Some of the most common meals today are: leafy green salads, with grilled chicken and dressing; chicken fingers; and/or baked, grilled or fried chicken-based dinners, with a potato, and a token side vegetable. Do these meals sound familiar to you? Have you ever wondered why we default to eating multiple pieces of chicken every day? Did you know that according to Farm Sanctuary founder, Dan Bauer, our country consumes over 1 million chickens per hour? Per hour! Wow, that’s a lot of chickens!

A Quick Nutrition Education

The reason we eat so much chicken is because we have been indoctrinated into the theory that we must all eat animal protein in order to survive. Most of us were born into the government’s daily Standard American Diet (SAD) recommendations, and our physicians’ insistence that we eat upwards of .8-1.1 to 1.4 grams of protein, per kilogram, of our body weight (2.2 lbs.), each day.

That’s a lot of protein, and many of us actually far exceed these established recommendations, by eating as much of 1-2 grams of protein, per pound of body weight, per day– particularly athletes and bodybuilders. And, given the fact that most people are eating animal products 2-3 times per day, for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, whether they are athletes or not, we are certainly getting more than our fill of this “revered” yet nutrient-poor protein.

Here is a major reality check– all protein comes from greens. In fact, protein (amino acids) is infused into every leafy green, green vegetable and all produce in existence, via the interactions between sun, water, soils and oxygen, the basis of all life on the planet, which is called photosynthesis. Protein, the combination of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen, is a net effect of photosynthesis. When you get it from plants it is nutrient-rich, meaning it comes packaged with all the vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, fiber and other food factors that maintain it’s health-promoting effects. there is no way for you to not get enough protein, as long as you aren’t deficient in calories, and you aren’t only eating only junk food.

How much protein do you really need?

Let’s think about this– at birth, and during the most rapid growth period of a baby’s life, the mother’s milk consumed is only made up of 5% protein. According to Dr. Fuhrman and other top plant-based nutrition experts, in a regular, normal diet it is estimated that protein should comprise about 10% of your total calorie intake, which is approximately 30 grams of protein a day. Even with a 100% vegan diet of 2000 calories, you would get between 50-70 grams of protein, which is approximately 25 or more grams, per 1000 calories.

Now the question is, “where” are you getting your protein from?

When you learn nutrient-rich healthy eating, you learn that it’s not simply how much you eat, but what you eat that matters. You should strive to eat up to 90% or more nutrient-rich food. What you eat will ultimately determine how much you eat, so it needs to be nutrient-rich if you are going to stay healthy. When you eat nutrient-rich, the protein is just one of the many nutrients present in whole food– you will get all the protein you need and eat much less food overall.

When the protein you eat is nutrient-poor, meaning it is devoid of vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals, then you will over eat and get too much protein and unhealthy fats. As it is, most of us are already consuming too many calorie-containing macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats). And, when the protein and fat you are eating comes from animals this complicates matters because it is now unhealthy to start. What we are missing in the foods we eat are the micronutrients– the vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytochemicals that prevent us from overeating, and this only happens with a nutrient-rich healthy eating style, free of all or significant amounts of refined and added salt oil and sugar.

However, while eating the nutrient-rich healthy way means you should Eat Your Way up to 90% or More Plant-Based Nutrient-Rich, it does not mean that you must be Vegan or Vegetarian. In fact, you can actually consume animal products, in small quantities, if you want to do so. After all, a true nutrient-rich healthy eating style allows consumption of animal products, it just requires that you keep consumption of animal products to less than 10% or your daily intake

Protein by its very nature is plant based.

If all protein comes from plants, and herbivorous animals eat plants, and carnivorous animals ultimately eat herbivorous animals, then all animal life is getting its protein from plants. Humans are eating a second-hand source of plant-based protein, when they eat animals, which are loaded with animal substances that we do not need, like animal fat and the animals’ cholesterol; but ultimately, all the protein is coming from plants. Animals cannot produce all of the amino acids needed from their own energy. They need photosynthesis. Therefore, ultimately, all animals must get their protein from plants.

Animal protein is nutrient poor. It revs up our enzyme systems and promotes rapid tumor growth. It is loaded with saturated fat and cholesterol; and the animal protein itself prompts your body to produce more endogenous (internal) cholesterol, which is added to the plague-forming cholesterol you are getting from the meat itself.

While there is much more for you to learn about protein, you now have a basic nutritional education regarding why animal protein is nutrient poor (it doesn’t contain fiber or phytochemicals, which are the thousands of essential nutrients that literally repair our cells and DNA, clean out our bodies of free radicals, and act as a “key” to turning on our immune system). And, while animal protein may be high in biologically available protein, you now know that it offers little to no essential nutrients in every other way.

Now let’s focus of the subject of this article – Lettuce is the New Chicken.

This is actually a spin-off of an idea that Dr. Fuhrman recently coined, “Kale is the new beef.” When I heard this for the first time– I thought it was brilliant– and I still do. But, it got me thinking about lettuce and how much more commonly consumed it is than kale, and how much more often chicken is eaten than beef. So I came up with– Lettuce is the New Chicken!

Now, imagine eating a head of romaine lettuce, which, according to Joel Fuhrman, M.D., is approximately 50% protein, and 18% healthy fat, by calorie. We say “by calorie,” because by weight, which is how most food producers determine nutritional values, you would get a skewed view of the nutritional content of the typical head of lettuce, which has more protein, per calorie, than chicken! The same is true for green vegetables, like broccoli. In fact, according to Dr. Fuhrman’s book, Eat to Live, 100 calories of broccoli, which is about 12 oz. of food, comprises more protein than 100 calories of ground sirloin, which is just 1 oz. of food.

If you want to be able to eat a lot of food, but not over consume calories, it is important to dine on a full array of fiber, thousands of phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and water, protein, carbohydrate and good fat (not animal fat and cholesterol) which you don’t need to consume.

Remember — A head of Lettuce is the New Chicken breast. You don’t need to add chicken to get protein, you are already getting it by eating lettuce. Not only is Romaine lettuce among the very top, most nutrient-rich foods available, it is the 13th most nutrient-dense food in the world, according to the aggregate nutrient density index (ANDI).

There is so much more to be learned about protein, even though you now have some of the key point right here. And yes, it may take you some time to get your head around transitioning away from eating chicken, and moving toward the daily consumption of a head of romaine lettuce or other leafy greens as part of, if not the whole of your meal.

Of course, you will likely add a whole-food nut and fruit-based dressing, for improved nutrient absorption, calories, and amazing taste, but next time you think about eating a chicken breast– think, “I should eat a head of lettuce, instead!” By the way, nutrient-rich whole food dressings are the key to eating more greens than ever before. If you want all of the benefits of a healthy eating style– health, ideal weight, performance, youthful aging, and longevity– then eating two nice-sized, borderline huge salads a day (something very natural to all primates), is a great place to start!

There is a reason why the head of lettuce is part of the Switch to Rich logo– it will soon become an icon in your nutrient-rich healthy eating style. When you make the Switch to Rich, you will start seeing the head of lettuce and other leafy greens as being the “chicken,” and a main dish. Not only is eating lettuce a super-convenient and cost-effective method of eating and food preparation, it is a more nutrient-rich, “protein-rich” and calorie-appropriate food than any other food. And, as an added benefit, when switching from eating chicken to eating lettuce as a main source of protein, your food bills will go way down. Lettuce is not only good for your health– it is good for your wallet!

Learn the most direct path to success, with the Nutrient Rich Health eGuides.

DrFuhrman’s Nutrient Top 30 Super Foods

1. Collard, mustard, and turnip greens; 2. Kale; 3. Watercress; 4. Bok choy; 5. Spinach; 6. Brussels sprouts; 7. Swiss chard; 8. Arugula; 9. Radish; 10. Cabbage; 11. Bean sprouts; 12. Red peppers; 13. Romaine lettuce; 14. Broccoli; 15. Carrot juice; 16. Tomatoes and tomato products; 17. Cauliflower; 18. Strawberries; 19. Pomegranate juice; 20. Blackberries; 21. Plums; 22. Raspberries; 23. Blueberries; 24. Papaya; 25. Brazil nuts; 26. Oranges; 27. Tofu; 28. Beans (all varieties);29. Seeds– flaxseed, sunflower, sesame; and 30. Walnuts.

Amazing Conference!

I just finished listening to Joel Fuhrman M.D., the world leader in nutritional education, and besting selling author of Eat to Live – The Amazing “Nutrient Rich” Plan for Fast and Sustainable Weight Loss!, along with other books like Disease Proof Your Child, Eat for Health… to learn more about Dr Fuhrman Products, you can discover them here.

He was speaking at the speaking at the World Preservation Foundation conference at the House of Parliament on Wednesday, Today, November 3rd. The conference was web cast here, live, in its entirety. I think it was an amazing opportunity for Dr Fuhrman to have such an amazing forum to share simply the most powerful nutritional education available to so many people.

I remember it was only a few years ago, where we in this movement promoting to transition to a plant based diet, or a high nutrient density “nutrient rich” diet, could barely get heard. Today, that is changing as not only do the worlds people need to preserve themselves in a healthy state, but we are fighting to nurse the world itself back to a state of health.

What we eat has a huge impact on this and that’s why Dr. Fuhrman was was talking at the World Preservation Foundation.

Here were a few of his messages and the messages from the conference.

“You can’t get overweight if you area eating within the range of true hunger”

“Nobody needs to die of a heart attack.”

“We’ve evolved into a society where medication has absolved all our responsibility only to cover up the very diet that causes the problem!”

“Modern nutritional science… the world has entered a new realm of nutritional science.”

“What if people wanted this information, what if you could not only control diabetes, but eliminate diseases such as heart disease diabetes and cancer!”

One of the most powerful messages he sent was this…

“We are currently living in a chronic anabolic state, eating and digesting food. Life is a balance of both the anabolic and the catabolic phase which is detoxification. If you are eating a diet that is toxic or a nutrient poor or low nutrient density diet, then the minute your body (which is always trending towards health) starts to detoxify you will feel sick.

That doesn’t happen when you are eating a healthy diet and are eating within the range of true hungry.

This was a powerful conference, Congratulations to Dr Fuhrman on the world stage!

Well, I recently learned that Dr. Fuhrman is doing a weekend immersion in this coming January 14-16th, 2011. This is a shorter version of a week long even that we were at this past you July called Dr Fuhrman’s Health Getaway.

These events are an amazing opportunity for you to hear, see and experience a nutrient rich diet, and do so from the best probably the most experienced physician on the planet when it comes to eating a truly healthy diet

Warning:

Side effects may include…

- Fat melting off your body
- Dramatic lowering of your LDL cholesterol
- Looking & Feeling years younger
- Your blood pressure plummeting
- Headaches and allergies vanishing
- Increasing Energy Levels.

I thinks it’s fair to said that this even is guaranteed to change your life forever and it is a great way to start the new year with your health in mind!

Click the icon below or call 1-800-474-9355 Ext 230 and mention that you learned about event from NutrientRich.com.

Look at this beautiful place!

~ JAM

Watch a video of Dr. Fuhrman

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We just held the first North Jersey Nutritarian Meet up at our center and had a pot luck nutrient rich meal with 3 new friends. Here it is in pictures and in video, like you were there yourself!

Five pioneering members kicked off the North Jersey Nutritarian’s Meet Up and it was a great time. I’m not in the picture, because I was taking it and probably eating.

We had Dr. Fuhrman’s Anti Cancer Soup, Dr. Fuhrman’s Healthy Chocolate Cake, two different Quinoa dishes, a goji berry nut mix and a watermelon.

This was great, not only because of the great food but also because this is often where you do some of you best learning when changing your diet style or lifestyle; in collaboration with others and in fun social situations. This was fun and we met new friends!

Here’s a video from the night where we all answered a simple question… If I were going to be my favorite fruit or vegetable, what would it be and why?