If you've read Dr. Fuhrman's book "Eat to Live" and had trouble transitioning to a plant based diet or sticking to it long term, his new book set "Eat for Health" (Book 1- The Mind Makeover and Book 2- The Body Makeover) can help you transition in four gradual phases.

Phase One discusses the fundamentals on how to create change in your health. It also discusses the concept of eating a high nutrient, high fiber diet, and how it facilitates weight loss and improves health.

The goals of Phase One are:

1. Have at least three fresh fruits with your breakfast daily
2. Eat a large salad before dinner every night, and chew all of it thoroughly
3. Use the Phase One Menus to start eating "high-nutrient cuisine"

Phase Two goes through several mental exercises to help you change how you think about food, as many people have emotional eating habits. In this phase you learn how to break destructive thinking patterns that sabotage your willingness to be healthy and make healthy food choices.

The goals of Phase Two are:
1. Incorporate a bowl of low fat, low sodium vegetable-bean soup, casserole or stew daily.
2. Eat one pound of fruit and veggies daily.
3. Use the phase two menus in the book to increase your intake of high nutrient, high fiber foods
4. Further reduce your intake of processed foods and animal products and increase your intake of fruits and vegetables.

Phase Three discusses the difference between "toxic hunger" and true hunger. There are four dimensions of hunger which are resolved through eating a diet that is high in fiber and high in nutrients.

The goals of Phase Three are:
1. Greatly reduce or remove red meat and cheese from the diet.
2. Use the nut-based salad dressings from Book Two.
3. Eat high-vegetable dinners with both raw greens and cooked greens and use animal products in small card deck size portions every other day or less.
4. Eliminate white flour and white sugar from your diet.

Phase Four is the part of the program where you are "Living Nutritional Excellence" or living the changes you have made on a consistent basis.
In this phase you are starting to alleviate symptoms of disease (if you had any) and have improved energy levels, moods, and sleep habits. He addresses scheduling exercise into your week and making time to create weekly menu plans and shop at ideal times during the week when you are not hungry or rushed.

The goals of Phase Four are:
1. Eliminate or reduce your consumption of fish to no more than once a week
2. Engage in physical activity at least four times a week.
3. Make a diet, shopping, and exercise plan at the beginning of each week.
4. Eat a blended salad or vegetable juice at least three times a week.
5. Continue following the nutritional guidelines in Book Two.

Enjoy your path to becoming a Nutritarian! A "Nutritarian Diet" according to Dr. Furhman, is neither Vegetarian or Vegan, but "a person who has a preference for foods and/or an eating-style high in micronutrients".

The Eat for Health program is a way of eating for life, it is not a fad diet. It is based on sound principles of nutrition and backed by 20+ years of research presented in The China Study that prove populations who eat diets high in plant foods have the lowest incidence of degenerative disease. It is the only diet I recommend to my clients in my Wellness Coaching business because it's the only one that works for long term health and wellness.