Hi,

June fourth I started a new diet based on the book by
Joel Fuhrman, M.D. Eat to Live: The Revolutionary Formula for Fast and Sustained Weight Loss.
http://www.drfuhrman.com/weightloss/about.aspx

He is a strict vegan.

He says for the first six weeks to eat
I. 2 huge salads each day -- eat at least a head of Romaine lettuce or similar green each day
II. At least 4 fresh fruits a day
III. Limited grains and starches of no more than one serving a day
IV. A cup or more of beans or lentils each day
V. No more than an ounce of uncooked nuts a day.
VI. Absolutely no animal products (Milk, cheese, eggs, and fish are off limits.)
VII. Flax seed
VIII. Mushrooms (good meat replacement because of texture and good helpful plant chemicals)
IX. cooked and uncooked low calorie veggies like broccoli


On top of this vegan diet, I am also eating 98% Wheat Free / Gluten free.


My goal is to loose weight and to feel better. I also hope that my body responds in good ways.

So far I feel a little more clear headed.
(It would help if I followed the plan a little more closely.) lol

Hubby is helping with the cooking.

M.

1) you can become B12 deficient. You may last up to 5 yrs depending on how much is stored in your liver. But don't count on 5 yrs.

2) the amino acids in vegetarian foods are low in methionine and cysteine. Methionine is used in the body to make SAM which is a methyl donor to 3 things:
a) liver health/regeneration
b) joint and tendon repair
c) neurotransmitter synthesis

3) Certain blood types do not do well on vegan diets.
The book Your Body Knows Best goes into that genetic research.
http://www.becomehealthynow.com/arti...nutrition/234/
People with Type A are often most comfortable on a vegan type life style.

4) vegetarians often become depleted in zinc. This is because the phytates in the
vegetables complex zinc and prevent its absorption from the GI tract. Most foods
high in zinc are seafood and meats. (both not included in vegan fare).

It is my opinion that severely restricted diets like this one are not healthy in the long run. We evolved as Omnivores, so our bodies expect certain nutrients to function well.
Ovo-Lacto vegetarians often do better than vegans.
And eliminating fish? That is the worst of all! JMO.

Going gluten free is a good idea. You will see what works for you that way.
Many people are gluten intolerant today (I suspect NSAIDs for causing that)

This restrictive diet is similar to the Cell Program by Dr. Jensen-Kittley. She uses a similar
elimination diet early in her program to detoxify and identify things people react to. Once people identify what is bothering them, they can return to other foods in moderation.
One thing I learned from reading her was that the nightshade family and Lily family are hard for ME.

Her program is very interesting-- check it out:
www.obesitysanswer.com

And depending on your age--- you may have to invest in Beano!

edit to add... the typical deficiencies I list here are slow to develop...you do not see them
immediately. But with time low zinc== hair falls out, immunity goes down, poor protein== hair loss, and low B12 leads to neuro damage slowly.

One has to make sure you are getting enough Omega-3s from this diet as well. Dr. Ornish made this mistake on his drastic cardio diet which is similar to this one, and when his patients started to die
he added Flaxoil supplements.

dear mari
this sounds so exciting. I hope you keep us posted and tell us what you eat and tell us how you feel and of course the weight loss.
if you soak lentils for an hour in water, my friend said they aren't as gassy.
I wonder if you can use Indian seasoning.
I need to lose weight so badly and I love romaine lettuce and lentils. I don't eat much meat. What does it say about eggs?
Bobby
I just ordered the book from amazon

Dear Morgy,
He says to eat 90% of your calories from plant sources -- which prob means no more than a few eggs a week --- I'm not a mathematcian

But eggs are a great source of protein so if you like them, eat them and accommodate them into the diet.

Good luck.
I'll let you know.

M.

Both my tdoc and my accupunturist want me on the plant based diet.
I think that the tdoc pretty much eats like this.

The premier usefulness of eggs is the CHOLINE. They remain the highest source of choline in our diets (liver used to be the highest--but no one eats liver anymore). Also many eggs today are Omega-3 enhanced and provide DHA for the brain.
Choline is basically used to make acetylcholine and phosphotidylserine for our brain cell membranes.

thank you both so much. i eat a lot of eggs

Dear Mrsd,

Thanks for your good input.
I learn when I read your posts.

I have Dr. D'Adamo's blood type books. I am type O.

I can take supplements for some of the things you mention.
I already take Methylcobalamin b12 and Omega Brite fish oil. I had forgotten zinc but I some here that I used to take in addition to my multi vit.



I just looked up methionine and cysteine on Wikipedia. Thanks for telling me about them.

Unfortunately, fish grosses me out. I imagine that all the waters (wild or farmed) are polluted. -- yeah, I know that that is not totally rational.

Thanks for the links.

I have not committed to this long term.
I'm going to try it for the rest of the summer and see what happens when school starts.
I'll re-evaluate then -- maybe try adding eggs and dairy.

M.

enjoy Dr. Kittley's book and website.

She has found many organic reasons why people feel bad or
are overweight. Her main diet is to identify and ultimately eliminate foods that cause cravings and water weight gain
for people.

And this differs for each person. She is very big on gluten free eating. Estimates today are that 1 in 150 are gluten intolerant.

Dr. Kittley also suggests using Taurine and Inositol daily.
Now the inositol may be a problem for bipolars, esp those taking Lithium which depletes inositol. No one knows if this lowering of inositol is the real mechanism whereby lithium is actually working. But I have introduced inositol into our home and all 3 of us use it to reduce anxiety. My husband can tolerate higher doses, but I stay around 500mg daily.
This has something to do with insulin resistance because inositol is lost in the urine of diabetics. Also inositol is used in PCOS treatments now. Taurine is also useful for improving gall bladder functioning and complexing with cholesterol and moving it out thru the bile.

I personally think Dr. Kittley is the most sensible of all the diet doctors I have read. She is amazing in fact. So do check her out.

I think it is alot easier to do a dietary change like this in the summer. At least for me being in cold weather affects appetite signficantly. (but I know you are in Fla...so that would not be so much of
an issue). I always lose some weight every summer, and gain it back every winter.

It sounds okay, but it seems like a new diet is coming out every day or so these days and often there isn't a lot of science to back up the claims.

I personally like Weight Watchers and lost 25 pounds on their system several years ago and have kept it off with only a few slip ups. DH lost 35 pounds. They have two programs...one of which has one awards and doesn't require point/calorie counting. You can also do it on-line. Both encourage eating foods that are low in fat and high in fiber. They also encourage folks to eat lots of fruit and vegetables and drink plenty of water. Exercise is encouraged as well. Often times people know what to do, but they need a system for guidance, the accountability of the scale, help with faulty thinking and encouragement during the rough spots. I think the meeting rooms help with those things.

Sometimes our bodies don't respond as anticipated. I do believe that with careful observation, we can often make personal adjustments just for our own needs. For example...if you find yourself saying "I seem to gain weight whenever I drink milk." Well...my answer would be don't drink milk and think about reducing or even elimnating other dairy products as well.

I think that for a very large percentage of people, it does boil down to portion control, chosing quality (low fat/high fiber preferred) foods, drinking water and keeping our bodies moving.

Other folks, might have metabolic difficulties and probably need to seek additional insight from a physician or nutritionist.

Very recently, I have noticed that I have started to gain some weight unexpectedly. Upon review of my situation, I probably have every known risk factor for weight gain out there...thyroid issue, stress, taking a medication that is known to be problematic, over a "certain age," female...etc. My doctor suggested that I take 200 mgs of Chromium Picolate daily and this seems to be helping. I also know I do better when I drink plenty of water...but this 'ol gal seems to be stubborn!

Other than the B12 concern and possibly the lack of calcium in the diet you mention, perhaps it is not too bad. Does he encourage regular exercise? Be sure to take a multi-vitamin mineral supplement (at the very least). I'm sure you will want to check with your physician at your next visit.

Wishing you much success with your weight loss and good health goals.

p.s. Check out a cereal company called Nature's Path. They make unusual cereals. One is called "slim" and is low fat/high fiber. Some have flax seed in them Delicious! Also...Portabella mushrooms are almost "meaty" in texture...I can see where that could be "like" a meat substitute.
http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold_cereals

HI mari,
I jsut caught up with this thread....
I am worried that you are not getting enough protein....
Vegatarians eat a lot of soy protein...are you eating soy?
It is the only vegatable that is a complete protein all by itself.
other wise YOu have to mix certain things together to get a complete protein...like rice and beans.
I am glad that you are trying a new diet...am hoping that it makes you feel better.
good for you for trying this.
bizi