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THE BIG IDEAS Eat to Live

Don’t Try — Commit!!
The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss
How committed are you? BY JOEL FUHRMAN, M.D. · LITTLE, BROWN & COMPANY © 2003 · 292 PAGES

Nutrient Density
That’s where it’s at.

Whisky & Cigars

Would you give them to your kids? “This book will allow everyone who stays on the program to become slimmer,
healthier, and younger looking. You will embark on an adventure that will
The Anti-Cancer Agents
= Fruits and veggies! transform your entire life. Not only will you lose weight, you will sleep better, feel
Phytochemicals better physically, have more energy, and feel better emotionally. And you will
Rock. lower your chances of developing serious diseases in the future. You will learn
Broccoli vs. Steak why diets haven’t worked for you in the past and why so many popular weight-loss
Which has more protein? plans simply do not meet the scientific criteria for effectiveness and safety.
The Secret
To extreme longevity? Greens.
My promise is threefold: substantial, healthy weight reduction in a short period
of time; prevention or reversal of many chronic and life-threatening medical
Two HUGE Salads
Eat them every day. conditions; and a new understanding of food and health that will continue to pay
dividends for the rest of your life.”
Let’s Not Argue
Here’s what we can agree on.
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. from Eat to Live
Gimmicks & Tricks
Let’s move away from ‘em and rock This book is REALLY REALLY good.
the fundamentals! :)
In fact, I’m gonna say that if you take the time to read only *one* book on nutrition, read this
one.

Integrating scientific research plus his experience treating over 10,000 patients with common
sense and fun, Dr. Joel Fuhrman has created a super-readable book with a challenging, yet
approachable nutrition program that can completely change your life.

“You have a clear choice. I HIGHLY recommend you check it out and, more importantly, embrace the ideas Fuhrman
shares as you revolutionize the health of you and your family.
You can live longer and
healthier than ever before, This is one of those books where nearly every other page is all marked up and highlighted. I’m
or you can do what most barely going to scratch the surface of all the goodness in this book but I’m excited to share a few
modern populations do: of my favorite Big Ideas and I hope to inspire you to go get the book and rock it!
eat to create disease and Let’s jump in!!
premature death. Since you
are reading this book, you DO NOT TRY — COMMIT!!
have opted to live longer and
“Do not say you will give it a try. Do not try; instead, make a commitment to do it right.
healthier. “Eat to Live” and
you will have achieved the When you get married, does the religious figure or justice of the peace ask, “Do you swear to give

crucial first step.” this person a try?” When people tell me they will give it a try, I say don’t bother, you have already
decided to fail. It takes more than a try to quit addictions it takes a commitment. A commitment
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
is a promise that you stick with, no matter what.

Without that commitment, you are doomed to fail. Give yourself the chance to really succeed
this time. If you commit to just six weeks on this program, you will change your life forever and
turning back becomes much more difficult.

Make a clear choice between success and failure. It takes only three simple steps. One, buy the

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 book; two, read the book; three, make the commitment.”
“The main principle of this
book is that for both —> “Do not say you will give it a try. Do not try; instead, make a commitment to do it right.”

optimal health and weight That’s strong.

loss, you must consume
There comes a time in our lives when anything short of a 100% commitment just doesn’t work.
a diet with a high nutrient-
As Fuhrman tells us, when you get married are you asked “Do you swear to give this person a
per-calorie ratio.” try?”
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Of course not. That’s absurd.

You COMMIT.

If you’re currently facing a health challenge or just want to commit to truly optimizing your
health and life, how about a 100% commitment to this program?

The results people get on his program are ridiculously inspiring.

I’m personally committed to stepping up my game based on these ideas. Let’s play together and
rock it! :)

Here’s to committing!!

IT’S ALL ABOUT NUTRIENT DENSITY

“As a general rule of “These results sound fantastic, and they are—but they are also true and predictable on my
thumb: the closer we eat program. The key to this extraordinary diet is a simple formula: H = N/C.

foods to their natural Health = Nutrients/Calories

state, the healthier the Your health is predicted by
food.” your nutrient intake divided by your intake of calories.

~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. H = N/C is a concept I call the nutrient-density of your diet. Food supplies us with both
nutrients and calories (energy). All calories come from only three elements: carbohydrates, fats,
and proteins. Nutrients are derived from noncaloric food factors—including vitamins, mineral,
fibers, and phytochemicals. These noncaloric nutrients are vitally important for health. Your key
to permanent weight loss is to eat predominantly those foods that have a high proportion of
nutrients (noncaloric food factors) to calories (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins). In physics a
key formula is Einstein’s E = mc2. In nutrition the key formula is H = N/C.

Every food can be evaluated using this formula. Once you begin to learn which foods make the
grade—by having a high proportion of nutrients to calories—you are on your way to lifelong
weight control and improved health.”

Nutrient density. That’s where it’s at.

Basically, what it means is that you want to stay away from refined foods that provide empty
calories (like white flour, pastas, sugar, etc.) and focus on the goodness nature intended us to eat
“More than 90 percent of
that’s PACKED with micronutrients that keep us healthy.
my diabetic patients who
were on insulin at the time For example, raw leafy greens (like romaine lettuce, kale, red chard, etc.) scores a 100 out of 100
of their first visit got off on Dr. Furhman’s nutritional density scale whereas refined sweets clock in at a 0!!
all insulin within the first A few other data points: refined oils (like olive oil) register as a 1, refined grains (like white rice
month.” and white flour) get a 2, and wild meats and fowl get an 11 while whole grains (like brown rice)
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. get a 22, fresh fruits get a 45 solid green veggies (like broccoli) get a 97.

Check out the book and his web site for more goodness on this: www.DrFuhrman.com!

Here’s to rockin’ our nutritional density!!

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 “Most Americans are WHY NOT JUST GIVE YOUR KIDS WHISKY AND CIGARS?
not aware that the diet “You wouldn’t let your children sit around the table smoking cigars and drinking whisky,
they feed their children because it is not socially acceptable, but it is fine to let them consume cola, fries cooked in trans
guarantees a high cancer fat, and a cheeseburger regularly. Many children consume doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes, and
probability down the road. candy on a daily basis. It is difficult for parents to understand the insidious, slow destruction
They don’t even contemplate of their child’s genetic potential and the foundation for serious illness that is being built by the
that eating fast-food meals consumption of these foods.”
may be just as risky (or You would NEVER let your kids sit around the kitchen table smoking cigars and drinking
more so) than letting their whisky.
children smoke cigarettes.”
Right?
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
Well, we’ve gotta understand that feeding them fast-food meals and other garbage may be JUST
AS RISKY (or even more so!!!) than letting them smoke cigarettes!!!

Hard to believe, I know. But true.

So, are you serving your kids junk food?

“If we allow ourselves
If so, why not just given them a whisky and cigar to top it off? ;)
and our children to
utilize sugar, white-flour ... Or you can swap out the junk for fruits and veggies:
products, and oil to supply
the majority of calories, FRUITS & VEGGIES: THE ANTI-CANCER AGENTS
as most American families “There is no longer any question about the importance of fruits and vegetables in our diet. The
do, we shall be condemning greater the quantity and assortment of fruits and vegetables consumed, the lower the incidence
ourselves to a lifetime of of heart attacks, strokes, and cancer. There is still some controversy about which foods cause
sickness, medical problems, which cancers and whether certain types of fat are the culprits with certain cancers, but there’s
and a premature death.” one thing we know for sure: raw vegetables and fresh fruits have powerful anti-cancer agents.”

~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. People can argue about the details of which foods causes cancer.

But we KNOW (!!!) that raw veggies and fresh fruits are the best anti-cancer agents out there.

How many should we eat?

Well, Fuhrman’s personal goal is to eat a pound of raw veggies and a pound of cooked veggies +
at least four servings of fruit EVERY day.

How many are YOU eating a day?

How can you jack that up more today?!

(Here’s a hint: Try to eat two HUGE salads today. :)

“By my calculations, it
is not merely 75 percent PHYTOCHEMICALS ROCK
of Americans that are “Phytochemicals, or plant-derived chemicals, occur naturally in plants (phyto means “plant”).
overweight, it is more like These nutrients, which scientists are just starting to discover and name, have tremendously
85 percent.” beneficial effects on human physiology. The effects of our not consuming sufficient amounts of
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. them are even more astounding--premature death from cancer and atherosclerosis.

Eating a wide variety of raw and conservatively cooked foods (such as steamed vegetables) is
the only way we can ensure that we get a sufficient amount of these essential health-supporting
elements. Taking vitamin and mineral supplements or adding some vitamins to processed foods
will not prevent the diseases associated with eating a diet containing a low percentage of calories
from whole natural foods.

Scientists cannot formulate into pills nutrients that have not been discovered!”

PhilosophersNotes | Eat to Live 3

 Phytochemicals.
“The point to be emphasized
is that supplements alone As Fuhrman tells us in the book, hardly a day goes by without another study touting the benefits

cannot offer optimal of fruits and veggies and beans.

protection against disease So, let’s stock up on the nutritionally dense goodness and get our phytochemicals on! :)
and that you cannot make
an unhealthy diet into a BROCCOLI VS. STEAK
healthy one by consuming “Now, which food has more protein--broccoli or steak? You were wrong if you thought steak.
supplements.”
Steak has only 5.4 grams of protein per 100 calories and broccoli has 11.2 grams, almost twice as
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D.
much.”

What?!?

Broccoli has more protein than steak? Yep.

Greens are powerful.

Remember: “The biggest animals on the planet--elephants, gorillas, rhinoceroses,

hippopotamuses, and giraffes--all eat predominantly green vegetation.”

The bottom line is simple: Eat enough nutritionally dense plant-based foods and you’re not
going to need to worry about meeting your protein needs!
“Americans currently
consume about 42 percent THE SECRET TO EXTREME LONGEVITY
of their calories from
“Interestingly, there is one food that scientific research has shown has a strong positive
fiberless animal foods and
association with increased longevity in humans. So which food do you think that is?
another 51 percent from
highly processed refined The answer is raw, leafy greens, normally referred to as salad. Leafy greens such as romaine

carbohydrates and extracted lettuce, kale, collards, Swiss chard, and spinach are the most nutrient-dense of all foods.

oils.” Most vegetables contain more nutrients per calorie than any other food and are rich in all
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. necessary amino acids. For example, romaine lettuce, which gets 18 percent of its calories from
fat and almost 50 percent of its calories from protein, is a rich powerhouse with hundreds of
cancer-fighting phytonutrients that protect us from a variety of threatening illnesses. Being
healthy and owning a disease-resistant body is not luck; it is earned.”

Well, there ya go.

You want to know the secret to longevity?

It’s all about the raw, leafy greens, yo!!! (aka salads :)

The key to integrating more of these wonder foods into our diets?

Easy: Make salad the main dish and eat two huge salads a day!
“You can close the cover of
this book and put it away EAT TWO HUGE SALADS A DAY
right now as long as you “I tell my patients to put a big sign on their refrigerator that says THE SALAD IS THE MAIN
can incorporate this crucial DISH.
dietary change into your
The word salad here means any vegetable eaten raw or uncooked, e.g., a bowl of cold pasta in
life: consume high levels of
olive oil with a token vegetable is not a salad. I encourage my patients to eat to two huge salads a
fruits, green vegetables, and
day, with the goal of consuming an entire head of romaine or other green lettuce daily. I suggest
beans.” that you go and make the sign and tape it to your fridge right now--and then come back. If you
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. plan on doing it later, you may forget. If you learn one practical habit from this book, let it be
this one.”

I like to pay attention when brilliant authors say things like, “If you get only one thing out of this

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 book, let this be it.”

“Leafy greens, the most So, when Dr. Fuhrman tells us that the #1 practical habit we can get out of this wisdom-packed
book is to make sure we eat two HUGE salads a day, I’m all about it.
nutrient-rich foods on
the planet, were the best In fact, while reading that section I literally got up right then and made a sign that I put on our
predictor of extreme fridge saying: “THE SALAD IS THE MAIN DISH.”
longevity.” I highly recommend you go bust out a marker and make a sign that reminds you of THE #1
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. practical tip from this book.

(We’ll be here when you get back. Seriously. Go do it. Pretty please. :)

P.S. When Fuhrman says “huge” he means HUGE! Like really really big.

P.P.S. You wanna join me in seeing if you can crank your raw veggies intake up to ~10 servings
per day by having two HUGE salads per day? I’ve challenged myself to rock it. Super excited
about it. Join me! :)

LET’S NOT ARGUE

“Let’s not argue whether it is all right to eat a little bit of animal foods or not, and thereby miss
the point that cannot be contradicted or disagreed with:

Whether you eat a vegetarian diet or include a small amount of animal foods, for optimal
health you must receive the majority of your calories from unrefined plant food. It is the largest
“Cancer is much more quantity of unrefined plant food that grants the greatest protection against developing serious
preventable than treatable.” disease.”
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. For a number of reasons (including nutrition, animal compassion, and environmental concerns)
I’m vegan. I don’t consume any animal products and I believe the world would be a *much*
healthier and better place if more people adopted the lifestyle.

Having said that, as Dr. Fuhrman tells us, let’s not argue about whether it’s all right to eat a little
bit of animal foods or not. Let’s concentrate on the fact that THE most important nutrition thing
we can to optimize our health is to focus on getting the majority of our calories from unrefined
plant food.

Fuhrman puts it this way: “People who omit meat, fowl, and dairy but fill up on bread, pasta,
pretzels, bagels, rice cakes, and crackers may be on the low-fat diet, but because their diet is
also low in vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, important essential fatty acids, and fiber, it is
conspicuously inadequate and should not be expected to protect against cancer...

Let me repeat this again to be clear: Following a strict vegetarian diet is not as important as
eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables. A vegetarian whose diet is mainly refined grains, cold
“Never forget that coronary
breakfast cereals, processed health-food-store products, vegetarian fast foods, white rice, and
heart disease and its end pasta will be worse off than a person who eats a little chicken or eggs, for example, but consumes
result—heart attacks, the a large amount of fruits, vegetables, and beans.”
number one killer of all
That’s powerful.
American men and women—
is almost 100 percent I’m (deliberately) repeating myself here: How’s your fruit and veggie intake? You committed to
avoidable.” getting it WAY up?!?

~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. Sweet. :)

PhilosophersNotes | Eat to Live 5

 MOVING AWAY FROM GIMMICKS & TRICKS
“So, instead of searching for weight-loss gimmicks and tricks, try to adopt a resolution to be
“As long as Americans healthy first. Focusing on your health, and not your weight, will eventually result in achieving
continue to practice successful long-term weight loss. Eating a healthy diet, one that is rich in an assortment of
nutritional indifference, natural plant fibers, will help you crave less and feel satisfied without overeating. All diet plans
they will suffer the fail because they cater to modern American tastes, which include too much processed foods or
consequences. Don’t expect animal products to be healthy.
any significant protection
Stop measuring portions and trying to follow complicated formulas. Instead, eat as many
from marginal changes.” vegetables, beans, and fresh fruits as possible, and less of everything else. Any other program is
~ Joel Fuhrman, M.D. an insult to your intelligence.”

Fuhrman goes OFF on the Atkins and Zone Diets. Check out the book for a full description of
why it’s not wise to follow them.

For now, know that we’ve gotta put our HEALTH first. When we do that, and develop
consistency on the fundamentals of solid nutrition rather than constantly chasing the latest
gimmick or trick, we’ll find ourselves full of energy and vitality at our ideal weight.

And, if you’re feelin’ it and up for the challenge, I can’t think of a better program to help you do
that than the Eat to Live program!

Hope you enjoyed this quick look at a great book. Here’s to rockin’ our nutritional density and
getting our vibrant health mojo on! :)

Brian Johnson,
Chief Philosopher

If you liked this Note, About the Author of “Eat to Live”

you’ll probably like… JOEL FUHRMAN, M.D.

The China Study

Joel Fuhrman, MD, is a board-certified family physician who specializes in
The Engine 2 Diet preventing and reversing disease through nutritional and natural methods. His
Prevent and Reverse Heart other books include Eat for Health and Disease-Proof Your Child. He lives and
Disease maintains a private practice in Flemington, New Jersey. (from Amazon)
Dr. Neal Barnard’s
Program for Reversing
Diabetes About the Author of This Note
BRIAN JOHNSON
Clean
Brian Johnson is a lover of wisdom (aka a “Philosopher”) and a passionate
The Thrive Diet
student of life who’s committed to inspiring and empowering millions of people
to live their greatest lives as he studies, embodies and shares the universal truths
of optimal living. He harts his job.

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