Joel Fuhrman

The Eat to Live Cookbook is a companion volume to Joel Fuhrman’s bestselling, Eat to Live (2003) and Super Immunity (2011). I have tested 27 of the 200 recipes and found all of them edible . . . and several superb. For me, the star of the collection is Homemade Vegetable Broth, a stunningly delicious combination of flavors that completely eliminate a need for salt. I used it as a base for the tasty Acorn Squash Stew with Brussels Sprouts, but enjoyed sipping it on its own as a sort of show more vegetable tea. I plan to experiment with it as a base for a vegetarian egg-drop soup. I loved the Chocolate Cherry Smoothie (naturally sweet with no sugar), which I had for breakfast. The recipe was for two servings, and I used the second serving as my after-dinner dessert.

Another of my favorites is Fuhrman’s Sunny Bean Burger, tasty as a meat replacement to accompany a dinner plate of veggies, but really scrumptious as a sandwich, served with tomato, avocado, and Boston lettuce on lightly toasted Izzio’s Lucky 7 Multigrain bread, then liberally sprinkled with a fruity olive oil. I also give a thumbs-up to Fuhrman’s Quinoa Breakfast Pudding and Black Beans & Corn Salsa.

The recipes are great, but don’t overlook Fuhrman’s 40-page introductory text, which is much more than the usual how-I-came-to-write-this-book history that is found in most cookbooks. He opens with the declaration that is the foundation of his popular PBS specials: “Poor food choices are the largest cause of disease and premature death.” These first pages are packed with the essentials of his dietary philosophy: what to include in your daily diet, what foods to avoid, and the scientific basis for his dietary advice. As a side note, Fuhrman’s advice is not just opinion or educated guess; in addition to his experience as a board-certified family physician with a specialty in nutrition, he relies heavily on clinical tests and nutritional research as a basis for his approach to healing and preventing disease with natural methods.

I was especially appreciative of the section on how to select and judge the ripeness of various types of fruit. As well as a long list of the most popular fruits, I found descriptions for star fruit and cherimoya (two fruits that I have eyed but not yet tried), as well as how to judge ripeness in persimmons and mangoes (two fruits whose ripeness I have frequently misjudged).

In the past, the art of food combining was about integrating the entire array of essential amino acids to achieve a complete-protein meal (which is presently considered unnecessary). Fuhrman’s more modern approach is to combine foods that empower one another: “Consume nuts and seeds with your meals, not as snacks, [but] because they facilitate the absorption of essential phytochemicals from other foods.” His salad-dressing recipes are concocted with these types of complementary ingredients in mind. General cooking tips, how to make food choices, how long to keep various foods refrigerated, and equivalencies for powdered, crumbled, and fresh herbs are among the many other useful tips.

Working your way through the recipes is a great way to introduce yourself to the vegan diet, and along the way you may discover new cooking techniques, as well as new food combinations. I don’t anticipate becoming a strict vegan, but I now see that, with Fuhrman’s practical collection of recipes, leaning in that direction is far easier than I previously thought possible. show less

I try to keep personal details out of my reviews--this is, after all, the internet. But I don't know how to review this, how to contribute to the discussion about it and get feedback about it, without getting personal and giving my context and with it the reasons for my deep skepticism and why I won't be trying Fuhrman's program. I was diagnosed with breast cancer about a month ago. I had to have a Pet Scan to make sure it hadn't spread--it hadn't, and my prognosis is excellent. But I show more couldn't complete the procedure the first time I tried. It requires consuming radioactive sugars at a low blood sugar after a fast of several hours. Mine was 313--normal should have been 70 to 110. I have diabetes. I do believe they call that a one-two punch. Because they needed to get the blood sugar down fast for the test and because I was going to soon start chemotherapy, they put me on insulin. So I've gotten a fast education on diabetes. I've met with a nutritionist, a diabetes educator and an endocrinologist. I'm telling you all this because I'm going to share what I've learned from them that makes me feel dubious about this book.

First, what Fuhrman recommends--his "nutritarian" plan, is basically a "Vegan" diet. He believes that ideally we should eat no meat, fish, poultry, eggs or dairy. His plan concedes enough to individual tastes to allow (very restricted and occasional) fish and poultry: one ounce three times a week. Now, I am convinced by what I've read that we Americans do consume far too much meat and dairy--especially high fat kinds--and too few vegetables. I'm on board with that. But I also suspect advocacy of vegetarianism and veganism has more to do with a social and political agenda than health. This is what Fuhrman has to say on the subject:

Humans are primates, and all primates eat a diet of predominantly natural vegetation. If they eat animal products, it is a very small percentage of their total caloric intake. (Page 133)

When we hear something over and over, starting when we’re young children, we accept it as true. For example, the myth that plant proteins are “incomplete” and need to be “complemented” for adequate protein is repeated over and over. (Page 145)

AND

For many years, most Americans incorrectly believed that only animal products contained all the essential amino acids and that plant proteins were incomplete. False. They were taught that animal protein is superior to plant protein. False. They accept the outdated notion that plant protein must be mixed and matched in some complicated way that takes the planning of a nuclear physicist for a vegetarian diet to be adequate. False.

I guess they never thought too hard about how a rhinoceros, hippopotamus, gorilla, giraffe, or elephant could become so big while eating only vegetables. Animals do not make amino acids from air; all the amino acids originate in plants. Even the nonessential amino acids that are fabricated by the body are just basic amino acids that are modified slightly by the body. So the lion’s muscles can only be composed of the protein precursors and amino acids that the zebra and the gazelle ate. Green grasses (or leafy greens) made the lion and are the mother of all the protein that built all the creatures on planet Earth. (page 234)

I find such reasoning breathtakingly idiotic. Yes, we and monkeys and apes are all primates. So what? Whales and dolphins and porpoises are all cetaceans. Do you have any idea how diverse the species are in that order? And their very different dietary needs? Humans have been hunters since the species began. We're omnivores--NOT herbivores. Our teeth and bowels are along those lines. We don't have multiple stomachs to break down grasses--we do have stomach acids to break down meat. Even if it were true that vegetarianism is the healthiest possible diet, his reasoning for it is specious.

Note, he recommends a supplement of "Long-Chain Omega-3 (EPA and DHA)"--found in fish. If his diet is optimal and natural for humans--why would it need supplements--one found precisely in one of the foods he tells us to avoid? I'd note I've also often seen that vegetarians should consume supplements of B-12--again, because you don't get that in plant food. Iron and calcium are better absorbed by humans through meat and dairy than through plant sources. Moreover, the vegetarians I know, even the vegan ones, are careful to get complete proteins--if not through eggs and dairy, then by soy and quinoa and by matching complimentary proteins--such as rice and beans. Furhman's plan includes beans, and often oats and forms of soy, and one recipe includes wild rice. It's just that considering his dismissal of the necessity I don't trust he does so enough. I used the SparkPeople site to run through the numbers of Day One of Furhman's plan, and this was the result and feedback:

Calories: 1,265
Fat: 52
Carbohydrates: 161
Protein: 46
Fiber: 39

Feedback:
Fiber, total dietary My Goal – 25-35 Today – 39
While a high-fiber diet has many benefits, too much fiber can cause problems. Eating more than 50-60 grams of fiber a day can interfere with nutrient absorption and cause digestive distress.

Protein My Goal – 60-136 Today – 46
Protein is an essential nutrient that does more than build muscles. It plays a role in cell repair, hormone production and fluid balance, to name a few. So pump up your protein intake to stay fit and healthy.

I had to run the numbers through SparkPeople because Furhman doesn't give the nutrition facts for his plan. And estimate amounts at times using the Meal Planning Guide given to me by my nutritionist, because Furhman eschews giving portions much other than for his recipes. This isn't the way I'm being told how to eat. For one, the calories are too low--at least for me. I'm told chemo is like running a marathon--I'm told to drink loads of water--and the nutritionist recommended 1,500 calories a day. (And I've read low calorie diets can lower your metabolism, sabotaging a diet.) I was also told to include not just 3 meals but a snack, and space them about 4 hours apart so as to not overload the pancreas. Furhman believes in only 3 meals a day to "rest the pancreas." My nutritionist said the carbs should be spread out evenly between breakfast, lunch and dinner, each of which should have about 50 to 55 grams of carbs each, with the snack about 15 grams. Fuhrman's breakfast the first day is 271 calories (38 grams), Lunch 448 (66 grams), Dinner 480 (40 grams). I'd add that given beans are categorized as a starch, it's hard to go vegan and yet follow the standard recommended diabetic diet. My nutritionist, for instance, recommended that if I want a meatless meal of grains and beans I also have some greek yogurt.

This also isn't an easy diet to follow--especially for someone new to the disease who has a busy life--whether as a person preparing food for themselves or a family. It can be overwhelming making changes when diagnosed with diabetes. It's much easier to make a veggie egg white omelet with toast or pour some Kashi GoLean cereal with soy milk and blueberries for breakfast, grill some fish or poultry for lunch or dinner with some rice, throw together a salad and steam some veggies. But preparing a 10 serving pot of soup of a dozen ingredients then figuring out what to do with the leftovers? (I tried making Dr. Fuhrman's "Famous Anti-Cancer Soup." It sounded tasty--but it did not go well. These aren't all easy recipes.) And much of his plan requires some out of the way (to say the least) and expensive ingredients--at least for many Americans, even if as a New Yorker I can find all of these: organic vegetables and fruits, wild rice, tofu, edamame, bok choy, white miso, nutritional yeast, coconut water, carrot and celery and pomegranate juice, date sugar, tahini, exotic mushrooms, ground flaxseeds, almond butter, hulled barley, wheat germ, lemongrass, black fig vinegar, riesling reserve vinegar, spicy pecan vinegar, Bragg liquid aminos, soy or hemp or almond milk. And VegiZest and MatoZest--sold on Fuhrman's own website for $18.75 for an 8 oz container.

I'm not saying vegetarianism isn't a valid, healthy life style for many--and superior to the usual American diet. I am saying I'm deeply skeptical it's optimal, and that people recommending it are doing so on solid evidence rather than their own deeply held personal beliefs that are often anchored by views on animal rights and the environment rather than nutritional and medical science. And given a choice between following the advice of a man trying to sell books, supplements and food additives, and the people on my medical team whose only interest is to get me healthy... well.

Diabetes is a scary disease--that's why the book caught my eye. But for that very reason, I'm not about to take chances with my health. And if not well managed, diabetes is dangerous--not something to experiment with from a book on your own without careful monitoring and cooperation from your doctor. So I find it scary that some diabetics might try this on their own.

There is some useful information here the medical professionals I've talked to agree with, which is why I'm not rating this even lower. For instance, the importance of diet, glycemic index and load. My nutritionist says the jury is out on organic food but if you want to be cautious, you could avoid the "dirty dozen" of the worst offenders--something Furhman pointed to. Both my endocrinologist and nutritionist encouraged me to eat more beans--and like Furhman, believe the supposed link between soy and cancer has been debunked. Exercise is key too, though I was encouraged to do mine after meals, not before as Furhman recommended. Notably my nutritionist agrees that for many Type 2s diabetes can be reversed--or more precisely made to go dormant so you become asymptomatic and can manage without medication--if you eat right and exercise. And people didn't need to follow Furhman's program (or go vegetarian) to do it.

Addendum: June 1, 2014: My most recent AC1 was 4.9--normal--and I was taken off all diabetes medications over a week ago and my fasting sugars remain below 95. I did this following the advice of my doctors and nutritionist--not Fuhrman. Notably as my weight went down so did my insulin dosage until it was down to nothing with Januvia remaining my only diabetes med. I've lost over 60 pounds--and from what I've read and been told, especially for newly diagnosed diabetics, it's possible to "reverse" the disease if you lose as little as ten percent of your body weight. Don't misunderstand--I'm not cured. Once you cross that threshold into diabetes there are changes on the cellular level currently irreversible. I haven't turned back the clock--I can't drink alcohol or eat sugary foods and expect to react like a non-diabetic. But I may be able to avoid the progression and complications of the disease through diet and exercise alone for the rest of my life--not a small thing.

It wouldn't surprise me if Fuhrman's program worked too. It's so restrictive, and for so many so unappetizing, many would lose weight following his guidelines and that might be enough--but it's not the only way to do this--as I've found. Portion (and carbohydrate) control goes a long way--even while eating plenty of Fuhrman's demonized animal proteins and vegetable oils. People looking to control the disease should know that. show less

Touting himself as “a leading expert and board-certified medical specialist in prevention and reversing disease,” Joel Fuhrman is at the forefront of the contemporary food-as-medicine movement. Supported by his 30 years clinical experience and more than 200 peer-reviewed scientific studies, he convincingly proposes that our food choices can make us sick or keep us well. He advises a vegan (or nearly vegan) diet that is rich in the fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds that he claims show more are largely missing from the average American diet. His “nutritarian” approach to eating requires that we eat more “super” foods that are packed with nutritional benefits and fewer foods that have limited nutritional benefit.

Fuhrman is not a fan of low-fat or low-carbohydrate diets, but rather recommends a balanced combination of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins from mostly vegetable sources. Pointing out that green vegetables are more than 50% protein, he espouses a diet that includes daily servings of greens, berries, onions, mushrooms, beans, and seeds. With such a diet, he writes, we can expect a healthy immune system that heads off disease before it can take hold.

In addition to Fuhrman’s lengthy discussion of “super foods for super immunity”—which include specific foods that have been scientifically shown to protect against cancer and heart disease—he tackles the controversial use of flu vaccines. His chapter on colds and flu is a scientifically well-documented discourse on what works and what doesn’t work . . . and what has been proven to NOT work includes most of the popular prescription and over-the-counter remedies. The overuse of antibiotics is widely accepted, but what is not widely known is that frequent use of antibiotics over the course of a lifetime has been linked to increased risk for breast cancer . . . and use of antibiotics in infants has been linked to asthma and allergies.

Fuhrman’s final chapter, titled “Making the Right Choices,” is a well-crafted summary of the book’s most powerful points. For readers who like to read the end first, in this case you’ll be equipping yourself with sufficient knowledge to begin making needed changes to your dietary habits, whether or not you wisely invest the time needed to read the entire work. Also included are menus, recipes, 25 pages of endnotes, and a 15-page comprehensive index.

Written for a general public with no scientific background, Fuhrman has included the information and references that qualify it as a valuable resource for both consumers and providers of health services. While American medical schools continue to provide little-to-no nutrition education, any physician or primary health provider would benefit from having a copy of Fuhrman’s Super Immunity close at hand. show less

Fortunately I am not in quite as bad shape as many of the cases sketched here, but still, I'd rather do what I can to avoid getting to such a place!

I haven't read his other books but I am pretty sure the diet he recommends here is essentially the same as in those books. This book does have a lot of cardiovascular information. He talks a lot about the shortcomings of medical treatments for cardiovascular disease. He discusses other diets. He has almost nothing good to say about the paleo diet show more - at least it avoids refined carbohydrates! He has good things to say about Ornstein and Pritikin diets though.

The nutritarian diet here is essentially vegan, though he makes room for small amounts of meat for people that really want it. For sure zero sugar and other refined carbs, including honey and other natural sweeteners. No added oils.

Some of what Fuhrman presents gets a bit speculative, based on limited research. Some seems a bit narrow - he can't seem to imagine why anyone would need supplementary salt, but anybody into endurance cycling, for example, knows that added electrolytes are essential. But this is not a book for endurance cyclists!

Really though, the key to transforming our broken medical system is surely preventative medicine, starting with diet and exercise. This book outlines the path to a bright future. show less