Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

Eat to Live 173

Patients who use drugs that suppress the immune system forgo

some protection that the immune system offers against infection and

cancer. These individuals need a superior diet, even if they can't stop

all medication.

So many of the patients I see, especially the ones who have made

recoveries, are angry at their former physicians who did not even

suggest nutrition before starting them on medication. These indi-

viduals are usually so "sick of being sick," they will do anything to

get well. They don't find the diet restrictive and show enthusiasm

and determination to recover their health. It is terrifically exciting

to see such patients make recoveries and eliminate the need for

medication.

Diseases Resolve or Improve with Nutritional Excellence

Other conditions that also respond exceptionally well to dietary

modification include menstrual complaints and irritable bowel syn-

drome.

Researchers testing similar diets to the one I recommend have

noted that a low-fat vegetarian diet increases sex-hormone-binding

globulin as it reduces estrogen activity.^46 This not only reduces one's

risk of breast cancer but also significantly reduces the pain and bloat-

ing associated with menstruation.

I also see a large number of patients with irritable bowel syn-

drome. Some feel better within three days of following this diet, al-

though others take a few weeks or longer to adjust to the comparatively

large amount of fiber. Both animal products and flour products are

triggers for bowel symptoms in many individuals.^47 British re-

searchers have documented that increased production of methane

and other gaseous products representing increased fermentation in

the colon from meats, dairy products, and refined grains correlate

with bowel complaints. However, there are other mechanisms by

which a natural-food diet high in nutrients and fiber reestablishes

normal gut motility and tone. It can take time to undo a lifetime of

wrong eating; most of my patients need three months to see im-

provement. Of course, sometimes diets have to be modified for indi-

vidual uniqueness. In such cases, working with a knowledgeable

physician is helpful.

Most chronic illnesses have been earned from a lifetime of infe-

rior nutrition, which eventually results in abnormal function or fre-