Eat for Life: The Breakthrough Nutrient-Rich Program for Longevity, Disease Reversal, and Sustained Weight Loss Paperback – December 29, 2020

Great information, easy to read & it has recipes.

More than just an update to EAT TO LIVE, EAT FOR LIFE offers a lot of new research and recommendations.

Is what Joel Fuhrman says true? If you eat foods with good micronutrients and lower caloric value, you can avoid illnesses? We mostly know this to be true; you can avoid Type II Diabetes, a real health killer. And heart disease. But what about dementia and inflammation and autoimmune diseases (arthritis, etc.) Can a good diet reduce the onset of these age-related conditions?Dr. Furhman proposes a "nutrarian diet" which is heavily plant based and includes a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables (no surprise there.) Some of is surprisingly simple; eat a large salad every day. (I like to make up a big salad that I enjoy, sort of a combination Italian and Greek salad) and douse it with lemon juice and a small squirt of olive oil. I keep it in a big Sterilite tub and scoop it out for any meal, even breakfast.You should have raw nuts and seeds daily (I put mine on my salad, seeds, I can't have nuts, sadly. Allergy.) But sunflower and pumpkin go on my salad and chia in smoothies.Eat three fresh fruits daily.One thing my doctor in Germany years ago (I had two naturopaths as primary care physicians) said was that keeping hydrated and eating a lot of good veg and fruit surrounds your cells with antioxidants that protect the cells. There is a layer of fluid that surrounds each cell (interstitial fluid) and eating right gives that fluid lots of micronutrients and antioxidants that protect cells from environmental damage. Furhman's diet squares with that.And some kind of steamed or in-soup veg daily.He recommends avoiding:Meats, esp barbecue and processedFried anythingDairySugary soft drinksWhite flourOilHe prefers a vegan diet but allows for 2oz serving of dairy, wild fish or poultry. I'm not a fan of the vegan diet. Small amounts of animal protein work for me but he's not a fan, especially with microplastics in foods and other contaminants.Most people you talk to will tell you they lose weight and feel better on a mostly-plant based diet and I know I have to have my veg and fruit or I feel dull and tired. A green juice in the morning perks me up like coffee.Try it!

I had held off reading this book, thinking it would be a rehash of Dr. Fuhrman’s previous books.Not so. It is a fine, fine recap of earlier teachings plus much more.His books always carry intriguing concepts and terms, suggestive ones such as “aromatase inhibitors” and “ellagic acids.”In this volume we find striking terms: telomere erosion, gene silencing, insulin packaging, dopaminergic neuron loss, heterocyclic amines, DNA methylation, anxiolytic depression, down-regulated detoxification, thermogenic stimulants, glycotoxins, and intramyocellular lipids.Exotic new nutrients are mentioned: terpenes, diterpenes, tocopherols.We are strongly made aware of certain dangers: oxidized LDL, over-supplementation, excess salt in the diet, low IGF-1 levels in seniors, excessive fish oil, when cholesterol can be too low, and the triage hypothesis.We are also given key points for health: the critical role of zinc, the ‘second meal effect’ of beans, how certain sprouts/ baby greens are more effective than the mature version; and five fundamental supplementation needs.This book really gets down to biological nuts and bolts: we read of cell mitochondria, in which hydrogen ions and electrons transfer energy. We learn that the surfaces of our cells have cave-like structures called caveolins, that bind and uptake insulin.A dozen increasingly dramatic personal accounts are carried, with full names (so they seem more credible than a personal narrative with just a first name.)Some critical points: rather than the repetitive chapter summaries, I would rather see more inspirational personal narratives. The chapter on salt danger almost seems to have been copied and pasted directly from Dr. Fuhrman’s “The End of Heart Disease.” Dr. Fuhrman says frozen quality foods are okay, but the millennials-old Ayurvedic teachings on food would consider frozen foods and leftovers to be dead food. Finally, judging by this book, people seem to be awash in research studies. Some are 10, 15, and even 26 years long. The latter especially seems a bit implausible in light of population mobility and research organization turnover.

I'm not sure who the target audience really is for this book(?) The book was very hard to get through! As someone with a somewhat scientific background I quickly became exhausted with all the studies (and data) that was referenced!! I'm sure it's meant to prove and convince the reader, using the science as evidence, for the need for eating a nutritious diet. However the average person neither understands (gets lost in the many details), nor is really interested in the specifics of the scientific trials. Perhaps only summary points and/or key points should have been given in the chapter (similar to what was provided in the Summary at the end of the chapters - I found this section to be perfect!) The Scientific data and or study information should then be placed in an Appendix for those interested in the specifics. NO DOUBT there is great information given in this book, however over time reading all the other information distracts you from what you should really focus on. Anyone who picks up this book, and is struggling with health or weight issues, really wants to get to the bottom line - quickly. They are not looking to add frustration and boredom to their symptoms! -- All this being said, Dr. Furhman is awesome and has a wealth of knowledge to share. He obviously loves his science, however it may be best shared with other scientists :) -- Still a recommended read.