 |
Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss by Joel Fuhrman
Book Summary InformationAuthor: Joel Fuhrman Foreword: Mehmet Oz Edition: Paperback Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published) Published: 2005-01-04 ISBN: 096576351X Number of pages: 292 Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Accessories:
Book Reviews of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight LossBook Review: Change Your Life--Eat to Live!!! Summary: 5 Stars
I first read Dr. Furhman's book, Eat to Live, several years ago while I was in college. I had a gained several pounds over the years from high school (although I was never super thin) but more importantly, I felt really unhealthy, and just wanted to gain knowledge about how to live a more healthy life-style. To be honest, at that time, I was used to eating the "typical American lifestyle" which included breads, cheese, lots of meat, and did not think it was a feasible for me to completely change my ways. But what I loved the most was the knowledge that I gained in the book. I really appreciate Dr. Furhman's emphasis on health and how it's not necessarily about not eating certain foods, but how, once you start to eat the foods that are good for you (greens, veggies, fruits, nuts, and seeds) you won't have as much time or space in your stomach to eat the bad things. Anyways, although I did not adopt the life-style (and it is a life-style change and not a diet) right away, the knowledge that I was not treating my body well kept nagging and nagging over the years...I don't believe in quitting anything cold turkey, I think you have to know yourself, and I knew that I would not be able to change my bad habits overnight and reasonably sustain it without feeling like my entire life was what I ate. So I started very slowly to gain a taste for fruits and veggies. I thought about what I enjoyed, taste-wise, about these foods and how to prepare them in ways that I could genuinely feel was delicious (for example, I LOVE sauteed shitake mushrooms with bok choy.)
So to start, I did not focus on trying not to eat meats and dairy and refined starches, I simply focused on eating more fruits and vegetables and enjoying the tastes of these wonderful foods. THEN, when slowly over time, I began to try to eat less of the foods that I knew were bad for me. I never tried to do more than I thought was reasonable, I never tackled more than one item at a time, and if I felt like I really couldn't resist and indulged (or over-indulged) in something (for example, I LOVE steak and had a hard time fathoming the idea of never eating it again) most importantly, I DID NOT beat myself up over it. I used it to understand myself better and the types of foods that trigger me, etc. So in using the steak example, in the olden days, I loved steak with a starch like potatoes or french fries, covered with salt and pepper. Nowadays, I only eat steak once in a while, less than once a month, and I have a small piece of grass-fed, organic, free-range steak sliced over a great arugula or watercress salad with a simple lemon/olive oil dressing and crispy shallots. So yummy! And I really savor and enjoy the real taste of the steak by not drenching it with lots of salt and pepper. I also enjoy the steak with the understanding that it tastes so good for me because it is a treat and because I only eat it once in a while. I really feel like it is important to live your life and enjoy and have treats like this for yourself once in a while. Thus, it is also very important to eat the fruits and veggies that you love and to have it in a way that you enjoy the eating experience and your meals, so that you not only can sustain your life with healthy food, but you enjoy your life with these foods as well. For example, I LOVE watercress and eat it everyday and I never seem to get tired of it, whereas I don't enjoy spinach as much. I also love reconstituted shitake mushrooms for their savory, rich, and meaty flavor and texture in stirfry dishes, etc...Anyways, it has been about 3 years since I first started on this journey to better health and I feel absolutely great!
Some stats: I am 26 years old and 5'4''. At my highest weight, I weighed about 150 lbs. Now, I am always consistently at about 117 lbs (that is a 33 lb weight loss people!) This for the girl who NEVER thought I could ever cross the 120 lb benchmark, without starving myself (something I never would have done.) But more importantly, I feel great, the absolute healthiest I ever had. People often mistake me for a teenager because they say I seem so high-energy and youthful...
What I mostly eat to sustain my health: I love eating all the varieties of fruits and veggies out there and I never, ever limit any fruit or veggie (arugula, watercress, bok choy, and broccolini are my favorites greens--I love every fruit known to man and eat a huge variety of them when in season.) I also love whole grains and jasmine rice (I never really eat white bread, pasta or refined starches anymore and find that I do not crave them at all--if I am craving pasta, which is only once in a while, I will use quinoa or brown rice pasta instead or even spagetti squash is a delicious, pasta like veggie to use in such recipes). I do not drink any soda or bottled juices (I love homemade fresh juices as a treat however). I VERY rarely eat any processed "junk food" or "fast food" because I've learned over time how bad I feel eating them. I also love mixed-bags of nuts and dried fruits (even very, very dark chocolate) as snacks. I love drinking almond milk/rice milk as a treat, etc. I do not eat dairy and severely limit sugar, refined starches/flour and any processed/junk/fast foods.
Typical Breakfast: Variety of fruit (berries, watermelon, kiwis, oranges, etc--I usually prefer juicier and more interesting fruits over apples or bananas). I always always have a protein for breakfast, really helps sustain me for the rest of the day. For exaple, egg white omelet, some nuts or nut butter, tofu scramble, etc. If I am indulging, I may even have 1 or two pieces of free-range organic chicken or turkey sausage (yum). Once in a while I may also have a piece of Ezekiel sprouted grain bread with marinara sauce and soy cheese too. Instead of eating the fruit, I will sometimes make a smoothie with vegan protein powder thrown in (this is a great time to throw in some extra spinach which look funky but you can't even taste--especially if you use bananas in the smoothie because it's such a strong taste.)
Typical Lunch: A large salad with all kinds of veggies depending on my mood. My favorite green base for my salads are always either arugula or watercress or a mix of the two. I keep the salad dressing simple, with balsamic vinegar or lemon with extra virgin olive oil. I try to make the salad as colorful as possible with lots of other veggies (tomatoes, bell peppers, corn, carrots, cabbage, you get the idea). I always add nuts and/or beans to the salad for more protein. My favorite beans to use are either garbanzo or butter beans, pinto, etc. I also love to have avocado on my salads, I may also include more protein like a small amount of chicken/turkey breasts, steak, grilled salmon, or boiled eggs if I am treating myself.
Typical Dinner: Veggie stir-fry with jasmine rice. I grew up eating rice, so rice to me is a very comforting food, and I can't live without it. I make the veggie stir-fly with any kind of veggies I have laying around (broccoli, onion, bok choy, bean sprouts, whatever you love). I always use exta virgin olive oil and may include tofu in the stirfry (but protein is less important to me at night since I've probably already had some earlier in the day). Then, after a little while after dinner, I have a treat/dessert, sherbet or sorbet made with coconut milk/almond milk, dark, dark chocolate, etc.
Snacks: For snacks I love any un-roasted/unsalted nut/seeds, almond/rice milk, ezekiel bread with marinara sauce and/or one slice of soy cheese, a Lara Bar (these are the best raw, whole nut & fruit bars EVER, so many flavors that are so good-WAAAY better than a cookie in my opinion), and dark, dark chocolate, etc.
Excercise: Excercise is VERY important so I hate making it a chore. Instead I only do activities that I really enjoy and find myself looking forward to. I love to swim, kick the ball around outside, play frisbee, do light yoga/stretching, bike, and walk/hike outdoors, etc.
I don't exactly follow the Dr. Furhman plan because I do love to eat organic eggs for breakfast, fish once in a while for dinner (and even meat once in a while). I don't limit my olive oil use because I figure you gotta choose your battles and olive oil is good for you so I don't care about the calories--but I also don't go overboard! And of course, I eat jasmine rice everyday. Nonetheless, I feel it is important to read Eat to Live even if you don't follow it exactly for the knowledge so that you can empower yourself! Otherwise, treat your body kindly and do the best that you can and what works for you! Remember you only have one body so fuel it right! Just eat lots and lots of Greens, Veggies, and Fruits. Remember, it's never too late or too early to change your life. It's okay to go slow, make mistakes, start over, etc. Whatever works for you. Just make a commitment to be open minded, to gain knowledge, that you deserve to treat yourself well, that you can be healthy !!! I did, and if I can, ANYONE can...
Summary of Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight LossDr. Joel Fuhrman's revolutionary diet is not about willpower, it is about knowledge. Eat to Live offers a healthy, effective, and scientifically proven Six-Week Plan for shedding a radical amount of weight quickly. The key to the program's success is simple: health = nutrients: calories When the ratio of nutrients to calories in the food you eat is high, fat melts away. The more nutrient-dense food you consume, the more you will be satisfied with fewer calories and the less you will crave fat and high-calorie foods. Eat to Live will help you live longer, reduce your need for medications, and improve your overall health dramatically. It is a book that will change the way you want to eat. Most of all, though, Eat to Live will enable you to lose more weight than you ever thought possible.
|
 |