Regarding our philosophical conversation about the potential winner of the upcoming "smackdown", one thing I realize clearly after this weekend, is that Dr. McDougal and Dr. Fuhrman are in two similar but very different conversations with the common theme of getting healthier, losing weight, and reversing disease.

 

Dr. McDougall IS most definitely helping people get healthy, lose weight and reverse disease as an enduring pioneer in plant based nutrition, and Dr. Fuhrman is doing the same, with an added focus on performance and longevity. The nutrient-rich way to eat is inherently a broader and more detailed discussion about maximizing health, performance AND longevity; hence, the focus on nutrient density, naturally reduced caloric intake as a result of comprehensive nutritional adequacy (not proactive calorie restriction AKA dieting) and minimization of even mild withdrawal symptoms caused by higher salt, more calorie rich, less nutrient dense foods.

 

Dr. Fuhrman gives additional attention to a new level of detail for maximizing healing, recovery and longevity overall. You probably know the studies on longevity, as an obviously astute researcher; combine them with performance and you have a very new message.  That is not what Dr. McDougall is focused on in my assessment even though he enables improvements in both additional areas, somewhat, simply by virtue of that fact that he promotes a healthier diet than the SAD and weight loss only diets.

 

I support Dr. McDougall 100% nonetheless. I love what he does in the world. This is about the targeted benefits that require an evolution of the standard vegetarian or vegan or even the plant based message, to one that is based on maximizing the nutrient per calorie ratio of the foods you eat. Even though the end result may be similar, the mindset is greatly enhanced.

 

Dr. Fuhrman has just taken things to a new level, and one that in my assessment after the conference, many are simply just beginning to come to terms with, including many of the doctors in the plant based community. And it has naturally created tension. This is good. There are many entrenched nutritional paradigms that are getting uprooted and in some cases upstaged right now as the message about the healthiest way to eat through nutrient density or "nutritional excellence" evolves. The science of nutrient rich nutrition has emerged.

 

Healthy eating is not simply about not eating meat as you already know; it's about knowing how to eat a whole food, plant-based, nutrient-rich eating style optimally, and not everyone is ready for that. It depends on where they are in the nutrition transition we define and help people make, here at this site.

 

Dr. Fuhrman is focused on how to do that optimally, so you get all the real health benefits including maximum performance and longevity. This is true here a nutrientrich.com as well. Eating up to 90% or More, Plant Based Nutrient Rich is not inherently about weight loss, but weight loss and living at or near your ideal weight all year round, is a natural consequence of eating for health, performance and longevity. This is a complimentary but broader more detailed discussion and the reason why the discussion about what your diet is "based" in, has been so tenuous. These two doctors are sending similar but different messages.

 

• Dr. Fuhrman is basing his approach on the most nutrient dense foods that are naturally low calorie, with higher calorie yet still nutrient-rich foods in smaller amounts pending activity levels. He refers to people who seek the most nutrients per calorie as a "nutritarian".

• Dr. McDougall is basing his approach on calorically dense foods that are still considered nutrient rich, with the most nutrient rich, lower calorie foods added in after a person get's enough calories. He refers to the person who eats a starch based diet as a "starchivore".

 

Both of these approaches have their merits but become more meaningful, relevant and actionable when you understand the complex of benefits they are designed to realize for the healthy eater. Pending the array of benefits you are seeking, where you are in your nutrition transition, and other individualized considerations, will determine what approach you take.

 

In my view, if a person is not active enough, or is starchy carb sensitive, they can very easily gain weight as a starchivore especially after they have been eating this way for a while and their body has transitioned fully from their previous usual nutrient poor diet. If a person who is eating a vegetable based diet as primates do, and needs more calories, or to eat more often for any of a variety of potential reasons, they can just do so; but they are surely going to get the most nutrient rich foods when they eat with the nutrient density of foods in mind first and foremost. And this favors a vegetable based diet since vegetables are the most nutrient rich foods around and the best for healthy weight loss. Especially in a world that is not that active anymore. This is why in my opinion, one eats kale before corn and romaine before russet potatoes...  

This broader conversation requires a great deal of additional nutritional education to understand concepts not yet commonly discussed in the vegan, vegetarian, now plant based community, so it's no wonder that some percentage of people are going to misinterpret, or simply miss aspects of the message. It's inevitably going to happen, but that does not in anyway constitute a message gone awry. It's a message not yet fully understood, that requires at least a basic nutritional education.That's what I see.

After a few years away from this conference, following 6 prior years of attendance, and a 23 year evolution to this point on this very subject, I could see this pretty clearly.  

 

It was an amazing conference!

 

The post Starchivore or Nutritarian appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

One of the many things that I appreciated about this video, besides T Colin Campbells trademark humility and characteristic directness around the influences negatively affecting our food quality and choices, is that Bill Maher was already aware of this work and able be so in tune with Dr Campbell. In other words, even as early at 1-3-5 years ago, knowledge of the findings of the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted were not even on the radar screen for most people let alone on prime time TV.

Fortunately, Real Time with Bill Maher is on HBO, so the message did not have to get watered down because of conflicts with advertisers selling message that simply underline any modicum of truth when it comes to food or the consequences of eating foods that don't promote health. In spite of that, the message of eating a plant based diet is really catching on. People want to be healthy!

The best key secret in health is the fact that you don't have to suffer from diabetes, heart disease and cancer, and you don't have to diet (proactively restrict your eating and not get your needs met) ever again, to live at or near your ideal weight. All of that changes when you start eating Nutrient Rich.

For many, that seems unbelievable! Aren't these diseases expected as you age? Yes, but only if you are eating a nutrient poor diet. Which bring up another point I noticed in this video...

T. Colin Campbell, is vegan I meaning 100% of what he eats is plant based, even though that wasn't always the case. He makes the point that you don't need animal products let alone refined foods in your diet.

You could see he was a bit hesitant though when asked if he consumed any animal products; and Bill Maher asked about whether small amounts of animal products were ok? This, is the big questions people are reconciling today. 

To eat "healthy" do I need to be a vegan or vegetarian and never eat meat?

The answer to this is NO, but that does not mean we need to promote animal products for nutritional reasons, as if you were going to be unhealthy or get skinny, or lose function without the consumption of animal foods each day. People lose function eating animal foods.

Animal foods are nutrient poor; they are rich in some nutrients, but as whole foods they are nutrient poor. Yet, you can still consume small amounts of animal products and still be eating nutrient rich on total dietary intake basis.

And that is why we promote the 90% or More Plant Based, Nutrient Rich eating style, which is less about arguing the difference between eating meat or not and more about health, personal performance and natural weight loss. If you want to or feel you need to consume small amounts of animal products in your diet at this time, that fine, but the reality is, getting to 90% or More Plant Based Nutrient Rich is the key to healthy success.

It's not about fighting the fight between plant and animal foods, it's about what's best for your body, energy metabolism, your weight, your health and your personal performance.

Video's like this, are powerful because they let you know what's going on behind the scenes and why so many people are so preoccupied with food issues, unclear about what is the best way to eat. It also let's you know that eating a plant based diet is catching on. Watch it, I hope it inspires you to move away from poor begin the making the switch to Nutrient Rich eating.

The post T Colin Campbell Shares the Best Kept Secret In Health on Bill Maher appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

Get Switched On Video

Years ago in early 1990's when I was working with Tony Robbins (who really introduced me to Living Health) I worked with a great guy named Chip Eichelberger. I remember to this day, when Chip, my friend Bob Quintana and I went bungee jumping off an old crane in San Diego. It was when MC Hammer was huge and we came up with a phrase for Chip modeled after a famous song from the MC "Too Legit to Quit".... we use to say "Too Le Chip to Quit".

Categories: Easy (5 minutes), Quick & Easy, Recipes

The post Get Switched On Video Smoothie is Now in the Nutrient Rich Rich Food and Recipe Database appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

The past weekend, I was was nutrition seminar put on by a local graduate of the Institute for Integrated Nutrition. her name was Rebecca Johns ~ Certified Nutrition & Wellness Coach.

It was at a local Tai Quan Do facility for the athletes their; I went with my good friend Michele Katz.

I had just finished a great bike ride and was ready to get filled up with some exciting insight, not to mention to my surprise... her homemade Protein Bar. This isn't just any protein bar and certainly not junk packed as "health food".

Here's Rebecca's recipe for "protein bites".

Ingredients:

• 2C Raw Oatmeal
• 1c Protein Powder
• 1/2c flax seed, ground
• 1/2c wheat germ
• 2c trail mix - almonds, cashews, dried fruit, etc
• 1/2c ground walnuts
• 1/2c coconut
• 1c honey
• 2c peanut butter

Procedure:

• Mix all ingredients together and press in a baking pan. Cut in 24 bars
• Calories 310
• carbs 31 g.
• fiber4.2g
• protein 11g

I want to share of the best insights she focused on that day.

In the recipe above, when you look at the quality of the ingredients you know you are getting a Nutrient Rich Food and the information provided from calories to carbs, to fiber, to protein is just plain straight forward.

So to that extent, reading the nutrition data on the label is useful.

When it is not as useful is when you are reading a label for nutrition data about ingredients that you can't spell, or decipher. That's when nutritional data is often misleading. "Net carbs", "real carbs", serving sizes, calories, definitions, sodium, type of fat etc; there is so much label manipulation that goes on, it would boggle your mind.

You can learn all the ins and outs of label reading here; the guru is Jeff Novick of the National Health Association.

The first and most obvious question would be, are you eating predominantly nutrient rich calories or nutrient poor calories? The difference in terms of the consequences in your body is huge, not just in terms of weight, but in terms of your health your ability to function and perform well.

See the Food Class System to see the difference between a nutrient rich food and a nutrient poor food and remember this, it's not just the calories that count; it's not even just the nutrients that count, it's the quality of the nutrients that count!

Are you eating, health promoting protein, real food carbohydrates, essential fat...?

What's the point of eating whey protein or huge amounts of animal protein, or synthetic vitamins... if these sources of nutrients are of a poor quality?

Despite the nutrition data, the quality of nutrients from those foods and the negative impact they can have on your system if eaten in significant quantities, are bound to have negative health consequences.

In this seminar, Rebecca was talking about pre workout and post working meals, because she was talking to an athletic group of people. I thought her points were incredibly authentic... here we just a few that I am paraphrasing.

1. It's not just the nutrition data, it's the quality of the ingredients that matter.
2. How do you feel when you eat one food versus another?
3. Do you know that you can feel and perform allot better when you are eating real food and food that promotes your health in an optimal way? You'll know once you make transition.
4. Hydration comes from water, but also from the food you eat. Eat allot of fruits and vegetable and you'll be drinking all day.
5. Coconut water, is one of nature's best re hydrants
6. Managing your personal energy level is incredibly important to being able to take care of yourself and perform and we're not just talking your food energy, but your vital energy.
7. Food Matters - she played this video, and I suggest you watch this video online.
8. Make the Protein Bites above!

This is so exciting to see the Nutrient Rich food revolution taking such a hold, in martial arts dojangs to the mainstream. And one of the lessons in this food revolution in this... food quality is everything.

Nutrient Rich is not a specific diet you have to stick to, it's a quality standard you maintain... more on that in my next post.

Nutrition Data must start with food quality first, if the food quality is there, you can be sure that the nutrition data is actually true.

The post Look at the Nutrition Data or the quality of the ingredients? appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

The title of this article is from an acquaintance of mine Rip Esselstyn.I know Rip through his father Dr Caldwell Esselstyn.

Here is an excerpt from his article Attention Athletes: Eat Your Vegetables!

Alex Rodriguez. Barry Bonds. Jose Conseco. Andy Pettitte. Jason Giambi. Roger Clemens. Baseball players in the news, all of them in hot water for using illegal substances for a competitive edge.

As a former professional athlete with friends active in all areas of sports, I know that steroids and other illicit substances have permeated just about every sport. A feeling has sprung up among athletes that if you're not on this stuff, you're at a disadvantage. You're just not going to be as good as the next guy.

But the secret to hitting fifty home runs, to stealing a hundred bases, to pitching a perfect game, doesn't involve needles or pills, the cream or the clear.

The secret is no farther away than the local grocery store, where no one needs an illegal prescription or a shady doctor. It's right there, in the produce section, where you'll find Nature's naturally lean, bad-ass performance enhancers: plant foods such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, seeds, and nuts. Instead of injecting themselves with human growth hormones and steroids, instead of having those monsters coursing through their 65,000 miles of veins, arteries, and capillaries, by consuming plant-powered foods, athletes' systems will be bursting with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and antioxidants, and they'll not only be on their way to MVP seasons but also to the best health of their lifetimes.

Read More...

What is so powerful about this article, is that it's true and reinforces the new mentality that is sweeping the nation one person at a time - that it's your lifestyle that determines your health, how you look and feel, and perform!

So many people spend a lifetime, trying to find the magic pill or powder, some substance that will help them overcome the common ills, created unbeknownst to them, mainly by the way they eat. They think low energy, what they don't know as poor performance due to their lack of true health, and the fight against disease are normal and natural, but they aren't... just common because of our modern day way of life that is simply caught up and unhealthy.

What has also become common is thinking that that we need to seek performance enhancing substances to function and perform at peak, when we haven't even begun to proactively tap the potential of our own lifestyle - how we think and live.

Of course, a big BIG part of your lifestyle is how you eat. The quality of the food you eat, whether you eat Nutrient Rich foods or nutrient poor foods is going to have a huge and compounding effect on your energy level, your health, how fit you are, and what you are able to achieve in your life.

Most people just can't get it, that they need to change the quality of their diet, not simply seek another way to lose weight. They will naturally lose weight, when they focus on eating for health, functioning and performing better in a now more active and healthy lifestyle.

Rip Esselstyn has has it right. As the founder of www.PerformanceLifestyle.com, and author of the PerformanceLifestyle blog, this mentality is clear, near and dear to my heart and hopefully yours.

When how you live is driven by your ability to function, to have quality of life and the capacity to perform "well", you will look at how you eat and your overall lifestyle so much differently. You will finally leave the eat less diet mentality ingrained in our heads by a diet industry that knows very little about living a balanced and healthy lifestyle.

You will learn everything you can about eating better, about eating Nutrient Rich foods and eating for health!

~ JAM
John Allen Mollenhauer

The post Attention All Achievers: Eat Your Vegetables! appeared first on Nutrient Rich.

Now these may not actually be the 100 "best" foods according the nutrient profiles, but the chart is helpful. Is it any wonder that so many 90+% of the foods are plant based?

My friends, plants are where all nutrients come from, originally!

~ John Allen Mollenhauer

The post 100 Best Foods for Boosting Performance appeared first on Nutrient Rich.