reversed their diseases. It’s because his nutritional recommendations are based on the concept of
nutrient density, which is the cornerstone of nutrition and just makes sense!
“Eat to Live” is “The Gold Standard of Healthy Eating”, and I consider it a must-read.
There are also countless other contributions and books written by esteemed professionals in
nutrition and lifestyle medicine who have influenced the message you are reading here. Many of
them are part of the Lifestyle Health and Science Advisory Panel at NutrientRich.com.
Count on Independent Research, Not the Government
If our government came out and wholeheartedly backed nutrient-rich healthy eating, it would be
disastrous for all the old-line businesses that promote nutrient-poor eating and, inadvertently,
disease. There is an entire industrial complex that depends on nutrient-poor eating patterns and
the problems they cause. This is one of the reasons you haven’t learned of this eating style sooner.
If the only motive were efficacy, and no mega business was involved, our government would be
jumping on the findings in these books and recommending that everyone follow them as a way to
improve the quality of life for all Americans and people around the world. Yet even though nutrient-
rich healthy eating is overwhelmingly backed by impressive science, the USDA still touts a modified
version of the old food pyramid. No matter what the government says, it’s not nutrient rich. The
only thing rich about the food pyramid is the corporate industry backing each segment of it.
Always check sources carefully when evaluating information. The sources for the science in this
section and throughout the book are esteemed professionals with interest in what works for
people—not meat, dairy and refined-food empires looking to justify their products.
The Science of Plants: How they Work to Make Us Work
Photosynthesis: Something from (almost) nothing!
Contrary to what you have probably learned or assumed before, nearly all
nutrients come from plants—more specifically, from a process called
photosynthesis.From the Greek φώτο- [photo-], "light," and σύνθεσις [synthesis], "putting together," or
"composition," photosynthesis is used by plants and other organisms (such as some algae) to
convert the light energy captured from the sun into chemical energy that can be used to fuel the
organism's activities.