The nutritious diet is another one of those diets bent on straightening our crooked nutritional course. His ideologist is Joel Fuhrman, an American family doctor who is the author of countless books where he pours all his wisdom on nutrition issues. He was responsible for the fact that in 2003 the US began to talk about the nutrition diet after the publication of his book ‘Eat to live‘, among many other titles. In Spain, its publication took a long time, because until 2013 we did not see it appear in the bookstores of the Gaia publishing house.
According to the official website of the nutritarian diet, Dr. Fuhrman coined the term ‘nutritarian’ to describe a nutrient-rich eating style, designed to prevent cancer, delay aging and prevent various diseases such as diabetes. “A diet that is rich in micronutrients is what I call a nutritious diet. The more nutrient-rich your diet, the healthier it will be. It seems very simple and it certainly is,” he says.
With the nutritarian we are done fixing ourselves only in the amount of dietary fiber and calories to which we are accustomed to countless diets. Here the important thing is the nutritional contribution of each food. This doctor explains that ‘eating to live’ does not mean depriving oneself: “In fact, you don’t have to stop eating any food. However, as you take larger portions of health-promoting, nutrient-rich products, your desire to eat poor-quality food will gradually diminish and you will no longer be addicted to it,” he says in this book.
Fuhrman offers us a practically vegetarian diet, gluten-free, low in sodium and fat. In addition, it seeks to reduce processed foods to a minimum and focus on foods rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants.
“Some people don’t want to know anything about the dangers of unhealthy food because they believe it interferes with the pleasure of food. You’re wrong. Eating healthily can be even more pleasurable,” the author states in his dietary manual.
What is ANDI?
To help us follow the nutritarian diet, this doctor has gone to the trouble of producing a food nutrient ranking or index (ANDI). The latter classifies foods by nutrient density to help people identify more nutritious food choices.
In any case, it is not a question of drawing up a list of bad or good foods, but of judging their nutritional quality. If we take a moment to look at this ranking, we will see that the products that top the list of foods with high nutritional density are kale, watercress or Chinese cabbage. All of them are distinguished by their low calorie intake, as well as their abundance of fiber and antioxidants.
On the other hand, as an example of foods with a medium classification, we come across grapes, pomegranates or cantaloupe melons. They’re moderately caloric. While with low nutritional density we can mention eggplant, walnut and even our beloved avocado.
Therefore, all those who want to embrace a style of nutrition, and can go making a copious purchase because, according to Fuhrman, our daily diet must consist basically of very disparate foods. Specifically, he talks about the following:
- Pulses
- A salad plate
- Three pieces of fruit
- Dried fruit
- Mushrooms and onions
For more than 25 years, Dr. Fuhrman has demonstrated that it is possible to achieve sustainable weight loss and reverse heart disease, diabetes and many other diseases by using intelligent nutrition.
In any case, many will feel that their diet bears a clear resemblance to the Mediterranean or the Fexivegetarian, where the basis of the diet are fruits, vegetables and legumes, while at the apex are the meats.
Farewell to diabetes
This doctor is also convinced, and dedicates an entire book to this (‘Farewell to diabetes’), that a correct diet can even help us to say goodbye to diabetes: “When we eat a diet rich in healthy and natural foods that come from the earth, we are providing our body with the nutrients it needs to heal and protect itself. Type 2 diabetes is an eating disorder that can be prevented and reversed.
Dr. Fuhrman coined the term ‘nutritarian’ to describe a nutrient-rich eating style
As for type 1 diabetes, this doctor is much more cautious. Obviously we are talking about people who will always be dependent on insulin but if they adopt this type of feeding, they will need much lower doses. “Taking less insulin is not the main reason to follow this kind of diet, but to avoid serious health problems. Don’t forget that having a condition like diabetes puts us at greater risk for heart problems, strokes, kidney disease, or eye problems.
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