Eat to Live: The Amazing Nutrient-Rich Program for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss (31 page)

“After three months I am off all drugs.”

—Richard Arroni

“I would like to shout, Dr. Fuhrman did it.”

—Fred Redington

“Six months ago I prayed I would die, now I’m ready to live again.”

—Jennifer Fullum

“Thank you for saving my life.”

—Harriet Fleming

An aggressive nutritional approach to autoimmune illnesses should always be tried
first
when the disease is in its infancy. Logically, the more advanced the disease is, and the more damage that has been done by the disease, the less likely the patient will respond. My experience with inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis is that some patients are more dietary-sensitive than others and that some patients have very high levels of inflammation that are difficult to curtail with natural therapy. Nevertheless, the majority benefit—and since the conventional drugs used to treat these types of illnesses are so toxic and have so many risky side effects, the dietary method should be tried first. Modern drugs often contribute to the disability and misery of patients with an autoimmune illness and increase cancer risk. Studies show that the long-term outcome is poor after twenty years of taking such medication.
⁴⁷
A study in the
British Journal of Rheumatology
showed the major drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis, such as azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, and methotrexate, increase the likelihood that the person will die of cancer.
⁴⁸

Patients who use drugs that suppress the immune system forgo some protection that the immune system offers against infection and cancer. These individuals need a superior diet, even if they can’t stop all medication.

So many of the patients I see, especially the ones who have made recoveries, are angry at their former physicians who did not even suggest nutrition before starting them on medication. These individuals are usually so “sick of being sick,” they will do anything to get well. They don’t find the diet restrictive and show enthusiasm and determination to recover their health. It is terrifically exciting to see such patients make recoveries and eliminate the need for medication.

Other conditions that also respond exceptionally well to dietary modification include menstrual complaints and irritable bowel syndrome.

Researchers testing similar diets to the one I recommend have noted that a low-fat vegetarian diet increases sex-hormone-binding globulin as it reduces estrogen activity.
⁴⁹
This not only reduces one’s risk of breast cancer but also significantly reduces the pain and bloating associated with menstruation.

I also see a large number of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Some feel better within three days of following this diet, although others take a few weeks or longer to adjust to the comparatively large amount of fiber. Both animal products and flour products are triggers for bowel symptoms in many individuals.
⁵⁰
British researchers have documented that increased production of methane and other gaseous products representing increased fermentation in the colon from meats, dairy products, and refined grains correlate with bowel complaints. However, there are other mechanisms by which a natural-food diet high in nutrients and fiber reestablishes normal gut motility and tone. It can take time to undo a lifetime of wrong eating; most of my patients need three months to see improvement. Of course, sometimes diets have to be modified for individual uniqueness. In such cases, working with a knowledgeable physician is helpful.

Most chronic illnesses have been earned from a lifetime of
inferior nutrition, which eventually results in abnormal function or frequent discomfort. These illnesses are not beyond our control, they are not primarily genetic, and they are not the normal consequence of aging. True, we all have our weakest links governed by genetics; but these weak links need never reveal themselves unless our health deteriorates. Superior health flows naturally as a result of superior nutrition. Our predisposition to certain illnesses can remain hidden.

Certainly, this method of healing is not for everybody. Some would prefer to eat conventionally and take whatever medication is indicated for their condition. That is their inalienable right. However, it is also the right of sick and suffering individuals who seek a natural approach to be aware of how effective aggressive nutritional interventions can be. I would like to take these patients down the streets of Manhattan for a ticker-tape parade to spread the word: You don’t have to be sick. Remember, health is your greatest wealth!

W
hat have we learned so far? First, eating foods with too few nutrients is bad for your health. Second, a large amount of animal products in your diet correlates with a vast number of diseases. Last, unrefined plant foods offer the best protection against disease. The question is, how can we translate this data into a health program that will help us achieve a healthy weight, maximize our well-being, and let us enjoy meals at the same time? That is, in part, what the rest of this book will answer. The first part of this chapter describes exactly what I want you to do for the next six weeks of your life. The rest of the chapter shows how you can incorporate these principles into the rest of your life in a practical and sensible way—the Life Plan—with more flexibility than the Six-Week Plan, including both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options. The life plan is a nutritarian diet. I coined the term
nutritarian
to describe someone who strives for more micronutrients per calorie in their diet style. A nutritarian understands that food has powerful disease-protecting and therapeutic effects and seeks to consume a broad array of micronutrients via their food choices.

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 with 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. Your nose won’t feel stuffed, your allergies can disappear, and your constipation will go away. Most people quickly find they are no longer aware that their digestive tract even exists, as they no longer experience stomachaches, cramping, and intestinal discomfort. You will no longer require headache remedies, pain pills, digestive aids, and other drugs that attempt to alleviate the suffering caused by unhealthy eating. I always like to compare the health of my patients after this initial six-week intervention with how they felt when they first came in with their typical complaints of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol and triglycerides. The results are remarkable when their weight, blood pressure, and blood tests are rechecked. I encourage people to do a scientific test: do this very strictly for just six weeks and see how much weight you lose. Most get so excited with the results during the six-week “trial” that they are motivated to keep going. Results encourage change, and results motivate. The stricter you are, the more quickly your taste will change.

The Six-Week Plan includes none of those optional, low-nutrient foods described later in this chapter. Whether you have a serious medical condition or not, your body will undergo an energizing and healing transformation. It will overcome food addictions and get the physiological housecleaning it has been yearning for. It will be hard, initially, but the immediate results will help keep you focused.

I know many of you have not succeeded with diets in the past or have been disappointed with your rate of progress. Such will not be the case here. Your life is too important. Your ideal weight is within reach. Give this diet a true test and do as I recommend. See how much weight you lose, how far down you can get your lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), and how many symptoms
such as headache, gastritis, indigestion, and nasal congestion disappear. Once you see the incredible results, you will be so pleased that you will feel comfortable with only occasional deviation from this ideal diet. Eat to live for the first time in your life and give yourself this life-changing opportunity.

The Six-Week Plan gives your body time to adjust to this new way of eating. At the beginning the weight comes off quickly, but as you approach your target weight, your weight loss will slow down. Your taste buds will change. They will actually become more sensitive to the subtle flavors in natural foods, and six weeks is sufficient time for any symptoms arising from the new diet to subside. Results beget results. After you have lost about twenty-five pounds, you will feel like exercising more and be thrilled to see even more spectacular results when you go to the gym and sculpt the body you have always dreamed of.

It is not unusual for my patients to lose one pound per day over the first ten to fourteen days on this plan. Sometimes more. One patient, George, who came to me with high blood pressure, lost eight pounds in the first three days. Much of that was probably water weight from cutting out all the salt in his diet; nevertheless, his blood pressure came down and he continued to lose weight over the next few months at a rate of about ten pounds per month. He had a little turkey on Thanksgiving and made a few other minor deviations from the plan, but he found the diet easy. He used some of my recipes and recommended products and soon lost the full hundred pounds he needed to take off.