Fit for Life Diet Scam
I'm incorporating The China Study theories into my diet but rejecting Fit for Life as a scam. : )
Anyone else entitled to my opinion? please speak now...
What is Fit for Life? There are so many diet plans out there that it's impossible to keep track.
I'm almost done reading the China Study and it is amazing. I've been trying to follow it. I have been feeling a lot better.
Fit for life basically follows food combining and the natural digestive processing times of ones body. It's a great easy read by Harvey diamond. But fruit must be eaten alone.
Sample menu:
Breakfast: always fruit or you can juice fruit, eat as much fruit as you want before noon
Lunch & Dinner: vegetables and either protein (meat, tofu, etc) or a starch (potatoes, ezekiel bread)
It's a very simple way to eat, eliminating all the foods made by man that aren't good for us.
Hope this helps!
The China Study is just that, a study and that is all the author claims it is. He presents research and tests and the results/conclusions that his team and others have arrived at. He tells you along the way that science is just theories. And, essentially the conclusion he draws is that one has to think for onesself. The lifestyle changes he makes are based on his studies and they are HIS conclusions. He makes that very clear. It's a very personal decision. But, he shares his decision-making process with the reader. And what you come away with is that he believes that our pyramid is off and that the balance s/b weighing in on fruits and vegetables and whole grains. He does goes so far as to suggest that he believes it is healthy to eliminate ALL animal protein from ones diet. He has done so. Not once does he preach. His only claims involve the results of the tests he's conducted himself/other reputable folks have conducted. He also points out why other tests/conclusions are faulty. Even as he educates us, he's careful not to dictate criteria for everyone's wellbeing.
Not true of Fit for Life. From what I recall, he eliminates animal proteins altogether. This is not HIS research. This is a guy riding somebody's coattails and making extreme claims. He sees a marketing opportunity. I think its fascinating to witness this at its inception. He could grow to be as big as Atkins. However, his message is as volatile...do this or die. Where The China Study was not forceful enough, he draws out conclusions that are more forceful, more singular.
That is not the message of The China Study although clearly the author feels action is imperative. He does concede that there may be room for variations to the vegan diet he proposes for those of us who aren't ready to totally change.
Clearly the American Diet is unhealthy. But, when do Americans start getting a handle on this and saying...I won't be part of the pendulum anymore. First you lead me one way and then you lead me another way. Fit for life won't be the last of the fad books. I prefer to get my information/life changes from the wisdom of the more thoughtful/thought provoking China Study. I'm really glad someone recommended this book!
Original Post by sharonclaire:
kasnow, LOVE discussion, so will answer your questions! As I recall, fit for life excludes all animal proteins, too, kasnow7 and THAT is one reason why it's a fad/scam diet, in my opinion.
The China Study is just that, a study and that is all the author claims it is. He presents research and tests and the results/conclusions that his team and others have arrived at. He tells you along the way that science is just theories. And, essentially the conclusion he draws is that one has to think for onesself. The lifestyle changes he makes are based on his studies and they are HIS conclusions. He makes that very clear. It's a very personal decision. But, he shares his decision-making process with the reader. And what you come away with is that he believes that our pyramid is off and that the balance s/b weighing in on fruits and vegetables and whole grains. He does goes so far as to suggest that he believes it is healthy to eliminate ALL animal protein from ones diet. He has done so. Not once does he preach. His only claims involve the results of the tests he's conducted himself/other reputable folks have conducted. He also points out why other tests/conclusions are faulty. Even as he educates us, he's careful not to dictate criteria for everyone's wellbeing.
Not true of Fit for Life. From what I recall, he eliminates animal proteins altogether. This is not HIS research. This is a guy riding somebody's coattails and making extreme claims. He sees a marketing opportunity. I think its fascinating to witness this at its inception. He could grow to be as big as Atkins. However, his message is as volatile...do this or die. Where The China Study was not forceful enough, he draws out conclusions that are more forceful, more singular.
That is not the message of The China Study although clearly the author feels action is imperative. He does concede that there may be room for variations to the vegan diet he proposes for those of us who aren't ready to totally change.
Clearly the American Diet is unhealthy. But, when do Americans start getting a handle on this and saying...I won't be part of the pendulum anymore. First you lead me one way and then you lead me another way. Fit for life won't be the last of the fad books. I prefer to get my information/life changes from the wisdom of the more thoughtful/thought provoking China Study. I'm really glad someone recommended this book!
Well, I think that the 'Fit for Life' book is probably older than half the people on this website! Given that, I don't see it as becoming any kind of raging fad at this point!!
Anyway.... the information about food combining that appears in the book is not supported by any science. It is a concept that was popularized earlier by the Natural Hygeine movement. I don't think that following the book would hurt anyone, for many it might be a big improvement over what they were doing previously.
If you'd like a comprehensive book on diet and nutrition, which is heavily documented, with references to highly respected, peer-reviewed medical journals, I would recommend 'Eat to Live', by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. BTW, he does not suggest that all animal protein should be removed from the diet, however, he does believe that it should be limited to much smaller amounts than what is found in the typical american diet.
That said, at this point it may be best for me to go quietly to my corner. hahaha...forgive me. I meant well. : )
Original Post by sharonclaire:
Okay, people, this is a total foot in mouth moment for me, but I guess I have to come clean. The book I really MEANT to slam is the Eat TO LIVE. : ) I have to laugh at myself because other than starting a debate I totally skewered, my last week has been extremely productive!
That said, at this point it may be best for me to go quietly to my corner. hahaha...forgive me. I meant well. : )
Then this makes your first post much more interesting to me. The China Study is pretty clearly NOT recommending any notion of keeping animal products in your diet. In fact, one point Dr. Campbell stresses is that any amount of animal protein intake is correlated with increases in chronic diseases. However, the risks do not increase dramatically until you get to the point that animal protein makes up 10% of your caloric intake. Dr. Campbell says specifically, avoid all meat products, but don't worry if your whole wheat bread is made with eggs or your veggie soup uses chicken broth.
As far as Eat to Live is concerned, Dr. Fuhrman gives us this diet pyramid: http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/Fuhrmid. jpg. You can see that Fuhrman's pyramid allows you to eat fish or fat-free dairy up to two times per week and poultry, eggs, and oils once per week or less. That's hardly more restricting than Dr. Campbell's recommendations at all.
I wonder, did you even read Eat to Live?
No, you said so yourself, Dr. Campbell doesn't say avoid all meat products. The point I was trying to make is that I found that to be the difference between EAT TO LIVE (yes, that's the one) and The China Study. Dr. Campbell's approach is to give you the information and altho he draws the conclusion (even in creating his own new diet) that a no animal protein diet is the healthy option, he also states that what he is doing as a scientist is presenting information. In truth, he slams Atkins and others for taking research and government directives in creating popular diets...ULTIMATE DIETS, do this or die diets. And, whether or not you agree w/the diet, essentially that is what eat to live author did, too. He took research and developed a diet by turning scientific evidence into an ultimate diet. As I recall, HE does chuck all animal products from his diet.
All I was really noting, mikelane, is that this is how dietcrazes develop. I did say that I will follow conclusions from The China Study. I thought it was sensical and well presented. Just plain smart. I admire his bald talk about the role of the government and big industry in misleading the public. I also said that in both form and function, whether or not eat to live is a healthy diet, the presentation of it follows other leading diet craze books. I think the China Study allows for expansion and discussion. And I think the message of eat to live says do this or die.
That said, mikelane, I guess I'm entitled to my opinion whether or not it agrees w/yours. Don't you ever walk out of a movie w/friends and you loved it and oneaya hated it? Do you say to the guy who hated it, 'hey, did you even SEE that movie, cause I'm thinking you must've had your eyes closed or something?' I mean, what kind of question is that? That is so SEINFELD. lol
Take care all and have a good day. this has been fun and certainly, let's do this again sometime soon! ; )
I guess the way I see it is that the books have two different purposes. The China Study's goal is to help you understand why you should eat a certain way. Eat to Live's goal is to help you understand how.
I don't recall Dr. Campbell slamming Atkins et al because they took scientific information and used it to create a diet and sell books. I remember him slamming atkins et al because they skewed information or used bad information to dupe their readers into eating a diet that is horrible for them. In other words, it wasn't the profit he opposed iirc, it was the bad information. Even Dr. Campbell is guilty of profiting from scientific work. There is only one chapter in The China Study that is actually dedicated to the Cornell-Oxford-China Project. It was a marketing decision, a decision that would help sell his book and make more money. I don't have a problem with that in the slightest. I would if I felt the information presented in his book was inaccurate, though.
If I go to a movie and love it and someone else hates it, I shrug it off unless they bring up a conversation about it. If they want to discuss why it was so bad and bring up things about the movie that just aren't true, then I would absolutely ask if they even watched it. You brought up the conversation, misrepresented the book imo, so I'm discussing it with you. If that's not what you wanted, why did you bring it up?
I think that diet books, including eat to live, do a real disservice to our culture. I appreciate the information in The China Study.
I am very willing to admit that I'm just at the beginning of understanding the diet culture and now I realize, I am also very much at the beginning of understanding my objections. So, maybe I'm not quite ready to argue this.
I think that you're defending a single book whereas I'm really finally seeing the whole industry. Apples and oranges? But the bottom line is that I'm really here for the same reasons everyone else is at cc...to lose weight and to understand which tools help me and which don't. I will definitely be more cautious about stepping on toes. And, I really can't stress this to you enough...I DO wish you well in your endeavors and just because eat to live makes me wretch doesn't mean it can't be the key to your success. : )
Now, I've had my last word and when I run across you again at cc maybe I will be better equipped to defend my side of the argument and do it w/o offending you. OR, maybe we will gracefully set this one aside. Take care, mikelane, you seem like a very thoughtful person.
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