Day 18- Book Review

This will feel like you're watching a commercial or reading an ad. I swear I wasn't paid to write this, nor do I take your reading time lightly. Give yourself a few minutes to read through this. You can ignore what you read afterward or take my words to heart.

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"Eat to Live" is what made me lose 25 pounds so far. It's a scary book. It's intimidating. It requires drastic change.  It has cleansed my system. It's made me healthier & happier. I'm trying new foods. I'm cooking new dishes. And it's something that I will hopefully be doing for the rest of my life.

I was first introduced to this book by Melinda, a coworker from the Philadelphia School District after she heard about the Challenge Mike and I were about to partake in.  She simply told me that it had changed her life and she has kept the same lifestyle ever since.  This is what she has to say:

     I first read Eat to Live in 2004. The process that led me to the book was twofold. First, I was watching my father suffer through the health problems that arise from our western animal based diet and I was also continuing a life-long struggle with my weight. While I was never severely overweight, I came from a family background of weight issues and had only remained out of that realm through extreme self discipline. What that meant was that I went to bed every night hungry, spent my day thinking about what I needed to deprive myself of to stay under control, and being consumed with my weight. On the cusp of celebrating my 50th birthday, I decided I simply did not want to spend the rest of my life consumed with how to stay thin and healthy - so I decided to embark on a quest to see if I could find a comprehensive answer to both. 
     I read everything I could get my hands on for six months. During that time, two books were consistently referred to in research, news stories, and other books. Those books were The China Study and Eat to Live. The China Study gives the background and reasoning behind why Eat to Live works so well for health as well as weight control and I highly recommend that book to anyone who is really interested in understanding how the typical western diet affects our health.
     I decided I would do Dr. Fuhrman's eight week plan and see how it worked. I was a purist - I made a cold-turkey move to no animal products and no added fats. I ate a full pound of fresh foods each day as well as a pound of cooked. I sauteed everything in vegetable broth - no fats. At the end of the six weeks I had dropped twenty-five pounds and weighed in at 119 lbs - I'm 5'6" - so that is actually quite thin. 
     After the initial weeks I decided, based on what Dr. Fuhrman said, that I could "incorporate" some other foods back in my diet. What I found was that I could immediately "feel" the difference. Eating the purest form of Eat to Live - fruits and vegetables that are high nutrient, low calorie, I felt better than I had in decades. Seven years later, I still do. 
Trust me, if they are having pizza at the teacher's meeting, I have a slice. It just isn't something I do with any regularity. What I find more and more is that I feel better if I don't, and if I listen to my body and think about how it makes me feel, I really don't have the desire for the foods that I used to believe I wanted.
     As Pooh said, the moment BEFORE you eat the honey is really where the pleasure is - and today I find that most of the foods I used to love and thought I would miss are just NOT as good as I recall when I decide to try them again.
I LOVE eating this way. I am never hungry. I eat like a horse and I feel better than ever. Seven years later, I'm still maintaining the weight loss - tomorrow is my 55th birthday and I weigh what I weighed in high school. 
     I was always a cook - today I am a different cook - there is a wealth of great food out there that enables anyone to establish a healthy lifestyle that is tasty and exciting and limited only by your imagination.

Such a beautiful story! It's so incredible to hear about life-long changes that people make to their habits that aren't crash diets where you gorge on cabbage 30 days straight. It's healthy and your body will love you for it.

My mom also picked up the book last week and already she is seeing results. My father has chronic neck, back and joint pain and my mom, while was losing weight successfully last month, had come to a 2 week stall:

     Thanks for introducing the book to us. Dad's pain in his shoulders is getting better and better. My weight loss stall has stopped and I am continuing to lose again. I noticed a huge improvement in the condition of my hair and my nails are starting to grow again. Keep up the great work the both of you!

It's not just about getting skinny or looking super sculpted. It's about living a lifestyle that will benefit your body, prevent illness, and give you the energy to live a long and happy life!  I was getting chronic migraines since I was 10 (maybe younger...that's 13 years!!!).  For the first time in my life, I no longer get migraines every other day (no exaggeration. I averaged 3-4 migraines a week).  I have been migraine free since the beginning of the month! Saying that actually brings tears to my eyes. I was a prisoner of my own body, unable to live the life I wanted without being chained down by unbearable pain.

If this is convincing enough to you, I really advice you to read "Eat to Live" by Dr. Fuhrman.  Yes, it will scare you. Yes, it will seem impossible.  You groan, say how he's probably wrong and it's just like any other fad diet. But the first 3/4 of his book is the science behind food, what affects it has on our body (good or bad) and studies to show it.  As a physician he has been "prescribing" this lifestyle for thousands of his patients and most have been able to rid their bodies of their diseases, ailments, and pain.

You only have 1 body, 1 life, 1 chance to really live in the skin you were MEANT to live in. Not something that holds you back or hurts you. If you have any extra weight, health problems (physical or mental), this will change you as it changed me and thousands of others (even in the short 18 days I've been doing it.)

But 18 days is a long time to not be in pain. =)
PS The book is not very long at all. I finished it in a few days. I purchased it on my kindle for about $7 and my mom got it for $14.99 at the bookstore.

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I know it was a lot to read, but when I experience something that works in a positive, healthy way, I can't help but want to tell you all about it!

Felt: Incredible! I have tons of energy today despite having to be at work at 5:30 am. I also won't get home until 10 tonight but I'm so energized by this beautiful weather!
Ate: B- Banana, orange  L: Vegetable & bean chili, hummus on a corn tortilla, and a handful of cashews. D: Whatever is left in the fridge. I haven't decided. I have some cantaloupe, a bit of green pepper, grapes, maybe a little lettuce, and that's about all. I'll munch on each until I'm full.
Exercise: Pilates and running around the yard with crazy dogs! They're enjoying the weather as well since it's SEVENTY THREE DEGREES!!!! Sweeeeeet.

State park tomorrow!! sans husband (he has to work overnight at the shipyard, bummer). Hopefully I'll have some photos for you.