Hello Dear Readers,
You know by now that reading books on cooking and nutrition is one of my passions and reading Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s books is a must. I own a copy of one of his first works on the Nutritarian plan, Eat to Live – The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss. Basically Dr. Fuhrman advocates eating a primarily vegan diet with minor servings of animal products (if you must): beans, greens, cruciferous vegetables, fruits, small grain servings, nuts and seeds.
“Nutritional excellence, which involves eating plenty of vegetables, fruits, and beans, does not have to exclude all animal products, but it has to be very rich in high-nutrient plant foods (which should make up well over 80 % of your calorie intake.) No more than 10 % of your total calories should come from animal foods.”
Dr. Fuhrman’s plan is very strict and to be honest, it’s difficult for me to follow. I use it as more of a guide to eating a healthier diet. In the last few years, with all the new books being published I had strayed away from Eat to Live. For example, I recently I told you about The Stash Plan. But Dr. Fuhrman’s new book, The End of Heart Disease – The Eat to LIve Plan To Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease has inspired me again.
This book is written to prevent and heal heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the US. Dr. Fuhrman believes 90 % of heart disease related deaths are preventable simply by taking care of yourself. Eating a diet based on plants and vegetables with a strong emphasis on nuts and seeds can make all the difference.
If you have one take away from this: eat a daily serving of walnuts, hemp, chia, or flax seeds. Walnuts, in particular, have the ability to increase your life span, reduce cardiovascular deaths, remove cholesterol from the body, lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, prevent aging in the brain cells and enhance brain viability. Amazing right? What pill can do all that?
This book is not an easy read for the lay person; it took me some time, and I continue to refer back to it for the little tips like the one I just gave you on walnuts, but it’s worth the effort. Dr. Fuhrman includes plenty of recipes, as well as a special plan for those sick with heart disease or who are very over weight and need immediate help to begin healing. The End of Heart Disease includes the latest scientific research to support Dr. Fuhrman’s belief that you can not only prevent, but actually heal and reverse heart disease. He can’t do it for you, but he can show you how.
Sunny Book Garden 