March’s Theme is Health and Weight Loss
Dr. Fuhrman Healthful Eating Food Pyramid
I came across Dr. Fuhrman’s work while searching healthy eating habits and nutrition. I actually have a friend of mine who was raving about Dr. Fuhrman and his books and workshops series that can be bought as a DVD set called Eat to Live. The title of that caught my attention because we hear so much talk about live to eat and how so many people will go about their lives loving food and living to eat. I like that Dr. Fuhrman sees it differently. He has been on Dr. Oz Show and Dr. Oz is quoted as saying that “His work is a medical breakthrough. That there is no question in my mind that it will work for you.”
Eat to Live offers a highly effective scientifically proven way to lose weight quickly, but more importantly, Dr. Fuhrman comes up with an equation suggesting that we take a look at the density of nutrients in our foods so that we can not only lose weight but be health-wise about it. Nutrient-dense foods are a first priority. Calories are a second priority. The equation that he has come up with is H=N/C. Health equals nutrients divided by calories. Low calorie nutrient-dense foods are at the base of our food pyramid, that means that those foods should be on our “must eat every day” list. This is what we should be eating the most of: Low calorie, nutrient-dense foods.
High calorie, nutrient-poor foods are a the very top of the pyramid. As nutrient density decreases, the quantity of the room in your diet decreases as well. Always look at comparing the nutrient density to calories. This is quite the opposite of what has been happening on the planet. Fast food chains, scientific GMOs, pre-packaged meals have taken over with marketing ploys and misconceptions. The nutrition of science has helped and hindered our health. Nutritional science has actually demonstrated that colorful plant foods contain a huge array of nutrients like protective compounds, many of which still remain unnamed. This proves that those leafy greens are more than just vibrant-colored foods. However, because scientific research had allowed for the genetic alterations of so many of our precious and pure foods, it has actually decreased our ability to make healthy choices for ourselves and loved ones. We are eating packaged frozen foods (or foods that don’t even require refrigeration) that have been processed many times over. We are eating foods that are jam-packed with preservatives that enable their shelf-life to sustain throughout a couple years. Many times, even fast food chains pump their foods full of preservatives so that they stay somewhat fresh for weeks on end. These foods are not nutrient-dense but they are high calorie. They should not be in our diet. Even Dr. Fuhrman agrees that minimal contact with these foods aren’t detrimental but I beg to ask the question “Why?” Why would you eat them?
Only by eating an assortment of nutrient-rich natural foods can we even get the protective compounds that are available to us to prevent common ailments and diseases. These illnesses are afflicting not only Americans but people across the globe. Did you ever stop to think why there are so many cases of Diabetes now than fifteen years ago? Why high blood pressure is at an all-time high? Did you think it was because we choose to eat nutritious foods? On the contrary, it it because we have conditioned our minds to believe that what we are eating isn’t “bad” for us.
It is this modern low-nutrient, high-calorie eating habit that has lead to an overweight population. The majority of which have developed diseases, like the ones mentioned above, because of their body’s’ nutritional deficit and ignorance. There is a huge lack of understanding and misguided marketing, that has influenced our decisions. This is caused our medical costs to spiral out of control. Medicine is attempting to treat the symptoms instead of finding the root cause. In our society, the causes are being ignored.
I love Dr. Fuhrman’s concept of looking at nutrient-dense foods compared to calories. Deciding to eat a majority of foods from a category that is high in nutrients and lower in calories is a step in the right direction. You will see when you look at his pyramid that the foundation is built on a diet rich in nutrients. The largest part of your daily dose should be taken from the bottom of the pyramid. Foods that have the highest ratio of nutrients to calories should be consumed. Guess what these are? These are vegetables. Ninety percent of your diet should be made up of plant foods. I know there are plenty of meat lovers out there that are going to frown at the thought of this. But the calories in nutrient-rich plant foods are accompanied by health-promoting phytochemicals. Greens, fruits, legumes, raw nuts, seeds and avocados are what we find at the base of the food pyramid. These all contain health-promoting phytochemicals that we need for disease prevention.
If desired, the remaining ten percent of the diet consists of those low-nutritional-value-high-calorie foods that are not going to provide you with the nutrients you need. So of that percent, Dr. Fuhrman would say you could have animal products, sweets, processed foods, but only in minimal amounts. You can see this at the top of his food pyramid. By keeping these low-nutrient foods to a minimum and striving to eat your vegetables, each day, you are building health-promoting, disease-fighting nutrients up in every cell of your body.
In Dr. Fuhrman’s world, those that follow his high nutrient eating call themselves nutritioutarians. They are not quite vegetarians, but nutritioutarians. The emphasis being on nutrition and nutrient-rich foods. These are the foods described at the base of the food pyramid. In my research, I have found much confirming information regarding this. There are very few, if anybody that would argue the point that we can eat unlimited amounts of vegetables in our diets and reap many rewards from eating those. The other interesting thing that I have found is that many people are under the guise of evil fruit fairies (and certain medical practitioners) in such a way that they think fruits contain too much sugar, so they avoid eating them. It is sad to hear this and see it happening because as I have just stated there is an unimaginable amount of fruits that are available to us, and scientists have only begun to scratch the surface of the nutritional components contained in fruits. Our bodies need the nutrients from fruits as much as they need the nutrients from vegetables in order to perform at our best. Our immune system will strengthen, our bodies will be able to handle germs in such a way that renders some diseases obsolete.
As I make products and offer products to help you eat in this manor the hypnotic suggestions do give you freedom from your old unhealthy eating habits. This will give you an added advantage of being able to easily create healthy habits and nutrient-dense eating. My products will also have you craving the foods that are best for our bodies. I have one such product available now. It is called the Healthy Grocery Shopping and Eating Hypnosis. It is available by clicking here or going to my website at http://dawngrant.com/healthy-grocery-shopping-and-eating-hypnosis/ It is important to remember that you have a choice. Your mind may crave the fries that you saw on the fast food commercial ten seconds ago, but your body does not. Healthy eating habits are instrumental in our defense against obesity, life-longevity, and spiritual growth. Don’t be afraid to make that change. Do something good for yourself and your family. Follow Dr. Fuhrman’s Food Pyramid. Eat healthful. Eat right. Live Healthy. Live happy.