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Disease-Proof Your Child: Feeding Kids Right
In his private practice, Joel Fuhrman, M.D. works with many families to turn around their health and eating habits and helps children with recurrent medial problems recover their health with nutritional interventions, avoiding the need for further medication.
Backed up by a multitude of scientific studies, Dr. Fuhrman explains how eating particular foods (and avoiding others) can have a significant impact on your child’s resistance to dangerous infections and have a dramatic effect on reducing the occurrence of illnesses like ear infections, asthma, and allergies. The right foods introduced early in life can also positively impact your child’s IQ and success in school.
Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates that the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how eating right in childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future.
His nutrient-rich dietary recommendations give parents the information they need to ensure that their children are eating right to maintain a healthy mind and body. Moreover, he will give parents guidelines on how to get even the pickiest eater to learn to love healthy food. Also featured are his child-tested, kid-friendly recipes that are delicious, easy-to-prepare, and great for the whole family.
Every parent needs this book so that they can make sure that they are doing everything they can for their children’s health.
Backed up by a multitude of scientific studies, Dr. Fuhrman explains how eating particular foods (and avoiding others) can have a significant impact on your child’s resistance to dangerous infections and have a dramatic effect on reducing the occurrence of illnesses like ear infections, asthma, and allergies. The right foods introduced early in life can also positively impact your child’s IQ and success in school.
Dr. Fuhrman presents the fascinating science that demonstrates that the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. He explains how eating right in childhood is the most powerful weapon against developing cancer, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmune disorders in the future.
His nutrient-rich dietary recommendations give parents the information they need to ensure that their children are eating right to maintain a healthy mind and body. Moreover, he will give parents guidelines on how to get even the pickiest eater to learn to love healthy food. Also featured are his child-tested, kid-friendly recipes that are delicious, easy-to-prepare, and great for the whole family.
Every parent needs this book so that they can make sure that they are doing everything they can for their children’s health.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 2005
108 people are currently reading
989 people want to read
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stricken
July 14, 2014He also presents the fascinating science that demonstrates that the current epidemic of adult cancers and other diseases is closely linked to what we eat in the first quarter of life. Eating well in our early years may enable us to win the war on cancer.
Clearly Fuhrman doesn't understand science, particularly cancer. The only connection between "eating well" and cancer is that people who starve to death early will never develop cancer.
Clearly Fuhrman doesn't understand science, particularly cancer. The only connection between "eating well" and cancer is that people who starve to death early will never develop cancer.
January 19, 2013
There are a lot of people out there (particularly ones with radical ideas) that think if you don't agree with their ideas, it's just because you are simply "uninformed." That bugs me, so I read this book in order to defend my position against it intelligently, thought I knew before I read it I would disagree with it.
This doctor advocates a vegetarian--leaning towards vegan--diet, stating that it will make your child healthy and protect them from ADHD, diabetes, cancer, and many other diseases.
Here are my major critiques on his positions:
He talks about how ridiculous it is that we fortify grain products with folic acid and other nutrients that can easily be obtained from simply eating green vegetables. However, then he talks about how a vegan diet is lacking in B12 and often calcium, and vegetarian diets are often very low in these as well. He explains why this poses no real problem because orange juice and soy milk are fortified with calcium and vitamin B12. So where did his whole argument about getting nutrients where they are found naturally (in the case of B12--through animal products) go?
He then talks about how bad for you dairy products are, in particular cheese. He states that cheese should not be kept in the home. He bases his extreme argument mainly on the saturated fat content, citing a chart of saturated fat content in common foods which lists cheddar cheese at the top with 24 grams of saturated fat per 4 ounces, down further is a 6oz steak with 18 grams of fat, later you see 1 cup of whole milk with 5 grams of saturated fat.
Sure that looks convincing at face value, except that I'm not blind and I could quickly recognize that this chart is comparing arbitrary amounts of the foods as opposed to serving sizes. One cup of milk is an accurate serving size, so if you did drink whole milk (which in this country is only recommended for children between the ages of one and two) you would receive 5 grams of saturated fat. (We drink 1% milk at our house which has 1.5 grams per serving.) An appropriate serving size of meat would be 3-4 ounces which would mean you are getting 9-12 grams of saturated fat per serving. Then there is the appropriate serving size for cheese, 1 ounce, which would mean that 1 serving of cheddar cheese has 6 grams (not 24) of saturated fat. (Our Kroger brand medium cheddar is labeled as 5 grams per 1oz serving.)
So is cheese high in saturated fat? Yes, but do I serve a brick of cheese for dinner? No, cheese is a condiment which I use a small amount of to add a lot of flavor. Saying that cheese has no place in the home is way too extreme.
Another reason he gives for cutting out dairy is based on the evidence that giving cows milk to infants under the age of one can give them digestive problems and they often end up forming other food allergies. So in this case not only is he using an example that goes against standard contemporary medical advice, which is to not give children cows milk until they are over the age of one, but then he generalizes the problems these infants have to the whole population citing that it proves milk is not healthy for any age humans to drink.
Then he sets out to present a "balanced discussion" on the different diets you may choose and their benefits and drawbacks. As it turns out, if you eat a low-fat vegan diet, you will be super healthy. . . except for the little, tiny fact that your brain might explode when you get older because the plaque-building processes of fat just may be protecting the fragile blood vessels in the brain from the stress of high blood pressure (p. 152). So if you just make sure not to eat too much salt you should be OK.
When talking about vegetarianism he sites that fruits and vegetables are the two foods associated with the highest rate of longevity in humans, not whole grains, bran, not even vegetarianism (p. 147). Which makes me wonder why we're still having this discussion at all. But, he insists, the reason to be vegetarian is in order to consume high levels of fruits, green vegetables, and beans. Well my question is: what about eating small servings of meat prevents us from being able to eat large amounts of fruits vegetables and beans?
So, in answer he explains his reasons against an omnivorous diet. All his reasons being that the typical western diet is not a healthy balance between animal and plant products. What?! The typical very unhealthy American diet is not what we are talking about--we're discussing diet ideals and what healthy options you can create for your family.
So my overall impression of the book was: it's totally overly biased. Which I expected. Not to mention full of references to his website and his own personal brand of DHA supplements (oh, more supplements?) that you can purchase from his website.
There was one bit of advice he gave that I thought was good. He stated that if your children choose to eat junkfood outside the home you shouldn't try to guilt trip them about it. He stressed that our job is to control what our family eats in the home and try and make sure that most of your family's eating happens in the home, but don't try to control their behavior outside the home.
This doctor advocates a vegetarian--leaning towards vegan--diet, stating that it will make your child healthy and protect them from ADHD, diabetes, cancer, and many other diseases.
Here are my major critiques on his positions:
He talks about how ridiculous it is that we fortify grain products with folic acid and other nutrients that can easily be obtained from simply eating green vegetables. However, then he talks about how a vegan diet is lacking in B12 and often calcium, and vegetarian diets are often very low in these as well. He explains why this poses no real problem because orange juice and soy milk are fortified with calcium and vitamin B12. So where did his whole argument about getting nutrients where they are found naturally (in the case of B12--through animal products) go?
He then talks about how bad for you dairy products are, in particular cheese. He states that cheese should not be kept in the home. He bases his extreme argument mainly on the saturated fat content, citing a chart of saturated fat content in common foods which lists cheddar cheese at the top with 24 grams of saturated fat per 4 ounces, down further is a 6oz steak with 18 grams of fat, later you see 1 cup of whole milk with 5 grams of saturated fat.
Sure that looks convincing at face value, except that I'm not blind and I could quickly recognize that this chart is comparing arbitrary amounts of the foods as opposed to serving sizes. One cup of milk is an accurate serving size, so if you did drink whole milk (which in this country is only recommended for children between the ages of one and two) you would receive 5 grams of saturated fat. (We drink 1% milk at our house which has 1.5 grams per serving.) An appropriate serving size of meat would be 3-4 ounces which would mean you are getting 9-12 grams of saturated fat per serving. Then there is the appropriate serving size for cheese, 1 ounce, which would mean that 1 serving of cheddar cheese has 6 grams (not 24) of saturated fat. (Our Kroger brand medium cheddar is labeled as 5 grams per 1oz serving.)
So is cheese high in saturated fat? Yes, but do I serve a brick of cheese for dinner? No, cheese is a condiment which I use a small amount of to add a lot of flavor. Saying that cheese has no place in the home is way too extreme.
Another reason he gives for cutting out dairy is based on the evidence that giving cows milk to infants under the age of one can give them digestive problems and they often end up forming other food allergies. So in this case not only is he using an example that goes against standard contemporary medical advice, which is to not give children cows milk until they are over the age of one, but then he generalizes the problems these infants have to the whole population citing that it proves milk is not healthy for any age humans to drink.
Then he sets out to present a "balanced discussion" on the different diets you may choose and their benefits and drawbacks. As it turns out, if you eat a low-fat vegan diet, you will be super healthy. . . except for the little, tiny fact that your brain might explode when you get older because the plaque-building processes of fat just may be protecting the fragile blood vessels in the brain from the stress of high blood pressure (p. 152). So if you just make sure not to eat too much salt you should be OK.
When talking about vegetarianism he sites that fruits and vegetables are the two foods associated with the highest rate of longevity in humans, not whole grains, bran, not even vegetarianism (p. 147). Which makes me wonder why we're still having this discussion at all. But, he insists, the reason to be vegetarian is in order to consume high levels of fruits, green vegetables, and beans. Well my question is: what about eating small servings of meat prevents us from being able to eat large amounts of fruits vegetables and beans?
So, in answer he explains his reasons against an omnivorous diet. All his reasons being that the typical western diet is not a healthy balance between animal and plant products. What?! The typical very unhealthy American diet is not what we are talking about--we're discussing diet ideals and what healthy options you can create for your family.
So my overall impression of the book was: it's totally overly biased. Which I expected. Not to mention full of references to his website and his own personal brand of DHA supplements (oh, more supplements?) that you can purchase from his website.
There was one bit of advice he gave that I thought was good. He stated that if your children choose to eat junkfood outside the home you shouldn't try to guilt trip them about it. He stressed that our job is to control what our family eats in the home and try and make sure that most of your family's eating happens in the home, but don't try to control their behavior outside the home.
May 28, 2008
What an eye-opener!!! Are we poisoning our children? Is cancer related to our diets more than anything else? Yes, says Fuhrman! I thought "not going to McDonalds any more than once a month" was such a feat. My kids are appalled in the mornings now that I put berries on their plates (along with their Ego, which will soon be replaced by 100% whole wheat, homemade waffle - which they love, luckily & another serving of fruit) and for dinner? 2 servings of veggies rather than one. Wait till next year when the real shock comes & I'm taking away their school lunch & their packing fruit & nuts. ha! Seriously! I am!
My kids have never liked meat & it's been such a fight to give them their protein & fatty acids. I'm relieved to know that I don't have to have that fight, anymore. They can eat almonds, broccoli & maybe an occassional small piece of salmon & I don't have to feel guilty anymore! I'm slowly purging the pantry but realizing I need a larger refrigerator to keep all of this real food from perishing. ha! I have to say, it's only day 2 for them & all the nuts, seeds, berries & apple slices disappeared from the island, after school. I don't even think they realized what they were snacking on. They didn't hesitate to search for the ritz crackers or the fish crackers, but, they didn't find them. Then I watched one of them open the fridge & take out an apple, while the other one ate a banana. The 3rd, most stubborn one, continued in the pantry & finally found a lone cracker out of its wrapper & ate that. I was laughing inside, but not saying a word!!! :)
My kids have never liked meat & it's been such a fight to give them their protein & fatty acids. I'm relieved to know that I don't have to have that fight, anymore. They can eat almonds, broccoli & maybe an occassional small piece of salmon & I don't have to feel guilty anymore! I'm slowly purging the pantry but realizing I need a larger refrigerator to keep all of this real food from perishing. ha! I have to say, it's only day 2 for them & all the nuts, seeds, berries & apple slices disappeared from the island, after school. I don't even think they realized what they were snacking on. They didn't hesitate to search for the ritz crackers or the fish crackers, but, they didn't find them. Then I watched one of them open the fridge & take out an apple, while the other one ate a banana. The 3rd, most stubborn one, continued in the pantry & finally found a lone cracker out of its wrapper & ate that. I was laughing inside, but not saying a word!!! :)
September 11, 2021
Finally done!!!! I thought this book was okay. I love recipe and menu suggestions which were provided. I took off two stars for lacking to present any ideas regarding kid parties, friends and family’s houses (unattended)and other outing where junk food will be presented. I found it somewhat unrealistic to an extent but then again, I guess anything is possible if you want it bad enough….Another star removed, and maybe this isn’t fair, but the information is somewhat outdated especially regarding allergy information.
February 11, 2009
If you are interested in the truth as longevity studies, cancer studies, diabetes studies and cardiovascular studies currently demonstrate, this book is a must read. If you want to know what we have learned and are learning from ramifications of the western diet, and you think that "moderation" is the cure-all, you should read this book. If you are actually interested in understanding health, diet, behavior and long-term implications within a context that fits the LDS gospel understanding, you should read this book. If you want a book that justifies your frequent indulgence in fast-food or chocolate, and sets your mind at ease after soda pop and fluffy, white bread, save your time. This book is for truth seekers who are willing to change and want better for their children--the next generation. This is a book for parents who want to gift their children a healthy palate which will in turn help their children live free from the diseases of caloric-over-indulgence that plague our society.
Dr. Fuhrman offers an OPTIMUM health plan. Take the principles and move toward them. His plan is one for OPTIMIZING health, not for just avoiding a particular disease. He puts forward the scientific evidence that will give you the motivation to take a stand and remain firm in today's nutrient-poor dietary landscape.
Dr. Fuhrman offers an OPTIMUM health plan. Take the principles and move toward them. His plan is one for OPTIMIZING health, not for just avoiding a particular disease. He puts forward the scientific evidence that will give you the motivation to take a stand and remain firm in today's nutrient-poor dietary landscape.
February 24, 2013
While I was reading Dr. Fuhrman's book Eat to Live, I went ahead and ordered this book because I knew that I wanted to change the diet of my children as well. While they eat healthy already, I was concerned about their dairy intake and became even more concerned when I learned how high the relation is between diary products and prostate cancer. They have a very high rate of this cancer in their family already, so I wanted to do something to lower their risk. I wish I had found this book when they were babies because I would have done some things pretty differently, so I would highly recommend this to pregnant women and new parents. But there's still time to change their health by incorporating Dr. Fuhrman's plan into their lives now. This book explains why he suggests the things he does and it has a lot of great recipes that I'm anxious to try.
July 19, 2016
I am a fan of Joel fuhrman, and the things he says make a lot of sense. I am learning to cook as I go along and making great food for my daughter is fun while being delicious. Great tips for giving your kids healthier options.
December 30, 2022
Veggies, fruits, nuts and beans!!!
February 25, 2024
Pretty good. I got a little confused when he talked about bean soup and said “kids will love it!” But other than that I think the book has some practical advice.
December 21, 2011
Dr. Fuhrman appears to be a master manipulator of both people and data.
Sentences such as: "Little do parents know - their children are eating themselves to death" seem primarily designed to put parents on a guilt trip in order to get them to get with the program prescribed by Dr. Fuhrman.
There is probably some truth to his claims, but he seems to exaggerate in order to strengthen them. Since his references are not readily accessible to me, I can not be bothered to look them up, but he appears to use some sleight-of-hand for their interpretation. Several times he states that a study has found a link between poor nutrition and a particular disease. Then he turns around and talks about the disease as being "nutrition-caused" without referring to any evidence that causation has been established.
Another problem for regular folks is that he does not mention the cost of following his program. One recommendation is to only eat organically grown produce. I suppose you can do that when you've written several books that have sold a bunch of copies, but for most people the cost of doing that would be prohibitive. Organically grown produce is almost always more expensive and sometimes up triple the cost of comparable produce not organically grown.
Sentences such as: "Little do parents know - their children are eating themselves to death" seem primarily designed to put parents on a guilt trip in order to get them to get with the program prescribed by Dr. Fuhrman.
There is probably some truth to his claims, but he seems to exaggerate in order to strengthen them. Since his references are not readily accessible to me, I can not be bothered to look them up, but he appears to use some sleight-of-hand for their interpretation. Several times he states that a study has found a link between poor nutrition and a particular disease. Then he turns around and talks about the disease as being "nutrition-caused" without referring to any evidence that causation has been established.
Another problem for regular folks is that he does not mention the cost of following his program. One recommendation is to only eat organically grown produce. I suppose you can do that when you've written several books that have sold a bunch of copies, but for most people the cost of doing that would be prohibitive. Organically grown produce is almost always more expensive and sometimes up triple the cost of comparable produce not organically grown.
July 26, 2013
The title is a little over-the-top but I guess it helps sales. After reading a couple of Fuhrman's other books and wondering how his advice for adults might apply to children, I read this and it actually has some great ideas but like his other books I think the recipes are overly complicated. A few of them are great, though, like St. Patty's peanut butter sandwich, and the general advice on how to get kids on board with healthier eating is good. We might have an exceptional 8-year old but she's barely complained about adopting some of these nutrarian principles and habits.
Definitely worth a look. Don't be put off by the negative reviews that claim Fuhrman is giving anyone a guilt trip or imposing impossible standards. I think some people just don't want to hear that they should be eating more fruit and vegetables and less processed food. This is nothing new, Furhman just shows how you can realistically base your diet on natural plant foods, and also cites the studies that have led pretty much all medical authorities to recommend more fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains and less of everything else.
Definitely worth a look. Don't be put off by the negative reviews that claim Fuhrman is giving anyone a guilt trip or imposing impossible standards. I think some people just don't want to hear that they should be eating more fruit and vegetables and less processed food. This is nothing new, Furhman just shows how you can realistically base your diet on natural plant foods, and also cites the studies that have led pretty much all medical authorities to recommend more fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains and less of everything else.
August 10, 2012
Very helpful information about food, nutrition, and eating for health. I like the charts that show how much (calcium, iron, etc.) is in a certain food. Although we aren't going vegan anytime soon, there are some adjustments we can make to our family's diet. We've been working on eliminating as much processed food (food with more chemicals than real food), and eating more fruits/veggies/whole grains.
The recipes scared me- not my style- I'd rather eat a plain apple or banana than make those recipes. I don't agree with the amount of soy he advocates/ uses in recipes. I still have a moderate view about food- and agree that we shouldn't "diet", but have healthy lifestyle. Dr. Fuhrman makes a compelling case- take away the things that work for your family. But he is very strong in his convictions- I can see the "strictness" causing guilt for people with limited time/ money/ energy to invest in following his lifestyle. Do your best with what you have!
VERY worth reading and we will continue to become better educated about eating clean.
The recipes scared me- not my style- I'd rather eat a plain apple or banana than make those recipes. I don't agree with the amount of soy he advocates/ uses in recipes. I still have a moderate view about food- and agree that we shouldn't "diet", but have healthy lifestyle. Dr. Fuhrman makes a compelling case- take away the things that work for your family. But he is very strong in his convictions- I can see the "strictness" causing guilt for people with limited time/ money/ energy to invest in following his lifestyle. Do your best with what you have!
VERY worth reading and we will continue to become better educated about eating clean.
Read
July 20, 2011A good break down of what should be pretty straight forward stuff. Stop feeding your kids junk. I skimmed some of it (been veg*n for more years of my life than not, so some was old news to me). But think it explains in a clear and non condescending way why it is that a plant based diet is best for us, and why all those negative things you hear about those diets aren't true. I also like that he doesn't pull his punches, so yes, I get dinged for my habit of indulging in baked goods and french fries a bit more than is wise. (What, it's vegan! It has to be good for me.) Although the title of the book makes it seem like it's all about childhood nutrition, this is actually a guide for the entire family, and I think anyone looking for plain common sense and not snake oil could get some good solid knowledge from this book.
October 16, 2008
I've read several of his books, and I really think guy gives a nicely balanced view on nutrition. He backs up everything with solid medical facts and gives (I believe) a very accurate portrayal of the dairy industry and it's role and effect in American society.I do think it's curious he never really mentions much about B-12 or nutritional yeast even though he proposes a mainly animal free diet. Maybe because he is a big proponent of soy??? not sure....I agreed with most of it, I think he should probably wait on promoting soy products ( processed ones, in large amounts) until there are more long term studies. Overall, seems to bewritten by someone who really cares about nutrition and the health of children.
May 24, 2009
Fuhrman, who also has a book on adult nutrition, argues that studies such as the Framingham China study show that individuals who have a lifelong diet low in meat and dairy products have much lower incidents of disease. He includes recipes and suggestions for feeding your kids a more plant-based diet. He describes a diet somewhat close to how I eat, but I'm not sure how to wean my son from his processed meat and macaroni and cheese!
August 26, 2016
An important book for parents to read. I appreciate Dr. Furhman's honest, educated information on hazards for our children. I never knew why organic was supposedly better, it just seemed like another marketing scheme to me. Now I know it has more nutrients. I practice many of the positive eating habits in the book, but my family does not, and I worry about them. I hope to add this to a family night activity sometime soon.
December 28, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It explained things from forks over knives and "The China Study" in a more clear way. The only thing I didn't like was the recipes at the back. I don't think I could ever make cabbage raisin soup and convince my husband that sounds good (or myself). I think instead of trying to come up with kid friendly recipes when changing the way you eat, they need to come up with husband friendly recipes. Just my opinion.
January 31, 2015
Excellent resource !!
June 24, 2019
Px – There is constant tension in the media between what’s new and what’s true, what makes for sound science and what makes for provocative headlines or intriguing sound bites. …dressing up dull scientific findings to make them sexier, fresher, or more surprising sometimes changes them to the point where the trugh can be very hard to recognize.
Pxi – (Tracking lifestyle factors, not smoking, having a BMI lower than 30, 3.5 hours of physical activity per week, and eating a nutritious diet – high fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, and low red meat consumption). Participants who had all four healthy factors at the start of the study had a nearly 80 percent reduced risk of developing any major chronic disease. There simply is – and in my opinion, there never will be – a drug to rival that. And to use lifestyle as a medicine…well, no prescription is required.
Pxi – Contrary to what common assumptions and media sometimes lead us to believe, our genes do not determine our weight or future health. Our DNA simply cannot forecast that we will get a particular disease, unless it’s one that’s caused specifically by a genetic mutation (such as Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, or sickle cell anemia). We are actually the ones driving the bus on our journeys toward wellness or illness, so don’t blame your genes for the future of your health.
Pxiii – There is a skill set some people have that enables them, in spite of all the conflicting news and opposing societal forces, to stay lean and maintain good health. They weren’t born with this skill; they learned it at some point in their lives, and you can learn it, too.
P2 – Healthy Life Expectancy or HALE. In the US in 2010 the HALE for men was 65.0 years (roughly 11 years less than actual life expectancy), and for women it was 67.4 years (roughly 13 years less than actual life expectancy).
With the mysteries fo the human genome unraveled, it seemed likely we would soon be “fixing” the causes of diseases with genetic engineering. That simply hasn’t happened. But a funny thing has happened on the way: Increasingly, research has revealed the extent to which environment, and our lifestyle habits in particular, can affect our risk of developing chronic, life-threatening diseases, even at their genetic origins. In other words, we’ve been looking down the wrong path and asking the wrong questions. The reality is, we actually don’t need new scientific breakthroughs or Nobel Prizes to fix genetic causes of major diseases.
P7 1993 “Actual Causes of Death in the United States,” by Drs. J Michael McGinnis and William Foege was published in JAMA. They described the obvious revelations that we, in the medical profession, had all overlooked: that the diseases we had long listed as the leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, stroke, pulmonary illness, and diabetes – are not truly causes. These diseases are the result or effects of how people live. When someone dies of, say, a heart attack, it is not very illuminating to blame the cause of death on disease of the cardiovascular system, is it? What we all really want to know is what caused the cardiovascular disease.
The answer was readily available, but someone had to go looking for it, and that’s what Drs. McGinnis and Foege did. They found that, overwhelmingly, premature death and chronic disease were attributable to just ten behaviors: tobacco use, dietary pattern, physical activity level, alcohol consumption, exposure to germs, exposure to toxins, use of fire-arms, sexual behaviour, motor vehicle crashes, and use of illicit drugs. The list of ten was dominated by the top three: tobacco use, dietary pattern, and physical activity level, which accounted for nearly 80 percent of the total!
P12 Each of us was born with particular genes; it’s a fact of life. But our modern understanding of genetics and genomics has evolved to emphasize the role of “epigenetics” – how genes are influened by their environment. Quite simply, their environment is … you! The way you live – in terms of your eating, exercise, sleep, stress management, and other habits – changes the environment of your genes, and that in turn changes what they do.
P13 How effectively am I using the levers that control my medical future? If you’re like most people, the answer is: not well. The answer may even be: not at all. That’s not your fault. It’s really the norm in our culture and our society. But it doesn’t have to stay that way for you and your family.
P29 Motivation techniques: Positive imaging – picture yourself looking or acting a particular way that’s appealing but that currently eludes you, and imagine how your daily life would be different if you attained those goals. Negative imaging, reflecting undesirable images, scenes from which you would like to distance yourself. Modeling – find a pattern of behavior that’s similar to the one you want to adopt and use it as a template for your own efforts. Reinforcement – establish various ways of discouraging undesired behavior and reward desired behavior. Social Contracting – make your commitment public
P35 According to the CDC, tobacco use causes more deaths each year than “all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
P 56,57 (Where he falls into historical speculation instead of fact) Approximately half the calories in the Stone Age diet are thought to have come from plants, the other half from meat.
Experts suggest that our Paleolithic ancestors consumed as much as 100 grams of fiber per day, from a variety of plant foods eaten in large quantities to fuel that high demand for physical energy. We know that they did a lot of walking – but they must have stopped to squat pretty often! (He is just making this up.)
P114 Made with Real Fruit – What it really means: there’s no official requirement for this phrase. So the entire box of toaster pastries, cereal bars, cookies, fruit leather, or other product could contain mere smidgens of real fruit or drops of fruit juice or fruit extract – and it would be legit for the package to carry this claim.
P179 When investigating the most common barriers people encounter with physical activity, my research team at Yale found that lack of knowledge about how to begin an exercise regimen, time and scheduling challenges, lack of social support, insufficient motivation or energy, and financial limitations were at the top of the list.
P181 The key to physical movement is to find activities that suit your personal preferences and lifestyle. Find the movement that comforts you, energizes you, and brings you pleasure in some way. You have to enjoy it.
P229 When it comes to our efforts to eat well and be active every day, to lose and/or control our weight, and to find better health, we are all facing a veritable flood of opposing forces. The flood includes highly processed, energy-dense, nutrient-poor, hyper-palatable, or glow-in-the-dark foods. It includes a constant flow of marketing dollars that encourage us, and our kids, to eat ever more of the very foods that propel us toward obesity and chronic diseases. Wave after wave of technological advances give us gadgets and gizmos that do all the things our muscles used to do. Our hectic work schedules leave us little time for attention to health. Our agricultural policies subsidize corn to fatten cows, rather than vegetables and fruits to vitalize people. It’s a vast, obesity-promoting, health compromising flood.
Pxi – (Tracking lifestyle factors, not smoking, having a BMI lower than 30, 3.5 hours of physical activity per week, and eating a nutritious diet – high fruits, vegetables, whole-grain bread, and low red meat consumption). Participants who had all four healthy factors at the start of the study had a nearly 80 percent reduced risk of developing any major chronic disease. There simply is – and in my opinion, there never will be – a drug to rival that. And to use lifestyle as a medicine…well, no prescription is required.
Pxi – Contrary to what common assumptions and media sometimes lead us to believe, our genes do not determine our weight or future health. Our DNA simply cannot forecast that we will get a particular disease, unless it’s one that’s caused specifically by a genetic mutation (such as Huntington’s disease, cystic fibrosis, or sickle cell anemia). We are actually the ones driving the bus on our journeys toward wellness or illness, so don’t blame your genes for the future of your health.
Pxiii – There is a skill set some people have that enables them, in spite of all the conflicting news and opposing societal forces, to stay lean and maintain good health. They weren’t born with this skill; they learned it at some point in their lives, and you can learn it, too.
P2 – Healthy Life Expectancy or HALE. In the US in 2010 the HALE for men was 65.0 years (roughly 11 years less than actual life expectancy), and for women it was 67.4 years (roughly 13 years less than actual life expectancy).
With the mysteries fo the human genome unraveled, it seemed likely we would soon be “fixing” the causes of diseases with genetic engineering. That simply hasn’t happened. But a funny thing has happened on the way: Increasingly, research has revealed the extent to which environment, and our lifestyle habits in particular, can affect our risk of developing chronic, life-threatening diseases, even at their genetic origins. In other words, we’ve been looking down the wrong path and asking the wrong questions. The reality is, we actually don’t need new scientific breakthroughs or Nobel Prizes to fix genetic causes of major diseases.
P7 1993 “Actual Causes of Death in the United States,” by Drs. J Michael McGinnis and William Foege was published in JAMA. They described the obvious revelations that we, in the medical profession, had all overlooked: that the diseases we had long listed as the leading causes of death – heart disease, cancer, stroke, pulmonary illness, and diabetes – are not truly causes. These diseases are the result or effects of how people live. When someone dies of, say, a heart attack, it is not very illuminating to blame the cause of death on disease of the cardiovascular system, is it? What we all really want to know is what caused the cardiovascular disease.
The answer was readily available, but someone had to go looking for it, and that’s what Drs. McGinnis and Foege did. They found that, overwhelmingly, premature death and chronic disease were attributable to just ten behaviors: tobacco use, dietary pattern, physical activity level, alcohol consumption, exposure to germs, exposure to toxins, use of fire-arms, sexual behaviour, motor vehicle crashes, and use of illicit drugs. The list of ten was dominated by the top three: tobacco use, dietary pattern, and physical activity level, which accounted for nearly 80 percent of the total!
P12 Each of us was born with particular genes; it’s a fact of life. But our modern understanding of genetics and genomics has evolved to emphasize the role of “epigenetics” – how genes are influened by their environment. Quite simply, their environment is … you! The way you live – in terms of your eating, exercise, sleep, stress management, and other habits – changes the environment of your genes, and that in turn changes what they do.
P13 How effectively am I using the levers that control my medical future? If you’re like most people, the answer is: not well. The answer may even be: not at all. That’s not your fault. It’s really the norm in our culture and our society. But it doesn’t have to stay that way for you and your family.
P29 Motivation techniques: Positive imaging – picture yourself looking or acting a particular way that’s appealing but that currently eludes you, and imagine how your daily life would be different if you attained those goals. Negative imaging, reflecting undesirable images, scenes from which you would like to distance yourself. Modeling – find a pattern of behavior that’s similar to the one you want to adopt and use it as a template for your own efforts. Reinforcement – establish various ways of discouraging undesired behavior and reward desired behavior. Social Contracting – make your commitment public
P35 According to the CDC, tobacco use causes more deaths each year than “all deaths from HIV, illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.
P 56,57 (Where he falls into historical speculation instead of fact) Approximately half the calories in the Stone Age diet are thought to have come from plants, the other half from meat.
Experts suggest that our Paleolithic ancestors consumed as much as 100 grams of fiber per day, from a variety of plant foods eaten in large quantities to fuel that high demand for physical energy. We know that they did a lot of walking – but they must have stopped to squat pretty often! (He is just making this up.)
P114 Made with Real Fruit – What it really means: there’s no official requirement for this phrase. So the entire box of toaster pastries, cereal bars, cookies, fruit leather, or other product could contain mere smidgens of real fruit or drops of fruit juice or fruit extract – and it would be legit for the package to carry this claim.
P179 When investigating the most common barriers people encounter with physical activity, my research team at Yale found that lack of knowledge about how to begin an exercise regimen, time and scheduling challenges, lack of social support, insufficient motivation or energy, and financial limitations were at the top of the list.
P181 The key to physical movement is to find activities that suit your personal preferences and lifestyle. Find the movement that comforts you, energizes you, and brings you pleasure in some way. You have to enjoy it.
P229 When it comes to our efforts to eat well and be active every day, to lose and/or control our weight, and to find better health, we are all facing a veritable flood of opposing forces. The flood includes highly processed, energy-dense, nutrient-poor, hyper-palatable, or glow-in-the-dark foods. It includes a constant flow of marketing dollars that encourage us, and our kids, to eat ever more of the very foods that propel us toward obesity and chronic diseases. Wave after wave of technological advances give us gadgets and gizmos that do all the things our muscles used to do. Our hectic work schedules leave us little time for attention to health. Our agricultural policies subsidize corn to fatten cows, rather than vegetables and fruits to vitalize people. It’s a vast, obesity-promoting, health compromising flood.
May 5, 2017
Why did I take so long to read this?! I'm kicking myself now. I got this book from my daughter's pediatrician when she was a newborn. I've started it twice ali g the last 8 years. It took me 8 YEARS!! The hardest part for me was closer to the end when Dr Fuhrman explains that what a child eats in the first decade of their lives can practically triple the risk for cancer. I was the big child who grew super fast, who ate nothing but cow milk and cheese sandwiches growing up. 😩I cannot believe that I could have prevented this for my children especially when they are already genetically pre-disposed to cancer on their paternal side. I know part of the reason why I didn't want to read it was because I'm so biased in favor of The China Study and I had this misconception that Dr. Fuhrman disagreed with Dr. Campbell. Time wasted and a lesson learned: don't refrain from reading a book because you're scared it goes against your preferences. Luckily we haven't had cow milk for 8 years. But cheese? I'm addicted to cheese. We started last night, changing how we eat. It's never to late and I will not give up hope. Luckily we have a pretty good diet already but there are so many things that still need to change.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 29, 2018
I read Eat to Live and loved it. I've been eating as a nutritarian for a few months now, and, as I work with young children, though I should read the book aimed at children's nutrition. Though there are many interesting facts and figures in the book, and I learned more about feeding children, I found the tone harsh and hectoring. I had thought to lend the book to my clients (parents of young children), but decided against it. I will just give them Eat to Live, instead, and some Ellyn Satter books on how to get your kids to eat what's on their plates.
September 18, 2022
Love this book, always great to read a book like this once a year and remind myself the importance of raising the kids eating healthily. I loved the section about not being shame inducing and sometimes the whole. family just eats something less ideal and that's okay just make it a choice. also excited to try some of the recipes in the back!
April 12, 2025
this is a great book to rethink the family's relationship with food and why we're living from one disease to the next in these earlier years.
this has influenced us to eat better and make healthier choices!
this has influenced us to eat better and make healthier choices!
December 27, 2017
Eat veggies
April 7, 2019
So thankful for Dr Fuhrman. His books made a big difference in my life 6 years ago, and now he’s helping me give my daughter the best possible start to healthy living. ♥️
January 18, 2024
Excellent book on creating a healthy diet for your children. While the material may be a bit dry - it's worth the investment to learn the principles in this book and apply them.
August 3, 2011
This book is phenomenal. I think every parent should read it (even if you don't choose to adhere to or heed all of his recommendations/warnings and care to put less emphasis on some nutritional elements - it will educate you and make you think more about food and how important it is that you feed your kids well).
I debated about giving it four stars because I think the recipe section isn't that great (though admittedly I'm only just trying some of them and read this months ago), but I think the content of the written portion is so great that it deserves 5 stars.
I personally read this after reading his other book, Eat to Live, which helped me to revolutionize my relationship with food and lose over 60 pounds since giving birth! Also as a result of this book, I give my daugter "Amande" yogurt (almond milk yogurt sweetened with real fruit juice) and soymilk or water to drink... I occasionally grind up raw cashews and put it in her food... Basically, I am mindful of the nutritional elements of most things she eats. We're not militant, because that's alienating and more wearing... We're vegan-ish now.
If you're set in your ways and don't want to stop eating ice cream all the time or only eat white pasta, you might hate this book - and need it more than others!
I have a friend who literally mentions everytime I see her that her daughter "hates vegetables", but she's only a year old! She gives her daughter white pasta and pizza on the regular, and I don't think she realizes how easy it can be to offer yummy, healthy options to your kids and thereby provide them with optimal nutrition. But if that's not your goal and you just want to eat like most of America, and without thinking about it, you probably won't like this.
If you want to learn about optimal nutrition but not for kids, definitely check out Eat to Live!
I debated about giving it four stars because I think the recipe section isn't that great (though admittedly I'm only just trying some of them and read this months ago), but I think the content of the written portion is so great that it deserves 5 stars.
I personally read this after reading his other book, Eat to Live, which helped me to revolutionize my relationship with food and lose over 60 pounds since giving birth! Also as a result of this book, I give my daugter "Amande" yogurt (almond milk yogurt sweetened with real fruit juice) and soymilk or water to drink... I occasionally grind up raw cashews and put it in her food... Basically, I am mindful of the nutritional elements of most things she eats. We're not militant, because that's alienating and more wearing... We're vegan-ish now.
If you're set in your ways and don't want to stop eating ice cream all the time or only eat white pasta, you might hate this book - and need it more than others!
I have a friend who literally mentions everytime I see her that her daughter "hates vegetables", but she's only a year old! She gives her daughter white pasta and pizza on the regular, and I don't think she realizes how easy it can be to offer yummy, healthy options to your kids and thereby provide them with optimal nutrition. But if that's not your goal and you just want to eat like most of America, and without thinking about it, you probably won't like this.
If you want to learn about optimal nutrition but not for kids, definitely check out Eat to Live!
February 14, 2017
I really need to be better about Vitamin D, calcium sources (baby bok choy!), and offering lots of fresh vegetables (which my kids are actually good about when I have them available). We also started back on the Cod Liver Oil (which we mix in applesauce and because it’s the lemon flavored oil we call it “lemon sauce”). More nuts and seeds too (loving roasted pumpkin seeds from Trader Joe’s). One day I’ll figure out what to actually do with Chia seeds.
April 26, 2010
Like:
I agree with Dr Fuhrman's philosophy and learned quite a few things from this book. I guess the biggest thing I learned was that my kids DON'T need three glasses of milk a day and meat to be healthy. I liked the charts that help you see the foods other than meat & dairy products that are high in calcium and protein.
One thing that is very appealing about the book is that Dr Fuhrman is an optimist. He talks about what TO DO, instead of what NOT TO DO. This approach is much more likely to be successful when implemented. He has some good suggestions on how to stock the kitchen and create some easy "to go" foods.
Like, not so much:
It kind of bugged me how he seemed to be going vegan for a majority of the book, but tried to make the omnivores feel included. I don't think that worked very well.
I struggled with his over-simplification of health. Which is, that it all comes down to what you eat. I agree that that is a major factor, but there are other things that contribute to health.
Also, the recipes at the end of the book do NOT look appetizing. I think that's because his family created the recipes and I'm assuming that his kids grew up eating all that healthy stuff. So for those of us who grew up on processed junk and are trying to switch over, these recipes do not look good.
Conclusion:
I think that every parent should read this book, or skim it, to know their options for feeding their children healthy food.
I agree with Dr Fuhrman's philosophy and learned quite a few things from this book. I guess the biggest thing I learned was that my kids DON'T need three glasses of milk a day and meat to be healthy. I liked the charts that help you see the foods other than meat & dairy products that are high in calcium and protein.
One thing that is very appealing about the book is that Dr Fuhrman is an optimist. He talks about what TO DO, instead of what NOT TO DO. This approach is much more likely to be successful when implemented. He has some good suggestions on how to stock the kitchen and create some easy "to go" foods.
Like, not so much:
It kind of bugged me how he seemed to be going vegan for a majority of the book, but tried to make the omnivores feel included. I don't think that worked very well.
I struggled with his over-simplification of health. Which is, that it all comes down to what you eat. I agree that that is a major factor, but there are other things that contribute to health.
Also, the recipes at the end of the book do NOT look appetizing. I think that's because his family created the recipes and I'm assuming that his kids grew up eating all that healthy stuff. So for those of us who grew up on processed junk and are trying to switch over, these recipes do not look good.
Conclusion:
I think that every parent should read this book, or skim it, to know their options for feeding their children healthy food.
August 20, 2012
This is an amazing and powerful book. It quite clearly presents an abundance of scientific research that shows how what our children eat has such a dramatic effect on the rest of their lives. He is quite persuasive in explaining how eating exceptionally healthy is the foundation for good health! As a parent, I feel the need to be very proactive in the health of my children. This book has the potential to help you change any bad patterns in your children's diet and replace them with wonderful, healthy habits! Dr, Fuhrman has shared with us amazing knowledge to help us make correct decisions about the health of our children and ourselves. You will never view food the same way after reading this book. It empowered me to continue my efforts for a healthy lifestyle and to never give up, even with the pickiest eaters.
I especially enjoyed his advice on instilling good eating habits in our children...like to never use food as rewards, teaching by example, and letting children eat when they are hungry instead of forcing them to eat at a certain time. As parents, we need to create the right environment in our home. We need to be responsible for the selection of food and for preparing the food our children eat. Our children need to be responsible for deciding how much and when to eat! I love the ideas for many healthy snacks he gives, but still need to try his recipes for meals. Some do seem rather daunting. But overall an amazing book on health and food.
I especially enjoyed his advice on instilling good eating habits in our children...like to never use food as rewards, teaching by example, and letting children eat when they are hungry instead of forcing them to eat at a certain time. As parents, we need to create the right environment in our home. We need to be responsible for the selection of food and for preparing the food our children eat. Our children need to be responsible for deciding how much and when to eat! I love the ideas for many healthy snacks he gives, but still need to try his recipes for meals. Some do seem rather daunting. But overall an amazing book on health and food.
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