Eating to Live, Vegas style
Published 1.17.2017
Penn Jillette lost a ton of weight last year, and because he's a performer his weight loss tale has received significant amount of coverage. Jillette has been a bit inconsistent stating how he lost the weight (or maybe the reporting about it has been), but usually the story involves Joel Fuhrman, MD's Eat to Live plan. I've written about Fuhrman and his Eat to Live plan previously, it's actually one of the few diet books that I've read all the through. Not only did I read it, I took copious notes while doing so, which I published here.
Fuhrman remains, for me, the one doctor whose positions haven't been overturned by my subsequent learning, which is why I keep following news of him. His plan is not vegan or vegetarian, though it's extremely low fat. Also Fuhrman allowed from the beginning the idea that someone might not follow the plan 100%. It's a difficult plan, which he admits. He claims if you stick to it you get used to it, but that's better than most diet touts do. If I had a nickel for every law carb diet shill who asserted that it's a "simple plan to follow" I'd be wealthy.
The main issue in any diet is adherence, so kudos for Fuhrman for acknowledging adherence to his diet isn't easy. He'd still note that adherence to his diet would greatly improve your odds of longevity, but that's not the same as shaming you because you don't want to give up bread and pasta for the rest of your life. At least, I don't think it is.
Penn Jillette lost a ton of weight last year, and because he's a performer his weight loss tale has received significant amount of coverage. Jillette has been a bit inconsistent stating how he lost the weight (or maybe the reporting about it has been), but usually the story involves Joel Fuhrman, MD's Eat to Live plan. I've written about Fuhrman and his Eat to Live plan previously, it's actually one of the few diet books that I've read all the through. Not only did I read it, I took copious notes while doing so, which I published here.
Fuhrman remains, for me, the one doctor whose positions haven't been overturned by my subsequent learning, which is why I keep following news of him. His plan is not vegan or vegetarian, though it's extremely low fat. Also Fuhrman allowed from the beginning the idea that someone might not follow the plan 100%. It's a difficult plan, which he admits. He claims if you stick to it you get used to it, but that's better than most diet touts do. If I had a nickel for every law carb diet shill who asserted that it's a "simple plan to follow" I'd be wealthy.
The main issue in any diet is adherence, so kudos for Fuhrman for acknowledging adherence to his diet isn't easy. He'd still note that adherence to his diet would greatly improve your odds of longevity, but that's not the same as shaming you because you don't want to give up bread and pasta for the rest of your life. At least, I don't think it is.
Penn Jillette, Diet Evangelist
Jillette interviewed Fuhrman on his podcast. Listening to the podcast and doing a bit of poking around while listening I came across what Jillette did to lose the weight. It seems that he started out eating only potatoes for two weeks, and then switched to Fuhrman's Nutritarian™ diet.
Gillette likes the fact that Fuhrman doesn’t moderate much. He presents the facts without making it easy. He’s looking for the optimal way to eat, not the easiest. If you don’t want to do it, then don’t do it. He’s telling you what’s best— he calls it “informed consent.” Jillette said that doing the two weeks of potatoes reset his taste buds, but Fuhrman wasn't buying it. It’s not easy to eat the way he does. Most people don’t want to give up what they know and love.
In addition, to realize the health benefits and longevity he claims for his diet, you have to buy into the whole theory to stick with it. And Fuhrman was very clear that Gillette is early on in his journey. He doesn't seem as convinced as Jillette that the hard part is over and that the weight lost will be maintained.
I like the the fact that he (Jillette) makes the distinction between cravings and addiction. You can have food cravings, but that’s not addiction. If there’s no withdrawal, it’s NOT addiction. But Fuhrman claims that you can have withdrawal from processed foods. That, I think, is nonsense.
Fuhrman then goes into the “toxins” of the American diet that build up inside you— I just don’t buy this either to be honest. Not sure Jillette does either. But Jillette felt like crap when he started. I don’t know that’s “detoxing” so much as just your gut adapting to the new diet. Fuhrman notes that the body’s ability to compensate to a poor diet declines as we age.
Listen to the podcast long enough, and Jillette does challenge Fuhrman— but since he's a devotee, Fuhrman doesn’t go off on him. Even when Jillete challenges his 90% of disease could be eliminated with his diet. But Fuhrman also doesn’t back down He believes that most disease and causes of early death can be avoided with nutrition. Nutrition can affect health and can lower risk (but not eliminate) of cancer. But he says 90% less cancer, but admits he can’t eliminate all cancer.
That is Fuhrman’s schtick though, longevity through nutrition— and being very lean. Fuhrman makes no bones about having a slow metabolism, for him that’s a benefit of being leaner than the body wants to be. He wants an optimal diet so that the body (the cells) will heal itself. Better late than never, but it’s never too late. Even the 70s isn’t too late.
He also says we are not living longer, it’s just that people don’t die as often in childhood or giving birth. And we have ways to handle infectious disease. Fuhrman makes the point that parental diet matters. It won’t get rid of genetic diseases, but they are actually rare. Thinks that almost all disease would be eliminated. And most people die of heart disease and common cancers. And the common ones are diet affected.
They make the argument for doing something extreme to make a change. Eventually it gets easier, but Penn liked the fact the diet and process was difficult. It made him feel like a “hero.” This is not something that fits in my life.
Then they discuss, “The obsession with swallowing” Huh? In other words, it’s okay not to eat sometimes. "We are fixated with saving things in their orifices…" That’s Fuhrmans's comment, not mine. I just say that we eat too much.
Eventually, IGF-1 enters the conversation as Fuhrman trashes the "salmon, broccoli, and rice" diet that most people would see as healthy (That actually describes dinner here one night last week… lol). Americans get 30% of calories from animal products. He does not advocate for veganism, but says that 30% of calories from animal products is too high, and that the number should be less than 10%. The problem of course, is that meat is calorie dense. Eliminate 20% of the meat from the typical American eats and that's a decent chunk of calories to replace with produce, which isn't that calorie dense. Refined grains and fat however, are calorie dense, and that's what too many people choose if they are trying to cut back on meat.
Apparently most of Jillette's "people" now eat the Fuhrman way, too— it's nice to be the boss, in other words. At the time of recording, it had been 6 months since reaching his goal. He was off most, but not all of his drugs. And his eczema went away. Fuhrman has seen psoriasis go away as well. People also claim their gray hair turned back brown.
Fuhrman isn't against fasting, but thinks what's most important is what you put in your mouth when you do eat. Fuhrman has fasted in the past, and has used fasting with patients. In fact, he notes that he did a 46 day fast, and it was a disaster. Thus in his view, long term fasts are dangerous. It should be noted that he fastest while lean. But if you’re healthy you can do two weeks.
Fuhrman's latest book is called, The End of Dieting.
I doubt very much that it's much different than Eat to Live
or Eat For Health,
both of which are based on the same principles. Fuhrman has said in interviews he wrote Eat for Health for people looking to eat as he teaches, but don't need to lose weight. He has also said that Eat to Health is not as rigorously low fat as Eat to Live, which was a weight loss book. I have only read Eat to Live.
Gillette likes the fact that Fuhrman doesn’t moderate much. He presents the facts without making it easy. He’s looking for the optimal way to eat, not the easiest. If you don’t want to do it, then don’t do it. He’s telling you what’s best— he calls it “informed consent.” Jillette said that doing the two weeks of potatoes reset his taste buds, but Fuhrman wasn't buying it. It’s not easy to eat the way he does. Most people don’t want to give up what they know and love.
In addition, to realize the health benefits and longevity he claims for his diet, you have to buy into the whole theory to stick with it. And Fuhrman was very clear that Gillette is early on in his journey. He doesn't seem as convinced as Jillette that the hard part is over and that the weight lost will be maintained.
I like the the fact that he (Jillette) makes the distinction between cravings and addiction. You can have food cravings, but that’s not addiction. If there’s no withdrawal, it’s NOT addiction. But Fuhrman claims that you can have withdrawal from processed foods. That, I think, is nonsense.
Fuhrman then goes into the “toxins” of the American diet that build up inside you— I just don’t buy this either to be honest. Not sure Jillette does either. But Jillette felt like crap when he started. I don’t know that’s “detoxing” so much as just your gut adapting to the new diet. Fuhrman notes that the body’s ability to compensate to a poor diet declines as we age.
Listen to the podcast long enough, and Jillette does challenge Fuhrman— but since he's a devotee, Fuhrman doesn’t go off on him. Even when Jillete challenges his 90% of disease could be eliminated with his diet. But Fuhrman also doesn’t back down He believes that most disease and causes of early death can be avoided with nutrition. Nutrition can affect health and can lower risk (but not eliminate) of cancer. But he says 90% less cancer, but admits he can’t eliminate all cancer.
That is Fuhrman’s schtick though, longevity through nutrition— and being very lean. Fuhrman makes no bones about having a slow metabolism, for him that’s a benefit of being leaner than the body wants to be. He wants an optimal diet so that the body (the cells) will heal itself. Better late than never, but it’s never too late. Even the 70s isn’t too late.
He also says we are not living longer, it’s just that people don’t die as often in childhood or giving birth. And we have ways to handle infectious disease. Fuhrman makes the point that parental diet matters. It won’t get rid of genetic diseases, but they are actually rare. Thinks that almost all disease would be eliminated. And most people die of heart disease and common cancers. And the common ones are diet affected.
They make the argument for doing something extreme to make a change. Eventually it gets easier, but Penn liked the fact the diet and process was difficult. It made him feel like a “hero.” This is not something that fits in my life.
Then they discuss, “The obsession with swallowing” Huh? In other words, it’s okay not to eat sometimes. "We are fixated with saving things in their orifices…" That’s Fuhrmans's comment, not mine. I just say that we eat too much.
Eventually, IGF-1 enters the conversation as Fuhrman trashes the "salmon, broccoli, and rice" diet that most people would see as healthy (That actually describes dinner here one night last week… lol). Americans get 30% of calories from animal products. He does not advocate for veganism, but says that 30% of calories from animal products is too high, and that the number should be less than 10%. The problem of course, is that meat is calorie dense. Eliminate 20% of the meat from the typical American eats and that's a decent chunk of calories to replace with produce, which isn't that calorie dense. Refined grains and fat however, are calorie dense, and that's what too many people choose if they are trying to cut back on meat.
Apparently most of Jillette's "people" now eat the Fuhrman way, too— it's nice to be the boss, in other words. At the time of recording, it had been 6 months since reaching his goal. He was off most, but not all of his drugs. And his eczema went away. Fuhrman has seen psoriasis go away as well. People also claim their gray hair turned back brown.
Fuhrman isn't against fasting, but thinks what's most important is what you put in your mouth when you do eat. Fuhrman has fasted in the past, and has used fasting with patients. In fact, he notes that he did a 46 day fast, and it was a disaster. Thus in his view, long term fasts are dangerous. It should be noted that he fastest while lean. But if you’re healthy you can do two weeks.
Fuhrman's latest book is called, The End of Dieting.
I doubt very much that it's much different than Eat to Live
or Eat For Health,
both of which are based on the same principles. Fuhrman has said in interviews he wrote Eat for Health for people looking to eat as he teaches, but don't need to lose weight. He has also said that Eat to Health is not as rigorously low fat as Eat to Live, which was a weight loss book. I have only read Eat to Live. Cray-Ray
Penn Jillette refers to Ray Cronise as "Cray-Ray," I'm guessing because of the Cronise's belief in using cold to stress the body for weight loss. As noted above, Cronise helped Penn Jillette lose over 100 pounds. He put him on the potato diet for 2 weeks, then basically had him follow Joel Fuhrman’s Eat to Live diet. Jillette still mostly follows Fuhrman’s credo, though every two weeks he goes out and eats what he wants.
This particular article is about the “Broken Plate” book that Cronise wrote. I like the fact that Cronise states matter of factly that most people’s metabolism is not broken. You’re not fat because there’s something wrong with your body, you’re fat because you eat too much.
Fuhrman’s plan allows people to eat high volumes of food, but not high calorie. Things like cheese and red meat get left off because of IGF-1 complaints, and also because they are low in terms of nutrient per CALORIE— not weight. The Paleo peeps tried to turn his ANDI scale on its head, but you can’t really go wrong basing your diet on plants. AND. IT’S. NOT. VEGAN. Cronise is also focusing on longevity, so no wonder Fuhrman’s approach appeals to him.
the other thing Cronise did with Penn is make him get a Withings scale,
which connects to the internet. Thus when Penn weighs himself everyday, Cronise, his doctor and other people get the number. Withings also has an app that will track a bunch of markers, it uses electric impedance to measure body fat. My understanding is that the absolute number of such a reading is meaningless, but the trend could be real.
Cronise still stresses that exercise isn’t good for exercise, and I still dispute that premise. I think exercise ( more precisely movement) is very important in the process and can help the body adjust to the changes it is undergoing.
Cronise thinks measuring is important for progress, and I don’t disagree with that. Part of my struggle has been maintaining and (trying to) losing without tracking anything. He’s a fan (an affiliate?) of Withings scales because they are connected to the internet and to phone apps for easy monitoring, which is the whole “accountability” thing. I never reported my weight change to anyone, because I lost (am losing) the weight for me, not for anyone else.
Cronise thinks humans are not broken, but our relationship to food is broken. I also happen to think we move a lot less, which makes a difference. Cronise also thinks that heated homes and lack of period of starvation aren’t totally positive changes either. I like my warm house, I like to be warm when I sleep and I prefer that there be electric lighting in the evening. As I’ve written before, I think this is overcomplicating the issue.
We. Eat. Too. Much. It’s not all due to sugar, and it’s not all due to fat or salt. It’s due to TOO MUCH intake, and TOO little expenditure. And it really doesn’t matter how much low carb shills whine about it. Low carb diets work if by eating that way you eat less. If you don’t cut total caloric intake on a low carb diet, you don’t lose weight. QED. Note that the exact SAME fact can be stated for low fat diets. If you can eat that way and be happy while not eating more than you expend, then you've found your answer. Just don't expect every other human to want to eat like that.
Disclaimer
This particular article is about the “Broken Plate” book that Cronise wrote. I like the fact that Cronise states matter of factly that most people’s metabolism is not broken. You’re not fat because there’s something wrong with your body, you’re fat because you eat too much.
Fuhrman’s plan allows people to eat high volumes of food, but not high calorie. Things like cheese and red meat get left off because of IGF-1 complaints, and also because they are low in terms of nutrient per CALORIE— not weight. The Paleo peeps tried to turn his ANDI scale on its head, but you can’t really go wrong basing your diet on plants. AND. IT’S. NOT. VEGAN. Cronise is also focusing on longevity, so no wonder Fuhrman’s approach appeals to him.
the other thing Cronise did with Penn is make him get a Withings scale,
which connects to the internet. Thus when Penn weighs himself everyday, Cronise, his doctor and other people get the number. Withings also has an app that will track a bunch of markers, it uses electric impedance to measure body fat. My understanding is that the absolute number of such a reading is meaningless, but the trend could be real.Cronise still stresses that exercise isn’t good for exercise, and I still dispute that premise. I think exercise ( more precisely movement) is very important in the process and can help the body adjust to the changes it is undergoing.
Cronise thinks measuring is important for progress, and I don’t disagree with that. Part of my struggle has been maintaining and (trying to) losing without tracking anything. He’s a fan (an affiliate?) of Withings scales because they are connected to the internet and to phone apps for easy monitoring, which is the whole “accountability” thing. I never reported my weight change to anyone, because I lost (am losing) the weight for me, not for anyone else.
Cronise thinks humans are not broken, but our relationship to food is broken. I also happen to think we move a lot less, which makes a difference. Cronise also thinks that heated homes and lack of period of starvation aren’t totally positive changes either. I like my warm house, I like to be warm when I sleep and I prefer that there be electric lighting in the evening. As I’ve written before, I think this is overcomplicating the issue.
We. Eat. Too. Much. It’s not all due to sugar, and it’s not all due to fat or salt. It’s due to TOO MUCH intake, and TOO little expenditure. And it really doesn’t matter how much low carb shills whine about it. Low carb diets work if by eating that way you eat less. If you don’t cut total caloric intake on a low carb diet, you don’t lose weight. QED. Note that the exact SAME fact can be stated for low fat diets. If you can eat that way and be happy while not eating more than you expend, then you've found your answer. Just don't expect every other human to want to eat like that.
Disclaimer