Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

“Although the United States is the most powerful nation on the earth, the one area in which this country does not excel is health. “ – Dr. Oz

Sustainable Healthy Living, by Sheila Mullen - Sept 29, 2012

I could easily claim to have read all the “how to eat” books.  Here is just a few; The Paleo Solution Diet, You on a Diet, Crazy Sexy Diet, The Mediterranean Diet, The Atkins Diet, the South Beach Diet, The Ultra Simple Diet and another one of my favorites, the China Study.  They have all been best sellers, earnest I their attempt to help us become healthier, but in their own way they added to the complexity of an already confusing “how to eat” chaotic landscape. We as a nation continue to escalate in our diet of heavily processed foods and sedentary lifestyle, leading to extreme obesity and disease.

I have always believed in a concept I learned from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition called bio-individuality. The fundamental belief is everyone should eat differently. Some of us do well on a strict vegan diet while others need some animal protein for their body to function properly. Only the individual can determine and assess the best way of eating. Given the proper guidance and knowledge, I believe we all intuitively know what food is best for our well-being.

A good friend of mine, Dr. Mark McGinley, when asked his beliefs of nutrition, recommended that I read the book, Eat To Live, by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. I downloaded the book in January to my iPhone, but have to admit I just listened to it this month. I was blown away. It is easily the most informative book about how food interacts with our bodies I have ever read. Kudus to Dr. McGinley!

The one thing I admired most about Dr. Fuhrman's book was his definition of nutritarian “… as someone who strives for more micro-nutrients per calorie in their diet. A nutritarian understands that food has powerful disease-protecting and therapeutic effects and seeks to consume a broad array of micro-nutrients via their food choices.“ Three cheers for Dr. Fuhrman. If we could all concentrate on the density of nutrients obtained by our food choices we would all be healthier. We would automatically select healthier food options and leave the processed food on the shelves to maybe disintegrate tens of thousands of years from now.

Based on the research presented in his book, Dr. Fuhrman believes a vegan lifestyle is optimal. Given my belief in bio-individuality I am not 100% bought into the vegan lifestyle, but what I love is that Dr. Fuhram’s book is grounded in scientific research that causes one to think about the merits of his argument. 

As I stated in the beginning, I have read tons of book on “how to eat,” but I have not been so excited about any of them as I have been about Dr. Fuhrman's book, Eat to Live, which is so scientifically researched. 

Be well! 

About Sheila Mullen – The founder of Continuous Motion Consulting, Sheila is passionate about engaging friends, family and community in improving their lives and the lives of those around them. Sheila spent more than 20 years in technology sales, marketing and development. She also has a background in organizational development, innovation and executive wellness coaching.