There are many diets that aim to improve health and promote weight loss. Although dieters can start out with the best of intentions, they are often tempted to eat the unhealthy foods they love, which can derail them from their diets, setting them on a path for failure. Dr. Fuhrman created a diet that attempts to condition dieters so they no longer crave unhealthy foods and can go on to enjoying improved health and manage weight better.

What is the Nutritarian Diet?

The Nutritarian Diet is clearly explained in Furman’s books, The End of Dieting, Nutritarian Handbook and Eat for Health. It basically attempts to train dieter’s brains so that they can wean themselves from the addiction to unhealthy foods. It emphasizes eating foods that contain a lot of micronutrients and fewer calories. These are mostly plant based foods that come from nature.

The diet also teaches you to reroute your thinking, plan and organize your meals, re-train your taste buds by eating healthy foods until you begin to enjoy them and embrace your natural sweet tooth by enjoying fruits as opposed to common dessert options. The diet also urges you to eat more salads and anti-cancer foods while avoiding nutritional deficiencies.

The Nutritarian Diet can be beneficial in lowering cholesterol levels and decreasing the risk of heart disease.

Exercise on the Nutritarian Diet

While there is no set exercise routine available with the Nutritarian Diet, physical activity is highly recommended.

Nutrition on the Nutritarian Diet

The Nutritarian Diet advises eating low calorie, high nutrient foods that can help keep you fuller longer. You will cut down on carbs like bread, pasta, sugar and oil. You will also quit meat and dairy for at least 6 weeks. Your diet will consist mostly of whole fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes and whole grains during this time.

Once you finish the first six weeks of the program, you will be able to reintroduce meat and dairy in small amounts if you wish. If you choose not to do so, you may need extra supplements like vitamin B12, vitamin D and potentially an omega-3 fatty acid supplement.

Reviews of the Nutritarian Diet

The Nutritarian Diet is one that has been followed by many people. Here is what some of them are saying:

“This is a very detailed and complete book to help you learn how to eat better. We should be getting our nutrients from fruits and vegetables and not al the toxic fast/processed food that we have been eating. When you think about all of the junk that goes into our food to make it taste like something, eating fruits and vegetables is easy and so much healthier for our bodies. I have lost weight, have more energy, think clearer and just feel much better since I changed over to eating fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds.”

“I don’t leave home without this little gem. It tells me how much, one cup, two cups. It tells me if cooked is more nutritious or if raw is. I love it!”

“Top nutrition advice I have ever read. Changing from vegetarian to nutrient lifestyle. 6 days in and have already seen and felt results, all for the better.”

Advantages of the Nutritarian Diet

• Helps dieters to live healthier lives.
• Effective for weight loss.
• Can accommodate dietary restrictions
• Fuhrman’s web site offers support on dieting including membership plans that give you access to weight loss tools, recipes and forums.

Disadvantages of the Nutritarian Diet

• Hard to follow due to extremely restrictive diet.
• Meals must be prepared at home.
• Extra supplements must be taken to account for lack of meat and dairy.
• Those with bowel disease may have trouble tolerating the volume of fruits, vegetables and beans.

Conclusion

Although this diet may have numerous health benefits, it can be difficult to stick to due to extreme dietary restrictions. However, if you are a vegetarian who doesn’t mind preparing your own meals, it could work for you.