Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

246 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

Bottom line: try to enjoy your food choices without sweeteners.

Fresh fruit and occasionally a little date sugar or ground dates is the

safest way to go. I recommend dropping colas, sodas, sweetened teas,

and juices. If they don't contain artificial sweeteners, they are loaded

with sugar. Eat unrefined food and drink water. Melons blended

with ice cubes make delicious, cooling summer drinks.

I certainly believe that if you are significantly overweight, the

risk of being overweight probably exceeds any risk associated with

these sweeteners. However, I am not convinced that there are many

people who have found low-calorie sweeteners to be the solution to

their weight problem.

I eat out frequently, which makes sticking with this plan very

difficult. How can I make the transition easier?

Choose restaurants that have healthful options, and know the places

that will cater to your needs. When possible, speak to the manage-

ment or chef in advance. When traveling, look for restaurants that

have salad bars. This is not an all-or-nothing plan. Every person ex-

posed to these ideas can improve over his or her current diet. People

have a tendency to like best the foods to which they have become ac-

customed. So, keep in mind that eventually you will lose the desire

for some of the unhealthful foods you are eating now and you will

enjoy the pleasures of healthy, natural foods more. I actually enjoy

eating healthy food more than injurious food because it tastes good

and I also feel good. Most of my patients report the same sensation.

Food preferences are learned; you can learn to enjoy healthy foods,

just as you learned to like unhealthy ones.

You can follow this diet on the road if you are committed to your

own success — it just takes more diligence to plan where to go and

to make sure in advance that there is something available for you.

Get in the habit of ordering a double-size green salad, with dressing

on the side, and use only a tiny amount of dressing or squeeze a

lemon on the salad.

Remember that this is not a temporary diet, it is your life plan.

We must consider how our health is affected by what we choose to

eat. We all have to make wise choices to get the most out of life. That

doesn't mean you must be perfect. It does mean that however you

eat, whether you adopt all of my recommendations or just a part of

them, your health will certainly be better off as a result of those im-

provements. After a white, it becomes habit. If you give it a good try,