Today marks my sixth day embarking on Dr. Fuhrman’s “Eat to Live” program. In short, Dr. Fuhrman extols a “diet” of raw vegetables and fruits and vegetables. For six weeks he asks you to cut out processed foots and to feed yourself lots of green vegetables and other “live” foods. He is not selling “snake oil” and offers compelling evidence for his program. The famous Dr. Oz even supports his program. The essence of the book is summed up in his statement, “Eating large quantities of high nutrient foods is the secret to optimal health and permanent weight control. In fact, eating much larger portions of food is one of the beauties of the Eat to Live diet. You eat more, which effectively blunts your appetite, and you lose weight, permanently.” I’ve made a commitment to eat according to his plan for six weeks, although I have stumbled over the past few days, and have made some modifications. Dr. Fuhrman (Doc F) asks you to refrain from eating dried fruits and veggies—I’ve kept in raisins and cranberries, although I am phasing them out over the next couple of days. He also asks you to not use any salt; I am not going to even try that one! Lentils with no salt? I don’t think so. He asks you to limit your use of oil (I am also not following that one!) and to eat a pound of cooked and a pound of raw vegetables every day, plus at least four fruits.

Fuhrman summarizes his diet by providing “Ten Easy Tips for Living with the Six-Week Plan”

1. Remember, the salad is the main dish; eat it first at lunch and dinner.
2. Eat as much fruit as you want, but at least four fresh fruits daily.
3. Variety is the spice of life, particularly when it comes to greens.
4. Beware of the starchy vegetable.
5. Eat beans or legumes every day.
6. Eliminate animal and dairy products.
7. Have a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day.
8. Consume nuts and seeds in limited amounts, not more than one ounce per day.
9. Eat lots of mushrooms all the time.
10. Keep it simple.

It took me a few days to transition off of chicken. In fact, today was only the second day that I was able to not eat any meat. But I needed a drastic action. I hope to be fully following the plan by the end of the week (with the exception of salt and oil.)

When I followed this plan a few years ago, I looked so good at the end of the six-weeks. So did my friend who did it with me. We also walked a lot and drank a lot of water (which I need to work on!)

So far, I feel good. My body has ached a little, and I have been a bit grumpy with my husband, but I warned him that I would probably be irritable at first.  I think the “scariest” thing for me is knowing that I have to eat like this for the rest of my life. Every time I go “back” to old habits, I slide quickly into the abyss. How will I manage? For now, I am taking it one day at a time. Of course, I know that I can add a limited amount of meat back into my diet after the six-week plan, but it really needs to be second nature to me to reach for vegetables or fruits for a snack. The idea of being thin and healthy is really such a foreign concept for me. The periods in my life where I have lived a healthy lifestyle have been relatively short.

So, the question remains, how do I truly make this into a lifestyle?!