Super Immunity: A Breakthrough Program to Boost the Body's Defenses and Stay Healthy All Year Round

I am a HUGE fan of Dr. Fuhrman's! I had countless health issues and could not face yet another pill. Then I was diagnosed with Psoriasis and when I read how insidious the disease could become and the cancer causing drugs used in treatment, I knew I had to change. I follow the book, am amazed at the results, in 5 months I am no longer diabetic, and am off 1/2 of my other meds. My Doctor was amazed at my blood tests and the clearing of my Psoriasis, with no meds!. It was difficult for the first 3 weeks to adjust and to have the food and ingredients on hand, but now it is easy as I continue to find recipes I enjoy. For a return to health, which I needed, this is great. I strongly suggest this book to everyone, why wait until you do become sick.

This book is packed full of information and I’ve been following his advice except....... I haven’t given up my milk or eggs....and still my health has improved so much it’s crazy and I have lost 50 pounds just from changing my eating habits! I haven’t been able to exercise because of a bad knee I have and I’m still loosing weight. Adding all the goodness of real food I feel better, look better and have not been sick since I’ve been eating the way Dr. Fuhrman recommends. Literally I think this book may have saved me from a premature death. Thank God because I still have grand babies to love on and play with.

When I first heard of Dr. Fuhrman and his books I did not want to read any of them because I thought he was a vegetarian and that is not what I wanted to be. But people are wrong when they think that because he is really a nutritarian as I discovered when I read one of his books. I broke down and read it because I was diagnosed with cancer and all the research I did led me over and over to Fuhrman. I now have several of his books that I'm trying to read. I have only been following his nutritarian diet advice for about a week but already I feel better. For over 10 years I have had a painful lower back due to arthritis and degenerating disks. It is hard for me to believe but my back is unbelievably better after only a week of eating vegetables, fruits and nuts with very little dairy and no meat or chicken so far. I will add in some animal products but only organic and not much in quantity. The food I am eating now is delicious and I am not hungry. So thank you, Dr. Fuhrman. I wish I had known about you years ago - but better late than never.

This last fall and winter I was constantly catching frequent colds and a flu that would morph into sinus and respiratory infections. I'd get over one and catch another in 2-3 weeks. I was on 3 rounds of antibiotics , steroids, strong cough syrups. I've had a number of years where I'd go through this. I bought this book hoping it would help and since putting most of his recommendations into practice I've been great and have not had another bug, even when others around me had them. I'm taking 3 months of quality probiotics to replenish what the antibiotics killed off as well. I'm feeling great, losing some weight and will continue his dietary recommendations. Weight loss is from his healthy food recommendations plus a program I've started called Naturally Slim. I really believe the next cold and flu season will be nothing like the past years.

I like his ideas on micro-nutrients but his take on fat and protien metabolism leave me wondering if he went to med school. FAT is not turned to fat in the body. Excess protein can be turned into glucose and then in to fat. I returned the book. There is way to much misinformation Insulin is the key to fat accumultion. Somewhere I read a study onType 1 diabetics sand they were given a quart of olive oil a day in addition to their regular diet and insulin dose did not gain an ounce of weight. Insulin has nothing to do with fat metabolism. I am a diabetic and I would not want this guy to be my doc.

As part of my work as a freelance writer I am often reviewing diet books and spend a fair amount of my time keeping up with the latest diet trends and reading the publications that are hot off the press. But after reading many versions of the same types of calorie-controlled diets, reformulated with a supposedly `new' twist, I find I am often left feeling less than inspired.However, every now and then I am pleasantly surprised with a diet program that, not only holds my personal interest, but also is also solid in its approach to nutrition that truly supports the health and well being of its readers.Super Immunity: The Essential Nutrition Guide for Boosting Your Body's Defenses to Live Longer, Stronger, and Disease Free is one such book. It is written by Dr. Joel Fuhrman - who specializes in preventing and treating disease with a high-nutrient plant-based diet - and is also the author of Eat For Health.One of the aspects of Fuhrman's work that I appreciate is his emphasis on improving our health by paying attention to the quality of the foods we eat. Fuhrman's philosophy is centered on consuming those foods that have a high ratio of nutrients in relation to their calories. By focusing on micronutrient rich super foods we can boost our immunity to ward off colds and flus, as well as protect ourselves from conditions such as autoimmune disorders, heart disease and cancer.In Super Immunity, Fuhrman outlines how certain foods including leafy green vegetables, mushrooms, onions, garlic, pomegranate, berries and seeds can improve our natural defenses. All of his claims are well supported by up-to-date scientific research.For example, mushrooms contain substances called aromatase inhibitors that significantly reduces the risk of breast cancer. "In one recent study, women who ate at least 10 grams of fresh mushrooms each day (equivalent to just one small mushroom) had a 64 percent decreased risk of breast cancer. Even more dramatic protection was gained by women who ate 10 grams of mushrooms and consumed green tea daily." (Up to 89 percent decrease in risk.)In addition to emphasizing immune-strengthening and cancer-fighting foods, Fuhrman outlines guidelines to help readers to adapt a Super Immunity diet. Focus on foods that are high in nutrients and prepare meals at home. Eat at least one large green salad every day and ideally two. Include at least an ounce of raw nuts and seeds and one serving of beans in the diet every day. Preferably avoid animal products but at least limit intake to 10 oz. per week for women and 12 oz. per week for men. Fruits and vegetables should comprise 90% of your caloric intake.A two-week meal plan is included along with 85 `super immunity' recipes. The meal plan is vegan but a few of the recipes provide options for dieters who prefer not to completely eliminate animal products.Fuhrman is not an advocate of a 100% raw diet, so the recipes include a combination of raw and cooked meals. The emphasis is on whole foods, so oils are used very sparingly, with raw nuts and seeds being the main source of fat in the diet.Fruits and vegetables form the basis of every meal and portion sizes are generous, so you certainly won't go hungry on this plan. However, because of the high fiber and water content of the meals, the diet is naturally low in calories, making it a perfect program for dieters who want to lose weight but also enjoy eating large meals.Here is an example of a day's eating on the Super Immunity Plan:Breakfast: Forbidden Rice Pudding (ingredients include black rice, soy or almond milk, dried apple, wild blueberries, cinnamon and vanilla)Lunch: Spinach Salad with Strawberry Sesame Vinaigrette, Tangy White Beans and ZucchiniDinner: Raw snow peas, broccoli and carrots, Island Black Bean Dip, Braised Kale and Squash with pumpkin seedsDessert: Black Cherry SorbetSuper Immunity includes recipes for both raw and cooked plant-based meals and will appeal to vegans as well as anyone interested in improving their health through a better diet. For those of us who prefer to eat a raw food diet here is a list of some of the raw food recipes included in this book: Cinnamon Apple Omega Milk Detox Green Tea Waldorf Blended Salad Marinated Kale Salad Rainbow Chopped Salad Triple Treat Cabbage Salad Golden Onion Morsels Chunky Blueberry Walnut Sorbet Coconut Carrot Cream Pie Golden Delicious TrufflesOverall I found the book to be an enjoyable read and I picked up on a few key concepts that will no doubt improve my overall diet. While many of these were factors that I already was aware of, it is helpful to be reminded of the reasons why these foods are so good for us, because this helps to maintain the motivation to be consistent in making intelligent food choices.

Super Immunity is a scientifically-based study on the health benefits of a plant-based diet. The author, a nutritional physician, actually advocates a low-meat or even no-meat diet, including vegan. From a purely scientific view, which is the view I always take with things like this, the book is a fascinating insight into what makes fruit and vegetables so good for you. It explains how nutrition is divided into ‘macro-nutrients’, which are fats, protein and carbohydrates, and ‘micro-nutrients’, which are vitamins and minerals.The author argues that far too much emphasis is put on diets that regulate fat/protein/carbs, and not enough on diets that regulate the vitamins and minerals we get, as it’s these that most impact our long-term health. More importantly, it is explained that, as well as vitamins and minerals, fruit and veg contain a third category of micro-nutrients called ‘phyto-chemicals’, this literally means ‘plant chemicals’, and these are a group of compounds that enhance our immune system and help fight disease. Significantly, phyto-chemicals are only found in fruit and veg, not meat. If you’ve ever wondered why fruit and veg come in so many different colours, it’s the phyto-chemicals that make these colours.The science behind nutrition and the health benefits of fruit and veg is superbly explained and is a fascinating read. I have to say the author is very anti-meat to the point where he seems to blame meat for every disease known, and I did begin to wonder if this was his opinion rather than fully-proven science. I think meat definitely gets a bad press these days but the supposed health-risks of meat is far from proven, and there’s no escaping the fact that meat is a very rich source of the B vitamins, protein, fats, and minerals like iron and zinc. Also, the anti-meat brigade often forget one thing – we don’t just eat to survive, we eat for pleasure as well, and there’s nothing better in life than a juicy steak or some lovely hot wings!But putting aside the anti-meat bias of the book, the author makes a very powerful case for a more plant-based diet and I definitely intend to take on board what I’ve learnt. One new word I learnt from the book is “flexitarian”, which is a vegetarian who eats a bit of meat. Personally, there’s no way I’ll ever give it up meat, but maybe being a ‘flexitarian’ is a good compromise for me.

Dr Fuhrman's guidance and advice has been invaluable to me during my recovery from illness. He has helped to create the perfect diet for me. And it's really worked. Today, I have strong, vigorous health, an eating plan that's delicious, and I feel great every day. What more could you ask for?

Useful information.

Excellent. Clear, educational, well researched.

I'm enjoying trying these receipe's and improving my health

over-complicated, but then he's a doctor. Well worth reading however

Used the book for personal research into nutrition.

have read several books by Joel Fuhrman and following his advice has changed my health for the better

A simple and well written approach to building our health. It puts the choice squarely on us to choose.

Best book I have read on immunity

Dr Fuhrman seems to talk good sense, certainly made me think twice about my diet.I would be very unwise not to give serious thought to the food I put into my body after reading this book.

Dr. Fuhrman is fantastic. Can't wait to read more of his books.

Fantastic

A very good and informative read with helpful examples and great ideas in the recipe section. Support your immunity now!

I found this book an excellent buy, since it was extremely informative, easy to read, and full of fascinating facts regarding what foods to eat in order to lead a healthy life.