The Dr. Fuhrman Nutritarian Diet was founded in 2003, and aims to educate people on how to lose weight with books and DVD’s. He promotes healthy eating through a plant-based diet. Dr. Joel Fuhrman seeks to educate people on his philosophy, and provides services to those who could not otherwise afford him in real sessions. He strives to educate people on eating plant- based, nutrient-dense foods to reverse heart disease and other life threatening illnesses Americans face today. This costly program does not set itself apart from the other diet programs out there, and his plant-based diet approach already has me running for cover. Oh, did I forget to mention once you purchase, there are no money back guarantees?* Their customer service line was relatively easy to get ahold of, and they answered my questions with no hesitation or trying to upwell which was nice. Their number is: 800-474-9355, and their e-mail is on their contact page here. The company also scored high with the Better Business Bureau, see it here.
Sample Meal on the Dr. Fuhrman Diet:
- Breakfast: Two cups cooked oatmeal with one tablespoon ground flax seed, one banana, and one ounce of raisins, 1/2-cup of almond milk, soy milk, or skim milk.
- Lunch: A green salad with balsamic vinegar and one teaspoon olive oil, one cup of chickpeas, or vegetable soup and fresh fruit.
- Dinner: Stir-fried vegetables with tofu or steamed veggies with mushrooms and onions. (Yikes. This dinner is simply veggies. No wonder they want you to eat two pounds worth a day!)
When calling into the support line, a representative greeted me after about two minutes of staying on hold. To my surprise, a money back guarantee does not exist at all with the Dr. Fuhrman’s Diet.* There are different levels of membership involved after purchasing the books and DVD’s, which will tack on additional costs every month. The Silver: $3.95 a month, which provides you recipes, health trackers and daily emails. The Gold: $5.95 a month, which provides you the above along with access to the form. It goes on from there with add-ons and embellishments. The cost for the book and DVD itself is $57.91.*
Do Dieters Lose Weight On Dr. Fuhrman’s Diet?
The founder is a doctor himself, but does that automatically make this a credible diet program? I think not. The strongest claim that Dr. Fuhrman’s program sits on is the fact that he has had clinical success in his practice. Nowhere on the website does it offer a valid explanation behind the science of the program before you buy it.* The program does not call the eating habits “vegetarian,” rather a nutrient-dense diet with a strong bias toward being completely plant based.
By eliminating meats, starches, and oils from your diet, you will lose weight. How you will feel at the end of the day is the million-dollar question. This is not a sustainable diet for long-term health, unless you are ready to change your eating habits for the rest of your life to become a vegetarian. There is nothing wrong with being a vegetarian, but it is not for everyone! He advises everyone to eat two pounds of leafy vegetables a day, and reduce animal products to only 10 percent of your caloric intake for the day. I already know my body would go into major nutritional deficits with this plan. There are many mixed reviews, see below:
“So many of the same phrases were used repeatedly that I felt like I was reading and essay that required a set number of words. I will just eat more fruits and vegetables and forget this book.” Mildred*
“I am a Family Physician with a serious interest in helping prevent illness with nutrition and life style, just like Dr. Fuhrman. However, despite the fact that much of the diet he suggests is healthy I cannot recommend this book. I believe he overstates the research and misleads patients in dangerous ways.” H. Domke*
“I think Dr Fuhrman is wrong on so many levels. He contradicts almost every other healthy adviceIout today. I have no real confidence in him. I followed his first phase and my blood sugar levels went up.” A. Johnston *
Is The Dr. Fuhrman Diet Easy To Follow?
The toughest change about this program is going to be switching over to a vegetarian diet. This program implements a life change, and it does not stop after a few weeks. It truly depends on the mindset of the person doing the diet, because there are folks who would have a hard time going completely vegetarian and vice versa. Because it is a natural program that involves real foods, the side effects are going to vary from person to person. He is not offering a dangerous supplement of any sort, nor does he recommend them in his books, so that’s at least good news. There are a number of problems one could face when switching to a plant-based diet, such as malnutrition, vitamin deficiencies, low energy, and irritability. For this reason, the book may be harder to follow and more unrealistic to stay with long term than other diet programs.*
Conclusion
Dr. Fuhrman Diet social media accounts had daily activity from their followers, and the company itself put out meaningful content. There were an adequate number of shares involved, which was helpful in terms of support for those following the diet. The book can be purchased on Amazon, aside from the Dr. Fuhrman website, which was refreshing to see.
To wrap it up, Dr. Fuhrman Diet is not sustainable for the long term. With a plant-based diet, it will leave some severely malnourished of proper vitamins and minerals that proteins provide.* It may work for some, but not all. The sustainability of this diet is in question as well, as many people are not going to be able to live on rabbit food their whole lives. I personally lived with a vegetarian, and the amount of time it takes to prep food was outrageous. Get ready to spend hours prepping food and still not feel full at the end of it. I would not take the time personally and financially to try Dr. Fuhrman’s program. To put a cherry on top, you take all of the risk purchasing this product, because they have a NO MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! Yikes.
*Please keep in mind that with any diet or weight loss program, individual results will vary.
Top 5 Diets Compared*
Program Price | Food Recipes | Health Coaches | Phone support | Email Support | Support Group | 6 Month MBG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS1000 Plan | $$ | ||||||
| Trim Down Club | $ | – | |||||
| Mayo Clinic Diet | $$$ | – | – | – | |||
| Weight Watchers | $$$$ | – | |||||
| Medifast | $$$$ | – | – |
*Individual results will vary.
Information on this website is not to replace the advise of the doctor, but rather for general education purposes. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease and should not be considered as medical advice. Aways consult your doctor before starting any diet or taking any dietary supplements.
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