THE BOOK CORNER

Eat To Live

By Joel Fuhrman

I saw Dr. Fuhrman first on a video "Fat, Sick, and Almost Dead". My whole family found the movie very inspiring and I was particularly interested in the revised food pyramid that Dr. Fuhrman introduced there. I have always hated vegetables unless they were topped with lots of bacon and cheese and chopped egg. And leafy greens are the worst! But now after reading this book and a few others by Dr. Fuhrman--I'm committed to making this my lifestyle. Every year so much of my garden would just rot in it bounty but now my whole family consumes smoothies made from kale, collards. chard, dandelion, romaine, arugula, escarole. purslane, chicory, amaranth, calendula, borage, and many others (all hidden by delicious fruits). I had been forced to give up sugar a few years earlier because of my high blood sugar but instead I turned to fake sugar alcohol cookies and candies and I was completely addicted to dairy for the lactose. I have spent 50 years battling compulsive eating and reading book after book, trying to figure out the psychological explanations for my addiction. But eating for micronutrients has completely removed those cravings that I thought would never give me peace. Yesterday I went to donate blood and was sure that because I had lost so much weight this month and because I wasn't eating meat and only a few grains-- surely my iron levels would be insufficient for blood donation? But not so! I was well over the line for iron in my blood and my blood pressure had dropped 25 points! If you have been beating yourself up about your weakness, your lack of control--my heart goes out to you. This method of eating has worked for me and I would encourage other compulsive eaters to give it a try.

Review by Ariane Newell