Although named the six-week plan, the intention is to make this way of eating a lifestyle and not just a temporary diet. The "life plan" is the "six-week plan" but with more whole-foods options. Dr. Fuhrman treats 1000s of people with chronic disease and obesity, and this nutritarian eating plan is what he advises to turn health around in a doable way without starvation. More information can be found in his book Eat to Live.
UNLIMITED
All raw vegetables (goal: 1 lb daily) The object is to eat as many raw vegetables as possible.
+Snow peas, red bell peppers, carrots, raw peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, watercress, celery, radishes, kohlrabi, lettuce (romaine, bib, Boston, red leaf, green ice, iceberg, arugula, radicchio, endive, frisée)
Cooked green and non-green nutrient-rich vegetables (goal: 1 lb daily) Eat as many as you can
-Non-green, nutrient-dense includes: eggplant, peppers, onions, tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower, garlic, stewed tomatoes, mushrooms (eat lots of mushrooms)
-Green: string beans, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus, zucchini, kale, collards, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy, okra, Swiss chard, mustard greens, turnip greens, escarole, beet greens, spinach, dandelion greens, broccoli raab,
Beans, legumes, bean sprouts, and tofu (goal: 1 cup daily, but you can have more)
-Technically a starch but is acts more like fiber during digestion; it’s a “resistant starch”
-Eat beans with every lunch
-Chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans, cowpeas, split peas, lima beans, pinto beans, lentils, red kidney beans, soybeans, cannellini beans, pigeon peas, white beans
Fresh fruits: at least 4 daily (frozen okay but avoid canned)
-Apples, apricots, bananas, blackberries, blueberries, clementines, grapes, kiwi-fruit, kumquats, mangoes, melons, nectarines, oranges, papayas, peaches, pears, persimmons, pineapples, plums, raspberries, star-fruit, strawberries, tangerines
-Exotic (Dr. F’s faves) blood oranges, persimmons, cherimoyas
LIMITED (limited)
Cooked starchy vegetables or whole grains (not more than 1 serving, or 1 cup, per day)
-Calorically dense
-Starchy veggies: Most should be colorful- butternut and acorn squash, corn, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams, winter squash, pumpkins, rutabagas. White potatoes, chestnuts, water chestnuts.
-Grains: barley, buckwheat (kasha), millet, oats, quinoa, brown rice, wild rice, bread, cereal (tip: soaking whole grains for a day before cooking increases nutritional value)
Raw nuts and seeds (1 ounce max per day)
-Almonds, cashews, walnuts, black walnuts, pecans, filberts, hickory nuts, macadamias, pignolis, pistachios, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds (ground). Best in salads, dressings, and dips
Avocado (2 ounce max per day, about 1/2 an avocado)
Dried fruit (2 T max per day) Use for sweetening
Ground flaxseeds (1 T max per day) Includes daily for omega-3 fats
-Other sources: hemp seeds, walnuts, soybeans like edamame. Veg DHA supplement
Spices, herbs, condiments
Use all spices and herbs except salt. A little mustard is okay. No pickled food. Unsweetened ketchup. No-oil tomato sauce.
OFF-LIMITS
Dairy, animal products
Between-meal snacks
fuit juice
oils
salt
