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The Pritikin Program for Diet and Exercise 1979 Edition
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1979
3 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Pritikin
26 books7 followersNathan Pritikin was an American nutritionist and inventer. He attended the University of Chicago from 1933 to 1935, dropping out because of the Depression. He became an inventor and a millionaire developing patents for companies such as Honeywell and Bendix while living in Chicago and Santa Barbara, California.
After being diagnosed with heart disease in 1957 Pritikin began researching into the illness. He found that cultures with primarily vegetarian diets had almost no history with the disease. He used his inventive mind to create a plant-based diet that was high in unrefined carbohydrates and low in fat. With this diet and a moderate amount of exercise, he astonishingly cured his own heart disease. Afterward, he went on to share his expertise and success through his lectures, writing and clinics, helping others to cure their own diseases using the same method.
He established the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976 and served as its director. Now called the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, it offers controlled diet, counselling in lifestyle change, and exercise in a resort/spa-type setting. Pritikin also served as chairman of the Pritikin Research Foundation.
He went on to inspire the likes of Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger and many others.
After being diagnosed with heart disease in 1957 Pritikin began researching into the illness. He found that cultures with primarily vegetarian diets had almost no history with the disease. He used his inventive mind to create a plant-based diet that was high in unrefined carbohydrates and low in fat. With this diet and a moderate amount of exercise, he astonishingly cured his own heart disease. Afterward, he went on to share his expertise and success through his lectures, writing and clinics, helping others to cure their own diseases using the same method.
He established the Pritikin Longevity Center in 1976 and served as its director. Now called the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa, it offers controlled diet, counselling in lifestyle change, and exercise in a resort/spa-type setting. Pritikin also served as chairman of the Pritikin Research Foundation.
He went on to inspire the likes of Dr. John McDougall, Dr. Michael Greger and many others.
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September 1, 2024
THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THIS POPULAR DIET
Nathan Pritikin (1915-1985; he committed suicide after a long fight with leukemia, which had been in remission for 27 years) was an American nutritionist (though without professional training) who established the Pritikin Longevity Center (now the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa) in 1976 and served as its director. He wrote other books such as 'The Pritikin Promise.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 1979 book, "This is not an easy diet. It requires a reversal of life-long bad habits and nutritional fallacies." (Pg. xxii) He adds, "The Pritikin Diet is not easy to begin because its menus are so different from what you're used to. Once you've tried it and understand it, however, the chances are high that you will stick with it... This is not a faddist diet. It is a most basic regimen that revives the types of food available when our physiology evolved to its present complexity." (Pg. 4)
He states, "On the Pritikin Diet, it generally isn't necessary to estimate the number of calories one should have. Since carbohydrates are low-calorie foods... you can eat more of them and not gain weight. Indeed, many people on this diet find gaining weight very difficult." (Pg. 29) He adds, "I probably surprised you by stating that carbohydrates are the best foods you can eat. But... this does not apply to all kinds of carbohydrates. Starch-rich natural foods ... are good for you. Simple, refined carbohydrates like sugar are not." (Pg. 34) He says, "Coffee and tea are not permitted on the Pritikin Diet." (Pg. 53)
He suggests, "The trouble with high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets is that they are too high in fat... fats produce part of their residue in ketones. True, ketones tend to decrease appetite. But ketones are also dangerous... The ultimate danger of excessive ketones is ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. Therefore, diets such as the Atkins and Stillman diets are risky." (Pg. 120-121)
Nathan Pritikin (1915-1985; he committed suicide after a long fight with leukemia, which had been in remission for 27 years) was an American nutritionist (though without professional training) who established the Pritikin Longevity Center (now the Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa) in 1976 and served as its director. He wrote other books such as 'The Pritikin Promise.'
He wrote in the Preface to this 1979 book, "This is not an easy diet. It requires a reversal of life-long bad habits and nutritional fallacies." (Pg. xxii) He adds, "The Pritikin Diet is not easy to begin because its menus are so different from what you're used to. Once you've tried it and understand it, however, the chances are high that you will stick with it... This is not a faddist diet. It is a most basic regimen that revives the types of food available when our physiology evolved to its present complexity." (Pg. 4)
He states, "On the Pritikin Diet, it generally isn't necessary to estimate the number of calories one should have. Since carbohydrates are low-calorie foods... you can eat more of them and not gain weight. Indeed, many people on this diet find gaining weight very difficult." (Pg. 29) He adds, "I probably surprised you by stating that carbohydrates are the best foods you can eat. But... this does not apply to all kinds of carbohydrates. Starch-rich natural foods ... are good for you. Simple, refined carbohydrates like sugar are not." (Pg. 34) He says, "Coffee and tea are not permitted on the Pritikin Diet." (Pg. 53)
He suggests, "The trouble with high-protein, low-carbohydrate diets is that they are too high in fat... fats produce part of their residue in ketones. True, ketones tend to decrease appetite. But ketones are also dangerous... The ultimate danger of excessive ketones is ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. Therefore, diets such as the Atkins and Stillman diets are risky." (Pg. 120-121)
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