Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

234 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

are exercising or in the heat, then you obviously need to drink more

to replenish those liquids lost through perspiration.

How do you modify your recommendations about superior

nutrition and disease prevention for children or those not

needing to lose weight?

I believe the diet we currently feed our children is the reason we are

seeing so many frequent infections and such high levels of allergies,

autoimmune disease, and cancer in this country. Unfortunately,

what we eat early in life has a more powerful effect on our eventual

health (or ill health) than what we eat later in life. I have three

daughters and understand the difficulties of trying to raise healthy

children in today's insane world. It seems we are in an environment

in which parents are enthusiastically and purposely breeding a na-

tion of sickly and diseased adults.

In my community, parents and neighbors unknowingly attempt

to poison their children at every opportunity. They don't merely feed

their own children a diet chock-full of sugar and trans fats, but at

every birthday, athletic event, and social occasion they bring sugar-

coated doughnuts, cupcakes, and candy for the entire crowd. The

public schoolroom in my community also serves as another avenue

for parents and teachers to regularly supply our children with junk

food. I would expect, as parents, we all have the same goal of trying

to get our children to eat more nutritious foods: more vegetables,

fruits, raw nuts and seeds, and legumes and beans. However, no

child will eat healthfully if he is allowed to eat unhealthy foods on a

regular basis.

The only way to have a child eat healthfully is to clear all un-

healthful foods out of the house, so when the children are hungry

they are forced to pick from healthy choices. They will at least eat

healthfully when they are home if they are presented with only

healthy food choices.

Nevertheless, the dietary rules in this book would be too calorie-

restricted and loo fat-restricted for a child or thin athlete. However,

the principles for healthy eating and longevity do not change. All

that has to be done to increase the caloric density and fat density of

the diet is to add more wholesome sources of fat and calories, such as

raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, and avocados. Starchy vegetables

and whole grains can be consumed in larger amounts, and vegetable