Eat to Live Diet

The Eat to Live Diet was created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman as a way to show people how they can live healthier lives through better eating. The book focuses on becoming a healthier person and lowering your risk for disease as well as losing weight. Many people use Furhman’s eating plan in conjunction with other weight loss programs. This diet is often compared to Weight Watchers, but the list of allowed foods is much stricter and no counting is required.

Healthy Foods

One positive aspect of this diet is that eating natural, unprocessed foods is encouraged. Dr. Fuhrman believes that people who eat foods that are high in nutrients such as nuts, vegetables, fruits, and certain whole grains lose weight as well as increase their resistance to many diseases. The diet discourages followers from eating dairy, protein, and refined carbohydrates because they contain unhealthy fats and sugars and are not nutrient dense. Fast foods and other processed items are discouraged because they can actually contribute to the diseases that Dr. Fuhrman is helping patients to avoid.

This diet is very vegetarian friendly and has been shown to help people lose weight and people who have followed The Eat to Live Diet have reported lower cholesterol, more stable blood sugar levels, and reduced blood pressure.

No Portion Control

Because of the restrictive nature of this diet, portion control is not required. The premise is that people will naturally eat a smaller amount of nutrient dense, low calorie foods because they are high in water and fiber that help the stomach feel full faster. Eating only a minimal amount of animal proteins and dairy products has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer in some patients. Many diets are difficult to follow because the dieter is required to count calories or points, but this diet doesn’t require keeping track of portions as long as the right foods are consumed.

Exercise

Many people who start The Eat To Live Diet are not in very good physical shape, so the exercise recommendation is a regimen of walking 30-45 minutes per day, at least five days per week. People that are in good physical condition will probably want to add more intense exercises to their daily routines to help them lose more weight and sculpt their bodies.

Restrictive

Diets that are very restrictive, such as this one, only work for people who are willing to change the way they eat long term. Eating large amounts of raw fruits and vegetables as well as sprouts and legumes is great for weight loss, but it requires more planning and preparation than many dieters are willing to put into it long term. Willpower is a big component and most people have a very hard time resisting things like birthday cake.

The Eat To Live Diet seems to work for the people who are able to restrict their diet to Dr. Fuhrman’s expectations. It is a difficult diet for most, but many people who have tried it believe that the end results are worth the effort and willpower it requires.