THE ONLY WAY TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE LIFE SPAN

nutralegacy.com

The evidence for increasing one’s life span through dietary restriction is enormous and irrefutable. Reduced caloric intake is the only experimental technique to consistently extend maximum life span. This has been shown in all species tested, from insects and fish to rats and cats. There are so many hundreds of studies that only a small number are  referenced below.  

Scientists have long known that mice that eat fewer calories live longer. Research has demonstrated the same effect in primates (i.e., you). A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that restricting calories by 30 percent significantly increased life span in monkeys. The experimental diet, while still providing adequate nourishment, slowed monkeys’ metabolism and reduced their body temperatures, changes similar to those in the long-lived thin mice. Decreased levels of triglycerides and increased HDL (the good) cholesterol were also observed. Studies over the years, on many different species of animals, have confirmed that those animals that were fed less lived longest. In fact, allowing an animal to eat as much food as it desires can reduce its life span by as much as one-half. High-nutrient, low-calorie eating results in dramatic increases in life span as well as prevention of chronic illnesses. From rodents to primates we see:  

1.Resistance to experimentally induced cancers

2.Protection from spontaneous and genetically predisposed cancers

3.A delay in the onset of late-life diseases

4.Nonappearance of atherosclerosis and diabetes

5.Lower cholesterol and triglycerides and increased HDL

6.Improved insulin sensitivity

7.Enhancement of the energy-conservation mechanism, including reduced body temperature

8. Reduction in oxidative stress

9.Reduction in parameters of cellular aging, including cellular congestion

10.Enhancement of cellular repair mechanisms, including DNA repair enzymes

11.Reduction in inflammatory response and immune cell proliferation

12. Improved defenses against environmental stresses

13.Suppression of the genetic alterations associated with aging

14.Protection of genes associated with removal of oxygen radicals

15. Inhibited production of metabolites that are potent cross-linking agents

16.Slowed metabolic rate

The link between thinness and longevity, and obesity and a shorter life span, is concrete. Another important consideration in other animal studies is that fat and protein restriction have an additional effect on lengthening life span. Apparently, higher fat and higher protein intake promotes hormone production, speeds up reproductive readiness and other indicators of aging, and promotes the growth of certain tumors. For example, excess protein intake has been shown to raise insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) levels, which are linked to higher rates of prostate and breast cancer.

In the wide field of longevity research there is only one finding that has held up over the years: eating less prolongs life, as long as nutrient intake is adequate. All other longevity ideas are merely conjectural and unproven. Such theories include taking hormones such as estrogen, DHEA, growth hormones, and melatonin, as well as nutritional supplements.

So far, there is no solid evidence that supplying the body with any nutritional element over and above the level present in adequate amounts in a nutrient-dense diet will prolong life. This is in contrast to the overwhelming evidence regarding protein and caloric restriction.

This important and irrefutable finding is a crucial feature of the H = N/C equation. We all must recognize that if we are to reach the limit of the human life span, we must not overeat on high-calorie food. Eating empty-calorie food makes it impossible to achieve optimal health and maximize our genetic potential.

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

THE LONGER YOUR WAISTLINE, THE SHORTER YOUR LIFELINE

telegraph.co.uk

As a good rule of thumb: for optimal health and longevity, a man should not have more than one-half inch of skin that he can  pinch near his umbilicus (belly button) and a woman should not have more than one inch. Almost any fat on the body over this minimum is a health risk. If you have gained even as little as ten pounds since the age of eighteen or twenty, then you could be at significant increased risk for health problems such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes. The truth is that most people who think they are at the right weight still have too much fat on their body.       

A commonly used formula for determining ideal body weight follows:

  Women: Approximately ninety-five pounds for the first five feet of height and then four pounds for every inch thereafter.

          5'4"                                           96 + 16=111

          5’6”                                          96 + 24=119

 Men: Approximately 105 pounds for the first five feet of height and then five pounds for every inch thereafter. Therefore, a 5'10" male should weigh approximately 155 pounds.

All formulas that approximate ideal weights are only rough guides, since we all have different body types and bone structure.    

Body mass index (BMI) is used as a convenient indicator of overweight risk and is often used in medical investigations. BMI is calculated by dividing weight in kilograms by height in meters (squared). Another way to calculate BMI is to use this formula: A BMI over 24 is considered overweight and greater than 30, obese. However, it is just as easy for most of us merely to use waist circumference. I prefer waist circumference and abdominal fat measurements because BMI can be inaccurately high if the person is athletic and very muscular. Ideally, your BMI should be below, unless you lift weights and have considerable muscle mass. As an example, I am of average height and build (5'10" and 150 pounds) and my BMI is 21.5. My waist circumference is 30.5 inches. Waist circumference should be measured at the navel. The traditional view is that men who have a waist circumference over forty inches and women with one over thirty-five inches are significantly overweight with a high risk of health problems and heart attacks. Evidence suggests that abdominal fat measurement is a better predictor of risk than overall weight or size. Fat deposits around your waist are a greater health risk than extra fat in other places, such as the hips and thighs.

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

LEAN PEOPLE LIVE LONGER!

armandofitnessexpert.com

In the Nurses’ Health Study, researchers examined the association between body mass index and overall mortality and mortality from specific causes in more than 100,000 women. After limiting the analysis to nonsmokers, it was very clear that the longest-lived women were the leanest. The researchers concluded that the increasingly permissive U.S. weight guidelines are unjustified and potentially harmful. Dr. I-Min Lee, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said her twenty-seven-year study of 19,297 men found there was no such thing as being too thin. (Obviously, it is possible to be too thin; however, it is uncommon and usually called anorexia, but that is not the subject of this book.) Among men who never smoked, the lowest mortality occurred in the lightest fifth. Those who were in the thinnest 20 percent in the early 1960s were two and a half times less likely to have died of cardiovascular disease by 1988 than those in the heaviest fifth. Overall, the thinnest were two-thirds more likely to be alive in 1988 than the heaviest. Lee stated, “We observed a direct relationship between body weight and mortality. By that I mean that the thinnest fifth of men experienced the lowest mortality, and mortality increased progressively with heavier and heavier weight.” The point is not to judge your ideal weight by traditional weight-loss tables, which are based on Americans’ overweight averages. After carefully examining the twenty-five major studies available on the subject, I have found that the evidence indicates that optimal weight, as determined by who lives the longest, occurs at weights at least 10 percent below the average body-weight tables. Most weight-guideline charts still place the public at risk by reinforcing an unhealthy overweight standard. By my calculations, it is not merely 70 percent of Americans who are overweight, it is more like 85 percent. 

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

DRUGS ARE NOT THE SOLUTION

mydietmenuplan.com

New drugs are continually introduced that attempt to lessen the effects of our nation’s self-destructive eating behavior. Most often, our society treats disease after the degenerative illness has appeared, an illness that is the result of thirty to sixty years of nutritional self-abuse. Drug companies and researchers attempt to develop and market medications to stem the obesity epidemic. This approach will always be doomed to fail. The body will always pay a price for consuming medicines, which usually have toxic effects. The “side” effects are not the only toxic effect of medications. Doctors learn in their introductory pharmacology course in medical school that all medications are toxic to varying degrees, whether side effects are experienced or not. Pharmacology professors stress never to forget that. You cannot escape the immutable biological laws of cause and effect through ingesting medicinal substances. If we don’t make significant changes in the foods we choose to consume, taking drugs prescribed by physicians will not improve our health or extend our lives. If we wish true health protection, we need to remove the cause. We must stop abusing ourselves with disease-causing foods.

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

KILLING THE NEXT GENERATION!

i.telegraph.co.uk

This book may not appeal to individuals who are in denial about the dangers of their eating habits and those of their children. Many will do anything to continue their love affair with disease-causing foods and will sacrifice their health in the process. Many people prefer not to know about the dangers of their unhealthy diet because they think it will interfere with their eating pleasure. They are wrong. Healthy eating can result in even more pleasure. If you have to give up something you get pleasure from, your subconscious may prefer to ignore solid evidence or defend illogically held views. Many ferociously defend their unhealthy eating practices. Others just claim, “I already eat a healthy diet,” even though they do not. There is a general resistance to change. It would be much easier if healthful eating practices and the scientific importance of nutritional excellence were instilled in us as children. Unfortunately, children are eating more poorly today than ever before.         

Most Americans are not aware that the diet they feed their children guarantees a high cancer probability down the road. They don’t even contemplate that eating fast-food meals may be just as risky (or more so) as letting their children smoke cigarettes.   

The 1992 Bogalusa Heart Study confirmed the existence of fatty plaques and streaks (the beginning of atherosclerosis) in most children and teenagers!

You wouldn’t let your children sit around the table smoking cigars and drinking whiskey, because it is not socially acceptable, but it is fine to let them consume cola, fries cooked in trans fat, and a cheeseburger regularly. Many children eat doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes, and candy on a daily basis. It is difficult for parents to understand the insidious, slow destruction of their children’s genetic potential and the foundation for serious illness that is being built by the consumption of these foods. It would be unrealistic to feel optimistic about the health and well-being of the next generation when there is an unprecedented increase in the average weight of children in this country and record levels of childhood obesity. Most ominous were the results reported by the 1992 Bogalusa Heart Study, which studied autopsies performed on children killed in accidental deaths. The study confirmed the existence of fatty plaques and streaks (the beginning of atherosclerosis) in most children and teenagers! These researchers concluded: “These results emphasize the need for preventive cardiology in early life.” I guess “preventive cardiology” is a convoluted term that means eating healthfully.       

Another autopsy study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine found that more than 85 percent of adults between the ages of twenty-one and thirty-nine already have atherosclerotic changes in their coronary arteries. Fatty streaks and fibrous plaques covered large areas of the coronary arteries. Everyone knows that junk foods are not healthy, but few understand their consequences—serious life-threatening illness. Clearly, the diets we consume as children have a powerful influence on our future health and eventual premature demise. There is considerable data to suggest that childhood diet has a greater impact on the later incidence of certain cancers than does a poor diet later in life. It is estimated that as many as 25 percent of schoolchildren today are obese. Early obesity sets the stage for adult obesity. An overweight child develops heart disease earlier in life. Mortality data suggests that being overweight during early adult life is more dangerous than a similar degree of heaviness later in adult life.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk.... this is really horrible. Better switch back to vegetables!"

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

DANGEROUS DIETING

mariarickerthong.com

In addition to undergoing extremely risky surgeries, Americans have been bombarded with a battery of gimmicky diets that promise to combat obesity. Almost all diets are ineffective. They don’t work, because no matter how much weight you lose when you are on a diet, you put it right back on when you go off. Measuring portions and trying to eat fewer calories, typically called “dieting,” almost never result in permanent weight loss and actually worsen the problem over time. Such “dieting” temporarily slows down your metabolic rate, so often more weight comes back than you lost. You wind up heavier than you were before you started dieting. This leads many to claim, “I’ve tried everything, and nothing works. It must be genetic. Who wouldn’t give  up?”

You may already know that the conventional “solution” to being overweight—low-calorie dieting—doesn’t work. But you may not know why. It is for this simple yet much overlooked reason: for the vast majority of people, being overweight is not caused by how much they eat but by what they eat. The idea that people get heavy because they consume a high volume of food is a myth. Eating large amounts of the right food is your key to success and is what makes this plan workable for the rest of your life. What makes many people over weight is not that they eat so much more but that they get a higher percentage of their calories from fat and refined carbohydrates, or mostly low-nutrient foods. This low-nutrient diet establishes a favorable cellular environment for disease to flourish.      

Regardless of your metabolism or genetics, you can achieve a normal weight once you start a high-nutrient diet style. Since the majority of all Americans are overweight, the problem is not primarily genetic. Though genes are an important ingredient, physical activity and food choices play a far more significant role. In studies on identical twins with the tendency to be overweight, scientists found that physical activity is the strongest environmental determinant of total body and central abdominal fat mass. Even those with a strong family history of obesity effectively lose weight with increased physical activity and appropriate dietary modification.

 Most of the time, the reason people are overweight is too little physical activity, in conjunction with a high-calorie, low-nutrient diet. Eating a diet with plenty of low-fiber, calorie-dense foods, such as oil and refined carbohydrates, is the main culprit. As long as you are eating fatty foods and refined carbohydrates, it is impossible to lose weight healthfully. In fact, this vicious combination of a sedentary lifestyle and eating typical “American” food (high-fat, low-fiber) is the primary reason we have such an incredibly overweight population.

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

THE EFFECTS OF THE AMERICAN DIET

newhealthalert.net

Americans have been among the first people worldwide to have the luxury of bombarding themselves with nutrient-deficient, high-calorie  food, often called empty-calorie or junk food. By “empty-calorie,” I mean food that is deficient in nutrients and fiber. More Americans than ever before are eating these high-calorie foods while remaining inactive—a dangerous combination.         

 The number one health problem in the United States is obesity, and if the current trend continues, by the year 2048 all adults  in the United States will be overweight or obese. The National Institutes of Health estimate that obesity is associated with a twofold increase in mortality, costing society more than $100 billion per year. This is especially discouraging for dieters because after spending so much money attempting to lose weight, 95 percent of   them gain all the weight back and then add on even more pounds within three years. This incredibly high failure rate holds true for the vast majority of weight-loss schemes, programs, and diets.

Obesity and its sequelae pose a serious challenge to physicians. Both primary-care physicians and obesity-treatment specialists fail to make an impact on the long-term health of most of their patients. Studies show that initial weight loss is followed by weight regain.     

  Those who genetically store fat more efficiently may have had a survival advantage thousands of years ago when food was scarce, or in a famine, but in today’s modern food pantry they are the ones with the survival disadvantage. People whose parents are  obese have a tenfold increased risk of being obese. On the other hand, obese families tend to have obese pets, which is obviously not genetic. So it is the combination of food choices, inactivity, and genetics that determines obesity. More important, one can’t change one’s genes, so blaming them doesn’t solve the problem. Rather than taking an honest look  at what causes obesity, Americans are still looking for a miraculous cure—a magic diet or some other effortless gimmick.      

  Obesity is not just a cosmetic issue—extra weight leads to an earlier death, as many studies confirm. Overweight individuals are more likely to die from all causes, including heart disease and cancer. Two-thirds of those withweight problems also have hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, or another obesity-related condition. It is a major cause of early mortality in the United States. Since dieting almost never works and the health risks of obesity are so life-threatening, more and more people are desperately turning to drugs and surgical procedures to lose weight.         

Health Complications of Obesity

               • Increased overall premature mortality           

               • Adult-onset diabetes       

               • Hypertension  

               • Degenerative arthritis           

               • Coronary artery disease

                • Cancer

               • Lipid disorders       

               • Obstructive sleep apnea            

               • Gallstones            

               • Fatty infiltration of liver             

               • Restrictive lung disease             

               • Gastrointestinal diseases     

      The results so many of my patients have achieved utilizing the Eat to Live guidelines over the past twenty years rival what achieved with surgical weight-reduction techniques, without the associated morbidity and mortality.

Copyright ©Joel Fuhrman MD –Originally appeared in Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman MD

CALCULATING YOUR DAILY CALORIE TARGET

You  can  use  this  formula  to  calculate  how  many  calories  you  need  each  day  to  maintain  your  current weight. Then we’ll subtract 500 calories from that to get your daily calorie goal for weight loss.

The formula is called the Mifflin-St. Jeor equation.

STEP 1. CALCULATE BASAL CALORIE NEEDS.

“Basal” means the number of calories you would need if you were sedentary all the time.

For Men

Basal calories = (4.545 × weight in pounds) + (15.875 × height in inches) – (5 × age in years) + 5

For Women

Basal calories = (4.545 × weight in pounds) + (15.875 × height in inches) – (5 × age in years) – 161

Write your basal calories here: ________________

STEP 2. ADJUST BASAL CALORIES FOR YOUR ACTIVITY LEVEL.

This gives you your activity-adjusted calorie needs to maintain your current weight.

Multiply your basal calories from Step 1 times your activity factor:

• Sedentary (little or no exercise, desk job) = basal calories × 1.2

• Lightly active (light exercise 1 to 3 days/week) = basal calories × 1.375

• Moderately active (moderate exercise 3 to 5 days/week) = basal calories × 1.55

• Very active (hard exercise 6 to 7 days/week) = basal calories × 1.725

• Extremely active (hard daily exercise or very physical job) = basal calories × 1.9

Write activity-adjusted calories here: ________________

STEP 3. CALCULATE YOUR CALORIE GOAL FOR WEIGHT LOSS.

Subtract 500 calories for your activity-adjusted calories from Step 2. This is your weight-loss calorie goal.

Write that number here: ________________

STEP 4. LOOK AT THE TABLE BELOW TO FIND YOUR DAILY DASH SERVINGS FOR YOUR CALORIE TARGET.

HOW MANY SERVINGS SHOULD YOU EAT EACH DAY FROM THE DASH FOOD GROUPS?
CALORIE TARGET	VEGETABLES	FRUITS	GRAINS	DAIRY	MEAT/ FISH POULTRY EGGS	NUTS SEEDS LEGUMES	ADDED FATS	SWEETS
1,200	4	3	5	2	1 ½	¼	½	½
1,400	4	4	5	2	1 ½	¼	½	½
1,600	4	4	6	2	1 ½	¼	1	½
1,800	4	4	6 ½	2 ½	1 ½	½	1 ½	½
2,000	4	4	7	2 ½	1 ½	½	2	½
2,200	4	5	8	3	2	½	2 ½	1
2,400	5	5	9	3	2	½	3	1
2,600	5	5	10	3	2 ½	1	3	1 ½

If  your  calorie  goal  in  Step  3  is  less  than  1,200  calories,  use  the  daily  servings  for  1,200  calories  in  the table.

If your calorie goal in Step 3 is greater than 2,600 calories, use the daily servings for 2,600 calories in the table.

Copyright ©Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins –Originally appeared in The DASH Diet for Weight Loss by Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins.

MEAL PLANS 2

pulseos.com

1,200 CALORIES: DAY 2

Target: 5 grain, 3 fruit, 4 vegetable, 2 dairy, 1½ meat, ¼ nuts/seeds/legumes, ½ added fat, ½ sweets

Breakfast (215 calories)

1 ounce uncooked oatmeal, cooked with water (cooks to about ¾ cup), 1 grain (100 calories)

½ cup cubed cantaloupe, 1 fruit (25 calories)

1 cup nonfat milk, 1 dairy (90 calories)

Morning Snack (180 calories)

1 ounce honey whole-wheat pretzels, 1 grain (110 calories)

2 tablespoons hummus, ¼ nuts/seeds/legumes (70 calories)

Lunch (225 calories)

Veggie Melt Panini made with just one slice of bread (see recipe), 1 grain, 2 vegetable, 1 dairy (225 calories)

Afternoon Snack (35 calories)

½ cup mixed fresh berries, 1 fruit (35 calories)

Dinner (500 calories)

4½ ounces grilled chicken, 1½ meat (200 calories)

1 cup Roasted Cauliflower (see recipe), 2 vegetable (100 calories)

1 cup cooked brown rice, 2 grain (200 calories)

Evening Snack/Dessert (60 calories)

½ Baked Banana (see recipe), 1 fruit, ½ sweets (60 calories)

Nutrition analysis for the day: 1,215 calories, 5 grain, 3 fruit, 4 vegetable, 2 dairy, 1½ meat, ¼ nuts/seeds/legumes, 0 added fat, ½ sweets

1,200 CALORIES: DAY 3

Target: 5 grain, 3 fruit, 4 vegetable, 2 dairy, 1½ meat, ¼ nuts/seeds/legumes, ½ added fat, ½ sweets

Breakfast (195 calories)

6 egg whites, scrambled (cooked with cooking spray), 1 meat (100 calories)

One 1-ounce slice whole-wheat bread, toasted, 1 grain (80 calories)

½ teaspoon trans-fat-free margarine, ½ added fat (15 calories)

Morning Snack (115 calories)

1 cup nonfat milk, 1 dairy (90 calories)

½ cup fresh strawberries, 1 fruit (25 calories)

Lunch (255 calories)

2½ cups mixed raw leafy greens and vegetables (peppers, carrots, etc.), 2½ vegetables (50 calories)

¾ ounce shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (about 3 tablespoons), ½ dairy (40 calories)

1½ ounces skinless grilled chicken breast, ½ meat (75 calories)

2 tablespoons fat-free Italian dressing (15 calories)

One 4-inch whole-wheat pita pocket, 1 grain (75 calories)

Afternoon Snack (160 calories)

½ cup fresh raspberries, 1 fruit (30 calories)

2 teaspoons chocolate syrup, ½ sweets (30 calories)

1 small low-fat granola bar, 1 grain (100 calories)

Dinner (530 calories)

1 cup Fruity Chicken Stir-Fry (see recipe), 1 fruit, 1 vegetable, ½ meat (330 calories)

1 cup cooked brown rice, 2 grain (200 calories)

Nutrition analysis for the day: 1,255 calories, 5 grain, 3 fruit, 3½ vegetable, 1½ dairy, 2 meat, 0 nuts/seeds/legumes, ½ added fat, ½ sweets

2,600 CALORIES: DAY 4

Target: 10 grain, 5 fruit, 5 vegetable, 3 dairy, 3½  uts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets Breakfast (610 calories)

2 ounces bran flakes (about 1½ cup), 2 grain (180 calories)

One 1-ounce slice whole-wheat bread, toasted, 1 grain (80 calories)

1½ teaspoons fruit preserves, ½ sweets (25 calories)

¼ cup golden raisins, 1 fruit (110 calories)

1 medium (7-inch) banana, sliced, 2 fruit (105 calories)

1 cup low-fat milk, 1 dairy (110 calories)

Morning Snack (370 calories)

2 graham cracker rectangles, 1 grain (120 calories)

2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 nuts/legumes/protein (200 calories)

½ cup sliced pears, 1 fruit (50 calories)

Lunch (615 calories)

Spinach salad pocket:

One 7-inch whole-wheat pita pocket, 2 grain (170 calories)

2 cups raw spinach, 2 vegetable (20 calories)

½ cup chopped fresh tomato, 1 vegetable (15 calories)

½ cup sliced cucumber, 1 vegetable (10 calories)

3 ounces stir-fried firm tofu (about 1/5 block), 1/3 nuts/legumes/protein (115 calories)

1½ ounces shredded parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup), 1 dairy (170 calories)

Dressing:  2  teaspoons  olive  oil,  4  teaspoons  white  wine  vinegar,  1  tablespoon  lemon  juice, 2 added fat (90 calories)

½ cup sliced fresh strawberries, 1 fruit (25 calories) 

Afternoon Snack (270 calories)

1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt, 1 dairy (160 calories)

1 ounce low-fat granola (about ¼ cup), 1 grain (110 calories)

Dinner (655 calories)

12/3 cup reconstituted TVP, * 12/3 nuts/legumes/protein (265 calories)

1½ cup cooked brown rice pilaf, 3 grain (300 calories)

1 cup chopped fresh tomato, 2 vegetable (30 calories)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (0 calories)

2 tablespoons “lite” balsamic vinaigrette, 1 added fat (60 calories)

Evening Snack/Dessert (110 calories)

2 fig bars, 1 sweets (110 calories)

Nutrition  analysis  for  the  day:  2,630  calories,  10  grain,  5  fruit,  6  vegetable,  3  dairy,  3 nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

2,600 CALORIES: DAY 5

Target: 10 grain, 5 fruit, 5 vegetable, 3 dairy, 3½ nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

Breakfast (530 calories)

1 Low-Fat Blueberry Muffin see recipe, 2 grain (200 calories)

1 teaspoon trans-fat-free margarine, 1 added fat (25 calories)

1 cup low-fat fruited yogurt, 1 dairy (200 calories)

1 cup grapes, 2 fruit (105 calories)

Morning Snack (380 calories)

1 cup sliced mango, 2 fruit (110 calories)

2 reduced-fat string cheese sticks, 11/3 dairy (140 calories)

1 ounce whole-wheat snack crackers, 1 grain (130 calories)

Lunch (575 calories)

11/3 cups Quinoa, Corn, and Black Bean Salad (see recipe), 2 grain, ½ vegetable, ½ nuts/legumes/protein (250 calories)

3 ounces stir-fried seitan, 1 nuts/legumes/protein (110 calories)

¼ ripe avocado, mashed with a fork, ½ vegetable (60 calories)

1 ounce honey whole-wheat pretzels, 1 grain (110 calories)

½ cup sliced red bell pepper, 1 vegetable (20 calories)

½ cup sliced carrots, 1 vegetable (25 calories)

Afternoon Snack (215 calories)

1 ounce unsalted mini pretzels, 1 grain (110 calories)

1½ teaspoons fruit preserves, ½ sweets (25 calories)

½ cup low-fat cottage cheese, 1 dairy (80 calories)

Dinner (670 calories)

6 ounces Poached Salmon see recipe, 2 nuts/legumes/protein (290 calories)

1 cup (10–12 small spears) Roasted Asparagus see recipe, 2 vegetable (80 calories)

½ cup cooked brown rice, 1 grain (100 calories)

2 teaspoons trans-fat-free margarine, 2 added fat (50 calories)

1 small (2-ounce) whole-wheat dinner roll, 2 grain (150 calories)

OR Dinner 2 (665 calories)

6 ounces sautéed herbed seitan,* 2 nuts/legumes/protein (260 calories)

1 cup (10–12 small spears) Roasted Asparagus see recipe, 2 vegetable (80 calories)

1 cup cooked brown rice pilaf, 2 grain (200 calories)

2 teaspoons trans-fat-free margarine, 2 added fat (50 calories)

½ small (2-ounce) whole-wheat dinner roll, 1 grain (75 calories)

* Sauté seitan in 2 teaspoons olive oil over medium heat until seitan is firm. Sprinkle with fresh herbs (basil, rosemary, sage).

Evening Snack/Dessert (185 calories)

2-inch square Low-Fat Brownie see recipe, 1 sweets (155 calories)

½ cup fresh raspberries, 1 fruit (30 calories)

Nutrition  analysis  for  the  day:  2,560  calories,  10  grain,  5  fruit,  5  vegetable,  31/3  dairy,  3½ nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

2,600 CALORIES: DAY 6

Target: 10 grain, 5 fruit, 5 vegetable, 3 dairy, 3½ nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

Breakfast (620 calories)

½ large (about 4-inch) whole-wheat bagel, 2 grain (200 calories)

2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1 nuts/legumes/protein (200 calories)

1½ teaspoons fruit preserves, ½ sweets (25 calories)

1 cup nonfat milk, 1 dairy (90 calories)

1 medium (7-inch) banana, 2 fruit (105 calories)

Morning Snack (275 calories)

½ ripe avocado, mashed with a fork, 1 vegetable (120 calories)

½ cup chopped fresh tomato, 1 vegetable (15 calories)

One 1-ounce snack bag baked tortilla chips, 1 grain (140 calories)

Lunch (560 calories)

Piled-High Veggie Pizza (1/6 of a 14-inch pizza)  see recipe, 2 grain, 2 vegetable, ½ dairy (250 calories)

1 medium pear, 1 fruit (100 calories)

One 1-ounce snack bag honey wheat pretzels, 1 grain (110 calories)

2 small chocolate chip cookies, 1 sweets (100 calories)

Afternoon Snack (280 calories)

1 ounce unsalted mini pretzels (about ½ cup), 1 grain (110 calories)

¾ ounce low-fat cheddar cheese (1 small slice), ½ dairy (40 calories)

3 tablespoons hummus, ½ nuts/legumes/protein (130 calories)

Dinner (635 calories)

6 ounces Poached Cod see recipe, 2 nuts/legumes/protein (180 calories)

1 cup brown rice pilaf, 2 grain (200 calories)

1 medium (5-inch) baked sweet potato, 2 vegetable (180 calories)

1 tablespoon trans-fat-free margarine, 3 added fat (75 calories)

OR Dinner 2 (640 calories)

6 ounces pan-seared seitan,* 2 nuts/legumes/protein (220 calories)

1 small (2-ounce) whole-wheat dinner roll, 2 grain (150 calories)

1 tsp. olive oil (for dipping), 1 added fat (40 calories)

1 medium (5-inch) baked sweet potato, 2 vegetable (180 calories)

2 teaspoons trans-fat-free margarine, 2 added fat (50 calories)

* Sear seitan in 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat until crisp and warm throughout.

Evening Snack/Dessert (165 calories)

½ cup low-fat frozen yogurt, 1 dairy (140 calories)

½ cup fresh strawberries, 1 fruit (25 calories)

Nutrition  analysis  for  the  day:  2,535  calories,  9  grain,  4  fruit,  6  vegetable,  3  dairy,  3½ nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

2,600 CALORIES: DAY 7

Target: 10 grain, 5 fruit, 5 vegetable, 3 dairy, 3½ nuts/legumes/protein, 3 added fat, 1½ sweets

Breakfast (655 calories)

2 ounces shredded wheat squares (about 1 cup), 2 grain (200 calories)

1 tablespoon flaxseeds, ½ nuts/legumes/protein (50 calories)

¼ cup raisins, 1 fruit (110 calories)

One 1-ounce slice cinnamon raisin bread, toasted, 1 grain (80 calories)

1 teaspoon trans-fat-free margarine, 1 added fat (25 calories)

¾ cup 100% orange juice, 1 fruit (80 calories)

1 cup low-fat milk, 1 dairy (110 calories)

Morning Snack (160 calories)

1 cup apple slices, 2 fruit (60 calories)

1 tablespoon peanut butter, ½ nuts/legumes/protein (100 calories)

Lunch (525 calories)

1 cup cooked brown rice, 2 grain (200 calories)

½ cup pinto beans, drained and rinsed, 1 nuts/legumes/protein (105 calories)

½ cup tomato salsa, 1 vegetable (30 calories)

½ ripe avocado, 1 vegetable (120 calories)

1½ ounces shredded low-fat cheddar cheese (about 1/3 cup), 1 dairy (70 calories)

Afternoon Snack (325 calories)

Mango–black bean salsa:

½ cup chopped mango, 1 fruit (60 calories)

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion, ¼ vegetable (10 calories)

½ cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed, 1 nuts/legumes/protein (115 calories)

Squeeze of lime (0 calories)

One 1-ounce snack bag baked tortilla chips, 1 grain (140 calories)

Dinner (760 calories)

1 cup cooked whole-wheat pasta, 2 grain (200 calories)

1 cup low-sodium marinara sauce, 2 vegetable (80 calories)

½ cup reconstituted TVP*,  ½ nuts/legumes/protein (80 calories)

1½ ounces shredded parmesan cheese (about 1/3 cup), 1 dairy (160 calories)

1 small (2-ounce) whole-wheat dinner roll, 2 grain (150 calories)

1 teaspoon trans-fat-free margarine, 1 added fat (25 calories)

1 cup chopped romaine lettuce, 1 vegetable (20 calories)

1 tablespoon reduced-fat caesar dressing, 1 added fat (45 calories)

Copyright ©Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins –Originally appeared in The DASH Diet for Weight Loss by Thomas J. Moore MD, Megan C. Murphy MPH, and Mark Jenkins.