What are we doing? . . .

Yesterday I stepped on the scale just to be curious. I was expecting a bit of loss, maybe a pound or two. I was down 9 pounds!! Today I lost another 4 pounds. Whew! This stuff is for real.

I have not even been following the plan hard core. I have been trying my best to be frugal and use things that are already in our home that aren't too terribly bad for us. But I have been pushing the vegetables and fruit like crazy.

After posting my excitement on facebook, people have of course been asking "What are you doing?". So here ya go . . .

The Fuhrman plan's entire premise is making your body work the way it is intended. It is all about giving your body the proper nutrient rich foods that aid in digestion. It gives your body the tools to work properly. There is a bunch of science that talks about Isothiocyanates, Anti Oxidant Response Elements, Angiogenesis and Aromatase inihibitors, and Myrosinase. I learned all sorts of things, like chewing cruciferous vegetables like kale, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage etc. while they are raw releases ITC (isothiocyanate) which are important for our immune system. I also learned that Angiogenesis inhibitors bind to bad cells and identify them to the body as being bad and needing attacked. Angiogenesis inhibitors include mushrooms, garlic, soy, cinnamon, berries and greens. Mushrooms are Aromatase inhibitors that actually target cancer cells. All this information comes together to give an outline for what we should be eating daily for maximum health.

The Eat to Live plan looks like this in a nutshell.

1 pound of raw vegetables
1 pound of cooked vegetables
1 cup of beans
1-2 oz of nuts and seeds
3 fresh fruits


Components should include GOMBBS or Greens, Onions, Mushrooms, Beans, Berries and Seeds. Easy Peasy! Plant strong!

I am finding that the Eat to Live recipes from the book are quite involved. I think that I will be putting a lot of my own things together as we transition completely. The salad dressings in the book are awesome and I have also collected a bunch of recipes from the Engine No. 2 diet and from the Fat Free Vegan blog that follow the Eat to Live program. I am just starting to put together a menu and I will share what our week looks like as we move forward.

We have invested in a good blender (not the Vitamix as it is $500!) and a nice juicer. I am working on a plan to increase our garden this summer and grow a myriad of things that we will use. I plan on learning how to can vegetables. I also plan on making weekly trips to our farmers market with my mom. (she and my stepdad are also on this journey!)

An example of what we are eating now. . .

last night's dinner -

Whole wheat tortillas filled with refried beans, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and mexican rice.

The mexican rice was simply a cup of brown rice in a sauce pan and I dumped in a can of great northern beans drained and rinsed and a can of tomatoes and chiles and simmered for 5 minutes.

I am not saying I didn't miss the sour cream and cheese, but I lived! It was super filling and quite yummy.