in animal based food products is also important. A diet that eliminates or is too restrictive in this area is not healthy either, IMHO. I have a relative that went vegan a year or so ago and she just looks ghastly - not to mention mentally unstable, which I believe is the result of a vitamin B-12 deficiency. This is especially tragic, because in her former life when she ate a healthy, balanced diet including a variety of meat, seafood, and fruits & vegetables - she was beautiful, fit, intelligent, rational, and was pleasant to be around. Now she is none of those things.
Sure, it's great to to have a nice fresh baked roll, bowl of spaghetti, or a cold beer now and then - but you'll notice that none of these diets, whether Furhman, Atkins, or whoever else comes along, will recommend these things as healthy, they will wreck your health if you have too much of them. The best policy IMHO is to never say never to them (so as not to feel permanently deprived), just make them special occasion items and then move on without them when your special occasion is done.
P.S. The last time I shit my pants was because of the horrible fake butter that is used on popcorn in movie theater's. The popcorn was an unhealthy treat to begin with - the fake butter is not fit for human consumption and should be banned.
100 - Dan
Oh, and just another note on the cholesterol topic, since that was mentioned a couple of times here. It's not the cholesterol in your food that you need to worry about - it's the cholesterol levels in your blood. And, It's not the total number you need to worry about, it's the ratio of HDL / LDL. You want to turn off the LDL spigot - cut out the sugar. Meat is not the problem for this, despite having cholesterol it does not convert to high blood levels of LDL in most people unless you're also consuming a lot of sugar. Atkin's always made this claim, (that his diet will not make the blood lipid profile in most people worse, it makes it better - often MUCH better) and he did something pretty slick when he wrote his second book in the 1990's that made a lot of people in the low fat crowd look silly and misinformed (and amp up the attacks on him) - He simply told the readers that wanted to try his diet recommendations to get a benchmark reading of their bloodwork BEFORE starting the diet. Then, after being true to the diet for a few months get another reading and watch your doctor's eye's pop out of his or her head when they see the lab report.
101 - Roger
I struggled with obesity from childhood until my late 20s. I tried all the common diets (not passively, but very actively and strictly). Being 5'8", I ranged from 236 down to 195, constantly yo-yoing being these weights. I could never get below the 190 mark or sustain my weight below 200. Not even the Zone combined with Crossfit nor the Zone combined with long-distance running could break me past my plateau. When I read Eat to Live and implemented the principles found in it, I finally broke past my 190 pound plataue and achieved healthy weight loss, dropping to 171. I've maintained it for over a year. Dr. Fuhrman's book worked for me. I'm eating a spinach & fruit salad while I type this. I love eating a plant-based non-processed-food diet.
102 - Sara James
Shows how little you know . . . I've been eating this way for 10 years . . . along with thousands of other people who have found this to be a satisfying, healthy way of life.
103 - Audrey
I find the book is enjoyaBLE., by following the instructions. This is the second week and I feel better.
Lost 4lbs so far. It is choice whether you want to be healthy or not. I WANT TO BE HEALTHY...I rate his book is excellent and very informative.
104 - Kary
I do not understand why people claim that eating a healthy diet means that one cannot have a social life or must live in isolation. I think part of the issue in this country is that we are conditioned from a very young age to think of food as a social activity. It is possible to have a very full life enjoying delicious food if we change our minds about what is delicious. It also helps to surround yourself with healthy people who share a desire to live well. And, since no one would drop a friend over poor eating habits, most restaurants have salads.
105 - John
You may have read the book, but not thoroughly, or you are purposely misrepresenting the diet. As another poster noted, no foods are totally banned, although there is a quite strict 6 week start up period (same as with a number of other diet plans). I really think your comments are unfair.
106 - Gautam Patel
John, I'm sorry, are we reading the same book? Or an entirely different edition of the same book? Note the date of the review: it's now *eight* years old. The one I read demanded cutting out all salt, only dates (or some such) for sweetening, prohibited dairy, meat and eggs and caffeine and was very low on grain and protein. Eat in moderation, don't eat refined foods, exercise daily. Isn't that altogether more do-able? So no, I don't think I was misrepresenting the diet, either purposely or inadvertently; and I disagree with your views. On this, and pretty much on any other kind of forced diet.
107 - anit fuhrman
As i write this my fiance is on day 9 in the hospital from religiously following Mr Fuhrmans eating plan. He is suffering from severe intestinal problems and his surgeon said it is from the "crap diet" his words not mine that my fiance has been following. This diey can and will hurt people please anyone wanting to try this plan be careful. Thanks to this plan we have both lost 2 weeks of work and are still racking up huge hospital bills that i do not know how we are going to pay. All of these people that preach the perfect diet plan everyone needs to remember they are trying to MAKE MONEY!! When i tried to contact Mr Fuhrman on his web site the only contact subjects are problems with orders, paying for memberships, basically money, money, and more money. This plan may work for some but please be careful!!!
108 - Mr. Healthy Person
Your an idiot with an agenda.... oh, and you lack one other nutrient not mentioned....
common sense.....