Eat Right eBook

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FOOD SCORING GUIDE

tm

Other books by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Eat to LiveThe Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss

Cholesterol Protection For LifeLower Your Cholesterol Safely and Permanently

Disease-Proof Your ChildFeeding Kids Right

Fasting and Eating for HealthA Medical Doctors Program for Conquering Disease

Eat For HealthThe Original High-Nutrient-Density Programto Achieve Ideal Weight and Superior Health

Two-Book Set

FOOD SCORING GUIDE

JOEL FUHRMAN,M.D.

Nutritional Excellence, LLC

tm

Copyright 2008 by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.All Rights ReservedNo part of this book may be reproduced in any form or byany electronic or mechanical means, including informa-tion storage and retrieval systems, without permission inwriting from the copyright holder, except by a reviewer whomay quote brief passages in a review.

For information, contact:Nutritional Excellence, LLC(877) 372-4872www.EatRightAmerica.com

Printed in the United States of America

ISBN: 0-974463-39-1ISBN-13: 978-0974463-39-1

Publishers Note:Keep in mind that results vary from person to person.Some people have a medical history and/or conditionthat may warrant individualized recommendation and, insome cases, drugs and even surgery. Do not start, stop, orchange medication without professional medical advice,and do not change your diet if you are ill or on medication,except under the supervision of a competent physician.Neither this, nor any other book, is intended to take theplace of personalized medical care or treatment.

For reasons of privacy, the names of patients have beenchanged.

Book design: Lennon Media, Inc.Cover design: Creative Syndicate, Inc.

Dedicated to Americans who are taking steps to improve our nations health

vii

Contents

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

1. Americas Health Crisis and You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

2. Dramatic Results Without Drugs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

3. Measuring Nutrient Density . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

4. You Are What You Eat! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

5. High-Nutrient Recipes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

6. Your Commitment to Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

7. Dr. Fuhrmans Top 30 Super Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

8. Nutrient Density Scores. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

A Message from the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

ix

Modern America is in the midst of an all-you-can-eatfood fest that has us literally bursting at the seams.Clearly, we eat too much and too often, but we also eat allthe wrong foods. The standard American diet now consistsof 52% processed foods and 41% meats and dairy products.The most healthful foodsfruits and vegetablesmake uponly 7% of our national diet.

Eating the wrong foods leads us to consume far toomany calories. The average American consumes 3600 calo-ries per day, nearly twice as many as we need. However,because all of these excess calories come from low-nutrientfoods, most Americans are significantly undernourished.The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that anastonishing 95% of all Americans fail to get the minimumdaily requirement of nutrients. When you factor in thesedentary lifestyle most Americans have adopted (three out

Foreword

Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide

of ten American adults did not exercise even once last year),you have the perfect recipe for the obesity and chronic ill-ness epidemics that are sweeping the nation.

The World Health Organization now ranks the UnitedStates as the fattest nation on earthincluding children.The CDC now estimates that one-half of all children will beoverweight by 2010, and that for the first time in our nationshistory, the current generation of children will not live aslong as their parents. In spite of our spending more onhealthcare than any other nation, Americas children aredeveloping adult chronic illnesses such as heart disease,asthma, allergies, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and evensome cancers at much earlier ages.

I have studied epidemiology for more than 30 years, andone thing has become crystal clearnutrition is powerfulmedicine. We dont have to be a sickly nation with illnessesand medical costs spiraling out of control. But to restorehealth to America, we need to make fundamental changesin our eating habits, and we need to make them fast.

Fortunately, you dont need to wait until everybody elsechanges; you can make the vitally necessary changes today. Iurge you to adopt the eating principles described in this book.Dr. Fuhrman is one of the worlds authorities on the effects ofoptimal nutrition on health. He has spent the past 20 yearsanalyzing over 20,000 scientific studies and devising dietary

x

Foreword

programs that take advantage of his findings. I have witnessedfirsthand the results of his remarkable efforts. In most cases,diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure,and obesity simply disappear as a result of patients adoptingthe dietary principles described in this book.

Dr. Fuhrman has put his scientific knowledge into actionin the kitchen. He has tested his methods with patients formore than 15 years and has convinced me and many of mycolleagues that a diet of nutrient-rich foods can prevent andcure obesity and most of Americas health problems. In fact,a study on Dr. Fuhrmans approach, done in association withBarbara Sarter, Ph.D., of the University of Southern Californiaand Dr. T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., of Cornell University foundthat the people who followed his dietary recommendationslost more weight than in any other study in medical history.They also kept the weight off through the two-year follow-up.

To take advantage of Dr. Fuhrmans high-nutrient diet,you need to increase your intake of high-nutrient foods anddecrease your intake of low-nutrient foods. But how do youknow which ones are which? One of the most powerful andrevealing elements of Dr. Fuhrmans work is his food ratingsystemAggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI). ANDI ispresented in this book to help you understand the differencesbetween high-nutrient foods and those lacking in importantnutrients. This food rating system also shows you caloric den-

xi


sity, which helps you avoid high-calorie, low-nutrient foods. Itwill change the way you think about foods.

If you have tried to lose weight but failed using tradition-al or fad diets, this book is for you. Follow Dr. Fuhrmansadvice, and you will lose weight and keep it off. If you aretired of taking cholesterol-lowering medications, blood pres-sure medications, or other prescriptions that do nothing buttreat symptoms without addressing the underlying cause ofyour ailment, this book is for you. You will be amazed at whatoptimal nutrition can do for you. If you are raising a family,this book offers tremendous benefits for you and your chil-dren. Not only will you and your family benefit greatlythrough enhanced health and longevity, your medical billswill go down as well.

In this book (and more extensively in his comprehensivetwo-book set, Eat For Health), Dr. Fuhrman takes the best ofthe worlds nutritional research, makes it understandable, andshows you how to put it to work in your everyday life. Now youcan control your weight and health destiny like never before.The information in this book may save your life.

A. William Menzin, M.D., M.Sc., M.P.H.Clinical Psychiatry, Nutritional Epidemiology,

and International Health

Harvard Medical School (1974-2006)

xii

1No one wants to have a heart attack, suffer a debilitatingstroke, or develop cancer. But lots of people die fromthese conditions every day...unnecessarily.

Nutritional science has made dramatic advances inrecent years. The overwhelming accumulation of scientificknowledge points to a dramatic conclusionthe majority ofdiseases plaguing Americans are preventable. Using the in-formation gleaned from scientific studies, it is now possibleto formulate a few simple diet and lifestyle principles thatcan save you years of suffering and premature death. Youhave an unprecedented opportunity in human history tolive healthier and longer than ever before.

But living healthier and longer comes at a price.How much would it be worth to you for a guarantee that

you would never have a heart attack or a stroke? Whatwould it be worth to you to see your children and grandchil-

Introduction

Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide2

dren grow healthfully and happily? What would you be will-ing to pay for the assurance that you would not leave yourspouse or your children all alone?

Fortunately, the expenditure is infinitely affordablelit-tle more than the effort needed to establish new, morehealthful eating habits.

Everything in this book is carefully referenced to recentscientific studies. Still, the facts and guidelines containedherein will astound most physicians. Although the researchis readily available for all to see, most physicians still haveno idea that food can be your most powerful artillery in thefight against the major illnesses that plague Americans.

3A mericans are digging their graves with their knives andforks. Most people in America are overweight, andabout half of us are taking drugs for chronic illnesses. Lastyear alone, 400,000 Americans died from obesity and theweight-related chronic illnesses that develop as a result ofbeing overweight. The poor diet that Americans eat also hasresulted in an epidemic of heart attacks and cancer neverbefore seen in human history. We literally are eating our-selves to death.

The ever increasing waistline of America is not merely acosmetic issue. This march toward national obesity is takinga dramatic toll on our health and the economy, and is caus-ing medical and financial tragedies for more and more fam-ilies. At present, two-thirds (67%) of American adults, andnearly one-third (31%) of our children, are overweight orobese. Over the past thirty years, the average weight of an

Americas Health Crisis andYou

Chapter One


American male has increased 27 pounds (from 164 poundsto 191 pounds). Childhood obesity has tripled over the pasttwenty years. Because of Americas eating habits, the U.S.Center for Disease Control (CDC) predicts that the currentgeneration of children will be the first in our nations histo-ry to live shorter lives than their parents.

Health Complications of Obesity Increased overall mortality Adult onset diabetes Hypertension Degenerative arthritis Coronary artery disease Obstructive sleep apnea Gallstones Fatty infiltration of liver Restrictive lung disease Cancer

Overweight individuals are more likely to die from allcauses, including heart disease and cancer.

Food, food everywhereFood is available and eaten in so many placesthe car, theoffice, the TV room, the movies, the ball game, the gas sta-tion...virtually everywherethat America is fast becoming

4

Americas Health Crisis and You

an all-you-can-eat buffet. And we are almost always select-ing the wrong foods.

Americans have access to a greater abundance of afford-able high-nutrient, low-calorie fruits and vegetables than anyother people on the face of the earth. But a shocking 93% ofthe typical American diet consists of low-nutrient, high-calo-rie processed foods, animal foods, and dairy products, andonly 7% of the calories we consume come from healthfulfruits and vegetables. Sweets, desserts, and soft drinks nowcomprise 25% of all calories consumed in America.

Composition of the American Diet

American diet designed for disease The U.S. Surgeon General classifies overweight and obesityas two stages of a single disease and has called our currenteating habits a greater threat to our nations health and

5

7% Fruits &Vegetables

42%Dairy & Animal

Products

51%Refined &

Processed Foods


economy than terrorism or bird flu. The Surgeon Generalsassessment of Americas eating habits (which in all likeli-hood means your eating habits) is critically importantbecause bad eating habits lead to bigger problems than justlarger dress sizes. They are causing the record-high rates ofheart disease, strokes, diabetes, and cancer that are plagu-ing the country. People of all weights, shapes, and sizes aredying needlessly from nutritional ignorance.

Broken heartsWe are losing the war against heart disease. One hundredyears ago, heart disease only affected 5% of the population.Today, it affects almost all Americans as cardiovascular-related deaths have climbed to over 50%. Heart disease(cardiovascular disease) kills more people than the nextfour leading causes of death combined. Modern medicaltechniques and drugs cannot win this war because the truecause of disease is overlooked. Heart disease is caused byinadequate nutrition.

Impact of heart disease on America 40% of all Americans die of heart attacks. 58% of deaths are related to cardiovascular disease. 10% die of strokes.

The tragedy of this is enormous. More than 1.3 millionAmericans will suffer a heart attack this year, and when you

6


consider that nobody really has to die from a heart- or cir-culatory system-related death, it is even more of a tragedy.The disability, suffering, and years of life lost are almosttotally the result of dietary ignorance. It is not impossible oreven difficult to protect yourself; you simply must eat prop-erly. Nothing else can protect you.

Are Americans living longer?Most people accept the notion that we are living longer nowthan ever before in human history. This is not entirely true.The average age has gone up, but people who reach adult-hood are not living longer than at other times in human his-tory. Infant and childhood mortality has fallen dramatically.

7

Dea

ths

in t

ho

usa

nd

s

Deaths from Diseases of the Heart

United States 1900-2003

Source: American Heart AssociationCDC/NCHS


Unlike in previous times, it is very rare today that a womandies during or soon after childbirth. Modern plumbing andrefrigeration methods have greatly lowered the rates ofinfectious diseases. However, adults do not have a longerhealthy-life-expectancy than centuries ago because in-creases in the incidence of cancer, stroke, and heart diseasehave negated these advances in public health. The typicaladult living today has almost no chance of reaching theirgenetic potential.

Diet and diseaseDiets of all description flood the market, but fewer than 3people out of 100 are successful at losing weight and keep-ing it off permanently. The number of overweight and obeseindividuals is at an all-time high and still climbing.Although many people accept the notion that disease is theresult of genetics or luck, the reality is that nutrition, exer-cise, and environment overwhelmingly overshadow geneticconsiderations. For example, those living in rural Chinahave less than a 2% heart disease risk, but when these sameindividuals move to America, their children develop thesame rates of heart disease as other Americans.

Obviously, the diseases that afflict todays Americans arenot the result of luck or genetics. They are a recent phenom-enon in human history and directly parallel unhealthful

8


changes in dietary patterns. The ten-fold increase in heartattacks in the last 100 years is because we are eating morelow-nutrient foodlots more. You cannot escape from thebiological law of cause and effect. Health results fromhealthful living and eating. Disease and premature deathresult primarily from unhealthful food choices.

Home cooking betterA major factor in the increase of diet-related health prob-lems is the fact that Americans no longer make and eatmost of their meals at home. The once common scene of a

9

Low-nutrientfoods promote food cravings

and overeating.

High-nutrient foodspromote a normalcaloric drive and a normal weight.


family gathered around the kitchen eating a healthfulhome-cooked meal has become so rare that many of todayschildren have never experienced it. About half of all fooddollars are spent eating outside the home, with the largestpercent of this being spent in fast food restaurants.Traditional homemade foods are not only more healthful,they are lower in calories. Research shows that we consumedouble the calories when we eat out.

MacronutrientsMacronutrients are nutrients that contain calories. There areonly three macronutrientsfat, carbohydrate, and protein.Macronutrients give us the calories we need for energy andgrowth. All natural foods contain a mixture of fat, carbohy-drate, and protein, although some (primarily animal prod-ucts) contain only two of the three. For example, a banana ismostly carbohydrate (93%), but it does contain some fat(3%) and protein (4%). Spinach, like all dark leafy green veg-etables, contains approximately equal amounts of carbohy-drate (40%) and protein (43%), along with a lesser amount offat (7%). Sirloin steak is all fat (44%) and protein (56%) andcontains no carbohydrate. Ive listed a few more examples onthe next page.

With Americans gaining weight at such a fast pace, thereseems to be an endless stream of diet books that focus on

10


manipulating the amounts and the percentages of the macro-nutrientscarbohydrate, fat, and proteinthat we eat. Butfiddling around with macronutrient percentages is not theway to lose weight or improve health. In fact, the only way toslow the tidal wave of increased chronic disease and obesity isfor people to eat less of all three macronutrients.

It is a simple equation. Macronutrients are where all ofthe calories come from. If you overconsume macronutri-ents (regardless of the percentages of each), you will get toomany calories. If you consume too many calories, you will

11

Macronutrient Percentages in 10 Sample FoodsFood Carbohydrate Fat Protein

Frozen spinach 43.5 16.9 39.6Artichokes 74.4 2.4 23.2Sesame seeds 15.3 73.1 11.6Red kidney beans 69.9 3.5 26.6Whole wheat bread 71.4 16.9 11.7Banana 92.6 3.0 4.4Hot dog 2.3 82.4 15.3Low-fat yogurt 64.1 13.1 22.9Swiss cheese 5.7 65.9 28.4Sirloin steak 0 44.0 56.0


experience excess weight gain, various chronic diseases,and premature death.

To lose weight and improve health, forget about macro-nutrient percentages, and focus on providing yourself withthe highest quality diet. Nutritional excellence is achieved byeating foods that have the highest levels of micronutrients.

MicronutrientsMicronutrients are essential nutritional substances that donot contain calories. The three main micronutrients arevitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals. (Some researchersconsider fiber and water to be micronutrients, too.) Micro-nutrients are extremely important for your health.

Micronutrients are needed for your body to manufac-ture the materials it needs for normal function, to rid itselfof waste, and to repair damage. Without micronutrients,you quickly would get sick and die soon afterwards.Americans eat too few micronutrients, and we would livelonger if we ate more.

There are 13 vitamins and 25 minerals known to beimportant for human health, and the importance of theadequate intake of them for overall health cannot be over-stated. Their impact on overall health is broad and vast; theeffects of deficiencies are devastating. The human bodyrequires large amounts of some of them, and trace amounts

12


of others. Natural foods have been shown to contain theright types of them in the right proportions for human sur-vival and good health.

Unnatural foodsKnowing that the right micronutrients in the right propor-tions are easily available to us in whole, natural foods iswonderful. But we no longer get our foods in natural formfrom the wild. Most of the food we eat is concocted in fac-tories. These processed foods do not contain the level anddiversity of the vitamins and minerals we get in naturalfoods. For example, the fruits and vegetables that primateseat in the wild are loaded with micronutrients, giving theseprimates a diet far richer in many essential vitamins andminerals than the diets consumed by any humans in themodern world.

A study of monkey diets carried out at the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley, by anthropologist Katharine Miltonfound, for instance, that the average 15-pound wild monkeytakes in 600 milligrams per day of vitamin C, 10 times morethan the 60-milligram recommended daily allowance (RDA)for the average 150-pound human. Differences on thatorder also were found for intakes of other micronutrients,such as fiber, magnesium, potassium, and beta-carotene.The monkeys diet is amazingly rich in nutrients. The foods

13


that primates in the wild eat include green leaves of manykinds and fruits such as figs, plums, berries, and grapes. Thestudy also reported that the dark green vegetables the mon-keys eat contain the complete array of essential aminoacids, similar to meat.

The RDAs set by the government were determined byinvestigating the foods modern humans eat, and theyshould not be considered representative of the amount ofnutrients that would be found in an ideal diet. Unfor-tunately, most people dont even take in the very low levelsrecommended in the RDAs. The researchers in the monkeystudy concluded that throughout history, humans havesuffered from all sorts of diet-related diseases. If we paidmore attention to what our wild, primate relatives are eat-ing today, perhaps we could learn new things about ourown dietary needs that would help reduce health problemsthroughout the world.

The modern diet, especially the one most Americanseat, is too low in minerals and not even close to what weshould be consuming for optimal health. Despite con-suming almost twice as many calories (macronutrients)as we need, fewer than 18% of adults and 2% of childrenconsume the minimum daily requirement of micronutri-ents recommended.

14


PhytochemicalsAs serious as deficiencies in vitamins and minerals havebecome, there is an even more serious onedeficiencies ofphytochemicals.

There are over 1,000 important phytochemicals. Phyto-chemicals are the most recently found class of micronutri-ents, and they are necessary for your cells to remove wasteand to maintain normal immune function. Fortunately,phytochemicals are present in foods that also are naturallyhigh in vitamins and minerals (i.e., natural plant foods).

For optimal health, you need lots of phytochemicals inyour diet. Consuming abundant amounts of micronutrientswill help protect you against disease, and if you already aresick, it can help you recover. Vegetables, beans, and fruit arenaturally high in micronutrients, but Americans dont eatmuch of them. We eat plenty of meat, cheese, chicken,pasta, white bread, oils, soda, and cookies, which are verylow in micronutrients and contain no phytochemicals.

Poor nutrition and diseasePoor nutrition is the primary cause of common diseases.Since micronutrients are critical for the prevention of dis-eases such as heart disease, cancer, and dementia, it shouldbe clear why these and other diseases have become soprevalent. For example, deaths due to diabetes have in-

15


creased 45% since 1987. Diabetes is fueled by excess body fatand low nutrient levels in the bodys tissues. The micronutri-ent deficiencies also leave the body prone to infections, aller-gies, headaches, fatigue, body aches, bowel problems, kidneydiseases, arthritis, and emotional disorders.

About seventy-five years ago, scientists discovered vita-mins and minerals and noted that diseases occurred whenvitamin deficiencies occurred. It also was noted that low vita-min intake could lead to cancer. These discoveries led to thecreation of the vitamin industry, which today supplies bothsynthetic vitamins and natural vitamins isolated from theiroriginal sources to food manufacturers and many other out-lets. Unfortunately, trying to assure vitamin adequacy byadding synthetic supplements and isolated vitamins to a dietvirtually devoid of the natural sources of these micronutrientsdid not turn out well. The cancer rate in America rose everyyear for seventy-five years straight (1930-2005).

About twenty years ago, researchers found the missinglink. They discovered that colorful plant foods in their nat-ural state were also rich in thousands of compounds withimportant health properties for humansphytochemicals.Only by eating an assortment of natural foods that aremicronutrient-rich can you get enough of these com-pounds to protect yourself from the common diseases thatafflict Americans.

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This new revelation in the science of health taught usthat we need to eat a diet with lots of high-nutrient foodsand that supplements cannot take the place of these foods.With this newfound knowledge, we have seen the power ofnutritional excellence to prevent and even reverse disease.We have witnessed the power of micronutrients.

As you can see, we cannot expect the health of ournation to improve through medical interventions when theunderlying cause of the problemsdiets dangerously lowin micronutrients that are essential to maximize humancellular functionis left unchanged.

Dietary-Induced Premature AgingEffects of the typical American diet: Excessive weight gain Diabetes and high blood pressure Hardening of arteries Increased LDL cholesterol Autoimmune diseases Cancer

Low-nutrient foodsJust as eating large amounts of micronutrient-rich naturalplant foods is of great benefit to your health, eating largeamounts of micronutrient-deficient animal foods and

17


processed foods leaves you very susceptible to disease. Thatis why the standard American diet (SAD) results in the dis-eases Americans get.

Neither animal products nor processed foods containantioxidants, bioflavonoids, carotenoids, folate, vitamin C,or those thousands of phytochemicals that are essential forcellular normalcy. Many of the animal products consumed,such as cheese and red meat, are exceptionally high in sat-urated fat. High saturated fat intake increases the risk ofcertain cancers and promotes high cholesterol, leading toheart disease. To add insult to injury, many of the processedfoods we eat are high in trans fat, a man-made fat that islinked to cancer and heart disease.

U.S.Per Capita Cheese Consumption 1915-2000

18

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

1915 1935 1955 1975 1995 2000

(in pounds)

Americas Health Crisis and You 19

Saturated Fat Content of Various FoodsFood Fat content in grams

Cheddar cheese (4 oz.) 24American processed cheese (4 oz.) 24Ricotta cheese (1 cup) 20Swiss cheese (4 oz.) 20Chocolate candy, semisweet (4 oz.) 20Cheeseburger, large double patty 18T-bone steak (6 oz.) 18Pork, shoulder (6 oz.) 14.5Butter (2 Tbsp.) 14Mozzarella, part skim (4 oz.) 12Ricotta cheese, part skim (1 cup) 12Beef, ground, lean (6 oz.) 11Ice cream, vanilla (1 cup) 10Chicken fillet sandwich 9Chicken thigh, no skin (6 oz.) 5Milk, whole, 3.3% fat (1 cup) 5Plain yogurt 5Two eggs 4Chicken breast (6 oz.) 3Salmon (6 oz.) 3Milk, 2% fat (1 cup) 3Tuna (6 oz.) 2.6Turkey, white, no skin, (6 oz.) 2Flounder or sole (6 oz.) 0.6Fruits negligibleVegetables negligibleBeans/legumes negligible


A needless tragedyClearly, Americans are eating too much saturated fat andtrans fat. Even worse, these fats become more dangerouswhen accompanied by lots of processed foods. Processedfoods are made mostly of sugar, white flour, and oil, whichcontain almost no micronutrients. Micronutrient deficien-cies caused by excess intake of saturated fat, animal pro-tein, and salt and an inadequate intake of unrefined, high-nutrient plant foods lead to a potent disease-promotingsynergy that is the primary cause of most life-shorteningdiseases in America.1 You could not have designed a betterenvironment for creating cancer and heart attacks if youscientifically planned it. Because of the poor food choicesbeing made by most Americans, our country is sufferingfrom extremely high instances of chronic illnesses, and ourhealthcare costs are spiraling out of control.

The standard low-nutrient diet consumed by mostAmericans results in fatty deposits in the walls of the bloodvessels that eventually lead to blood vessel narrowing andblood clots that cause strokes and heart attacks. The dis-ease-building process is not the by-product of aging; ratherit is the by-product of a diet that is poorly designed forhuman primates. The micronutrient deficiencies graduallylead to more and more damage as time goes on. This dis-ease process of decreased blood flow and the resulting

20


diminished nutrient delivery should be understood as a sin-gle disease process, one that can be remedied by removingthe original causepoor diet. Unfortunately, this singularcause and effect is obscured by the way diseases arenamedbased on which organ shows the most serious (ormost obvious) symptoms. Thus, for example, heart attacksand angina (diseased blood vessels in the heart), high bloodpressure and strokes (diseased blood vessels leading to andin the brain), dementia (diseased blood vessels in thebrain), impotence (diseased blood vessels leading to and inthe penis), and claudication (diseased blood vessels in the

21

Annual Soft Drink Consumption in the U.S.

Carbonated beverages are the number-one contributor of calories in the American diet.

600

500

400

300

200

100

0

1947 1957 1967 1977 1987 1997

(12-ounce cans per person)


legs) are treated as individual diseases, when in fact they aremerely different manifestations of the same disease.

Unprecedented opportunityAdvances in nutritional and health sciences have given usan unprecedented opportunity to be healthier, to livelonger than ever before, to disease-proof our bodies, and toadd many quality years to our lives. Scientific studies havedemonstrated that the damage to diseased blood vesselscan be gradually reversed, and the damaged blood vesselscan become unclogged.2 The secret is to eat large quanti-ties of high-nutrient foods.

Nutritional excellence is the secret to optimal health,disease prevention, and maintaining a healthy, slim waist-line. In fact, it is the only way to lose weight healthfully andpermanently. Everything else, such as magic drinks, fat-binding pills, energy boosters, herbal picker-uppers, andthose cancer-causing high-protein diets, is doomed to fail-ure. Instead of looking for magic, commit yourself to a new,healthy you. Most diseases are effectively treated throughnutritional means and, in many cases, are completelyreversed through aggressive nutritional intervention.

22

23

If you desire to throw away your medications and recoverfrom chronic illnesses such as heart disease, high bloodpressure, and diabetes (all examples of common illnessesthat are more effectively treated with nutritional interven-tion than drugs or surgery) and get slim at the same time,then nutritional excellence is the most effective approach. Ihave studied the results of nutritional intervention on thou-sands of my own patients, and the results have been dra-matic. For example, I have helped thousands of patientssuccessfully lower their cholesterol levels without drugs.

Just as an example, one day recently I saw four patientswho dropped their LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dl.Remember, this was just one day in my practice! Not onlydid each of these patients previously have dangerously highcholesterols, but each also had reported numerous addi-tional health problems. Peggy suffered from chronic ane-

Dramatic Results Without Drugs

Chapter Two


mia. Eugene was tired all the time. Keith had chronic heart-burn and allergies. Maria had become severely ill from astatin drug prescribed to her by her prior physician. Thesefour patients needed help, and they realized that prescrip-tion drugs were risky and not the answer. They all returnedto my office between 6 and 8 weeks after their first visit, andthis is what we found.

Before AfterPeggy:Total cholesterol 249 150Triglycerides 169 105LDL 157 80HDL 58 49

Eugene:Total cholesterol 247 156Triglycerides 72 42LDL 191 104HDL 51 44

Keith:Total cholesterol 237 158Triglycerides 165 79LDL 152 99HDL 52 43.5

24


Before After

Maria:Total cholesterol 283 168Triglycerides 90 79LDL 183 98HDL 91 52

Not only did they wipe out their cardiovascular high-risk status, but many of their other problems also began toclear. Peggys anemia went away. Eugene was no longerfatigued. Keith never had heartburn again. He stopped hisantacids and acid-blocking medication, and his allergiesstarted to improve. Maria recovered from her severe illnessfrom the statin drug. They all became enthusiastic aboutlife again.

When you adopt a program of nutritional excellence toreverse or prevent heart disease, you experience a tremen-dously beneficial side effectyou will prevent and reversealmost all other diseases simultaneously. For example, youwill likely find your digestion improves, and your heart-burn, hemorrhoids, constipation, and headaches will dis-appear, too. Youll gain more energy, age more slowly, andyour risk of other serious diseasesespecially dementia,strokes, diabetes, and cancerwill decrease.

There have been cases where a patient has had to over-come some discomforting dietary hurdles after switching

25


from a dairy-meat-processed food diet to one that is veg-etable-fruit based and rich in nutrients and phytochemi-cals. But those symptoms are temporary. All of the patientswho make the switch enjoy eating this new way. They learnto enjoy the new tastes and aromas and their newfoundenergy, and it motivates them to take steps to enjoy health-ier and more fulfilling lives.

Great results like those achieved by Peggy, Eugene,Keith, and Maria are not limited only to patients who livenear enough to come see me in my office. Hardly a day goesby when I do not receive an e-mail or letter from someonewho tells me about the success he or she has achieved. Thisletter from Joe in Connecticut is typical.

Dear Dr. Fuhrman,My name is Joe Lavaler, and I am one happy 68-year-old.I have generally enjoyed relatively good health over theyears. However, I have struggled with high blood pressure(160/105) and high cholesterol (275) for many years. Mycardiologist visit last October resulted in his increasingmy Lipitor from 10mg/day to 20mg/day. Also, he placedme on Accupril. I told him that I had recently bought yourtape and book, Eat to Live, and that I was going to makea major diet change and follow your recommendationsinstead. I have been following your program sinceNovember 2002 with spectacular results, and I have beenable to stop all medications. I saw my cardiologist yester-

26


day, and here are the results of my blood work:

Total cholesterol 148Triglycerides 85LDL 69HDL 62

While my weight had been constant since high school at235 pounds (I am 6'6" tall), I currently weigh 211 lbs. andfeel better than I have in a long time. My wife and I cookmost days in a Crock-Pot. We make a lot of soups with col-lard greens, mustard greens, spinach, beans, etc. I telleveryone who will listen that there is no free lunch andthat you have to stay focused and committed.

My cardiologist, Dr. Kunkes, of Fairfield, Connecticut,said I made a remarkable turnaround and should beproud of myself. I brought a copy of your book with me.He said that he had heard of your program. He copiedyour web address and said he was planning on readingyour book. I want to thank you for my greatly improvedhealth. I would be willing to talk to any of your patients tohelp give them the support and encouragement theyneed to stay with the program. It worked where all otherdiets failed.

Sincerely yours,Joseph Lavaler

27


Removing causes, not symptomsUncovering the causes of a health problem, and eliminatingthem when possible, always results in a more favorable out-come than simply covering up symptoms with medications.When you eat foods that are naturally rich in micronutrients,it helps control overeating, and the lower caloric intakeenables your body to more effectively undertake its self-healing tasks. Countless studies have shown that the combi-nation of high-nutrient intake and lower caloric intake pro-motes disease-resistance and longevity. In addition toreducing the occurrence of cancer and heart disease, high-micronutrient diets reduce the occurrence of cataracts,dementia, kidney stones, gout, osteoarthritis, back pain,diabetes, and depression. Adopting a better diet could dra-matically increase your health, productivity, and life span.

Increasing your consumption of high-nutrient fruitsand vegetables is the key to disease resistance, diseasereversal, and a long, healthy life. The potential reduction indisease rates shows no threshold effect in the scientificstudies. That means that as high-nutrient vegetables andhigh-nutrient fruits increase as a major portion of caloricintake, disease rates fall in a dose-dependent mannerthemore the diet is comprised of these foods, the better yourhealth will be.3

The recommendations presented in this book will help

28


you if you are looking to stay well and maintain your youth-ful vigor, free of the chronic diseases that plague so manyAmericans. But to live longer and more healthfully, you mustEat To Live.

The science and logic behind Eat to Live and my two-book set, Eat For Health, is easy to understand. It is not basedon narrow or obscure scientific principles; rather it is basedon the preponderance of evidence from thousands of scien-tific studies. The result is an opportunity, unprecedented inhuman history, to achieve superior health with a compre-hensive program based on the nutrient density of foods.

Dr. Fuhrmans Health EquationH = N/C

Health = Nutrient intake divided by Calorie intakeDo you agree that your body builds and repairs itself usingthe food you eat? Do you agree that high-quality, high-nutrient food makes a high-quality body that is more resist-ant to the diseases that are ravaging our nation? I hope youdo because all of the leading nutritional scientists the worldover have accepted these basic concepts. In a nutshell, youare what you eat.

There are distinct advantages to choosing healthful,

29


nutrient-rich foods over unhealthful, nutrient-poor ones. Ifyou want those advantages, I urge you to become familiarwith my simple Health Equation: H = N/C. This equation isa powerful tool that can predict whether your eating habitsare putting you at risk of a serious disease such as heartattack or stroke and shortening your life span. Using it helpsyou make food choices that can help you to maintainyouthful vigor and mental capacity as you age.

The Health Equation: H = N/C illustrates the conceptthat to be in excellent health, your diet must be high innutrients (micronutrients), and you must not overeat oncalories. Another way of saying that is your health isdependent on the nutrient-to-calorie ratio of your diet. Ifyou agree (as leading researchers do) that the nutrient den-sity in your bodys tissues is proportional to the nutrientdensity of your diet, then you must accept the fact that to behealthy and disease-resistant you need to eat more high-nutrient foods and fewer low-nutrient foods.

Permanently maintaining healthy weightTemporary weight-loss techniques (what we all call diet-ing) serve no purpose. There is no health benefit to losingweight and then putting it back on again soon afterwards.Health benefits only occur when the weight loss is main-tained forever. That means that the only dietary change that

30

Dramatic Results Without Drugs 31

Weight and DiabetesObesity is closely associated with more than seventeenmajor chronic conditions, including heart disease,cancer, and diabetes. Researchers base their definition ofobesity on body mass index (BMI), the ratio between weightand height.

Diabetes is a good example of how the incidence of seri-ous disease goes up as your weight increases.

As you can see on the chart, as BMI index rises above 25,the incidence of diabetes increases rapidly. At a BMI of 25,diabetes risk is 15%. At a BMI of 30, risk increases to 50%. Bythe time BMI reaches 35, risk is a staggering 90%.

Similar increases occur with other chronic diseases.

* Diabetes Care 2007;30(6):1562-66.

Inci

den

ce

Weight and Diabetes*

Body Mass Index (BMI)


can work is one that you stick with permanently. If thechange you make to your diet is permanent, you are not ona diet; you merely have changed your eating habits.

Eating more high-nutrient food is the only way to loseweight permanently, and eating more nutrients leads topermanent improvements in your health. Knowing theseimportant facts and putting them into practice is your key tohealth and longevity. Fortunately, eating more high-nutri-ent foods helps control food cravings and overeating behav-iors, making it easier to reach your ideal weight. This knowl-edge can guide you for the rest of your life. It is not a fad,and it will never go out of style. High-nutrient eating is theway of the future, but you can enjoy it now. It can be yourfountain of youth.

How nutrients control your appetiteHunger is a complicated thing. It is controlled by a systemof messengershormones, nerves, and neurotransmitters.When your bodys micronutrient needs are not met, youcan be driven to eat more calories than you need for opti-mal health.

Because of poor diet and health habits, many peopleexperience uncomfortable symptoms a few hours after eat-ing. This leads them to eat too oftenand too muchas away of preventing the discomfort. The symptoms are similar

32


to those drug addicts feel when they are too long withouttheir fix. Like drug addicts, people with food addictions feelpoorly after digestion because their bodies are experiencingwithdrawal symptoms. Since eating again (akin to takinganother fix) makes the discomfort go away, these detoxifi-cation symptoms are mistaken for hunger. I call these symp-toms toxic hunger. Toxic hunger goes away when youestablish the habit of eating a high-nutrient diet.

Symptoms of toxic hunger Shakes Headaches Lightheadedness Stomach fluttering Abdominal cramping Mental confusion

Be forewarned. Eating healthfully may make the symp-toms of toxic hunger feel worse temporarily. When you stopdrinking coffee or discontinue other harmful habits, youmay experience withdrawal or detox symptoms for a weekor so. However, in a short time these long-standing symp-toms will disappear, and you will not be driven to overeatanymore. You quickly will become comfortable eating less,and you will no longer desire the extra calories you used tocrave to palliate unpleasant symptoms.

33


After a period of time eating a diet much higher inmicronutrients, you eventually will experience what I calltrue hunger, which is felt mostly in the throat. It can directyou to the appropriate amount of caloriesnot too manyand not too few. One of the huge benefits of high-nutrienteating is that you lose the food cravings, hypoglycemicsymptoms, and other sensations that drive people toovereat. You will become more in touch with your bodysnatural instinctive signals, and you will know when, what,and how much to eat. You will know when food is reallyneeded. These natural, true hunger signals will help directyou to your ideal body weight. You will be able to step off thedieting merry-go-round.

H = N/C is not only the secret formula for health, it alsois the best formula for weight loss. As you eat higher on the

34

The best way to beginimproving your diet isto focus more on eatingmicronutrients and less oneating macronutrients.

See page 83 to learn aboutDr. Fuhrmans Top 30 Super

Foods with the highest nut-rient density.Eat more micronutrients:vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber.

Eat fewer macronutrients:protein, carbohydrates, fat.

Start Eating a Higher-Nutrient Diet!


nutrient chart and take in high levels of phytochemicals, youwill find yourself effortlessly losing weight without dieting.Eating for nutritional excellence is the only sensible way todiet. There is only one best way to eat for better health and athinner you, and that is to eat a diet rich in micronutrients.

Silent, invisible damageWe continually are being told that heart disease, high cho-lesterol, high blood pressure, and even dementia are theinevitable consequences of aging. So it is not surprising thatmost people assume that we have to expect these things asthey are. We also are told that they are primarily the result ofgenetics and, therefore, are beyond our control. The statis-tics seemingly bear this out. Over 90% percent of elderlyAmericans require medications for high blood pressure orother heart conditions. But these diseases are not the con-sequence of aging; they are the consequence of consuminga low-nutrient diet over time.

We dont see the harm as we hurt our bodies in tinyincrements, day after day, by eating a low-nutrient diet.Children, teenagers, and young adults seem to get awaywith years of poor nutrition. But after enough time goes by,the damage is easily seen. Then, we blame it on aging.

Let me illustrate my point with one of my patients, JohnPawlokoski. When John first came to me as a patient in 1994,

35


he was age 69. He reported that he first experienced pain inhis chest and arms while exerting himself working in hisbackyard. He soon began to get uncomfortable with minimalactivity, and he was given medications, including calciumchannel blockers and nitroglycerin, to relieve his symptoms.He saw a cardiologist who performed a stress thallium and acardiac catherization that demonstrated four areas of severenarrowing. Angioplasty was recommended.

John in 1994 at age 69Weight 180Blood pressure 160/90Cholesterol 240LDL cholesterol 156Glucose 98Medications 2 blood pressure medications,

1 cholesterol-lowering drug,nitroglycerin

Following his evaluation with me, John decided to fol-low my nutritional advice 100%. Within two months he hadlost 14 pounds, and he had no further angina (chest pain)symptoms. He did not need to use nitroglycerin any longerand was able to be active and exercise without symptoms.

After the first month, his total cholesterol dropped to168. He saw his cardiologist again. The cardiologist agreed

36


that since John was using an effective dietary approach thatwas working so well, there was no need to go forward withthe angioplasty. John never had a heart or health problemagain. His blood pressure became lower and lower witheach passing month on the high-nutrient diet, and his cho-lesterol dropped further and further. He was able to discon-tinue all drugs. He ate himself to wellness.

John in 2006 at age 81Weight 150Blood pressure 95/70Cholesterol 140LDL cholesterol 70Glucose 68Medications none

I told you about John to illustrate what I observe with allof my patients. They get healthier the longer they stay on thehealthful diet, and their diseases slowly melt away with time.As John got older, he got healthier. High blood pressure, highcholesterol, and the resultant diseases they cause were notfrom aging. Johns disease parameters got lower and lowerwith time, until he reached his ideal weight and his idealblood pressure and cholesterol. His own body provided thecure when it was supplied with the right raw materials towork with. You can get well, too, no matter what your age!

37


Your body is a miraculous self-healing machine whenyour nutritional needs are met. You can protect yourself notjust from heart disease, but also from many other diseases,such as diabetes, cancer, strokes, senility, and dementia.You can get healthier and healthier every day. Like John, youcan control your health destiny.

The real fountain of youthMost Americans have given up hope of ever achieving theiroptimal weight and health. They have failed with diets inthe past. They think they cant lose weight, and they dontthink they can change. So they just throw in the towel. Bynow, you should be beginning to understand why thosediets failed and why they became too difficult to stick with.At this point, you have a choice to make. Do you want todevelop the common diseases that other Americans do andflirt with a premature death? Or do you want to enjoy goodhealth as you age gracefully?

I know that there will be people reading this who will bethinking, I know eating vegetables and fruits is healthy, but Idont want to eat like that. I enjoy unhealthful food toomuch, and I would rather die young than not enjoy my food.If you are one of them, here are a few more things you maynot have considered. The first is that your taste adjusts, andyou begin to relish the new foods once you get used to eat-

38


ing them. The second is that you can quickly learn how tomake high-nutrient food taste so great that you think youare eating in a 5-star gourmet restaurant. This is not prima-rily a recipe book (although there are some great ones start-ing on page 63), but have no feargreat tasting healthfulrecipes abound. Visit www.EatRightAmerica.com for infor-mation on how to purchase my comprehensive two-bookset, Eat For Health, one volume of which is devoted entirelyto recipes.

Now you can enjoy great tasting food and add 20 or morehealthful years to your life. I guarantee you that if you learnmore and follow this program faithfully, you soon will enjoyeating morenot lessthan you do now.

Now that you know you can control your health destinythrough high-nutrient eating, lets take a look at high-nutri-ent eating in action. Learn the foods that are richest inmicronutrients, and then I will show you how to plan amenu with recipes that will disease-proof your body.

39

41

Nutrient density is a critical concept in devising and rec-ommending dietary and nutritional advice to patientsand to the public. Micronutrient density and diversity areessential for a normal immune system and for the detoxifi-cation and cellular repair mechanisms that protect youfrom cancer and other diseases.

Our modern American, low-nutrient diet leads to an over-weight population suffering from the common diseases ofnutritional ignorance and a national medical bill that is spi-raling out of control. High-nutrient eating has the oppositeeffect. When you ingest a broader assortment and amountof these phytochemicals, your body functions better andresists the effects of aging. Nutritional excellence alsohelps minimize any genetic weaknesses you may have.Phytochemicals are necessary to enable your bodys defens-es against cancer and cardiovascular disease, the leading

Measuring Nutrient Density

Chapter Three


causes of death in the modern world.To be able to eat more of the foods that are high in nutri-

ents and fewer of the foods that are low in nutrients, youmust learn which foods are which. Once you know thenutrient scores of foods, you will be able to make betterchoices as you shop and eat. As you eat more high-nutrientfoods and minimize your consumption of low-nutrientfoods, you will see dramatic health benefits.

The nutrient density rankings of foods in this book arederived from Dr. Fuhrmans Aggregate Nutrient DensityIndex* (ANDI), which is described on page 85. The rankingsin this book can supplement the high-nutrient hierarchyexplained in my book, Eat to Live, and in my comprehen-sive two-book set, Eat For Health. (For more information,visit: www.EatRightAmerica.com). I encourage you to usethese additional resources to further understand the sci-ence, logic, and application of my approach, and also to geta deeper understanding of the benefits of eating a diet thatis higher in nutrient density. In addition, they will give youmany valuable tips and strategies designed to make eatingright pleasurable and delicious.

Because phytochemicals are largely unnamed and un-measured, these rankings underestimate the healthfulproperties of colorful natural plant foods compared toprocessed foods and animal products. Fortunately, the foods

42

* Patent Pending

Measuring Nutrient Density

that contain the highest amounts of known nutrients alsoare the same foods that contain the most unknown nutri-ents. So even though these rankings may result in lower rat-ings for the highest-nutrient foods, they are still reasonablemeasurements of nutrient content.

Smart choicesIn chapter 8, there are nutrient scores for a wide range of com-monly eaten foods, including some high in saturated fat, transfat, cholesterol, and added salt. These are not recommendedfoods and are included simply to help people make choices asthey make the transition to nutritional excellence.

Since the foods with the higher nutrient scores are low incalories and do not contain saturated fat, trans fat, choles-terol, or added salt, you need not give these unhealthful foodfactors much thought once you start choosing foods that havethe highest nutrient density. For example, all natural foodscontain less than half a mg of sodium per calorie.

It is only when you include prepared foods, processedfoods, and restaurant foods in your diet that excess sodiumbecomes an issue (because of the risk of high blood pres-sure and strokes). When eating foods from lower-nutrientcategories, the sodium levels need to be considered.

Try to avoid foods with more salt than calories. Foodsthat contain more sodium (in milligrams) than the number

43


of calories cannot be considered healthful. As the sodiumnumber gets higher and higher, the food becomes moredangerous to include in your diet. Ideally, your total dailyintake of sodium should be under 1000 mg.

Sample scoresBelow is a sample list of nutrient scores for some familiarfoods. There are additional comparisons that appear laterin this book, as well as a comprehensive list of nutrientscores for foods commonly eaten in America. The higherthe number, the better the food.

44

Kale 1000Collards 1000Watercress 1000Bok choy 824Spinach (uncooked) 697Brussels sprouts 672Swiss chard 670Arugula 559Radish 554Cabbage (cooked) 481Bean sprouts 444Red pepper 420Romaine lettuce 389

Broccoli 342Cauliflower 295Green pepper 258Tomato sauce 247Artichoke 244Carrots 240Asparagus 234Strawberries 212Pomegranate juice 193Tomato 164Plums 157Raspberries 145Blueberries 130

* Patent Pending

Sample Nutrient/Calorie Density ScoresDr. Fuhrmans Aggregate Nutrient Density Index* (ANDI)

The higher the number, the better the food.

Measuring Nutrient Density 45

Brazil nuts 117Iceberg lettuce 110Orange 109Grapefruit 102Cantaloupe 100Tofu 86Sweet potato 84Apple 76Peach 74Green peas 70Cherries 68Kidney beans 56Oatmeal 53Mango 51Cucumber 50Soybeans 48Prunes 47Sunflower seeds 46Shrimp 45Flaxseed 44Sesame seeds 41Brown rice 41Salmon 39Avocado 37Pork loin 37Pumpkin seeds 36Skim milk 36Pecans 34Potato 32Grapes 31Cod 31Banana 30

Walnuts 29Pistachio nuts 29Chicken breast 27Egg 27Low-fat plain yogurt 26Shredded wheat 26Whole wheat bread 25Corn 25Almonds 24Feta cheese 21Milk chocolate 21Whole milk 20Ground beef 20Dates 19Whole wheat pasta 19White bread 18Peanut butter 18White pasta 18Raisins 17Cashews 16Apple juice 16Swiss cheese 15Low-fat fruit yogurt 14White rice 12Potato chips 11Saltines 11Vanilla ice cream 7Sugar cookies 5Corn oil 3Olive oil 2Honey 1Cola .5


Multifaceted needsKeep in mind that nutrient density scoring is not the onlyfactor that determines good health, and you should eatsome of your diet from lower-nutrient categories. For exam-ple, if you only ate foods with the very highest nutrient den-sity score, your diet could be too low in calories or too lowin fat.

The percentage of fat intake can vary from 15-40% on ahealthful diet, depending on the percentage of higher-fatfare such as avocados and raw nuts and seeds eaten as apercentage of total calories. Eating more of these higher-calorie, higher-fat foods is necessary for an active, thin per-son, athlete, or growing child. If an avid (or professional)athlete ate only the very highest-nutrient foods, she wouldbecome too full from all of the food volume and fiber, andso satiated from the micronutrient fulfillment, that it couldkeep her from meeting her caloric (macronutrient) needs.She could become too thin. This, of course, gives you a hintat the secret to permanent weight control. Dieting is notneeded to maintain a healthful weight. You only need to eatmore high-nutrient food and less low-nutrient food. Themost healthful way to lose weight is to increase the overallnutrient density of your diet. The more high-nutrient foodsyou eat, the thinner you get.

As you will see, some categories of foods are lower in

46


nutrient density than others. When selecting foods fromthose categories, pick from the higher-nutrient foods in eachcategory.

Misconceptions about proteinThe most common question people are asked when theyswitch to a nutrient-rich diet is, Where do you get yourprotein? In a diet that is chock-full of vegetables and fruits,and short on animal products, it might seem like a reason-able question. But it isnt.

It is an old myth that a diet needs to contain lots of ani-mal products to provide enough protein and be nutritional-ly sound. Adding to the confusion are diet books and mag-azine articles that promulgate another myththat eatingmore protein is weight-loss favorable and eating carbohy-drates is weight-loss unfavorable. Another common mis-conception is the notion that you need to maintain a fixed,exact ratio (percentage) of fat, carbohydrate, and protein.There also are plenty of self-appointed experts ready to tellyou that the ideal diet should be based on your heritage, skintone, eye color, blood type, or the spelling of your mothersmaiden name. Some recommend high-protein, others low-protein; some recommend very low-fat diets; others recom-mend much higher levels of fat. But regulating the macro-nutrient content of a diet is not the critical factor you


should be concerned with, and heres why.If you are overweight, you have consumed more calories

than you have utilized. Micromanaging the percent of fat,protein, or carbohydrate isnt going to change the amountof calories very much. You need to consume fewer calories.Therefore, almost all overweight individuals need to con-sume less of all the macronutrientsless protein, less fat,and less carbohydrate. These are the source of all calories.Dont worry about not consuming enough of any of these.Unless you are anorexic, it is very rare to find an Americanwho is deficient in fat, protein, or carbohydrates.

There is protein in all foods, especially vegetables, notjust in animal products. The fact is, protein deficiency is nota concern for anyone in the developed world. It is almostimpossible to consume too little protein, no matter whatyou eat, unless your diet is significantly deficient in overallcalories. If it is, youll be deficient in other nutrients as well.

It is a big mistake to put emphasis on trying to getenough of something (protein) you are undoubtedly gettingtoo much of in the first place. Hundreds of studies show thatas protein consumption goes up, so does the incidence ofchronic diseases. Is protein bad for us? No, incidence ofchronic diseases goes up when you increase the consump-tion of carbohydrates and fat, too.4 Most Americans simplydont need to increase eating any macronutrients. Increasing

48


the consumption of protein (or fat or carbohydrates) is goodif you need more calories because you are anorexic or arechronically malnourished, like a starving person in a trou-bled area of the world. But it is bad if you are already gettingtoo much. If any of these nutrients exceed our basic require-ments, the excess is harmful. Americans already get toomuch protein, and it is hurting us.5

The problem is that people in modern societies like theUnited States eat diets that are deficient in micronutrients,not macronutrients. The focus of this book is to promotethe consumption of high-micronutrient food. Simply put,the goal of a high-level diet is to get the most micronutri-ents, in both amount and diversity, from the fewest calories.H = N/C.

Key to superior health and your ideal weightWhen you eat to maximize micronutrients in relation tocalories, your body functions will normalize; chronic ill-nesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cho-lesterol melt away; and you maintain your youthful vigorinto old age. Heart disease and cancer would fade away andbecome exceedingly rare if people adopted a lifestyle ofnutritional excellence. But in the here and now, what isexciting to so many people is that when your diet is highenough in micronutrients, excess weight drops off at a rela-


tively fast rate. Its like you had your stomach stapled. Yousimply dont crave to overeat anymore. In fact, it becomestoo difficult to overeat when you eat your fill of high-micro-nutrient food.

The mistake of focusing on the importance of proteinin the diet is one of the major reasons Americans have beenled down the path to dietary suicide. For too long, we haveequated protein with good nutrition and have thought thatanimal productsin spite of the fact that they are deficientor devoid of most micronutrientsare highly favorablefoods simply because they are rich in complete proteins.This miscalculation has cost us dearly. By favoring a dairy-and meat-heavy diet, instead of one rich in fruits, vegeta-bles, and beans, we have brought forth an epidemic of heartattacks and cancers.

Complete proteinWhen you hear something over and over from the time youwere a young child, it is easy to accept it as true. So it shouldnot come as a surprise that the myth that we need to con-sume animal products to get adequate protein is still aliveand well in America. The myth that plant proteins areincomplete and need to be complemented for adequateprotein is still alive, too.

Amino acids are the building blocks that make proteins.

50


All vegetables and grains contain all eight of the essentialamino acids (as well as the twelve other non-essentialones). While some vegetables have higher or lower propor-tion of certain amino acids than others, when eaten inamounts to satisfy your caloric needs, a sufficient amountof all essential amino acids is provided. Todays nutritionalscience has deemphasized the importance of proteinbecause we now know that it is easy to get enough, and thattoo much is not good.

Scientific studies on human protein requirementsdemonstrate that adults require 20-35 grams of protein perday.6 Today, the average American consumes 100-120 gramsof protein per day, mostly in the form of animal products.This high level of animal product consumption has beenlinked to not just heart disease and strokes, but to higherrates of cancer, as well.7 We simply dont need all this pro-tein. Even people who eat a total vegetarian (vegan) diet,which contains no animal products, have been found toconsume 60-80 grams of protein per day, well above theminimum requirement.8

Plant protein and micronutrientsEating more plant protein is the key to increasing ourmicronutrient intake. It is interesting to note that foodssuch as peas, green vegetables, and beans have lots of pro-


teineven more protein per calorie than meat. But what isnot generally considered is that foods that are rich in plantprotein are generally the foods that are richest in nutrientsand phytochemicals. By eating more of these high-nutrient,low-calorie foods, we get plenty of protein, and our bodiesget flooded with protective micronutrients simultaneously.Animal protein does not contain antioxidants and phyto-chemicals; plant protein does. Plus, animal protein is mar-ried to saturated fat. Excesses of saturated fat are not favor-able for good health.

Protein content of selected plant foodsFoods Grams

Almonds (3 oz.) 10Banana 1.2Broccoli (two cups) 10Brown rice (one cup) 5Chickpeas (one cup) 15Corn (one cup) 4.2Lentils (one cup) 18Peas, frozen (one cup) 9Spinach, frozen (one cup) 7Tofu (4 oz.) 11Whole wheat bread (2 slices) 5

52


No complicated formulas or protein supplements areneeded for you to get sufficient protein for growth, even ifyou are a serious athlete. Exercise drives an increasedhunger, and as you consume more calories to meet thedemands of exercise, you will naturally get the extra proteinyou need.

Weight loss and cholesterolWhen you drop body fat, your cholesterol lowers some-what. But when you reduce animal protein intake andincrease vegetable protein intake, your cholesterol lowersdramatically. In fact, when a high-fiber, high-nutrient, veg-etable-heavy diet was tested in a scientific investigation, itwas found to lower cholesterol even more than most cho-lesterol-lowering drugs.9 As you eat more vegetables andfewer animal products, the nutrient density of your diet willgo up automatically. Vegetables not only contain adequateprotein, they have no saturated fat or cholesterol, and theyare higher in nutrients per calorie than any other food. Youcan achieve your ideal weight and slow the aging processwith a high phytochemical intake. So eat more vegetables!

The cholesterol-lowering effects of vegetables andbeans (high-protein foods) are without question. However,they contain an assortment of additional heart disease-fighting nutrients independent of their ability to lower cho-


lesterol.10 They fight cancer, too. Cancer incidence world-wide has an inverse relation with fruit and vegetableintake.11 If you increase your intake 80%, the risk of gettingcancer drops 80%.

Choose healthI urge you to start eating a diet that contains more high-nutrient plant foods today. Eat fewer animal products andfewer processed foods, and replace these calories with morefruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and beans. At minimum, Irecommend that you cut back on animal-product con-sumption from three servings a day to one serving a day.Better yet, when you use animal products, add them to adish in small amounts like condiments so that the totalamount you consume each week will be even less. Eat veg-etarian dinners frequently.

Make this dietary transition an exciting adventurewhere you learn new great-tasting recipes with high-nutri-ent plant foods. Design a food plan that uses large quanti-ties of the most powerful anticancer, disease-fighting foodson the planet, make it taste great, and then test it to seewhat kinds of results you get. I can tell you now that theresults will astound you!

54

55

If you need to lose weight, grasp the concept that beingoverweight has mostly to do with what you eat, not howmuch you eat. This is because micronutrient fulfillment(getting your fill of vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, andfiber) blunts the drive to consume calories. Eating primari-ly high-nutrient foods is nothing like being on a diet(where you try to eat less). First of all, you will be eatinghearty portions of (low-calorie) food. But most importantly,high-nutrient foods are so nutritionally satisfying that yousimply will have less desire for the high-calorie, low-nutri-ent foods that put the weight on in the first place.

I hope it is clear that I am not advocating that you eatprimarily high-nutrient foods for a period of time to loseweight and then go back to your old eating habits. I amadvocating that you eat primarily high-nutrient foods fromnow on. The common practice of losing weight for a tempo-

You Are What You Eat!

Chapter Four


rary period of time and then gaining it back is of no benefitto your health. Good health is dependent on maintaining astable lighter weight for the rest of your life. That means youshould not diet. What you should do is learn to eat a nutri-ent-rich diet, which will automatically reset your weight toa lower point permanently.

High-nutrient menusLet's compare three days of menus. I've listed nutritionallyexcellent meals beside meals that are typical of the standardAmerican diet. Each menu is followed by an analysis of itsnutrient content and its total nutrient score. The differencesare quite dramatic.

To show that even small changes can make a big differ-ence, I've given examples of three progressively higher levelsof nutritional excellence in the following menu comparisons.Nutritional excellence brings substantial benefits; the higherthe nutrient density level, the more benefits you receive.

These three menus are merely a sample of the compre-hensive nutritional makeover program described in my two-book setEat For Health. The complete Eat For Health pro-gram includes four phases of dietary excellence and 30 days ofgourmet recipes.

To purchase the complete two-book set, Eat For Health,visit: www.EatRightAmerica.com or call: (877) ERA-4-USA.

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You Are What You Eat! 57

Standard American Diet

Breakfast Orange juice Cheerios Whole milk

Lunch Ham & cheese sandwich on

roll w/ mayo Potato chips Coke

Dinner Crackers w/ cheese spread Spaghetti and meatballs Vanilla ice cream

Eat For Health Diet

Breakfast Fresh squeezed orange juice Oatmeal w/ blueberries,

apples & nuts

Lunch Turkey sandwich on

whole grain bread w/ mixed greens & tomato

Strawberries Water

Dinner Tasty Hummus w/ Baked

Garlic Pita Chips and rawveggies*

Pasta w/ RoastedVegetables*

Creamy Banana Fig IceCream*

Menu I ComparisonStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

See Menu I Nutrient Analysis on the next page.

* See recipes in Chapter 5, beginning on p. 63.


Menu I Nutritional AnalysisStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

SAD EFH

Calories 2011 1942Protein 78 71Carbohydrate 249 382Fat 84 29Cholesterol (mg) 337 20Saturated fat 38 4Fiber 15 54Sodium (mg) 3660 1582Vitamin C (mg) 183 603B1, thiamine (mg) 1.8 2.7B6, pyridoxine (mg) 1.3 2.8Iron (mg) 23 23Folate (mg) 409 802Magnesium (mg) 148 491Calcium 890 681Zinc (mg) 8.7 8.9Selenium (ug) 89 122Alpha tocopherol (ug) 3.2 7.5Beta-carotene (ug) 120 10,339Alpha-carotene (ug) 15 2782Lutein & zeaxanthin (ug) 300 1310Lycopene (ug) 0 3532

Total Nutrient Score 26 55

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Breakfast Blueberry muffin Coffee/cream

Lunch Nachos w/ cheese Cookies

Dinner Iceburg lettuce salad

w/Italian dressing Fried chicken French fries Corn Cake

Eat For Health Diet

Breakfast Blueberry Orange

Smoothie*

Lunch Vegetable Bean Burrito* Apple

Dinner Mixed greens w/ Orange

Cashew Dressing* Chicken Dijon* Baked Sweet Potato Fries* California Creamed Kale* Mango Coconut Sorbet*

Menu II ComparisonStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

See Menu II Nutrient Analysis on the next page.



Menu II Nutritional AnalysisStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

SAD EFH

Calories 2030 2086Protein 81 103Carbohydrate 217 271Fat 96 79Cholesterol (mg) 277 148Saturated fat 32 13Fiber 15 47Sodium (mg) 2889 894Vitamin C (mg) 42 607B1, thiamine (mg) .8 2.1B6, pyridoxine (mg) 1.4 3.8Iron (mg) 9.0 21Folate (mg) 255 717Magnesium (mg) 215 632Calcium 746 735Zinc (mg) 7.7 12.4Selenium (ug) 59 88Alpha tocopherol (ug) 4.9 5.5Beta-carotene (ug) 786 26,302Alpha-carotene (ug) 4.9 182Lutein & zeaxanthin (ug) 1257 64,055Lycopene (ug) 795 2373


60



Breakfast Bagel w/ cream cheese Orange juice

Lunch Bacon ranch salad w/ crispy

chicken Ice tea

Dinner Chicken noodle soup Grilled cheese sandwich Potato salad Brownie

Eat For Health Diet

Breakfast Lettuce, Banana & Cashew

Wrap* Pomegranate juice

Lunch Romaine & spinach salad w/

Creamy Blueberry Dressing* Fresh fruit & nut bowl

Dinner Raw veggies w/ Black

Bean Dip* Dr. Fuhrmans Famous

Anti-Cancer Soup* Yummy, Quick & Easy

Banana Oat Bars*

Menu III ComparisonStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

See Menu III Nutrient Analysis on the next page.


Eat Right America Food Scoring Guide62

Menu III Nutritional AnalysisStandard American Diet vs. Eat For Health Diet

SAD EFH

Calories 2026 1985Protein 67 70Carbohydrate 212 335Fat 105 56Cholesterol (mg) 283 .25Saturated fat 32 10Fiber 11 62Sodium (mg) 6832 1123Vitamin C (mg) 167 495B1, thiamine (mg) 1.4 1.9B6, pyridoxine (mg) .55 3.1Iron (mg) 12.2 23Folate (mg) 474 916Magnesium (mg) 129 642Calcium 625 824Zinc (mg) 5.2 10.2Selenium (ug) 62 129Alpha tocopherol (ug) 2.9 9.7Beta-carotene (ug) 1557 36,165Alpha-carotene (ug) .017 6089Lutein & zeaxanthin (ug) .39 64,395Lycopene (ug) 0 3167


63

High-nutrient recipes taste great and are good for you!Those that follow are among the most healthful recipesin the world. Enjoy them, create variations, and start on theroad to your optimal weight and health.

Breakfasts

Blueberry Orange Smoothie1 cup frozen blueberries3 dates, pitted2 oranges, peeled1 banana1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed

Blend in blender until smooth.Serves: 2

High-Nutrient Recipes

Chapter Five


Lettuce, Banana & Cashew Wrap2 tsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Raw Cashew Butter, per leaf12 romaine lettuce leaves2 bananas, thinly sliced

Spread cashew butter on lettuce leaf, lay banana slices oncashew butter, and wrap lettuce around. A delicious andhealthful treat!Serves: 2

Fruit & Nut Plate1 cup blueberries1 cup strawberries, sliced1/2 green apple, sliced8 walnuts, chopped

Place fruit on a plate and sprinkle with walnuts.Serves: 1

Note: This recipe is just an example to give you an idea of thequantities you should use when making a dish like this. Feelfree to use any variety of fruit and nuts.

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Yummy, Quick & Easy Banana Oat Bars2 cups quick oats (not instant)1/4 cup chopped walnuts1/2 cup shredded coconut1/2 cup raisins or chopped dates2 large ripe bananas, mashed1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, optional1 Tbsp. date sugar, optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix ingredients together in alarge bowl. Press dough in a 9x9 inch baking pan. Bake for 30minutes. Cool on wire rack. When cool, slice into squares orbars and serve.

If youd like a sweeter, moister version of these bars, add theapplesauce and date sugar.Serves: 8

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Soups

Dr. Fuhrmans Famous Anti-Cancer Soup1 cup dried split peas and/or beans4 cups water4 medium onions6 -10 medium zucchini3 leek stalks2 bunches kale, collards, or other greens, chopped

(stems and center ribs cut off and discarded)4-5 cups fresh carrot juice2 cups fresh organic celery juice2 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning1 cup raw cashews8 oz. mushrooms (shiitake, cremini, or oyster), chopped

Set cashews and mushrooms aside. Put all other ingredientsinto a very large pot. Cover and simmer over low heat untilonions, zucchini and leeks are soft (about 20 minutes). Re-move the onions, zucchini, and leeks from the pot along withsome of the soup liquid, being careful to leave the beans andsome of the kale in the pot. Blend/puree the onions, zucchini,and leeks in a high-powered blender or food processor. Addmore soup liquid and the cashews to the mixture andblend/puree. Return the blended, creamy mixture back to thepot. Add the mushrooms and simmer another 30 minutes, oruntil beans are soft.Serves 6-8

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Fast Black Bean Soup2 15-oz. cans no-salt (or low-salt) black beans2 cups frozen mixed vegetables2 cups frozen corn2 cups frozen chopped broccoli florets2 cups fresh carrot juice1 cup water1 cup prepared no-salt or low-salt black bean soup1/4 cup chopped cilantro (optional)1/8 tsp. chili powder, or to taste1 cup chopped fresh tomatoes1 avocado, chopped or mashed1/2 cup chopped green onions1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (lightly toasted, if you like)

Combine first 9 ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to a boil andsimmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Stir in fresh tomatoesand heat through. Serve topped with avocado, green onions,and pumpkin seeds.Serves 5

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Hearty Ginger Lentil Soup 8 cups fresh carrot juice4 cups water1 cup dried lentils1/2 cup uncooked brown rice2 zucchini, finely chopped2 carrots, chopped1 red bell pepper, finely chopped1 onion, finely chopped6 cloves garlic, minced or pressed3 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root3 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest1 tsp. ground coriander1/2 tsp. ground cumin1/8 tsp. ground allspice2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes2 bunches Swiss chard leaves and stems, chopped1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

In order listed, place all ingredientsexcept for the sweetpotatoes, Swiss chard, and parsleyin a soup pot. Bring to aboil, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes. Add the potatoes,and simmer for another 15 minutes. Add the chard, andsimmer for another 10 minutes. Serve topped with choppedparsley.Serves 5

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Salad Dressings

Russian Fig Dressing4 Tbsp. no-salt or low-salt pasta sauce3 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Almond Butter2 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Black Fig Vinegar

Mash all ingredients together with a fork until smooth.Serves 2

Orange Cashew Dressing2 oranges, peeled and quartered1/2 cup raw cashews (or 1/4 cup raw cashew butter)2 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Blood Orange Vinegar1/2 tsp. lemon juice (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smoothand creamy (add orange juice if mixture gets too thick).Yield: 1-1/2 cups

Creamy Blueberry Dressing2 cups fresh (or frozen and thawed) blueberries1/2 cup pomegranate juice4 Tbsp. raw cashew butter2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar1 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Spicy Pecan Vinegar

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smoothand creamy.Serves 4

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Main Dishes

Chicken Dijon2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts4 Tbsp. fresh lime juice2 cloves garlic, minced2 Tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce4 tsp. Dijon mustard

Trim all fat from chicken breasts. Mix lime juice, garlic,Worcestershire sauce, and Dijon mustard into a marinade.Put half the mixture aside and pour the rest over chicken.Marinate for 1/2 hour. Broil on low or grill for 7 minutes perside or until thoroughly cooked. Serve with rest of marinadespooned over top.Serves: 2

Note: This is not a high-nutrient recipe, but it is much betterthan fried chicken, and it is a step in a healthier direction.

Vegetable Bean Burritos1 head broccoli florets, chopped1/2 head cauliflower florets, chopped2 carrots, chopped2 red peppers, chopped1 zucchini, chopped1 medium onion, chopped1 tsp. basil

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1 tsp. oregano1 tsp. parsley1 tsp. cumin1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes or more, to taste1 tsp. allspice (optional)1-1/2 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest or other

no-salt seasoning4 cloves garlic1 cup cashews1/2 cup unsweetened soy milk1 15-oz. can pinto beans (no salt added), drained

Topping1/2 cup low-sodium pasta sauce, optional1/2 cup shredded soy mozzarella cheese, optional

Wraps8 whole wheat tortilla wraps or large romaine lettuce

leaves

Chop vegetables into small pieces by hand or in a foodprocessor. In a large covered pot, saut vegetables with herbsand spices in 1/8 cup water for 15 minutes or until tender. Inthe meantime, place cashews in food processor and chopuntil very fine. Add soy milk to the chopped cashews andblend until smooth. Add cashew/soy milk mixture and beansto the veggies and mix thoroughly. Spread mixture on tortillaor lettuce leaf and roll up to form burrito. Top with pastasauce and shredded soy mozzarella cheese if desired.Serves: 8

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Pasta with Roasted Vegetables,Tomatoes & Basil

2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch pieces1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces1 large yellow crookneck squash, cut into 1/2 inch pieces1-1/2 cup butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch

pieces2 Tbsp. olive oil, divided1 lb. penne pasta, preferably whole wheat2 medium tomatoes, cored, seeded, diced1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or 1-1/2 Tbsp. dried2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar or 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice2 cloves garlic, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Lightly coat roasting pan with1/2 tsp. olive oil. Combine red bell peppers, eggplant, yellowsquash, and butternut squash in prepared pan. Drizzle with1 Tbsp. olive oil and toss to coat. Roast until vegetables aretender and beginning to brown, stirring occasionally, about25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pasta and drain, reserving 1/2 cup cookingliquid.

Combine pasta, roasted vegetables, tomatoes, and basil inlarge bowl. Add remaining tablespoon of oil, vinegar, andgarlic. Toss to combine. Add cooking liquid by tablespoon tomoisten, if desired.Serves: 6

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Side DishesCalifornia Creamed Kale

2 bunches kale (bottoms of stems removed and discarded)1 cup raw cashews1 cup unsweetened soy milk4 Tbsp. onion flakes1 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning

Place kale leaves in a large steamer pot. Steam 10-20 minutesuntil soft. While kale is steaming, place remaining ingredientsin a blender and blend until smooth. Place kale in colander,and press with a clean dish towel to remove some of the excesswater. In a bowl, coarsely chop and mix kale with the creamsauce.Serves 4

Note: Sauce may be used with broccoli, spinach, or othersteamed veggies.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries4 sweet potatoes1 Tbsp. garlic powder1 Tbsp. onion powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel sweet potatoes if not organ-ic. Cut into strips. Lay on a non-stick cookie sheet. Sprinklegarlic powder and onion powder on potatoes. Bake approxi-mately 1-1/2 hours, turning potatoes every 15 minutes.Serves 4

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Tasty Hummus with Baked Garlic Pita Chipsand Raw Veggies

Tasty Hummus:1 cup cooked or canned garbanzo beans (no-salt or

low-salt), reserving liquid1/4 cup bean liquid or water1/4 cup raw tahini (pureed sesame seeds)1 Tbsp. lemon juice1 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning1 tsp. Bragg Liquid Aminos1 tsp. horseradish (optional)1 small clove garlic, chopped

Blend all ingredients in blender until creamy smooth. Use asa spread or a dip for raw and lightly steamed vegetables.Yield: 1 cup

Baked Garlic Pita Chips:2 whole wheat pitasOlive oil cooking spray (optional)Garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Split each pita in half horizon-tally. Spray pita halves lightly with olive oil, if desired, andsprinkle with garlic powder. Cut each half in half and theninto four sections to form triangles. Place on baking sheetand bake for 8 minutes or until lightly browned & crispy.Serve with salsa or hummus.Serves 2

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Black Bean Dip1 15 oz. can no-salt (or low-salt) black beans, drained1 garlic clove1/4 tsp. black pepper1/8 tsp. chili pepper flakes2 tsp. Dr. Fuhrman's VegiZest or other

no-salt seasoning

Combine all ingredients in food processor with an S blade.Whirl to desired consistency, adding water one tablespoon ata time until desired consistency.Serves: 2

Broccoli Vinaigrette1 large bunch broccoli1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar1 Tbsp. Dr. Fuhrmans VegiZest or other no-salt seasoning2 tsp. Dijon mustard2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced

Break the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Peel stems and slicethem into 1/4-inch-thick strips. Steam florets and stems for8 minutes, or until just tender. While the broccoli is steam-ing, whisk the rest of the ingredients in bowl. Add broccoliand toss to mix.Serves 2

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Saucy Collards and Carrots4 bunches collard greens (stems removed and discarded),

chopped4 carrots, grated1/2 cup currantsSauce:1 medium cucumber1/2 cup raisins1/4 cup raw almond butter2 tsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Riesling Raisin Vinegar (optional)1 tsp. nutritional yeast

Set currants aside. Steam collard greens for 15 minutes. Addgrated carrots and steam another 5 minutes. Blend all sauceingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth. Addcurrants and sauce to collards/carrots mixture and toss.Serves 4

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Desserts

Mango Coconut Sorbet1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut1/8 cup water1/4 tsp. lemon or lime juice1 10-oz. bag frozen mangos3 slices dried mango, unsweetened and unsulfured

Reserve 1 Tbsp. coconut for garnish. Blend rest of ingredientsin a high-powered blender. Garnish with reserved coconut.Serves 4

Creamy Banana Fig Ice Cream5 dried figs, stems removed4 frozen bananas5 Tbsp. unsweetened soy milk2 tsp. Dr. Fuhrmans Black Fig Vinegar (optional)

Blend all ingredients in a high-powered blender until creamy.Serves 4

Note: To freeze ripe bananas: Peel, cut in thirds, wrap tightly inplastic wrap, and freeze at least 24 hr

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