A Well-Researched, Plant-Based Eating Plan

It’s possibly the perfect plan for healthy eating and increasing the odds of thriving longevity. Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD is a revolutionary book that has transformed the way I eat: 90% plant-based and nutrient-rich. Full disclosure: sometimes it’s more like 70% on my less-disciplined days. I’m eating this way to prevent disease and promote optimal health. I’ve seen others use strict versions of this diet to lose significant weight amazingly fast. Eat to Live is effective and research-based. It’s also persuasive and fun to read. Dr. Fuhrman is over-the-top in his enthusiasm for green leafy vegetables and their incredible health benefits. His wholehearted excitement for healthy eating is contagious.

As Dr. Fuhrman explains in Eat to Live, “I tell my patients to put a big sign on their refrigerator that says “THE SALAD IS THE MAIN DISH.”

I’ve never seen a book go so viral within in my own life. A doctor recommended Eat to Live to someone in my family. They then recommended it to my husband and me. We love it and have adopted versions of the eating plan for ourselves. The nutritional principles have helped us feed our toddler son more healthfully. We’ve personally recommended Eat to Live to a couple dozen people. So far, we’ve bought at least ten copies of the book for friends and family. It’s been exciting to share the wealth.

This book is pure gold. Its advice is simple and straightforward. My sincere hope is this nutritional information will help you in your efforts to live a long, healthy life. But I respect that however you decide to eat, it’s entirely your choice. You know best what’s right for you.

Why I Like “Eat to Live”: Optimal Health and Disease Prevention

The Eat to Live system is helping me achieve some personal goals. I’d love to live to a healthy 100-years-old, and with this diet plan, I’m improving my chances. I’m not trying to lose weight. I’ve always been naturally thin, although I did gain 20 pounds my freshman year of college, due to late-night nacho runs, and endless cheese covered french fries and cheesecake in the dining hall. My real reason for adopting a customized version of the Eat to Live plan is optimal health and disease prevention. My family tree puts me at risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and osteoporosis. So I’m protecting myself with nutritional excellence by following a modified version of Dr. Fuhrman’s “Life Plan,” which is appropriate for my thin body type, and I’ll describe later in this article. I’ve always been a casual student of nutrition. But after reading Eat to Live, which references 1500+ research studies, I’m convinced that, along with sleep, food is truly nature’s best medicine.

“Eat to Live” is Great for People Who Want to Lose Weight

The centerpiece of Eat to Live is a rigorous “Six-Week Plan” for people who want to “lose 20 pounds or more in six weeks.” I’ve seen this weight-loss plan work like a charm for several people in my real life. One person I’m close to lost 39 pounds in six weeks, and another lost 24 pounds. It was truly amazing to witness. These results are normal and predictable, says Dr. Fuhrman, who has seen this type of success with thousands of his patients in his private practice. With so many Americans wanting to lose weight, it’s invigorating to see a solution in Eat to Live.

Dr. Fuhrman says people on the Eat to Live diet usually see their biomarkers quickly improve as well, including blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood sugar. He says, “most diseases that bring people into doctors’ offices to receive medication and other treatments can be both prevented and resolved through nutritional excellence.” Even surgery can often be avoided as people take responsibility for their diets, and use food as the cure. “The results I see with my patients are thrilling. Diseases that are considered irreversible, I see reversed on a daily basis,” explains Dr. Fuhrman.

Dr. Fuhrman’s Professional Credentials

Dr. Fuhrman is a practicing medical doctor, who has been specializing in nutrition medicine for more than 25 years. He has several New York Times best-selling books, including Eat to Live, published in 2011. On Amazon, Eat to Live was reviewed by more than 4000 people and earned 4.5 stars. Dr. Fuhrman also has two Eat to Live cookbooks. He also has nutritional books focusing on children, as well as reversing type-two diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Fuhrman has an impressive resume. He is a former world-class figure skater. His PBS specials have helped raise more than $25 million. He regularly appears as a nutrition expert on the Dr. Oz Show. He has partnered with Whole Foods Market to conduct corporate health immersions for their employees. Dr. Fuhrman is also the Director of Research at the Nutritional Research Foundation.

The Eat to Live dietary guidelines are the best I’ve ever seen. This book doesn’t contain gimmicks or products for sale, except for a few mentions of his VegiZest food seasoning. Dr. Fuhrman instead focuses on promoting good old-fashioned healthy eating. The rules are strict, but the recommended foods are delicious and some are unlimited. And the payoff for the hard work is 100% worth it. Dr. Fuhrman elaborates, “My promise is threefold: substantial, healthy weight reduction in a short period of time; prevention or reversal of many chronic and life-threatening medical conditions; and a new understanding of food and health that will continue to pay dividends for the rest of your life.”

My family’s doctors and nutritionists approve of the Eat to Live diet. But Dr. Fuhrman recommends you check in with yours, if you decide to adopt a version of this eating plan, especially if you’re on blood pressure or diabetes medication. I second that. Dr. Fuhrman points out each person has “unique medical and metabolic needs. I do not recommend the same diet for everyone.” Also, I’d suggest you read Eat to Live for yourself in its entirety, so you can develop your own informed opinions, and empower and educate yourself. Or listen to the audiobook: Dr. Fuhrman is entertaining and passionate in his presentation. The audiobook is unabridged, with slight differences to the book. For example, in the audiobook, the shopping list, recipes, and case studies are omitted. I love both the book and the audiobook, but if I had to choose just one, I’d get the book, because it’s nice to have a complete reference to refer to.

The “Eat to Live” Nutritional Philosophy

At the center of Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritional philosophy, is his Health Equation. Take a moment to digest and understand what he’s saying here. It’s fundamental to his dietary recommendations.

Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Equation:

• The key to this extraordinary diet is my simple formula: H = N/C
• Health = Nutrients/Calories
• Your health is predicted by your nutrient intake divided by your intake of calories.
• H = N/C is a concept I call the nutrient density of your diet.
• Every food can be evaluated using this formula.

Dr. Fuhrman calls this nutrient-dense, plant-rich eating style the Nutritarian diet. Both of his nutritarian diets, the “The Six-Week Plan” and “The Life Plan” are based on his H = N/C health equation. The plans are full of nutrient-dense foods containing vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (disease-fighting compounds in plants). The portion sizes are generous, and you won’t go hungry. Furthermore, Dr. Furhman adds, “this diet is delicious. It requires no sacrifice, only different choices.”

As I mentioned, Dr. Fuhrman presents in Eat to Live an aggressive “6-Week Plan” for weight loss, and he details the foods included and excluded in the diet. He also presents a “Life Plan”, which is a lifelong diet for nutritional excellence with more flexibility. If you take on any variation of these diet plans, or any other new diet, please discuss it with your doctor, as all individuals have unique needs. The following information summarizes each Eat to Live diet plan. See the book for additional valuable information.

“The 6-Week Plan” for Weight Loss

In a nutshell, in Dr. Fuhrman’s 6-Week Plan for weight loss, he recommends you “consume high levels of fruits, green vegetables, and beans.” At the same time, Dr. Fuhrman recommends you consume minimal processed foods including refined sugar, flour, and oils. You should also eliminate from your diet animal foods including dairy and meat, as much as possible. He says, “this is key to both weight loss and better health.”

Dr. Fuhrman explains his 6-Week Plan for weight loss with his trademark fervor: “Get ready for the most exciting six weeks of your adult life. If you follow my program precisely for the next six weeks, your body will undergo a remarkable transformation and you will be witness to its miraculous self-healing ability. With no compromise for these first six weeks, you will unleash a biochemical and physiological makeover that will change you forever. You will be thrilled how easily your weight drops and the subtle changes you experience in your physical and emotional well-being. Maybe even more meaningful than the weight loss, you will feel better than you have in years.”

“The 6-Week Plan” Includes the Following Foods

Raw Vegetables (Including Salad): Unlimited quantities. Dr. Fuhrman says raw, green leafy vegetables are “the secret to extreme longevity” and “the king of all foods.” Some of the most-nutrient dense foods include romaine lettuce, kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach for example. Dr. Fuhrman recommends his patients eat two huge salads per day. It should come as no surprise that raw vegetables in general are extremely healthy as well. Dr. Fuhrman explains, “these foods are to be eaten in unlimited quantities, but think big. Since they have a negative caloric effect, the more you eat, the more you lose.” The goal is to eat one pound of raw vegetables per day. The entire pound is less than 100 calories of food. But those calories are loaded with vitamins, fiber, and phytochemicals. Prepare large quantities of salad once or twice a week for easy access. Or buy bagged salads. Eat your salads without dressings, or with oil-free, sugar-free, low-calorie dressings.

Cooked Vegetables: Unlimited cooked or steamed green vegetables. Dr. Fuhrman says again, “the more you eat, the more weight you will lose.” He suggests eating a wide variety of cooked green vegetables, for example string beans, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, and green leafy vegetables. But Dr. Fuhrman warns, if your goal is weight loss, “beware of the starchy vegetable.” He explains, “consider any vegetable that is not green to be a high starch vegetable, with the exceptions of eggplant, peppers, onions, and mushrooms, which can also be eaten in unlimited quantities.” Dr. Furhman says the goal here is another pound per day: “If you can’t eat this much, don’t force yourself, but the idea is to completely rethink what your idea of a portion is; make it huge.” You’ll want to use water-based vegetable cooking methods, without using oils, especially during the six-week plan.

Fresh Fruit: Eat at least 4 fresh or frozen fruits per day. Dr. Fuhrman says “fruit is an essential part of our diets. It is an indispensable requirement for us to maintain a high level of health.” He believes nature designed us with a natural sweet tooth to guide us toward fresh fruit, which is loaded with disease-fighting, health-promoting compounds. Be sure to consume a wide variety of fruit without added sugar. Also, no fruit juice or dried fruits are permitted, except in small quantities for salad dressings and cooking, during the 6 weeks. Enjoy a wide variety of fresh fruits. A few examples include berries, oranges, bananas, apples, kiwis, peaches, mangoes, and pomegranates. Use fruit to satisfy your sugar cravings.

Beans or Legumes: Eat at least one full cup daily. There are many varieties to choose from and ways to prepare them, including adding them to salads. Dr. Fuhrman says “beans or legumes are among the world’s most perfect foods.” They reduce cholesterol, stabilize blood sugar and are linked with longevity in many studies. Dr. Fuhrman explains “beans and greens are the foods most closely linked in the scientific literature with protection against cancer, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and dementia.” This broad category includes all beans, lentils, soy, tofu, peas, and chickpeas.

Nuts and Seeds: Eat one ounce or less of each of these two categories per day. Always consume them raw and unroasted, without salt or oil. Nuts and seeds contain valuable nutrients and healthy unprocessed fats. Dr. Fuhrman suggests having a tablespoon of ground flaxseeds per day, because they contain “hard-to-find omega-3 fats that protect against diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But there’s a wide world of raw nuts and seeds to choose from, including almonds, cashews, walnuts, hazelnuts, sesame seeds, chia seeds, and pignolias.

Whole Grains & Cooked Starchy Vegetables: Limit consumption to one cup daily. Dr. Fuhrman says these these foods “can be the culprit for those who have difficulty losing weight.” This includes refined starchy grains such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, oats, and quinoa. Starchy vegetables include corn, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, and squash, for example. Dr. Fuhrman says during the 6-Week Plan, “refined starchy grains and white potatoes should be even more restricted than the vegetable-based starches, which are more nutrient-dense.”

Spices, Herbs, and Condiments: “Use all spices and herbs, except for salt,” says Dr. Fuhrman. Use a variety of fresh or dried spices liberally to make food interesting. This includes garlic, basil, thyme, bay leaves, rosemary, hot peppers, and curry, among many others. A little mustard is okay. Pickles should be avoided due to high salt-content. Be cautious with ketchup, condiments, and dressings. Opt for versions that contain no salt or oil, or make your own to those standards. Remove butter and margarine from your diet.

Eliminate from Your Diet: Dairy, animal products, processed foods, white refined grains and sugar, oil, and added salt. Dr. Fuhrman says, “no dairy products are permitted in the Six-Week Plan.” Also, “eliminate animal products completely,” although a few eggs or lean fish can be consumed once or twice a week, if you must. Also, no-salt animal-based broths are permitted in soups. Also beware of processed foods, and opt for fresh, whole foods instead. Avoid refined sugars including cake, candies, soda, and sugary desserts. Also avoid artificial sweeteners. Satisfy your sweet tooth with fruit instead. Also avoid refined grains like white bread, white pasta, and white rice. Be cautious with all oils. Dr. Fuhrman explains plant-based oils aren’t nearly as nutritious as the whole foods they came from, and they are very high in fat and calories. Refrain from adding additional salt to food, and choose no-salt versions of prepared foods.

Alcohol and coffee are not recommended, but Dr. Fuhrman says both are permitted in small amounts. In moderation, they are not likely to pose a significant risk. Excessive amounts can interfere with weight loss goals and overall health. Limit coffee and alcohol to one serving per day each. Dr. Fuhrman says, “if that one drink a day will make you stay with this plan much more successfully, then have it.”

Eat organic when possible, especially strawberries, peppers, peaches, celery, apples, and grapes. But in general, it’s more important to eat a high-produce diet than to eat organic. Be sure to wash non-organic produce thoroughly and consider removing the skin.

Dr. Fuhrman primarily focuses on diet in Eat to Live. But he also acknowledges exercise as helpful in losing weight and fighting disease. He suggests aiming for at least 15 minutes of moderate exercise twice a day, such as walking. He mentions vigorous exercise can be extremely beneficial. But Dr. Fuhrman also recognizes there are some people who are unable to exercise, and they can still lose weight through diet alone.

The “Life Plan”: The 90% Rule

Dr. Fuhrman’s Life Plan includes his dietary recommendations for lifelong nutritional excellence for long-term weight management, disease prevention, and optimal health. He explains these benefits can be yours, but you must “accept that this diet is a lifetime commitment. The individual most likely to succeed is one who has changed both his habits and his mindset.”

Dr. Fuhrman says, “For longevity and weight loss, the Life Plan diet should aim to be made up of at least 90 percent unrefined plant foods.” Luckily, no food is totally off-limits. However, Dr. Fuhrman explains, “most successful patients treat processed foods and animal foods as condiments, constituting no more than 10 percent of their total caloric intake.”

Each person should customize this plan to suit their own medical and metabolic needs. If continued weight loss is desired, you could follow a mix of the stricter 6-Week Plan and the Life Plan. But many people continue to lose weight on the Life Plan, by using the 90% rule. So it makes sense that naturally thin individuals may need to customize the Life Plan, by eating more healthy fats and calories, so they don’t lose weight. Also keep in mind, children have special dietary needs, which differ from those of adults. For all people and all eating plans, including the Life Plan, it’s wise to consult with your doctor. Also, the full text of Eat Live provides far greater detail.

The Food Pyramid Reimagined

But in general, Dr. Fuhrman recommends that “your diet should contain over 90 percent of calories from unrefined plant foods. This high percentage of nutrient-dense plant foods in the diet allows us to predict freedom from cancer, heart attacks, diabetes, and excess body weight. Fruits, vegetables, and beans must be the base of your food pyramid.”

Nutrient-Density Scores of Common Foods

To further illustrate his findings, Dr. Fuhrman gives “nutrient-density scores” to various foods. I find these scores enlightening and helpful.

Highest nutrient density = 100 points
Lowest nutrient density = 0 points

100 Dark green leafy vegetables
95 Other green vegetables
50 Non-green nutrient-rich vegetables
45 Fresh fruits
40 Beans
30 Raw nuts and seeds
25 Colorful starchy vegetables
20 Whole grains and white potatoes
18 Fish
15 Fat-free dairy
15 Eggs
15 Wild meat and fowl
8 Full fat dairy
6 Red meat
6 Refined grain products
3 Cheese
1 Refined oils
0 Refined sweets

This Eating Plan is Restrictive, but the Occassional Indulgences Make it Doable

Dr. Fuhrman has received widespread praise for his plant-based Eat to Live plan. Still, he says he doesn’t expect his plan to become the new American diet, as some people will find it too strict. He says, “a common criticism of my eating plan, which all knowledgeable authorities agree is healthy, is that most people won’t stick to such a restrictive regimen,” to which he replies, “this is an irrelevant point.” He goes on to say, “the critical question is how effective these recommendations are in guaranteeing a slim body, a long life, and enduring health.”

Dr. Fuhrman’s Life Plan only requires 90% compliance. So 10% of the time, you can throw all the rules out the window and eat whatever you want, whether it’s a grass-fed organic prime rib steak, a slice of chocolate fudge cake, or a hamburger topped with macaroni and cheese. The key is limiting the indulgences to 10%. I think this 10% (or a little more in my case) of food freedom is what makes the Eat to Live plan doable. When you’re eating mostly healthy, it makes the occasional treat guilt-free and so much more enjoyable.

The Book Includes a Healthy Shopping List

In the print version of Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman provides a weekly shopping list, which contains only healthy, plant-based foods. I found this list extremely helpful when my household was getting started with Eat to Live. Dr. Fuhrman explains, “a key to success is having the right kind of food available to prevent being tempted by the wrong kind of food.” So true. This way, your home is a safe zone with only healthy foods, and you don’t have to rely on your willpower as much. It’s also helpful to have social support by adopting this healthy eating plan with your household, family, friends, or even an online community. It can also be motivating for some individuals to get structured coaching from a physician or health coach.

My Personal Experience with “Eat to Live”

In my personal experience, I’ve been lucky to have several enthusiastic family members embark on the Eat to Live plan along with me. This has helped tremendously. My husband and I set a start date on a Saturday about five months ago. I created a shopping list based on Dr. Fuhrman’s recommendations. Since then, I’ve been stocking both our fridges and pantry with nutrient-dense plant-based foods. I’m following the 90% rule, buying and eating 90% exceptionally healthy foods (sometimes this drops to 70%-80%.) My husband and I love all foods, healthy and unhealthy alike. So the challenge of modifying our diets to mostly comply with the 90% rule, has mostly involved cutting the unhealthy foods from our diets. However, with the other 10%, and sometimes more, we do make some moderate exceptions with items like organic roasted chicken for sandwiches, Girl Scout cookies, and grass-fed organic beef to add in small quantities to flavor a vegetable soup, for example. We continue to drink moderate amounts of coffee and alcohol. My husband and I have also left some wiggle room for occasional holiday gatherings, food gifts we receive, and special meals with family and friends. It’s important to us be able to enjoy these get-togethers and eat whatever is being served in moderation.

My husband and I have been enjoying the Eat to Live menu. It’s filling and delicious. It’s taken some extra work to internalize the rules, and shop and cook differently. Sometimes we do miss how we used to eat. But all in all, it has been a huge lifestyle change for the better. I feel really good about how we are eating. It helps to know we can indulge on occasion. We both hope to live long, healthy lives, especially now that we are parents. Our wonderful 22-month-old son now enjoys all kinds of plant-based foods, including pea protein flax milk, raw broccoli, baked kale chips, hummus, avocado, and mandarin oranges.

As I mentioned before, I’m naturally thin and wiry. I don’t want to lose weight, but I seriously want to prevent disease and have optimal health. Dr. Fuhrman explains, “keep in mind that this book is designed for those who are overweight and desirous of losing weight. Those are truly excessively thin and need to gain weight, will have to modify this eating plan somewhat to meet their individual needs.” That’s why I’ve modified the Life Plan according to Dr. Fuhrman’s suggestions, to be appropriate for my body type, so I can maintain a healthy weight.

I am eating 90% nutrient-dense plant foods on most days. I’ve been mostly avoiding refined sugar, refined flour, and animal products, as there’s not much nutritional benefit to those foods. But I’m incorporating additional calories with whole grains, starchy vegetables, and whole food plant-based fats like nuts, seeds, avocados, and olives. Sometimes I’ll have olive oil for the fat and calories. It has been challenging to fill my diet with enough healthy calories. But so far I’ve been successful, and this eating plan is treating me well.

But even with excellent nutrition, I’ll never be superhuman, and there are no guarantees of perfect health in life. Also, I still get occassional colds, so that hasn’t changed. But I love that I feel energetic, clear-headed, and really good about increasing my odds of a long, healthy life. Most of my biometrics are excellent. My bad cholesterol has dropped 36 points. But my blood sugar could still use a little improvement, so I’m considering a few small modifications to my diet: less sugar, more beans. 

My grandfather ate a mostly plant-based diet too. He lived a healthy, independent life until his early 90s. I’d love to follow in his footsteps. I’ve only been on the Eat to Live plan for a few months, but I plan to eat this way for life. Ask me about this in 40 years, and I’ll tell you how it’s going.

Where to Get Your Copy of “Eat to Live”

You can find Eat to Live at libraries, bookstores, and through online sellers. Paperback books on Amazon and audiobooks through Audible are each going for about $10. The audiobook is fast to get through, and it’s fun to hear Dr. Fuhrman read his own words. The traditional book is a handy reference that contains meal plans and recipes not found in the audiobook. I’m not affiliated with Dr. Fuhrman in any way. I’m just a fan of his book. The publisher page in Eat to Live gives permission to use material from the book for review purposes.

Thank you for reading this blog article. Whether your goal is weight loss, a long healthy life, or nutritional knowledge, I have a hunch you’ll enjoy reading Eat to Live. Maybe this book will lead to your own health transformation. I hope so, and as Dr. Fuhrman says in the book, “I wish you long life and enduring health. It can be yours.”

NEXT WEEK: “MY EXPERIENCE WITH SPASMODIC DYSPHONIA” – THOUGHTS ON THE GOOD LIFE

Photo on this page by Paula Williams.