Nutritarian Diet
The first time I tried a vegetarian diet was while living in Hawaii one summer during college. I lived at an “intentional community” called Polestar Gardens on the Big Island of Hawaii. My fiancé (boyfriend at the time) had spent the summer prior helping this group build on their land. By the time I made it to the island, they had a big main house, some additional dwellings such as a meditation room, and a large garden. I was there to do work trade, so I spent my days gardening in exchange for room and board. I learned about the teachings of Paramahansa Yogananda, the spiritual leader whose practices and teachings the community followed. I also spent time meditating, learning yoga, and making new friends while exploring the island.
The diet was vegetarian, and I learned to really love it. Every week there was a potluck and people came over to eat, socialize, and play volleyball. We ate lots of salads with homemade dressing, fresh fruit, and I distinctly remember eating a lot of cheese quesadillas. However, when I got back home to school (Chico, CA), I had a hard time maintaining the diet and lifestyle. I felt great leaving the island and wanted to continue, but my community of friends was not vegetarian, and it was hard to stay committed alone.
After several years, I did try a vegetarian diet again after reading the book Eat to Live, by Dr. Joel Furhman. He explains the benefits of eating a nutrient dense, plant-based diet with limited processed foods or animal products, which he coined the Nutritarian diet. To explain the diet, he uses the following formula: Health = Nutrients / Calories (H = N/C). Dr. Furhman advises that foods with low-nutrients should be avoided for the best health benefits. This means cutting out sugary and processed foods like chips, candy, soda, etc. A few of the most important foods he recommends are what he calls “GBOMBS,” greens, beans, onions, mushrooms, berries, and seeds. But overall, the diet focuses on eating any plant-based foods with high nutrient density. He believes that this diet can help prevent (and in some cases reverse) diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cancer, heart disease, and autoimmune diseases.
He also believes in limiting meat and dairy to less than 10% of total calories. Since plant-based foods tend to have less calories than meat, you get more bang for your buck when it comes to his health formula, and there is no need to count your calories while eating Nutritarian. I distinctly remember Dr. Furhman’s image of two side by side stomachs, one filled full with veggies and the other partially full with meat, each representing the same calorie count. This was meant to show how you can feel more full on a plant-based diet, while cutting your calories, without sacrificing hunger. You can eat all of the whole, unprocessed foods you’d like - fruit, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, etc.
There are many different nutritional / dietary modalities out there today, each with their distinct differences and benefits. This is just the one I have gravitated towards. I love meat as well, and the health benefits of meat are well known (protein, iron, vitamins, etc.), But, there are some studies that show dairy and meat consumption has links to cancer cell growth, and there are the known side effects of meat consumption (saturated fats / cholesterol) like heart disease. I think what’s most important is that people find what works for them, so they can determine what makes them feel good.
After reading Dr. Furhman’s book, I spent a year without eating meat (well, pescatarian to be exact) or drinking alcohol. My body felt the best it had in a long time, and I want to take the opportunity to try it again. This month I plan to follow the Nutritarian diet. I don’t want to commit to anything longer term, but it will feel good to have a little reset. I’m hoping I will lose a few pounds while following the diet this month. I do expect my calorie count to go down with the focus on plant-based foods, but I will also include some seafood for extra protein, variety, and taste. I feel good on a mostly vegetarian diet - it feels clean to me, and I am forced to put more thought and planning into my meals and grocery shopping. I love eating kale, mushrooms, quinoa, and sweet potatoes (among many other things), and I plan to try some new recipes to broaden my repertoire this month.
One of the harder parts will be cutting down on the sugar and processed foods like candy, chips, and bread, as well as the extra calories and sugar from beer and soda. I don’t plan on giving those things up this month, but I will be extra cognizant and limit them to better follow the diet and truly feel better. I’m about four months postpartum, and this will be a nice transition into healthier habits, including trying to get more movement / exercise incorporated into my days as well.
