Disease Proof

Interview with a Nutritarian: Nancy

Emily Boller — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:25:53 -0500

I met Nancy on Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center this past year, and she’s now a totally different person than she was just nine months ago. Her enthusiasm for living life to the fullest is contagious! However, just last summer she felt like she had no life. It’s amazing what nine months of nutritarian eating can do to a person! Welcome to Disease Proof, Nancy.

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach?

What life?? I had no life!

I barely left the house, and I had removed myself from all social functions, because I was just too ashamed of the way I looked and felt. I felt physically uncomfortable all the time; whether I was sitting in a chair, or the car, or lying in bed, my body felt awful. My feet would hurt even if I walked just a little bit. I ached from head to toe, and I was exhausted most of the time and had very little energy to do normal every day tasks. My life was on hold. I'm not even sure how much I weighed, because I didn't have the courage to actually get on the scales when I started following Eat to Live. I waited about a week before I actually weighed myself, and I was 195.5 lbs, so I'm pretty sure I was close to 200 lbs when I started . . . and I’m only 5'2"!

Prior to following Eat to Live my weight had gone up and down most of my adult life. I was a typical yo-yo dieter; never able to maintain an optimal weight because every "diet" always came to an end. I needed an absolute, complete lifestyle change; a way of living, not some diet fad that would be tossed aside once I reached my goal weight.

How did you find out about it?

I’d decided to start a healthy diet in July 2012, but I knew that I needed something different than what I’d tried in the past. Previously, I had gone vegan in an attempt to regain health and reduce my weight, but that never lasted longer than a few weeks at a time. I instinctively felt that I didn’t have a complete picture of truly healthy eating. I searched online for some help and stumbled across Dr. Fuhrman's website. I devoured everything I could and purchased the books Eat to Live and Eat for Health. The knowledge I gained from reading those books, and joining the member center, was invaluable and were the missing pieces for me.

How do you feel now?

My life has totally changed! I’ve lost 75.5 pounds and reached my goal of 120 pounds in just nine months. I weigh less than I did in high school, and I feel absolutely wonderful! Aches and pains are gone, energy has greatly increased, and my social life is back to normal. I have a completely new wardrobe and feel good in my skin now. This is not just about vanity; it is so much more than that. I can sit on the floor and play with my grandkids and not even know I have a body. I’m at peace with the knowledge that I’m doing what's best for my health, and I feel free!

What are your success tips?

I dived into the program 100% and did not deviate from it. I followed everything to the letter, and I was determined that this would be the way I would eat for the rest of my life.

I completely changed my relationship with food. Initially, I stayed away from restaurants (too much temptation), and if I did eat out, I brought my own dressings with me.

I participated in Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center which helped me tremendously! Reading about others’ successes and failures in the discussion forums has been extremely helpful. There were times that I needed a kick in the pants to help get me out of temptation and reading the remorse that others felt when they had "fallen off the wagon" was the impetus I needed to keep going. And of course, reading about others who had been successful convinced me that this can be done. Receiving encouragement from the Member Center is a tool which will be useful indefinitely. I am now acutely aware that one food indiscretion has the potential to send me back into unhealthful eating, and I will use every tool I can to prevent that from happening.

Congratulations Nancy for making that decision to dive-in 100% for the rest of your life!

Devastating bee losses threaten the food supply

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Tue, 14 May 2013 08:57:12 -0500

In recent years, you have most likely heard about Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD), a mysterious and devastating loss of bee colonies in the U.S., Canada and Europe. The first reports of these unexplained and catastrophic bee deaths began in 2006. In the 2006-2007 season, CCD affected about 23% of commercial U.S. beekeepers, and some beekeepers lost 90% of their hives. Since then, CCD has showed no signs of slowing; substantial yearly losses of bees, 30 percent or higher, have become the norm.^1,2

In 2007, some answers began to surface. Scientists began to identify viruses in U.S. bee colonies that had suffered CCD.¹ Soon, it was known that healthy and CCD-stricken colonies were plagued with numerous viruses and parasitic microbes, and seemed to have impaired ability to produce proteins that protect against infection.^2,3 Scientists then began to ask whether there was an environmental factor that was causing the bees to be vulnerable to viral attack.

In early 2012, two studies published in Science implicated a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids.

In these studies, bees exposed to neonicotinoids exhibited a reduced growth rate, produced fewer queens, or had impaired navigation and food-gathering abilities; the scientists concluded that neonicotinoids, although the commonly encountered doses may not be directly lethal to bees, could contribute to CCD in an indirect way, by harming bees’ abilities to grow, return home to their hives or get adequate nutrition.^4-6 Now that several additional studies have now found similar negative effects on bee behavior and cognition, evidence that neonicotinoids harm bees and are a major contributor to CCD has grown more convincing.^7-9

Neonicotinoids began to be used in the 1990s, as less-toxic-to-humans alternatives to organochlorine and organophosphate pesticides. An important point about these pesticides is that they are usually used in a “systemic” manner; when crops are treated, the pesticides spread throughout all parts of the plant, including the nectar and pollen. Bees are exposed to these pesticides via many major commercial crops including canola, corn, cotton, sugar beet and sunflower; plus many vegetable and fruit crops.^5,6,10

Bans on neonicotinoids in Europe; not in the U.S.

The pesticide industry and some scientists claim that the evidence against neonicotinoids is not yet conclusive, but it has been convincing enough for some agencies to propose bans on these pesticides as a safety measure. The European Food Safety Authority, for example, produced a report in January 2013 concluding that neonicotinoids pose unacceptable risks for bees and should not be applied to flowering crops. As a result, a 2-year suspension was proposed in the European Union, and was passed in late April – it will go into effect December 1.^11,12 Currently, France and Germany have partial bans on neonicotinoid use.¹³

In March, a coalition of beekeepers and environmental interest groups filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, alleging that they have failed to protect bees and the crops they pollinate by rushing neoniconitnoids to market with inadequate review. The EPA has accelerated its schedule for reevaluating the safety neonicotinoids, however the review itself is scheduled to take another five years. The USDA and EPA released a joint report last week on U.S. honeybee health, stating that multiple factors contribute to bee colony declines, and that further research is required to determine the risks posed by pesticides. However, the report does acknowledge , “Laboratory tests on individual honey bees have shown that field-relevant, sublethal doses of some pesticides have effects on bee behavior and susceptibility to disease.”

What can we do?

This is a sincere emergency to our organic farming movement and to the global food supply, to lose the natural way flowering plants are pollinated. Bees are crucial for pollination of many crops such as apples, almonds, and citrus fruits. According to the U.N., about 70% of the crops that provide 90% of human food are pollinated by bees.¹⁴ We are dependent on bees, and they are disappearing rapidly. It is alarming to say the least.

Online petitions (sign here and/or here) have been started, aiming to urge the EPA to take action before 2018 and suspend neonicotinoid use on flowering crops frequented by bees as a safety precaution. You can also take action at home. Since wild bee populations are also declining, in part due to loss of habitat, you can help by providing bees with new habitats. You can plant a garden of vegetables and plenty of bee-friendly flowers, or even become a backyard beekeeper (find information and resources here and here). Additionally, by purchasing local and/or organic produce and eating primarily unrefined plant foods, you avoid monetarily supporting the largely genetically modified crops (corn, canola, sugar beets, etc.) that neonicotinoids are primarily used on.

Image credit - Flickr: blathlean

References:

1. Grant B: Culprit of bee woes identified? 2007. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/25405/title/Culprit-of-bee-woes-identified-/. Accessed May 9, 2013.
2. Runckel C, Flenniken ML, Engel JC, et al: Temporal analysis of the honey bee microbiome reveals four novel viruses and seasonal prevalence of known viruses, Nosema, and Crithidia. PLoS One 2011;6:e20656.
3. Grant B: Bee calamity clarified. 2009. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/27605/title/Bee-calamity-clarified/. Accessed May 9, 2013.
4. Richards S: Pesticide Problems for Bees. 2012. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/31886/title/Pesticide-Problems-for-Bees/. Accessed May 9, 2013.
5. Henry M, Beguin M, Requier F, et al: A common pesticide decreases foraging success and survival in honey bees. Science 2012;336:348-350.
6. Whitehorn PR, O'Connor S, Wackers FL, et al: Neonicotinoid pesticide reduces bumble bee colony growth and queen production. Science 2012;336:351-352.
7. Gill RJ, Ramos-Rodriguez O, Raine NE: Combined pesticide exposure severely affects individual- and colony-level traits in bees. Nature 2012;491:105-108.
8. Williamson SM, Wright GA: Exposure to multiple cholinergic pesticides impairs olfactory learning and memory in honeybees. J Exp Biol 2013.
9. Palmer MJ, Moffat C, Saranzewa N, et al: Cholinergic pesticides cause mushroom body neuronal inactivation in honeybees. Nat Commun 2013;4:1634.
10. Grossman E: Bee protection: US in spotlight as EU bans pesticides. 2013. Guardian Environment Network. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/apr/30/bee-protection-us-eu-bans-pesticides. Accessed
11. Flores G: A Political Battle Over Pesticides. 2013. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35058/title/A-Political-Battle-Over-Pesticides/. Accessed May 9, 2013.
12. Cossins D: Europe to Ban Neonicotinoids. 2013. The Scientist. http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/35355/title/Europe-to-Ban-Neonicotinoids/. Accessed May 9, 2013.
13. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Colony Collapse Disorder: European Bans on Neonicotinoid Pesticides [http://www.epa.gov/pesticides/about/intheworks/ccd-european-ban.html]
14. Jolly D: Europe Bans Pesticides Thought Harmful to Bees. 2013. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/30/business/global/30iht-eubees30.html?_r=0. Accessed

Happy Mother's Day!

Emily Boller — Sun, 12 May 2013 05:43:24 -0500

Happy Mother’s Day to all the wonderful Moms out there! Whether you are called Great Grandma, Grandma, Mom, or Mommy we honor all of you this special day!

I thought it would be inspirational to feature a new mom, Katie, that I met a couple of years ago on Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center. We eventually became Facebook friends, and then I finally got to meet her in-person last summer at Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Getaway on Amelia Island. I’ve been so impressed how she’s radically changed her eating habits and now enables her young family to eat for the best health possible too. [In fact, she even went on to become a certified nutritional trainer through Dr. Fuhrman’s NET program!] When pictures of her relatively recent, second pregnancy started showing up on Facebook, she glowed with health and vitality! It’s amazing what eating for health can do to a young woman’s life. Welcome to Disease Proof, Katie.

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach?
I ate a very unhealthy diet before learning about Dr. Fuhrman. My favorite foods were things like pizza and chocolate. I was a vegetarian for a few years; but a very unhealthy one. Since I was slim I figured I was healthy enough.

I always had terrible allergies and also struggled with sinus issues. A few years before becoming a nutritarian an Ear, Nose and Throat doctor told me I would need to have surgery to alleviate my severe sinus infections. I also had debilitating migraine headaches. Finally, I also developed severe and painful cystic acne when I was around 18 which continued into adulthood.

How do you feel now?
I feel so much better now it is amazing. I didn't know how bad I felt until I realized how good I could feel. My allergies, sinus issues, migraines and acne all resolved after becoming a nutritarian. And I have more energy and am able to think more clearly now.

Since you weren’t a nutritarian yet during your first pregnancy, did you notice a difference between the two pregnancies, labor and delivery, and postpartum recovery time?

Towards the end of the pregnancy with my first daughter my mom gave me a copy of Dr. Fuhrman’s book, Disease Proof Your Child. It completely changed my perspective on nutrition. Each of my pregnancies were uncomplicated, but I had gained 15 pounds more during my first pregnancy than my second. I also had horrendous heartburn with my first, and just mild heartburn with my second.

With my first, I went two weeks past my estimated due date and had to be induced. The labor was very difficult, and my recovery was rather slow. With my second daughter I went into labor naturally two days after my due date and overall it was a wonderful, drug-free experience. My recovery time seemed to be much easier as well.

Do you have any success tip(s) to share with others; especially to young mothers of small children?

The most important factor to changing my way of eating was learning as much as I could about the science behind Dr. Fuhrman's recommendations. I spent hours poring over the information in Dr. Fuhrman's books and on his Member Center.

We keep meals very simple at our house and cook large batches of soups over the weekend so we don't have to cook much during the week. I also like to make green smoothies or micro salads so I can get large amounts of greens in quickly while taking care of my kids.

Katie’s favorite micro salad:

4 cups chopped kale

2 cups mixed greens

2 cups chopped green or purple cabbage

3 medium carrots, chopped into chunks

1 apple, chopped into chunks

Place all ingredients in a food processor (you may have to process each ingredient individually depending on the size of the container) and process to desired consistency. Top with beans and a nut based dressing. Enjoy!

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you and your young family?

It has changed me and my family forever. My husband and I will definitely eat this way for the rest of our lives, and we hope our daughters will continue to as well. My 3-year- old loves the food she eats and has been healthy her whole life. She’s never had an ear infection or needed antibiotics. I'm incredibly grateful to Dr. Fuhrman for this life-changing information and to everyone on the Member Center for sharing such personal and inspiring experiences. I'm also very thankful to my mother for giving me Disease Proof Your Child and for providing a wonderful example of what it means to eat to live. I also want to thank my husband for all of his support who, despite his initial hesitation, has fully embraced nutritarian eating.

Katie, you are truly a wonderful role model for all mothers, young and old! Congratulations on radically improving you and your family’s health by choosing the nutritarian diet-style.

Blessings to all mothers today, and keep up the great job of leading your family’s health destiny!

What is it like to be free from food addiction?

Guest Blogger — Tue, 07 May 2013 13:24:14 -0500

Felicia was recently interviewed on Disease Proof. [click here to read her interview] She’s lost over 160 lbs in less than a year, and she’s still losing! I asked her if she’d be willing to share what her life is like now that she's free from food addiction, and she wrote the following. May it inspire you with renewed hope and encouragement in your journey to live in the best health that’s possible!

What is it like to be free from food addiction?

by Felicia Ricks

The definition of addiction according to the dictionary is “a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.”

I never thought of food as a habit forming substance, but I always thought of it as a necessary requirement for the body to survive. It wasn’t until I heard Dr. Fuhrman talk about toxic hunger that I came to the realization that I had a food addiction and had a compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit forming substance.

When I initially started on Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian program, I experienced toxic hunger and I didn’t feel very well for several days. I asked myself, “Is this how drug addicts feel when they’re going through detoxification? This doesn’t feel good at all!” Although, I was experiencing some withdrawal symptoms I was determined to break the vicious cycle of food addiction by not eating the foods that caused the addiction. After enduring the “not so good days” I noticed that I wasn’t jittery, the headaches were non-existent and I didn’t feel the desire to put a Snickers bar in my mouth. I knew I was on the road to recovery.

Being free from my food addiction was an answered prayer because one of my prayers was to be self-controlled in my eating habits. However for many, many, years I was never able to consistently maintain self-control. It wasn’t until I totally committed to eating the foods that were originally intended for our bodies to absorb and digest such as, green vegetables, berries, onions, mushrooms, beans, seeds/nuts (GBOMBS) and COMPLETELY eliminated the refined, sugary, processed and synthetic foods and drinks, that I began to feel spiritually and physically liberated. I feel as though I am no longer bound and enslaved by the self-inflicted chains of food addiction and I am no longer defiling my body. I also feel as though a weight, figuratively and literally has been lifted from me and now I can honestly and unequivocally say that, “I am free indeed!”

Thank you Dr. Fuhrman for spreading the message and informing people about the benefits of healthy nutrition. Also for holding fast to the statement by Hippocrates, “Food shall be your medicine and your medicine shall be your food.”

“It will take strength. It will take effort. But the pleasure and rewards that you will get from a healthy life will be priceless.”
-Dr. Fuhrman

image credit: flickr by Marin Cathrae

Cholesterol-lowering drugs get more risky: link to kidney injury

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Fri, 03 May 2013 08:46:14 -0500

Statin drugs inhibit an enzyme that is crucial for the production of cholesterol; they are the most widely taken drugs among adults in the U.S, and their use has expanded dramatically in recent years. About 20% of Americans age 45-64 and 45% of those 65 and older take statin drugs.¹ Between 1988 and 2006 the use of statin drugs in U.S. adults over 45 increased by a factor of 10.²

The benefit-to-risk ratio of giving statins to individuals with elevated cholesterol but no prior history of coronary heart disease remains controversial among many scientists and physicians.^3-6 It is especially worth questioning the risk of side effects when there is a safe, effective alternative to these medications – excellent nutrition and exercise – that carries only health benefits along with its cholesterol-reducing efficacy.

Of course, dropping elevated cholesterol back into the favorable range is beneficial, but we know that medication is not required to achieve this result. Furthermore, we now have evidence that statins expose people to unnecessary risks. A 2010 analysis of medical records in the U.K. found increased likelihood of liver dysfunction, impaired muscle function, acute kidney injury and cataracts during the first five years of statin use. Moreover, two meta-analyses in 2009 and 2010 reported a moderately increased risk of diabetes in statin users.

Now, new data has confirmed the connection between statin use and acute kidney injury. Acute kidney injury is a sudden loss of the kidneys’ filtering capability; the normal functions of removing waste products from the blood and balancing fluid and electrolytes cannot be carried out. Acute kidney injury is a serious condition that can lead to permanent damage or loss of kidney function or even death. In the current study, high-potency vs. low-potency statin doses were compared (high potency was defined as minimum 10 mg rosuvastatin, 20 mg atorvastatin, or 40 mg simvastatin). The study examined Canadian healthcare records to investigate a total of 2 million patients who had been newly prescribed a statin, and the incidence of hospitalization for acute kidney injury during early statin use. Those who began taking high potency statins had a 34% increased risk of being hospitalized for acute kidney injury within the first six months of statin therapy compared to those on lower doses. Although this study did not evaluate the risk associated with low-potency statin use vs. no statin use, the data does establish that statin drugs may have harmful effects on the kidney.⁷

The reason for the link between statins and acute kidney injury remains unclear, but there are preliminary theories. Some scientists have hypothesized that muscle breakdown associated with statin use may be responsible, since this leads to the release of kidney-toxic muscle components into the bloodstream. Another hypothesis centers on oxidative stress due to statin-associated diminished production of coenzyme Q10, one of the body’s most powerful natural antioxidants.⁷

Never forget: all medications have side effects, many of them serious; we must exercise appropriate caution before taking medications. Statin drugs are a ubiquitous treatment for a preventable condition; elevated cholesterol can be easily reduced with lifestyle measures in almost all cases.

If you have elevated cholesterol levels, you have a choice. You can take a statin drug that will expose you to increased risk for diabetes and the potential for damage to your liver, kidneys and muscles; or, you can make dietary changes that will not only reduce cholesterol but blood pressure as well, and at the same time reduce your risk of cancer, diabetes and dementia. Which will you choose?

To learn more about the preventive and therapeutic potential of a Nutritarian diet, read my book Eat For Health.

References:

1. Health, United States, 2011: With Special Feature on Socioeconomic Status and Health. In. Hyattsville (MD); 2012: Health, United States].
2. Latest Report on the Nation's Health Shows Growing Medical Technology Use. 2010. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/10newreleases/hus09.htm. Accessed May 2, 2013.
3. Cholesterol Treatment Trialists C, Mihaylova B, Emberson J, et al: The effects of lowering LDL cholesterol with statin therapy in people at low risk of vascular disease: meta-analysis of individual data from 27 randomised trials. Lancet 2012;380:581-590.
4. Ray KK, Seshasai SR, Erqou S, et al: Statins and all-cause mortality in high-risk primary prevention: a meta-analysis of 11 randomized controlled trials involving 65,229 participants. Arch Intern Med 2010;170:1024-1031.
5. Moyer MW: The Stats on Statins: Should Healthy Adults Over 50 Take Them? 2012. Sci Am. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=statins-should-healthy-adults-over-50-take-them. Accessed
6. Green LA: Cholesterol-lowering therapy for primary prevention: still much we don't know. Arch Intern Med 2010;170:1007-1008.
7. Dormuth CR, Hemmelgarn BR, Paterson JM, et al: Use of high potency statins and rates of admission for acute kidney injury: multicenter, retrospective observational analysis of administrative databases. BMJ 2013;346:f880.

Interview with a Nutritarian: Felicia

Emily Boller — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:00:00 -0500

Felicia didn’t own a scale, and she had stopped going to the doctor because she didn’t want to get on one. Then one day Felicia was visiting her sister and decided to weigh herself. She was shocked to discover that she weighed almost 350 lbs! Thankfully, soon after that she was channel surfing and found the local PBS station broadcasting Dr. Fuhrman’s 3 Steps to Incredible Health, and her life was radically changed! Welcome to Disease Proof, Felicia.

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian approach?

I was a “vegetarian”, or so I thought; not realizing the food I was eating contained animal products. I’d been a vegetarian for many years but continued to gain weight. I got to the point where I didn’t even want to tell people that I was a vegetarian because of my weight. Most people think vegetarians are thin and healthy, and I was not.

I didn’t own a scale because I didn’t want to know how much I weighed. I even stopped going to the doctor, because I didn’t want to get on a scale.

I continued going through life ignoring some of the signs indicating I needed to lose weight. For example, I would get out of breath if I walked a certain distance or if I had to climb a flight of stairs. If I sat on the floor, it was difficult to get back up. My daughter would ask me to go to the mall with her, and I wouldn’t go because my back would hurt if I stood or walked around, and I would get tired or start sweating profusely. I was not living my life to the fullest, because my weight was a hindrance. I felt limited in my activities.

One day I was visiting my sister, and I decided to get on her scale and was shocked to discover that I weighed almost 350 pounds! I thought, “Gee, I’m bigger than a lot of football players!” I decided to go on a diet and lost a few pounds but gained them back and more. That’s when I said to myself, “I have to do something soon, because I refuse to purchase bigger clothes.”

How did you find out about it?

One Saturday I was supposed to go to the movies with my daughter and nephew, but I opted not to go. They went on and I stayed at home and watched television instead. I started scanning through the channels and saw Dr. Fuhrman on our local PBS station, and he was talking about his Eat for Health book. It was refreshing to hear a doctor talk about eating our way back to health instead of using medicine to treat chronic illnesses. As a rule I would’ve turned the channel, but for some reason I continued to watch it. I took notes and started on the program the next day. Soon afterwards my daughter gave me Dr. Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live, and I used that as a guide.

How do you feel now?

I feel fantastic! I’ve lost 161 pounds so far (my goal is to lose 30 more pounds). My back no longer hurts, I have energy, and I don’t have vertigo episodes anymore. I feel physically liberated from the chains of obesity. It has completely changed my life for the better!

What success tip(s) to you have to share with others?

Make nutritarian eating a lifestyle; not a weight loss program.

Be 100% committed.

Take it one day at a time.

Congratulations Felicia ~ you are a wonderful inspiration! Keep up the great job!

Interview with a Nutritarian: Helyn

Emily Boller — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 08:00:41 -0500

I recently came across Helyn’s success story on Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center, and her excitement for healthy eating is contagious! However, when she was first introduced to Eat to Live by a friend she didn’t think she could ever eat foods without oil and salt. Now, over a year later, she can’t imagine life without eating high-nutrient foods and the benefits of getting her health back! Welcome to Disease Proof, Helyn.

What was your life like before discovering Dr. Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating-style?

I’ve always had a busy life and finding balance in my diet was insane. I was always searching for answers regarding nutrition. I’d taken a great interest in health and nutrition in my 20s. I read a lot of books and tried many different eating plans. I wasn’t looking for weight loss, per se, but more for health in all these different diets. My “favorite” was the blood type diet because the author said that I should drink coffee! That’s when I realized that something was seriously amiss. Deep down I knew that coffee was not a healthy substance, that I didn’t feel well when I tried to eliminate it, and that I was addicted to it. How could it possibly be good for me?

After all this study and the many trials and errors I decided that I’d create my own diet, based on the things I'd learned. I settled into a regimen of eliminating red meat, most sugar, all processed foods and wheat. Yes, I still drank coffee!

Obviously my self-prescribed diet wasn’t working, because I had slowly become borderline obese… 183 pounds! [I’m 5’5”]

How did you feel then?

I started experiencing ailments that I never had before, such as bursitis, which can be crippling. I had such pain in my hip that I couldn’t walk for weeks. My mother said to me, “Welcome to old age. Do you want to borrow my cane?” What!? That was last year, and I was 56 at the time. My shoulder hurt, and I was not sleeping soundly. I was tired and felt bloated all the time. My blood pressure was high. At one point it was 190/118, and I was taken to the ER. They told me I needed blood pressure medication. I refused, because I knew that was not the answer.

How did you find out about Dr. Fuhrman's nutritarian approach?

I had heard about Eat to Live from a dear friend of mine. She even had me over for lunch to introduce me to “Fuhrman Foods”, but when she told me that she didn’t add oil or salt to anything she ate, I just “knew” I could never do it! I thanked her and went on with the same unsuccessful routine I was holding onto. But after the bout of bursitis, I thought about my friend again and decided that I’d read the book. This was it! I had finally found the answers I’d been searching for condensed into one book. I immediately started Dr. Fuhrman’s Six-Week Plan and lost eight pounds the first week.

How do you feel now?

I feel exhilarated! I am pain-free, sleeping soundly, and my skin is smooth. I have a lot more energy now and weighing 40 pounds lighter is such a gift. My hair is growing like a weed, and I no longer have the beginning signs of fungus growing on my toenails; they now look exactly like my fingernails: thin, pink and healthy. That may seem trivial to some, but it’s an example of how eating nutrient-dense foods can affect the body as a whole in positive ways!

Every day is such a blessing. I now enjoy healthy foods, and I’m excited for the future; knowing that I’ll be strong and healthy for the rest of my life.

Do you have any success tip(s) to share with others?

If you are drinking coffee, wean yourself off immediately.

Read Eat to Live, and read it thoroughly so you make sure you understand the content.

Follow the Six-Week Plan 100%.

Find others who are becoming, or already are nutritarians. Some cities have meet-up groups. Find them or create your own.

Join Dr. Fuhrman’s Member Center. It is so worth the small fee to be able to have a support group around you.

Purchase and watch Dr. Fuhrman’s Immersion Excursion DVD set. There is so much vital information in these DVDs. You will know more than most doctors after you watch them. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER and when you really know this information nothing can take you off this path.

After six weeks you’ll be feeling so well that you won’t want to change; however, chances are you won’t be completely rid of some food addictions. To avoid falling for your old SAD (Standard American Diet) foods until your good eating habits have stronger roots I suggest the following:

Don’t eat out! This is disaster in the making for a new nutritarian. Even in “health food restaurants” you’ll be fighting with the menu over salt and oil, and the menu will usually win.

In the beginning, avoid holiday eating traditions, because you’ll be so tempted to eat all the addicting foods that you grew up with. Dr. Fuhrman always has a “Holiday Challenge” for us. Accept the challenge and stick to the plan.

Create menu plans each week; otherwise, you may not have what you need on hand to make a healthy meal. I make my menu plans on Saturdays, before I do my food shopping so I know what to buy. Then in the middle of the week I replenish my greens.

Don’t weigh yourself every day. Once a week is better, and don’t stress about it.

Try new recipes and find healthy, new foods that you love. Create NEW traditions for yourself and your family. If you don’t yet have a high-powered blender, this is a must! Invest in a VitaMix to create delicious smoothies.

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you?

Nutritarian eating has given me the confidence that I’m feeding my body what it needs, and that I’m getting stronger and healthier. Growing old does not have to come with disease and dementia. With this comes a serenity that you can’t put a price on. It’s been one year since I started nutritarian eating, and I’m finally rid of my food addictions and toxic hunger. I can now taste all the natural flavors in my foods, down to the smallest nuances.

I’m now planning on becoming a Nutritional Education Trainer (NET), because I want to help others to achieve the same miracles that I have through this amazing adventure! I will start my studies next month, and I can’t wait!

BEFORE

AFTER

BP

190/115 (highest)

123/79 (still dropping!)

Weight

183

145 (still losing!)

Triglycerides

168

114 (after 3 months of nutritarian eating-- no recent recording)

Congratulations Helyn and keep up the great job!

Red meat, gut bacteria and heart disease

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 08:57:28 -0500

Red meat intake has been associated with elevated risk of cardiovascular disease and cardiovascular death.^1-5 For example, combined data from the Nurses’ Health Study and Health Professionals Follow-up study, comprising over 120,000 people, estimated that each serving (100 grams) of red meat raises the risk of cardiovascular death by 18 percent.

Two widely accepted factors that are thought to link red meat to increased cardiovascular disease risk are the high saturated fat and heme iron contents of red meat. Saturated fats are known to elevate total and LDL cholesterol levels, and excess iron is associated with oxidative stress, which promotes atherosclerosis.^6-9 However, scientists have theorized that these factors alone do not explain the contribution of red meat to cardiovascular risk.³ Additional properties of red meat are likely involved.

Fascinating new research presents a new potential mechanism by which red meat may increase cardiovascular risk – by modulating the species of bacteria that populate our digestive tract!

We are now learning that our intestinal flora interacts with the cells of the intestinal wall to exert profound effects on our health. Beneficial microbes produce vitamins, protect us against pathogenic microbes, promote healthy immune function, facilitate energy extraction from food, and break down fiber and resistant starch into beneficial short chain fatty acids, which protect us against colon cancer. Importantly, what we eat determines which species of bacteria thrive in our digestive tract. Healthful, fiber-rich plant foods provide an energy source (“prebiotics”) for beneficial bacteria to grow.^10,11

Is the reverse true? Do unhealthy foods promote proliferation of unhealthy gut bacteria?

Carnitine is an amino acid involved in energy production, and it is abundant in animal products, especially red meat; there is little or no carnitine in plant foods, and the human body can produce adequate carnitine from other amino acids, lysine and methionine. Studying mice, the scientists found that carnitine was metabolized by intestinal bacteria, producing trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO), a substance previously shown to contribute to atherosclerotic plaque development by slowing the removal of cholesterol from the arterial wall. They then sought to confirm these findings with human subjects. When analyzing the blood levels of carnitine and TMAO in human subjects, they found that the combination of high carnitine and high TMAO was associated with increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease or cardiovascular events (heart attack and stroke). When they gave humans carnitine supplements, they interestingly found that omnivores produced far more TMAO in response to carnitine than vegans and vegetarians. In addition, the species of gut bacteria in omnivores were different from those in vegetarians and vegans. These results suggest that regularly eating carnitine-containing foods promotes the growth of gut bacteria that can metabolize carnitine into a heart disease-promoting substance.^12-14

Our overall dietary pattern determines the bacteria that live in our gastrointestinal tract, and this research indicates that eating red meat regularly promotes the growth of bacteria that produce harmful substances from the components of red meat. It also indicates that those of us that regularly consume a healthful diet of whole plant foods have a healthier microbial profile, and we are less susceptible to the disease-promoting effects of high-carnitine meats. Future studies will continue to uncover more of these intriguing links between diet, gut bacteria, and health.

Carnitine content of animal foods:¹⁵

Food	Carnitine (mg)
Beef steak (3 ounces)	81
Ground beef (3 ounces)	80
Pork (3 ounces)	24
Milk (whole; 1 cup)	8
Fish (cod; 3 ounces)	5
Chicken breast (3 ounces)	3
Cheese (1 ounce)	1

This new research highlights an additional way that red meat likely increases heart disease risk, but certainly the high amount of carnitine in red meat does not exonerate fish, chicken, eggs and dairy products. We already have plentiful evidence that excessive consumption of animal products in general are associated with increased risk of death from all causes. Animal products overall are micronutrient-poor, void of phytochemicals and antioxidants, contain pro-inflammatory fats, increase cholesterol levels, calorically concentrated, promote weight gain, and most importantly elevate IGF-1 which increases heart disease and cancer risk.

References:

1. Sinha R, Cross AJ, Graubard BI, et al: Meat intake and mortality: a prospective study of over half a million people. Arch Intern Med 2009;169:562-571.
2. Bernstein AM, Sun Q, Hu FB, et al: Major dietary protein sources and risk of coronary heart disease in women. Circulation 2010;122:876-883.
3. Pan A, Sun Q, Bernstein AM, et al: Red Meat Consumption and Mortality: Results From 2 Prospective Cohort Studies. Arch Intern Med 2012.
4. Ascherio A, Willett WC, Rimm EB, et al: Dietary iron intake and risk of coronary disease among men. Circulation 1994;89:969-974.
5. Larsson SC, Virtamo J, Wolk A: Red meat consumption and risk of stroke in Swedish men. Am J Clin Nutr 2011.
6. Tholstrup T, Hjerpsted J, Raff M: Palm olein increases plasma cholesterol moderately compared with olive oil in healthy individuals. Am J Clin Nutr 2011;94:1426-1432.
7. de Oliveira Otto MC, Alonso A, Lee DH, et al: Dietary intakes of zinc and heme iron from red meat, but not from other sources, are associated with greater risk of metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. J Nutr 2012;142:526-533.
8. Ahluwalia N, Genoux A, Ferrieres J, et al: Iron status is associated with carotid atherosclerotic plaques in middle-aged adults. J Nutr 2010;140:812-816.
9. Brewer GJ: Iron and copper toxicity in diseases of aging, particularly atherosclerosis and Alzheimer's disease. Exp Biol Med 2007;232:323-335.
10. Neish AS: Microbes in gastrointestinal health and disease. Gastroenterology 2009;136:65-80.
11. Backhed F: Host responses to the human microbiome. Nutr Rev 2012;70 Suppl 1:S14-17.
12. Koeth RA, Wang Z, Levison BS, et al: Intestinal microbiota metabolism of l-carnitine, a nutrient in red meat, promotes atherosclerosis. Nat Med 2013.
13. Wang Z, Klipfell E, Bennett BJ, et al: Gut flora metabolism of phosphatidylcholine promotes cardiovascular disease. Nature 2011;472:57-63.
14. Woolston C: Red meat + wrong bacteria = bad news for hearts. 2013. Nature. http://www.nature.com/news/red-meat-wrong-bacteria-bad-news-for-hearts-1.12746. Accessed April 12, 2013.

15. Linus Pauling Institute: Carnitine. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/othernuts/carnitine/

Mistaken Identity

Emily Boller — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 06:55:12 -0500

Seven years ago this month marks the anniversary of the tragic accident that involved a Taylor University van full of students and staff on I-69; not far from my hometown of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Five lives were lost on the fateful evening of April 26, 2006. The story not only hit national news immediately, but six years later it became one of NBC Dateline’s most popular stories in their twenty year history due to the mistaken identity of two, blonde haired students at the scene of the accident.

For anyone not familiar with the story, in a nutshell, a young female student that was supposedly Laura VanRyn was thrown some fifty feet from the van and sustained multiple broken bones, lacerations, bruises and a traumatic brain injury. She was airlifted to a hospital in Fort Wayne. When her parents and siblings arrived from out-of-state, they were told by the physician a couple of times to be prepared for what they would see when they entered her dimly lit room in ICU. Her face would be swollen, scratched, bruised, and bandaged; she was on a respirator; and tubes would be coming out of her body.

Long story short, at the scene of the accident, in the midst of the chaos with purses and items strewn all over two blonde-haired students’ identities were accidentally switched. For five weeks the VanRyn family unknowingly watched vigil at the bedside of a young woman that was not their daughter. Even though the girl’s college roommate and a couple family friends noticed the person in the hospital bed was not Laura VanRyn; it wasn’t until she started waking up from her coma and saying that her name was Whitney, did the reality of the mistaken identity start to unfold.

The story is unbelievably sad, and I can’t begin to imagine the traumatic confusion those families endured.

Every since learning about the mistaken identity, I’ve been both intrigued and amazed how the mind has the potential to believe and become most anything it is told.

Years ago I attended a Twelve Step program, and at the beginning of this particular group of meetings everyone went around the room and introduced themselves as a 'Compulsive Overeater'. Seriously. That was the introductory declaration before each meeting. After declaring that repeatedly, it started to become my identity. So guess what I did every time I was stressed out? . . . .or sad, tired, happy, frustrated, bored, lonely, or discouraged? I compulsively overate!

In the summer of 2008, when I committed to the nutritairan eating-style, from day one onward I told myself and everyone around me that I was a nutritarian. A nutritarian is someone who eats high-nutrient foods to meet the body’s biological needs for optimal nutrition; not for emotional, social, or recreational reasons. Being a nutritarian became my new identity; a compass so-to-speak. And guess what? My identity changed! I became a nutritarian!

We really do become what we believe, and what we repeatedly tell others.

We all need to ask ourselves if we are believing and declaring an identity that is incongruent with that which we want to become. If we are, we need to change what we believe; for only then can our true, positive identity come forth.

In other words, we need to be careful not to believe that we are someone we don’t want to become. We must not live with a mistaken identity. Life is too short to become someone we never intended to be!

Here’s to being a healthy and vibrant nutritarian to all!

image credit: flickr by Virginia Beach Volunteer Rescue Squad History

Salt: another public health hazard

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 08:48:24 -0500

Closely following the news that sugary beverages may be responsible for 180,000 deaths per year, the same group of scientists has reported an estimate of the number of deaths due to excess salt consumption.

High sodium intake is associated with poor health outcomes, including elevated blood pressure, heart attack and stroke (even in the absence of high blood pressure), kidney disease, ulcers, gastric cancer, osteoporosis, and now autoimmune inflammation.^1,2 Elevated blood pressure, a consequence of excess sodium intake, is a significant threat to one’s health, and its prevalence is rising. Hypertension is one of the leading causes of death in the U.S., contributes to heart attack and stroke risk, and is associated with dementia.³

Using data gathered from the World Health Organization, the average worldwide daily sodium intake was found to be more than double the American Heart Association’s recommended limit of 1500 mg/day. Average worldwide sodium intake was 3,950 mg, and American adults came in just under that average at 3,600 mg. Most of the world – 119 of the 187 countries studied, or 88% of all adults – consumed more than 3,000 mg sodium a day. Out of the 187 countries, only one (Kenya) had an average sodium intake meeting the American Heart Association’s guideline of 1,500 mg a day. Excess sodium has clearly become a global issue.

With excess sodium consumption now common throughout the entire world, are more people dying from heart attacks and strokes?

Higher sodium intake is consistently associated with greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and cardiovascular death in healthy populations.¹The scientists gathered data on deaths in 50 different countries and concluded that 2.3 million deaths per year worldwide may be due to excess salt consumption, and 40% of those deaths occurred in individuals under the age of 70 – suggesting that excess sodium is needlessly cutting many lives short. They estimated that excess salt contributes to one in 10 deaths of American adults, and that 15 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease were a consequence of excess salt intake.^4-6

Could reducing sodium intake really prevent some of these deaths?

Clinical trials have clearly shown that reducing sodium intake reduces blood pressure in both healthy and hypertensive subjects.¹ Additional clinical trials have shown that cardiovascular events could be reduced by 20% with sodium reduction.⁷ A recent publication in the New England Journal of Medicine used mathematical models to estimate that a 1200 mg reduction in daily sodium intake population-wide in the U.S. could result in 60,000 fewer cases of CHD, 32,000 fewer strokes, and 54,000 fewer heart attacks every year.⁸ The effort to reduce sodium intake is substantially worthwhile.

Added salt is ubiquitous in processed foods and restaurant meals, and is contributing to the rampant cardiovascular disease in the modern world. Since most of the added sodium in the American diet comes from these foods, it is simple to avoid added salt by preparing most of your meals at home. Sodium is an essential mineral that becomes dangerous in excess; by consuming only the sodium present in natural foods, we get adequate but not disease-causing levels of sodium.

References:
1. Whelton PK, Appel LJ, Sacco RL, et al: Sodium, blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease: further evidence supporting the American Heart Association sodium reduction recommendations. Circulation 2012;126:2880-2889.
2. Tsugane S, Sasazuki S: Diet and the risk of gastric cancer: review of epidemiological evidence. Gastric Cancer 2007;10:75-83.
3. Murphy SL, Xu J, Kochanek KD: Deaths: Preliminary Data for 2010. Natl Vital Stat Rep 2012;60.
4. Phend C: Whole World Uses Too Much Salt, Study Finds. 2013. MedPage Today. http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/38011. Accessed
5. Armour S: High Salt Consumption Tied to 2.3 Million Heart Deaths. 2013. Bloomberg. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-21/high-salt-consumption-tied-to-2-3-million-heart-deaths.html. Accessed
6. Gray N: High salt intake causes 2.3 million deaths per year. 2013. Food Navigator. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/High-salt-intake-causes-2.3-million-deaths-per-year/. Accessed
7. He FJ, MacGregor GA: Salt reduction lowers cardiovascular risk: meta-analysis of outcome trials. Lancet 2011;378:380-382.
8. Bibbins-Domingo K, Chertow GM, Coxson PG, et al: Projected effect of dietary salt reductions on future cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 2010;362:590-599.

Interview with a Nutritarian: Kurt

Emily Boller — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 07:03:26 -0500

When I met my husband, Kurt, over 30 years ago, he was a bon a fide cowboy. Being athletic, he was fit and trim and rarely had a health concern so he never went to a doctor. He also had the uncanny ability to only eat when hungry. Even if there were only a couple bites of his favorite pie left on a plate, and he was full, he couldn’t take another bite. However, he was a “meat and potatoes” kind of guy; a 16 oz steak and baked potato slathered with butter was the ultimate meal.

Over time, Kurt traded his saddle in for a computer to financially support raising our family, and his life became sedentary. However, his diet changed considerably about four years ago when I decided to embark on a health makeover by following Eat to Live. For over three years Kurt’s meals at home consisted of high-nutrient foods, but he affectionately called his way of eating “Fuhrman-Lite”. He basically followed the principles of nutritarian eating about 70% of the time, but his daily lunches out consisted of fried chicken dinners, Greek specials or Subway sandwiches and chips, and he loved to treat himself to chocolate shakes, cookies, and candy bars on a regular basis. Since he wasn’t significantly overweight he continued to enjoy his daily splurges.

Last year, at age 53 he was experiencing frequent chest pains. It occurred when under stress at work, exercising or exerting himself, and eventually he started to be more and more uncomfortable even at rest, while sitting and lying down. He’d even re-position the seatbelt shoulder strap while driving, thinking that may be the cause of the pain. It increased over several months, but he didn’t talk much about it or go to a doctor.

Thankfully, Dr. Fuhrman came to my hometown to speak at an all-day Health Immersion, and I happened to mention Kurt’s symptoms to him, and he spoke to Kurt about them. Dr. Fuhrman was immediately concerned and said that Kurt was experiencing unstable angina; that he had one or more arteries that were over 90% blocked. Even with Dr. Fuhrman telling him the gravity of his life-threatening situation, Kurt continued to eat the standard American diet for another week until his blood pressure shot up dangerously high one morning. (Dr. Fuhrman had instructed him to check his blood pressure on a daily basis). That afternoon he was sweating, had pain in his neck and left arm, and felt terrible overall. The denial was over, and Kurt instantly became a fully committed nutritarian. That was a year ago this week. Welcome to Disease Proof, Kurt.

What was your life like before fully committing to the nutritarian eating-style?

I was tired and didn’t feel well most of the time, but because the symptoms developed so gradually, I accepted them as normal. It was challenging for me to go for a walk down the road, and I usually had to take a nap after lunch every day but didn’t realize it was connected to the food that I was eating. I also had chest pain, eventually even when sitting and lying down. I was concerned about the pains and knew that I needed to change my eating habits, but the thought of giving up meat was the biggest obstacle that kept me from fully doing it. Being married to you [Emily] I thought I was eating “healthy enough” at home, at least healthier than I had for most of my life so I was relatively content.

How do you feel now?

I have a lot more energy now, and I can walk briskly without exertion. I wake up rested every morning, and I no longer need a nap after lunch. I lost over 25 lbs those first three months, (and dropped a clothing size), and I’ve been maintaining that weight since. My blood pressures are consistently under 115/75, and the ongoing chest pains are gone.

I used to get a lot of sinus infections during the winter months, but I haven’t been sick this entire year; not even a cold. I’m a computer consultant and work on client’s computer systems. Invariably someone at a customer’s site is sick so I’m exposed to a lot of bugs, but I haven't caught anything all year. I can even smell things now that I couldn’t before, and my taste buds have greatly improved. Foods and beverages that I used to like, I don’t even like anymore; including milk, pop, and lemonade, and foods that I used to not like, I now enjoy.

Do you have any success tip(s) to share?

It’s important to have a good understanding of Dr. Fuhrman’s teachings. Emily had tried to encourage me to read Eat to Live, but reading it just wasn’t that big of a deal to me. I saw her success after many years of fad dieting and gimmicks that didn’t work so I knew this was the “real deal”. I knew it was the healthiest way to eat, but I wasn’t ready to fully embrace the changes for myself. Then Dr. Fuhrman came to Fort Wayne for the Health Immersion, and I listened to his lectures and they made a lot of sense. I finally understood that in order to reverse heart disease there could be no margin for cheating. It clicked, even though I still wasn’t ready to give it 100%.

It’s helpful to have support from others. Most likely I could’ve changed on my own, because I was desperate to reverse my blocked arteries, but Emily’s ongoing support has been a huge contributing factor to my success.

Be persistent and give it time. If unsalted food doesn’t taste that good to you in the beginning, be patient, because eventually your taste buds will change and you’ll enjoy the subtle flavors of foods without salt. It really does happen.

In a nutshell, what has nutritarian eating done for you?

It has changed my entire family’s life. First, Emily got her health back, and now all of us are eating healthy and feeling better because of it. Plus we’ve all been spared a lot of unnecessary and costly suffering and tragedy as well.

Sugary drinks linked to hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:34:56 -0500

Just a week after the New York Supreme Court struck down Mayor Bloomberg’s proposed large sugary drink ban, which would have prohibited the sale of beverages larger than 16 ounces in many food outlets, research was presented at an American Heart Association meeting that linked consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages to hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide – 180,000 deaths per year.

Fruit-flavored drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, soda, sweetened iced teas, etc. are consumed in huge quantities in the modern world. The average American consumes 22.2 teaspoons of added sugar daily, equating to 355 calories. Teens consume even more – 34.3 teaspoons or 549 calories a day, and half of the added sugars in the typical American diet come from sweetened drinks, mostly soda.^{1, 2}

It is no secret that these sugary beverages are a threat to human health. Sugary drinks have very low satiety value, and extremely low to zero micronutrient content; the link between these beverages and weight gain is well-documented.³ However, these liquid calories carry more danger than excess calories alone – sugary drinks are powerfully disease-promoting.

Sugary drinks provide their huge calorie load with no fiber, and no chewing required; the sugar is consumed and then hits the bloodstream almost instantly. The surge of glucose in the blood (and fructose in the liver) sets off complex pathways in the body that, over time, contribute to insulin resistance, increased visceral fat mass, elevated cholesterol, triglycerides and blood pressure, and cancer cell survival and proliferation.^4-8 Consumption of added sugars or sugar-sweetened beverages has been linked to diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancers.^{2, 9-15} There are also strong links between hyperinsulinemia (excess insulin in the blood, a consequence of excess blood glucose) and certain cancers.^{7, 16-19}

Researchers gathered data from the World Health Organization on sugary drink consumption, obesity and chronic disease in 114 countries. Knowing that sugary drinks promote obesity, and obesity is a risk factor for chronic diseases, they investigated the association between sweetened beverage consumption and obesity in the different countries, and then analyzed deaths from obesity-related chronic disease.

These are their conclusions – estimates of the number of deaths per year that may be attributed to sugar sweetened beverages:²⁰

Total deaths worldwide: 180,000

Total deaths in the U.S.: 25,000

Deaths from diabetes worldwide: 133,000

Deaths from cardiovascular disease worldwide: 44,000

One-hundred and eighty thousand deaths each year could possibly be prevented by simply drinking water instead of soda?

These estimates don’t even take into account the added sugars in breakfast cereals, baked goods, candy and ice cream that are so prevalent in the American diet – not to mention the oils, fried foods, white flour, white rice and animal products. Imagine the number of deaths that could be prevented, the health care costs that could be saved, and the excellent health our nation could enjoy by not just cutting out sugary drinks, but following a health-promoting Nutritarian lifestyle. Preventable diseases are our major killers, and we have the power to protect ourselves with superior nutrition.

It is clear that sugary drinks are disease-causing and each of us can make the simple choice to avoid disease-causing substances. The addictive properties of excessively sweet foods may make this choice difficult for many people, but hopefully research like this will reach many who are sick and overweight on the American diet, and help them to build the motivation they need to abstain from disease-causing sugary drinks.

References:
1. Center for Science in the Public Interest. Sugar: Too Much of a Sweet Thing [http://cspinet.org/new/pdf/infographic_full.pdf]
2. Johnson RK, Appel LJ, Brands M, et al: Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2009, 120:1011-1020.
3. Malik VS, Schulze MB, Hu FB: Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2006, 84:274-288.
4. Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM, Keim NL, et al: Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. J Clin Invest 2009, 119:1322-1334.
5. Cohen L, Curhan G, Forman J: Association of Sweetened Beverage Intake with Incident Hypertension. J Gen Intern Med 2012.
6. Maersk M, Belza A, Stodkilde-Jorgensen H, et al: Sucrose-sweetened beverages increase fat storage in the liver, muscle, and visceral fat depot: a 6-mo randomized intervention study. Am J Clin Nutr 2012, 95:283-289.
7. Arcidiacono B, Iiritano S, Nocera A, et al: Insulin resistance and cancer risk: an overview of the pathogenetic mechanisms. Exp Diabetes Res 2012, 2012:789174.
8. Port AM, Ruth MR, Istfan NW: Fructose consumption and cancer: is there a connection? Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes 2012, 19:367-374.
9. Fagherazzi G, Vilier A, Saes Sartorelli D, et al: Consumption of artificially and sugar-sweetened beverages and incident type 2 diabetes in the Etude Epidemiologique aupres des femmes de la Mutuelle Generale de l'Education Nationale-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2013.
10. Malik VS, Hu FB: Sweeteners and Risk of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: The Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. Curr Diab Rep 2012.
11. Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, et al: Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis. Diabetes Care 2010.
12. Basu S, Yoffe P, Hills N, et al: The relationship of sugar to population-level diabetes prevalence: an econometric analysis of repeated cross-sectional data. PLoS One 2013, 8:e57873.
13. Bernstein AM, de Koning L, Flint AJ, et al: Soda consumption and the risk of stroke in men and women. Am J Clin Nutr 2012.
14. Friberg E, Wallin A, Wolk A: Sucrose, high-sugar foods, and risk of endometrial cancer--a population-based cohort study. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2011, 20:1831-1837.
15. De Stefani E, Deneo-Pellegrini H, Mendilaharsu M, et al: Dietary sugar and lung cancer: a case-control study in Uruguay. Nutr Cancer 1998, 31:132-137.
16. Bowker SL, Majumdar SR, Veugelers P, et al: Increased cancer-related mortality for patients with type 2 diabetes who use sulfonylureas or insulin: Response to Farooki and Schneider. Diabetes Care 2006, 29:1990-1991.
17. Gunter MJ, Hoover DR, Yu H, et al: Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, endogenous estradiol, and risk of colorectal cancer in postmenopausal women. Cancer Res 2008, 68:329-337.
18. Gunter MJ, Hoover DR, Yu H, et al: Insulin, insulin-like growth factor-I, and risk of breast cancer in postmenopausal women. J Natl Cancer Inst 2009, 101:48-60.
19. Pisani P: Hyper-insulinaemia and cancer, meta-analyses of epidemiological studies. Arch Physiol Biochem 2008, 114:63-70.
20. 180,000 deaths worldwide may be associated with sugary soft drinks. American Heart Association Meeting Report.

Salt drives autoimmune disease?

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Sun, 17 Mar 2013 08:47:51 -0500

In autoimmune conditions, the body undergoes an inappropriate immune response that causes excessive inflammation with destructive effects on cells and tissues. Currently, about 23.5 million Americans suffer from an autoimmune disease, and that number is rising.¹ The reasons behind the increasing prevalence are unknown, but environmental influences, such as diet, are believed to play a role. I have reported here before that elevated blood pressure is not the only danger associated with salt. In my medical practice, I have observed beneficial effects of a low-salt diet for autoimmune conditions, and for years I have been advising patients with autoimmune disease to avoid added salt. Now, new research confirms my clinical observations that salt may increase the inflammation associated with several autoimmune conditions.

What are T helper 17 (T_H17) cells?
T_H17 cells are immune cells that are involved in the body’s defense against bacterial and fungal pathogens, and help to recruit other important immune cells to sites of infection. T_H17 cells seem to come in two different varieties, the standard protective T_H17 cell, and the pathogenic T_H17 cell, depending on the particular molecules that drive their differentiation from immature T cells to mature T helper cells. Pathogenic T_H17 cells produce more pro-inflammatory markers and appear to be involved in the abnormal immune responses associated with rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, inflammatory bowel disease and multiple sclerosis.^2,3

Recent studies connect salt intake and pathogenic T_H17 cells
Two recent studies published last week in Nature collectively suggest that excess sodium drives autoimmunity at the cellular level.^4-6 One group of researchers had previously observed increased T_H17 cell numbers in the blood of people who consumed fast food more often; hypothesizing salt might be involved, they conducted experiments on the effects of elevated sodium concentrations on the differentiation of immature human T cells into pathogenic T_H17 cells. They indeed found that high sodium concentrations drove a dramatic increase (almost ten-fold) in differentiation into pathogenic T_H17 cells in culture. To strengthen these findings, they fed mice predisposed to a T_H17-related autoimmune disease either a standard or high-salt diet. The high-salt diet accelerated the development of the autoimmune disease, and the symptoms were more severe on the high-salt diet than on the standard diet.^4,7

A separate group of scientists was investigating the changes in gene expression that occur during the differentiation process of immature T cells into pathogenic T_H17 cells. They noticed increases over time in the expression of a protein called SGK1, which is known to mediate sodium transport and sodium balance in other cell types. They performed additional experiments, and they found that increased salt concentration increased SGK1 expression and, similar to the first study, pathogenic T_H17 differentiation. These studies suggest that high salt intake may increase the numbers of circulating pathogenic T_H17 cells, contributing to autoimmune inflammation.⁸

This research raises the possibility that increased salt intake may be a significant environmental influence driving the growing prevalence of autoimmune conditions.

We already know that excess salt intake is associated with elevated blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, osteoporosis, ulcers and gastric cancer;⁹ now autoimmune inflammation is another danger we can add to the list. For optimal health, we should minimize added salt and strive to consume only the sodium present in natural foods.

References:

1. American Autoimmune Related Disease Association: Autoimmune Statistics [http://www.aarda.org/autoimmune_statistics.php]
2. Peters A, Lee Y, Kuchroo VK: The many faces of Th17 cells. Curr Opin Immunol 2011, 23:702-706.
3. Awasthi A, Kuchroo VK: Th17 cells: from precursors to players in inflammation and infection. Int Immunol 2009, 21:489-498.
4. Harmon K: Salt linked to autoimmune diseases. In Nature News; 2013.
5. Leslie M: Salty Food May Be a Culprit in Autoimmune Disease. In Science NOW; 2013.
6. Yandell K: Salt at Fault? In The Scientist; 2013.
7. Kleinewietfeld M, Manzel A, Titze J, et al: Sodium chloride drives autoimmune disease by the induction of pathogenic T17 cells. Nature 2013.
8. Wu C, Yosef N, Thalhamer T, et al: Induction of pathogenic T17 cells by inducible salt-sensing kinase SGK1. Nature 2013.
9. Tsugane S, Sasazuki S: Diet and the risk of gastric cancer: review of epidemiological evidence. Gastric Cancer 2007, 10:75-83.

I could never do that!

Emily Boller — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 12:00:00 -0500

The following post was originally published on Disease Proof about two years ago. I thought it’d be helpful to dig it out of the archives for some inspiration again this time of year. Even now, I still hear, “Oh, I could never do that!” in response to the way I eat, and I’m sure that many of you do too. It’s good to be reminded on a regular basis of the many medical problems that we nutritarians get to bypass, and the many wonderful pleasures that we get to enjoy as a result! Some of the comments at the end are funny, heartbreaking, and thought-provoking all rolled into one. May they encourage and uplift heavy hearts, and cheer everyone on in the pursuit of excellent health. Cheers to all!

In the Fall of 2008, after I had dropped 40 lbs in three months, my peers started commenting and asking questions about the noticeable changes. By the next Spring, when 100 pounds were off, complete strangers such as clerks in stores would comment and ask questions as well.

Everyone’s question was, “How did you lose weight?”

Of which my reply would always be, “By following Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live;. . . . basically eating lots of high nutrient, plant-based foods.”

“You mean no meat? No cheese? No pizza? No McDonald’s? . . . . Oh, I could never do that!”

Now, over 2 ½ years later, the majority still say to me, “Oh I could never do that!” in response to anything remotely related to the idea of eating meals primarily composed of plant based nutrition.

Well, the following is what I think in response to, “I could never do that”:

I could never blow the family budget on unnecessary test strips, insulin, medications, doctor and hospital bills, or bypass surgery.

I could never carry around expensive medical supplies and meds while traveling.

I could never ask a loved one to mow the lawn for me due to fatigue and ill health.

I could never turn a child away from playing a game due to a migraine headache.

I could never miss out on the joy of a wedding celebration due to obesity and depression.

I could never ask someone to drive me to kidney dialysis three times a week.

Dr. Fuhrman added:

I could never have heartburn and burping half the night.

I could never sit in the bathroom for 15 minutes trying to painfully squeeze out a hard log.

I could never watch a volleyball game at the beach instead of playing in it.

I could never have rubber bands put on painful hemorrhoids by a rectal specialist.

I could never worry about running to catch a bus, for fear of having a heart attack.

I could never have such severe stomach cramps that emergency room personnel would assume it was a heart attack.

I could never fall down and fracture a hip because my blood pressure medications dropped my blood pressure too low.

I could never be intubated in the ER with a tube put down my throat and hooked up to a breathing machine after suffering a heart attack.

I could never be in a nursing home unable to talk after a stroke or move the left side of my body.

How about you?

What could you never do?

image credit: flickr by Claudio Matsuoka and FotoosVanRobin

Never Give Up

Emily Boller — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 12:40:11 -0500

There's nothing more deeply satisfying than crossing the finish line of a goal accomplished.

This past year my 21-year-old son died unexpectedly. After the initial shock wore off, I entered into a dark season of PTSD and bereavement for several months. During the most acute phase of it I could barely function, because I would be in a daze of paralyzing grief and confusion. I had a difficult time accomplishing the simplest of tasks such as unloading the dishwasher or starting a load of laundry. Vigorous workouts were unthinkable in the quagmire of my demise. I couldn’t even successfully take inventory of food to make a grocery list, let alone muster up the strength to navigate the supermarket aisles or prepare a pot of soup.

I continued to eat whole foods, but many times a meal only consisted of a bowl of oatmeal and an apple; or a green pepper with hummus, a banana, and some nuts. I was just too overwhelmed in the anguish of grief to care for myself properly during that time and apathy set in.

It saddens me when I hear some say, "I fell off the wagon" in reference to making unwise choices due to a stressful day or difficult season of life. Hard times happen to everyone; they just do. Unless one has made a conscious decision to completely throw in the towel and quit eating healthfully altogether, no one has fallen off any wagons. The nutritarian eating-style is for life; not a diet to jump on and off on a whim. The wagon mentality only fuels yo-yo dieting for those who buy into that mindset. And the most dangerous part is that staying off the wagon may last for days, weeks, or years . . .until one gets psyched up to get back on it again.

Even if some days are like wading through quick sand, and it’s a challenge to continue on, stay committed to making wise food choices as best as one can possibly manage. It may be only baby steps, but keep moving forward in the pursuit of excellent health. There’s never a valid excuse to throw in the towel and completely quit, because nothing is more deeply satisfying than crossing the finish line of a goal accomplished. Earning one’s health back is a priceless treasure that comes with absolutely no regrets.

The sun will shine again and happiness will return as one continues to stay the course.

Never give up.

“It will take strength. It will take effort. But the pleasure and rewards that you’ll get from a healthy life will be priceless.” Dr. Fuhrman

image credit: celebration by Elijah Lynn

Diet soda linked to increased diabetes risk

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 12:31:32 -0500

It is widely known that sugar-sweetened beverages promote weight gain and type 2 diabetes.^1-3 However, artificially sweetened beverages are regarded by many as safe alternatives that will satisfy sweet cravings while preventing the dangerous surge in blood glucose from their sugar-sweetened counterparts, thereby circumventing the weight gain and associated increase in diabetes risk.

Are people who drink diet soda less likely to end up with diabetes?

The newest research says no. A recent French study following 66,118 women for 14 years uncovered strong trends of increased diabetes risk in women who consumed greater amounts of either sugar-sweetened or artificially sweetened beverages; for each type of beverage, as consumption increased, risk increased. The authors note that this effect was only partly dependent on body mass index (BMI); that means that it wasn’t just that overweight people were the ones drinking the diet soda and getting diabetes. Women who drank at least one 20-ounce diet soda per week had a risk more than double (a 121% increase in risk) that of women who did not consume any sweetened beverages. High consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages, who drank 12 ounces per week or more, had a 34% increase in diabetes risk.⁴

Artificial sweeteners, weight gain and diabetes

Since a major purpose of artificial sweeteners is to avoid calorie load, it seems counterintuitive, but artificial sweeteners have been associated with weight gain in several (though not all) observational studies.^5,6 In the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), drinking diet soda at least once daily was associated with high waist circumference and a 67% greater risk of type 2 diabetes seven years later.⁷ Similarly, saccharin use (during the 1970s) was associated with weight gain during the following eight years in the Nurses’ Health Study.⁸ In the San Antonio Heart Study, normal weight subjects who consumed 21 or more artificially sweetened beverages per week almost doubled (93% increase) their risk of overweight or obesity eight years later.⁹

How might artificial sweeteners promote weight gain?

Artificial sweeteners mimic the sweet taste of sugar, but do not provide the high calorie load – but it seems that it’s not that simple. What happens in the body when we consume a diet soda? Just because diet sodas do not contain calories doesn’t mean they don’t have any physiological effects.

First, simply because they taste sweet, artificial sweeteners promote desire for and dependence on excessively sweet tastes. These excessively sweet tastes are unnatural, hundreds or thousands of times sweeter than table sugar, which in itself is unnaturally sweet. Throughout human history, the body has been accustomed to the more subtle, naturally sweet tastes in fruits and starchy vegetables. Someone who consistently consumes artificially sweetened foods or beverages is training their taste buds to prefer excessive sweetness. Therefore, artificial sweeteners are counterproductive in that they keep the body craving excessively sweet flavors rather than naturally sweet flavors. Some research has suggested that increased use of artificial sweeteners indeed increases appetite or sweet cravings.¹⁰ There is also evidence that consuming artificially sweetened beverages between meals (in the absence of calories) increases appetite and food consumption during the next meal.¹¹ Sweet tastes also produce reward signals in the brain, and there is some evidence that artificial sweeteners produce “incomplete” reward signals, leading to incomplete satisfaction and cravings for more food.¹⁰

Another potential explanation is the concept of “informed overcompensation.” For example, perceiving that she has “saved” calories by drinking a diet soda with her dinner, a woman decides to order dessert. Interestingly, it has been shown that knowingly (but not unknowingly) consuming artificially sweetened foods led to overcompensation with increased caloric intake.^11,12

Another interesting explanation is a possible dysregulation of hunger and satiety signals in the body. This may occur due to an inconsistent relationship between sweetness and amount of calories supplied. The body uses information from the sweetness and calorie load of previous meals in order to predict calorie load from the level of sweetness in future meals. Artificially sweeteners may “uncouple” sweetness and calories, impairing normal physiologic mechanisms that regulate energy balance. There is evidence for this impaired energy balance with several artificial sweeteners. Rats regularly exposed to artificially-sweetened food (or drink) were less able to regulate their calorie intake when given sugar-sweetened, calorie-dense meals, and they gain excess weight.^6,13

Steer clear of artificial sweeteners, and prevent diabetes naturally

The safety of many of these artificial sweeteners has been questioned; most are relatively new compounds, and their long-term health effects are still uncertain.¹⁴ These are not natural, whole foods, so it is wise to avoid them. The evidence suggests that they are not helpful for weight loss, and certainly not the solution to obesity and diabetes epidemics. However, you can protect yourself against type 2 diabetes, or reverse type 2 diabetes if you already have it, by simply following a health-promoting eating style and exercising frequently. The dietary program described in my book The End of Diabetesis a vegetable-based eating style, including naturally sweet foods like fresh fruits and squashes, designed to maximize nutrient content per calorie. For type 2 diabetes, this approach results in complete reversal of diabetes for the majority of patients. For type 1 diabetes, it eliminates the excessive highs and lows and prevents dangerous complications. Both type 1 and type 2 diabetics can maintain excellent health and quality of life into old age with natural foods and exercise.

References:

1. Malik VS, Schulze MB, Hu FB: Intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and weight gain: a systematic review. Am J Clin Nutr 2006;84:274-288.
2. Malik VS, Hu FB: Sweeteners and Risk of Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes: The Role of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages. Curr Diab Rep 2012.
3. Malik VS, Popkin BM, Bray GA, et al: Sugar Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Metabolic Syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis. Diabetes Care 2010.
4. Fagherazzi G, Vilier A, Saes Sartorelli D, et al: Consumption of artificially and sugar-sweetened beverages and incident type 2 diabetes in the Etude Epidemiologique aupres des femmes de la Mutuelle Generale de l'Education Nationale-European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort. Am J Clin Nutr 2013.
5. Anderson GH, Foreyt J, Sigman-Grant M, et al: The use of low-calorie sweeteners by adults: impact on weight management. J Nutr 2012;142:1163S-1169S.
6. Pepino MY, Bourne C: Non-nutritive sweeteners, energy balance, and glucose homeostasis. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2011;14:391-395.
7. Nettleton JA, Lutsey PL, Wang Y, et al: Diet soda intake and risk of incident metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Diabetes Care 2009;32:688-694.
8. Colditz GA, Willett WC, Stampfer MJ, et al: Patterns of weight change and their relation to diet in a cohort of healthy women. Am J Clin Nutr 1990;51:1100-1105.
9. Fowler SP, Williams K, Resendez RG, et al: Fueling the obesity epidemic? Artificially sweetened beverage use and long-term weight gain. Obesity (Silver Spring) 2008;16:1894-1900.
10. Yang Q: Gain weight by "going diet?" Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010. Yale J Biol Med 2010;83:101-108.
11. Mattes RD, Popkin BM: Nonnutritive sweetener consumption in humans: effects on appetite and food intake and their putative mechanisms. Am J Clin Nutr 2008;89:1-14.
12. Mattes R: Effects of aspartame and sucrose on hunger and energy intake in humans. Physiol Behav 1990;47:1037-1044.
13. Swithers SE, Martin AA, Davidson TL: High-intensity sweeteners and energy balance. Physiol Behav 2010;100:55-62.
14. Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chemical Cuisine. Learn about Food Additives. [http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm]

Interview with a Nutritarian: Marty

Emily Boller — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 07:00:36 -0500

Marty is your typical, middle-aged male that knew his health was precarious, but he was living in denial of the seriousness of it. Being a Store Team Leader for a Whole Foods Market he wanted to become a better leader by getting a grasp on healthy eating so he signed up to attend one of Dr. Fuhrman’s week-long Health Immersions for Whole Foods team members. His decision to attend was mostly a professional one for the betterment of his career, but he did have a slightly personal goal to lose some weight in the process also. He wanted to lead by example; not just have a bunch of head knowledge. However, he discovered a shocking surprise at the Health Immersion. Welcome to Disease Proof, Marty.

What was your life like before attending the Health Immersion?

I was 41-years-old and had reached my highest weight of 286 lbs. (5’9”) last spring. Even when I was obese I was a happy person; I had a great family, wife, and job, but I was clueless about my health. I played sports all the time, even when I was that heavy. I was on a soft ball team and was embarrassed to be an obese athlete and so out of shape. I clearly recall one game where I was running to first base and suddenly became out of breath. I thought, “What’s happened that I’ve let myself get this out of shape? I can’t believe I’ve let myself go this far.”

I attributed my declining fitness to working sixty hours a week at a sedentary desk job. I never made any connection to the food that I was putting into my body. My body ached all over, and I was lethargic and thirsty all the time so I’d drink a six-pack of caffeinated soda every day. The caffeine caused sleep deprivation which created a vicious cycle of fatigue and the need for more stimulation to keep me awake during the day. I started having blurred vision, but associated all the negative symptoms in my life to “old age” creeping up on me. I never liked to go to doctors so I had no idea that my health was rapidly deteriorating.

What happened that changed your life around?

On the first day of the Health Immersion my blood was drawn. A short time later the nurse sat down with me, and looked at me straight in the eyes and asked, “Do you realize that you have diabetes?”

At first I was shocked to hear those words, but then I had an “ah ha” moment. I instantly made the connection: unquenchable thirst, blurred vision, and overwhelming fatigue. My younger brother had been diagnosed with diabetes just a few years earlier and everything made sense to me in that moment. All of a sudden attending the Health Immersion became very personal to me. Then I found out that I had hypertension too. My blood pressure was 156/96 and that was shocking as well! I was also told that due to my declining health numbers and body fat percentage that I had the biological age equivalent to a 72-year-old!

The events of that morning were my wake-up call. The denial had ended, and I suddenly had a piqued interest to learn all the information that Dr. Fuhrman was going to be presenting that week. I was no longer there just to learn information to better my profession, but to save my life. I felt like I had just heard the worst news of my life, yet I had won the lottery at the same time! I realized that I had this incredible opportunity in front of me to change and be in control of my future health, and I accepted the challenge!

How do you feel now?

I’m down to 205 lbs. so far, and I feel AMAZING! My fasting blood sugars are between 70 – 80, and my blood pressure averages around 105/70 with absolutely no medications! My body doesn’t hurt anymore, and I’m no longer tired and thirsty all the time. I have energy for the first time in years. The guys on my soft ball team are continually amazed at my progress, and I’m a totally different person because I feel so good now. I no longer have shortness of breath, and people who haven’t seen me in the past six months don’t even recognize me anymore!

What success tips do you have to share?

Don’t be ignorant and in denial of poor health. If you are continually tired, thirsty, and/or have shortness of breath, go to a doctor and get a diagnosis as soon as possible. Don’t put it off.

Knowledge is power. You can change your health destiny. I am the same, happy man that I was before, but now I’m much healthier and in control of my life. If you follow Dr. Fuhrman’s program you can fix your health issues and be off medications. It will save your life!

“Good things will come to those who wait”. It took me two months of eating nutritarian foods before I enjoyed them. I fought it. I did not enjoy eating unsalted food, or vegetables, and I did not like giving up sodas. It took two months for my taste buds to change. It was tough, but I discovered that you have to give eating this way a chance. You can’t give up if you want to see results. If you stick with it, and don’t go back to old habits, you will eventually enjoy it! I love eating this way now!

Congratulations Marty on winning the lottery of discovering the way to excellent health ~ keep up the great job! You are an inspirational role model to many!

Fiber - especially vegetable and fruit fiber - protects against breast cancer

Joel Fuhrman, M.D. — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 09:00:00 -0500

What are the foods you think of when you hear the word “fiber”? Although most people probably think of whole grains, all plant foods are rich in fiber. In fact, beans contain more fiber than whole grains, and vegetables and fruits (and some seeds) contain comparable amounts – here are a few examples:

1 cup cooked quinoa – 5 grams fiber
1 cup cooked brown rice – 4 grams fiber
1 cup cooked kidney beans – 11 grams fiber
1 cup cooked broccoli – 6 grams fiber
1 cup blueberries – 4 grams fiber
1 tablespoon chia seeds – 6 grams fiber

Fiber, by definition, is resistant to digestion in the human small intestine. This means that during the digestive process, fiber arrives at the large intestine still intact. Fiber takes up space in the stomach but does not provide absorbable calories, which makes meals feel more satiating and promotes weight loss. In the colon, fiber adds bulk and accelerates movement, factors that are beneficial for colon health. Soluble fiber (primarily from legumes and oats) is effective at removing cholesterol via the digestive tract, resulting in lower blood cholesterol levels. Some types of fiber are fermented by intestinal bacteria. The fermentation products, such as butyrate, have anti-cancer effects in the colon and also serve as energy sources for colonic cells. Fermentable fiber also acts as a prebiotic in the colon, promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria. Fiber intake is associated with a multitude of health benefits, including healthy blood pressure levels and reduced risk of diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.^{1, 2}

Fiber and breast cancer

A recent analysis of 10 scientific studies found that higher fiber intake is associated with lower risk of breast cancer.³ How does fiber impact one’s risk of breast cancer?

First and foremost, since animal products, refined grains, sugars and oils contain little or no fiber, fiber intake is a marker for greater intake of natural plant foods, many of which are known to have a variety of anti-cancer phytochemicals. Some breast cancer protective substances that have already been discovered include isothiocyanates from cruciferous vegetables⁴, organosulfur compounds from onions and garlic, aromatase inhibitors from mushrooms, flavonoids from berries, lignans from flax, chia and sesame seeds, and inositol pentakisphosphate (an angiogenesis inhibitor) from beans.

Does fiber itself have some potentially breast cancer protective actions?

High-fiber foods help to slow emptying of the stomach and absorption of sugars, which decreases the after-meal elevation in glucose. This is meaningful because elevated glucose levels lead to elevated insulin levels, which can send pro-cancer growth signals in the body, for example via insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). As such, high dietary glycemic index and glycemic load (characteristic of refined grains and processed foods) are associated with an increase in breast cancer risk.^5-7 Accordingly, a study on Korean women found that higher white rice intake was associated with higher breast cancer risk.⁸

Increased exposure to estrogen is known to increase breast cancer risk.^9-11 A woman may be exposed to estrogen via her ovaries’ own production, estrogen production by excess fat tissue, or environmental sources such as endocrine-disrupting chemicals (like BPA). Fiber can reduce circulating estrogen levels, thereby reducing breast cancer risk, because it helps to remove excess estrogen from the body via the digestive tract. Fiber binds up estrogen in the digestive tract, accelerates its removal, and prevents it from being reabsorbed into the body.^12-14 In addition, soluble fiber (as shown with prunes and flaxseed) seems to alter estrogen metabolism such that a less dangerous form of estrogen is produced, whereas insoluble fiber (wheat bran) did not have the same effect.^15,16 For this reason, beans, oats, chia seeds and flaxseeds may provide some extra protection due to their high soluble fiber content.

One notable case-control study looked specifically at different sources of fiber to determine the associations between vegetable fiber, fruit fiber, and grain fiber with breast cancer. Interestingly, when fiber was split up by source, only fruit fiber and vegetable fiber decreased risk; there was a 52% risk reduction for high intake of vegetable fiber, and a 46% risk reduction for fruit fiber. In contrast, there was no association between grain fiber and breast cancer risk.¹⁷ A new study, published in February 2013 came to a similar conclusion when analyzing the association between fiber subtypes and breast cancer risk. This study was part of the larger European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study of over 300,000 women; they found that among the fiber subtypes, only vegetable fiber was linked to decreased risk.¹⁸

Fiber itself has some breast cancer-protective properties, like limiting glycemic effects of foods and assisting in estrogen removal, but we get optimal protection when we focus on foods that are both rich in fiber and rich in phytochemicals. G-BOMBS contain numerous anti-cancer phytochemicals, and and greens, mushrooms, and flax and chia seeds in particular contain anti-estrogenic substances in addition to fiber, making them more effective breast cancer fighters than whole grains.

Image credit: Flickr - Muffet

References:

1. Higdon J, Drake VJ: Fiber. In An Evidence-based Approach to Phytochemicals and Other Dietary Factors New York: Thieme; 2013: 133-148
2. Carbohydrates. In Nutritional Sciences: From Fundamentals to Food. Edited by McGuire M, Beerman KA; 2013
3. Dong JY, He K, Wang P, et al: Dietary fiber intake and risk of breast cancer: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Am J Clin Nutr 2011.
4. Liu X, Lv K: Cruciferous vegetables intake is inversely associated with risk of breast cancer: A meta-analysis. Breast 2012.
5. Dong JY, Qin LQ: Dietary glycemic index, glycemic load, and risk of breast cancer: meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2011, 126:287-294.
6. Romieu I, Ferrari P, Rinaldi S, et al: Dietary glycemic index and glycemic load and breast cancer risk in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). Am J Clin Nutr 2012, 96:345-355.
7. Sieri S, Pala V, Brighenti F, et al: High glycemic diet and breast cancer occurrence in the Italian EPIC cohort. Nutrition, metabolism, and cardiovascular diseases : NMCD 2012.
8. Yun SH, Kim K, Nam SJ, et al: The association of carbohydrate intake, glycemic load, glycemic index, and selected rice foods with breast cancer risk: a case-control study in South Korea. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 2010, 19:383-392.
9. Hankinson SE, Eliassen AH: Endogenous estrogen, testosterone and progesterone levels in relation to breast cancer risk. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2007, 106:24-30.
10. Pike MC, Pearce CL, Wu AH: Prevention of cancers of the breast, endometrium and ovary. Oncogene 2004, 23:6379-6391.
11. Bernstein L, Ross RK: Endogenous hormones and breast cancer risk. Epidemiol Rev 1993, 15:48-65.
12. Aubertin-Leheudre M, Gorbach S, Woods M, et al: Fat/fiber intakes and sex hormones in healthy premenopausal women in USA. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 2008, 112:32-39.
13. Aubertin-Leheudre M, Hamalainen E, Adlercreutz H: Diets and hormonal levels in postmenopausal women with or without breast cancer. Nutr Cancer 2011, 63:514-524.
14. Goldin BR, Adlercreutz H, Gorbach SL, et al: Estrogen excretion patterns and plasma levels in vegetarian and omnivorous women. N Engl J Med 1982, 307:1542-1547.
15. Haggans CJ, Travelli EJ, Thomas W, et al: The effect of flaxseed and wheat bran consumption on urinary estrogen metabolites in premenopausal women. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2000, 9:719-725.
16. Kasim-Karakas SE, Almario RU, Gregory L, et al: Effects of prune consumption on the ratio of 2-hydroxyestrone to 16alpha-hydroxyestrone. Am J Clin Nutr 2002, 76:1422-1427.
17. Zhang CX, Ho SC, Cheng SZ, et al: Effect of dietary fiber intake on breast cancer risk according to estrogen and progesterone receptor status. Eur J Clin Nutr 2011, 65:929-936.
18. Ferrari P, Rinaldi S, Jenab M, et al: Dietary fiber intake and risk of hormonal receptor-defined breast cancer in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition study1,2. Am J Clin Nutr 2013, 97:344-353.

Does It Really Hurt?

Guest Blogger — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0500

by Kathleen Callahan

I've been thinking of that a lot since my battle with a packet of graham crackers in the nurses’ lounge yesterday. As I stood in front of the bin of crackers, willing my hands to stay by my side and my feet to walk out the door, that old, familiar, time-honored voice whispered in my ear, "Just this once won't hurt." Would it? I mean, really, in the grand caloric scheme of things, I'd had a beautiful lower-calorie nutritarian day. How much damage could a hundred calories really do? I'm sure if I'd had the graham crackers and stepped on the scale today, I'd still have lost weight.

Here's what I've figured out. Just this once wouldn't have hurt at all. In fact, it would have felt darn good, especially when whatever empty dopamine receptors I had that were crying out for a hit got that first blast of the sugar/salt/processed combo that brings such a sweet release. How many of us have felt it? You're at the church supper, eyeing a gorgeous piece of pie. You're out to dinner with friends, perusing the menu, trying to convince yourself that you're going to order the salad with broccoli and lemon wedges instead of the fettuccini alfredo . You're trying with everything you've got to avoid the cabinet that holds your husband's stash of Doritos. Most people sharing space with you at that moment would have no idea of the epic battle going on inside you as you ferociously and desperately debate yourself over your upcoming food choice. Sometimes we win that battle, and sometimes we don't. We may reach for the pie, smile at the person standing next to us, and say, "Oh, well. Just this once won't hurt." And, it doesn't. If anything, it brings on a full-body wave of release. We actually sigh out loud sometimes with the bliss of it. Our shoulders drop as our muscles drain of tension.

Our eyes may even glaze over a bit as we go to our happy food place where our taste buds sing and our heart soars. Dopamine, after all, is the very same chemical that is released when we fall in love.

So, it's true, then. Just this once really doesn't hurt at all. In fact, it feels really good. However, when I close my eyes and picture myself having that bite of pie followed by the full-body melt, it's hard not to also imagine the images we've seen of crack addicts in the movies. Just picture the wild-eyed, jonesing addict on the floor, leaning up against the dirty wall of the crack house, tourniquet tight around her upper arm. She inserts the needle into her vein, pushes the plunger, and we see that same body melt, the same release, the same eye glazing we ourselves get when we eat the pie.

Aren't we so very fortunate that our addiction is socially sanctioned, that it takes place in clean, sparkly church halls, restaurants, and our very own kitchens? Aren't we lucky that we don't have to hide in dirty alleys to get our fixes? And, isn't it incredibly tragic that we share the same exact sort of dopamine-craving, soul-crushing, health-destroying compulsion that the crack addict does? My heart just breaks and my eyes fill to think of the enormity of it.

Just this once doesn't hurt. But, here's what does: The next day, when we're standing in front of the bin of graham crackers and doing battle yet again with the craving, we have no rational reason to avoid them. After all, we already know that once won't hurt. We proved it to ourselves the day before. Physiologically, we've primed our dopamine receptors to look for the blast of dopamine that comes from our fix. We all know it's awfully hard to fight biology. We tell ourselves we don't want the crackers as our hands are tearing the packet open and our mouths are watering in anticipation.

Here's what else hurts. Not only are we eating crackers every day now, but we're also eating a bagel with butter in the morning. And, because we're feeling so tired and drained from a lack of nutrients, we're too tired to cook when we get home, so we're grabbing take-out. And, then we see the scale nudge up in the wrong direction. Because here is a universal truth—our minds can be fooled by our addictive brain, but our bodies cannot. We can tell ourselves that we won't gain weight just by treating ourselves every now and then, but our bodies will always tell us the truth.

And this hurts, too: We feel demoralized. We feel weak. We feel desperate, and let's face it, we feel terrified. We may have the specter of serious health problems looming over us. We may have watched a loved one die of their addiction and like Scrooge, feel we've been shown a vision of our future by the Ghost of Things Yet to Come. Anyone who's lain in bed at night with a head full of visions of diabetes and heart disease knows exactly what I'm talking about.

But, does it have to be this way? Are we destined to die in the back alleys of our clean lives? I suppose it's preferable to die in a sterile hospital rather than in a dirty crack house, but must this be our only choice? I don't think so. I believe with all of my heart that we can change our futures. We've all seen people on Dr. Fuhrman’s blog and website do it. We've read of our Fuhrman forum friends beating heart disease, holding cancer at bay, ditching the insulin and cholesterol meds. We know of people who run marathons in their 80s. We know of others who were reborn after losing a hundred pounds. Why can't this be us, too? It can, my friend, it can.

Here's what I learned yesterday: resisting that graham cracker was an incredibly painful experience. It caused me far more pain than eating it would have. I mean, the pain was truly visceral. I swear every cell in my body felt it. But, you know what? When I walked out to my car after work last night, I felt triumphant. I felt victorious. My belly felt blissfully content from the gorgeous homemade harvest soup I'd fed it. And, I knew that I was one step closer to breaking that devilish food addiction once and for all. For me, that kind of intense pain is worth it.

It's tricky for us, because unlike the crack addict who decides to go clean, we cannot avoid our crack houses. There will always be church suppers, restaurant outings, and, yes, even our own kitchens. There will be Super Bowls, birthdays, Mother's Day, the Fourth of July. And after the summer, we've got that sugar-orgy holiday of Halloween with Thanksgiving and Christmas following right on its heels. How will you navigate your way through these dangerous waters? Will you go for the addict's release, or will you fight for your life? Will you fight for your family, so that unlike my dad, you won't leave them with an empty chair at the Thanksgiving table and steal from them the chance to hear your voice say that you are thankful to be alive and thankful for them?

I know what choice I'll make from now on. I will take care of this one body I've been gifted with. After all, I can't turn it in every few years for a new one. It requires my love and protection if I am to live free of addiction and disease.

Image credit: Flickr - Sterlic

Interview with a Nutritarian: Talia Fuhrman

Emily Boller — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 11:30:00 -0500

Talia Fuhrman, the oldest daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Fuhrman, may possibly be one of only a handful of young adults in the US that has now been eating high-nutrient foods since birth. I thought it would be motivational to interview Talia, age 25, not only to inspire the young people of America, but also to encourage all the parents who are doing their best to raise children to eat for health in a culture that promotes just the opposite.

What was it like for you growing up in a home that had ample selections of delicious and healthy foods to eat at all times?

As bad as the American obesity and disease epidemic is today, times were certainly different when I was a child and a teenager. These days people know what a vegan means, more people are vegetarians and overall, we are seeking the birth of an increasingly health-conscious America. When I was younger, my family was an odd anomaly in our community of standard American eaters. My feelings about living in this healthy-eating environment evolved over time and became so much more positive as I grew from my childhood and into my early teens.

I definitely felt different from my peers! It would be impossible not to feel different when my parents were preparing cashew cream kale for dinner and zucchini filled “brownies” in my lunches when my friends were opening boxes of cookies and obsessing over their Lunchables lunch boxes and Lucky Charms cereal. Prior to middle school, I wanted to be like my friends and would beg my parents to have the pizza served on Fridays at my school’s cafeteria and cake at birthday parties. Fights with my parents about food often occurred at home, but they allowed me to have some of my favorite “junk foods” like pretzels at the mall and pizza at school every now and then. If they had been too strict and didn’t allow me to eat any conventional foods, I think this would have put a dent in our relationship as I grew older.

I did absolutely love the foods my parents made for me at home and I didn’t feel deprived with the plentiful selection of healthy fruits and vegetables, and it was only in social settings that I desired to be like my friends and eat what they were eating. As a child, some of my favorite foods were strawberry banana “ice cream” made with frozen bananas and soymilk, and sweet potatoes mashed with coconut milk and cinnamon. I loved organic strawberries and I have vivid memories of running around our living room while eating lettuce leaves. When my dad began preparing homemade date-nut balls, which he now sells on DrFuhrman.com as “date-nut pop’ems,” that was a very good day.

What did your parents do to help you make the transition into social settings away from home?

They taught me why it was important to eat healthy foods and the negative consequences of eating junk foods. My parents did a good job of teaching me that their desire for me to eat healthy foods was out of love for me and wanting me to be a healthy person. Once I was old enough to make my own eating choices, they let me make my own decisions in social settings. I never went to a birthday party in which my parents wouldn’t let me have a slice of pizza or piece of cake if I wanted it, and if I decided to make a poor eating choice, I was taught that I would be the one to pay the price with a stomach ache, runny nose or feeling ill.

What were the teen years like for you?

Understandably, my teenage years were very different from those of my childhood. I matured and took it upon myself to read and educate myself about nutrition and had no desire to eat the same foods as my peers. I packed my own school lunches filled with hearty salads and whole-wheat avocado, hummus sandwiches, for instance. I was the girl who ate dried persimmons and macadamia nuts for lunch and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I never dealt with weight gain, fatigue or acne and always had energy.

Tell us about your young adult years. Why did you pursue an undergraduate degree in Nutritional Sciences from Cornell, and why are you now working so hard to develop a blog for young people?

Throughout my life, I had exposure to seeing how what we eat affects the quality of our lives; not simply whether or not we will get cancer in our later years, but how we feel on a daily basis. I spent my childhood and teens hanging out in my dad’s office where I got to meet patients who got rid of debilitating health conditions by committing to the nutritarian lifestyle. My passion for nutrition and living a healthy lifestyle blossomed when I was a teenager from the combination of seeing these success stories and my innate love of science.

When I was a freshman in college, I did go through a doubtful phase and questioned whether or not I would get sick of studying nutrition. I pursued a few other career choices but none of them gave me as much satisfaction as studying nutrition. I am passionate about helping people get healthier and never suffer from pain due to avoidable health conditions, and this is why I am developing a blog for a younger audience. The teen years and our 20s are when we start to form our lifestyle and eating habits that we will take with us into adulthood.

My goal for the blog is to foster a positive community in which healthy eating is fun and learning about nutrition isn’t boring. I want to provide all the information that I know about nutrition to a younger audience in a way that is easy to understand, enjoyable, and even stylish. My dream is that living a healthy lifestyle will become what younger people will want to do because it makes them feel good, and because they can have fun with it too. It’s not as difficult as most people think to make smart, health promoting eating choices. Yet, teens and young adults I’ve encountered are totally in the dark, and have no idea they are laying the groundwork for their future health with that they eat today. The first step will be to have the knowledge about which foods are good for us and why it’s important to consume them. After that, people just need to learn how to prepare tasty meals that incorporate these foods. It can become a creative process of trial and error and a rewarding one too. My blog will have easy to prepare, tasty recipes to help people get started in making meals and desserts that are both healthy and delicious as well as nutrition advice that is written in a fun and youthful way.

Thank you Talia ~ we wish you all the best and can’t wait to see what unfolds in the days and years ahead! To view Talia’s blog click here.

image credit: portrait by Esther Boller

	BEFORE	AFTER
BP	190/115 (highest)	123/79 (still dropping!)
Weight	183	145 (still losing!)
Triglycerides	168	114 (after 3 months of nutritarian eating-- no recent recording)