A Fresh Look At Nutrition

by Janet Smith, PEERtrainer Health and Fitness Writer


The age-old comment to kids, “Eat your vegetables,” has never been more true. 
A diet consisting primarily of fresh vegetables and fruits can help reduce or prevent a multitude of health problems.  Everything from obesity, to diabetes, to heart disease and even cancer has a firm link to the quality of our nutrition and eating patterns. 

In his book Eat to Live, Dr. Joel Fuhrman explains, “Eating a wide variety of raw and conservatively cooked plant foods is the only way we can ensure that we get a sufficient amount of the essential health-supporting elements.  Taking vitamin and mineral supplements or adding some vitamins to processed foods will not prevent the disease associated with eating a diet containing a low percentage of calories from whole natural foods.” 

Doctors from all areas are in totally agreement. Dr. Groesbeck P. Parham, M.D.
Professor of Gynecologic Oncology Avon Scholar for Cancer Control University of Alabama Comprehensive Cancer Center says, “I have been a cancer surgeon for the past 15 years and legions of patients under my care have asked, "Doctor, what do I eat now that I have been diagnosed with cancer?" The real question they were asking was, "Doctor, how do I use food to help regain my health?" Intuitively, I knew that food was medicine, but wanted supportive information that had undergone rigorous scientific documentation and was "new age" in its perspective and passion. My readings spanned the gamut from the dogmatic anecdotal accounts of self-healed evangelists and raw foodists to the writings of inflexible, pedantic laboratory scientists. Still, I was unfulfilled. Finally I found Dr. Joel Fuhrman’s book, "Eat To Live" and immediately knew I was in a sacred avant garde stream of information regarding food and chronic degenerative diseases. This book is simply an awesome piece of work and fills the gap between the ivory tower based nutrition research, which is difficult for the average person to interpret and the unsubstantiated claims of new age proponents of nutrition. For me, this is a book that dropped out of heaven.”

Dr. Jeffrey Gilbert, M.D.  says, “This is the book about achieving optimal health and weight that the scientific community has been waiting for; the "Gold Standard" via which all other diets can be judged. Dr. Fuhrman takes the latest scientific information from thousands of research studies and puts together the most effective and healthiest dietary approach possible. Everything else is just second-rate. All health professionals must read this book. I apply Dr. Fuhrman's advice to my own life because it not only makes scientific sense, it works!”

These are just two of hundreds of health care professionals that are realizing and implementing this new concept of nutrition to help their patients and others gain optimal health and fitness. 

Dr, Fuhrman’s basic formula is to consume what he calls high nutrient, low calorie foods.  Fresh fruits and vegetables, including lots of leafy greens should be the bulk of our diets.  High nutrients and fiber as well as low calorie content promote a healthy fit body.