I find it amazing that with my previous sugar, caffeine and empty calorie addictions, that in these short four weeks, my body has completely acclimated to this new form of eating.  Previously, I could rarely start my day without craving that first cup of coffee. I could barely get through the afternoon without feeling worn out and weak. It was hard to make it out of the grocery store without buying something as low calorie and scientifically proven as unhealthy as a single bottle of soda or small package of processed cookies or a grab bag of Cheetos. And it was almost impossible to end my day without some sort of bad carbohydrate in the form of cookies, white pastas or potato chips. I knew the science behind the unhealthy food, but the addiction was so strong.

Now, I awake in the morning to a wonderful green smoothie that keeps me energized all morning. I crave salads. I really crave beans. I haven't felt like eating a burger, a piece of cake or a cup of coffee.  What is even better is my backaches have subsided,  I haven't had a stomach ache since starting, my mood is more upbeat, my almost daily headaches are gone, my allergies almost non-existent and my energy is high during the day yet I sleep great during the night.

Through this program and online forums, I have met all sorts of different people who are at different stages in this Eat to Live or Super Immunity (also written by Dr. Fuhrman). I am amazed by the progress so many people have made.  Many have lost a significant amount of weight, their blood pressure lowered, migraines gone and diabetes reversed.  I have been lucky enough not to have these issues, but now I see the great results of great eating.

Honestly speaking, getting used to this new diet was difficult at first. I had to change my way of thinking about food. I had to learn to enjoy food for its nutritional value.  I had to let go of my memories of how things with sugar, oil or fat tasted before.  Often I hear people say, "Oh, I could never do that diet."  I often wonder why. Is it the convenience of fast food? Is it the comfort of the familiar? Or is it just pure laziness or lack of willpower? I have learned that Eat to Live is just as easy as stopping at the store for baby carrots and hummus as it is going to eat fast food.  I have learned that once I got used to this new eating plan, that new items became my comfort items and I stopped craving the unhealthy food.  As for laziness and willpower....yes, it is easy to be lazy and not feel like cooking or cutting up veggies so that is when I just throw a couple heads of broccoli into the steamer or throw a bunch of tasty things in the blender for a smoothy. As for willpower..I can see that is the most difficult.  The people I have read about on the forum seem to have the most problem with willpower when others in the family are not committed or when they are invited to a non-ETL dinner where there is very little there that they can eat.  For me, I make sure I have my food with me or I eat plenty before arriving so that I am less tempted to indulge. At home, it is just me, so I only have the food in the house that is acceptable to eat.

But in the end, if I am able follow Eat to Live with my previous bad eating habits, then anyone can.  It just takes desire, hard work and commitment. And once people start seeing their own fat melt away and their health improve, it makes all this so much easier and exciting.

If by reading my blogs, you are not one to want to try Eat to Live, Dr. Fuhrman has other books that are well worth reading.

Disease–Proof Your Child
Feeding Kids Right

Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates how the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is most closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how a nutrient–rich diet increases a child's resistance to common childhood illnesses like asthma, ear infections, and allergies. Additionally, Dr. Fuhrman illustrates how eating his nutrient–rich diet during childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future. Disease–Proof Your Child, provides nutrient–rich dietary recommendations for children, and even offers guidelines and recipes that get even the pickiest eaters to enjoy healthy food.

NEW Super Immunity
The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free

Super Immunity is a compelling, yet easy-to-follow approach that gets the body's immune system working to its fullest potential which promotes the body's strongest defense.

Fasting and Eating for Health
A Medical Doctor's Program For Conquering Disease

This book is unlike any other on fasting. It integrates this age–old health practice with state–of–the–art medical research to provide a complete diet and fasting program that will help relieve and even cure such maladies as psoriasis, high blood pressure, diabetes, hypoglycemia, sinusitis, and chronic fatigue.