What do you suppose that a burly, buffed-out Superman in a helmet and oxygen tank eats? If your answer has anything to do with a 16-oz porterhouse in the firehouse then you don’t know the firefighters from Engine 2. Rip Esselstyn, a former elite triathlete turned firefighter, is on a mission to educate you on the healthiest way to eat and get fit in his book The Engine 2 Diet. Hotties in uniform are just an added bonus.
What Do Firefighters Eat?
I’m going to give you the short version so listen closely: Firefighters eat like Skinny Bitches. That’s right, these He-Men (and women!) are vegan, as in no animal products whatsoever. But in a twist that will make you take Ornish’s name in vain every time you pass up those cheese quesadillas, the Engine 2 crew are low-fat vegans.
My first thought on reading through the research (more on that in a minute) and looking through the recipes was that I had found the Holy Grail of Restrictive Dieting. Not only can you not have meat, eggs, dairy, sugar or honey but you also can’t eat anything fatty either. Nuts are limited. Vegan “cheeze” and other replacement foods are warned against not because they taste like crap – which they totally do as I discovered when I did my Vegan Experiment last year – but because they are too fattening, thereby crushing all the self-righteous vegans in the house. All they need to do is make it “raw” and we’d have a clear winner with celeb endorsements sure to follow. Suffice it to say, this was an inauspicious introduction to the book.
How Do Firefighters Workout?
While the diet is really the point of the book, Esselstyn includes a beginning workout straight out of “Good Housekeeping”. So how do firefighters exercise? Not like this, I’m imagining. Illustrated with several pictures that look like they were snapped with someone’s camera phone in the backyard, are rudimentary exercises like squats, push-ups, lunges and plank. All I have to say is that if you still need a pictorial guide on how to squat then you might not be ready for the life-changing culinary brutality of this diet. Also, if this is how real firefighters work out then I’m mystified as to how they carry unconscious people down ladders hold firehoses without getting blown backwards. I suspect Rip, who is in fabulous shape, of actually doing much more and much harder exercises than the ones in his book. I just wish he had shared them with the rest of us because I’m betting the real firefighter workout is awesomely kick-butt.
The Research
Despite my initial apprehension of his diet and my outright derision of his workout, one thing attracted me to the Engine 2 Diet: Like me, Esselstyn is a research junkie. Approximately a quarter of the book (that isn’t made up of recipes) is dedicated to the studies that make the case for his diet. And they are some interesting pieces of work. Quite a few of the ones referenced, like the famous – or infamous, depending on your background – China Study, I am already very familiar with. The thing is, there is quite a compelling body of research for a plant-based diet. Studies have shown it to reduce rates of many types of cancer, lower cholesterol and heart disease, and reverse diabetes in addition to helping with other ailments such as allergies, alzheimers, and obesity.
The problem however, is that he cherry-picked his research, focusing only on the studies that support his claims and ignoring all the rest. The most pertinent of these left-out studies for me are the ones that speak to the very premise of his book: that high cholesterol is the cause of heart disease and that lowering your cholesterol is the best way to treat it. Life is never that neat. For a detailed look at the nuanced topic of cholesterol, check out this article by Mark Sisson, a fellow elite triathlete who came to the exact opposite dietary conclusion and founded the Primal Blueprint diet (which I also have my reservations about.)
Conclusion & Mini-Experiment for Me
So what is a girl all dizzied up on research to do? Try it all out, of course. In a bit of kismet, the Engine 2 Diet and the Primal Blueprint are about as diametrically opposed as any two diets could be. They both make nearly the same health claims and require the same amount of rigidity from their practitioners (not to mention both are founded by retired elite endurances athletes obsessed with research!). And yet both take fundamentally opposing approaches. This intrigued me.
Back in January, Mark Sisson of the Primal Blueprint, approached me asking me to give the PB another shot (most spectacular failure in GFE history, in case you missed that Experiment). At first I was reluctant to change up my food – you know how crazy I am with diets – but then I read this book and the lure of doing a Mini-Experiment was too much for me to resist (feel free to chide me in the comments). And so I decided to do one week of “Perfect Primal” – which I just finished up – immediately followed by one week of “Perfect Engine 2” – which I am just starting.
I figure there are only three possible results to this experiment:
1. One diet will emerge the obvious victor, as measured by me on me. (Give it up for sample sizes of 1, woot woot!)
2. Both diets will fail, proving that extreme eating of any variety doesn’t work for me.
3. Both diets will be succesful, proving that it doesn’t matter which diet you follow as long as it is one you can stick to.
I’ll let you know my results next week.
A Mini-Experiment and A Giveaway for You!
When I told the Gym Buddies about my latest endeavor, they were naturally dubious. Gym Buddy Krista agreed to do the Primal Week with me initally and then backed out saying that she was afraid that trying and failing on it would be more detrimental than following a more moderate diet that promised less extreme results. She then accused me of having a greater-than-average amount of self control – an assertion I violently protest.
So, while I of course welcome anyone else who wants to be a guinea pig with me, I do understand that not everyone is as eager as I am to go whole-hog (or hog-shaped-tofu-loaf). Both the PB and the Engine 2 diets offer “lite” versions of their programs which basically say making any changes are better than no changes. I’m going to offer you another option: Mark Bittman, a New York Times food writer, has come up with a program he calls “Vegan until 6.” All you have to do is eat vegan (or Primal) until 6 p.m. and then eat what you like within moderation for dinner. Bittman has had amazing health results with his half-way plan and yet still gets to enjoy the food he writes about.
In an effort to help you make your own decisions about the Engine 2 diet, I have a copy to give away to one of you! Love it or hate it, it’s definitely an interesting read – especially if you enjoy research. And awkward camera phone pictures.
Leave me a comment below letting me know what you think of low-fat veganism. Can a normal person really do it? Any of you tried the Engine 2 diet? Or what do you think the results of my mini-Experiment will be? Or just tell me if you think I’ve just lost my mind and you’d like my mother’s number so you can call her and ask her to stage an intervention (hint: she reads my blog so you can relax.)
Personally I don’t think the [sketchy and unproven] health benefits of any extremely restrictive diet (like these two) are worth the trouble. I like to read Mark’s Daily Apple while munching on cereal straight out of the box after a nice long run. His theories are interesting, but not something I’m willing to apply completely in my daily life until more research is done (if ever).
As far as low fat goes I am so over that. It almost turned me into a diabetic. Veganism is for people who never want to go anywhere or have any friends except other vegans. Forget it. Like I said, these diets aren’t worth it IMHO. I like to follow the latest studies and try things out in a mix and match way to see what works for me. But I prefer general guidelines. Like mama used to say: “How about a nice fruit?” or “Eat a healthy dinner before you have a snack.” Why make life so complicated?
The firefighters I know, usually EMT’s are in great shape!
I guess if this doctor thing doesn’t pan out. I can always try the firefighter business, It looks like I already eat like they do 🙂
I think a vegan diet has awesome benefits. Low fat – not so much. Give me my nut butter!
My problem with a Vegan diet is you have to get protein from somewhere. Soy protein is very beneficial but I think most people that are on Vegan diets don’t get enough protein. If they get enough protein in, I think it could be a great diet.
bah, all nutrition research is hard to make conclusions about!! so many variables… but it is very interesting. i guess we just want an answer 🙂
Personally I am a flexitarian, I am not a huge fan of meat but I find it very hard to avoid especially when cooking for others, and so I allow myself lee-way. It would be interesting to see how with all these recipies things will pan out.
That’s funny I was thinking about doing vegan again today as I was taking a bite into my cream filled doughnut.
In a perfect world, I would LOVE to be vegan. But it takes up way too much time. Back when I was only going to school, yeah I could do that but now that I’m working, school with insane clinicals (and 4 sometimes 6 kiddos) there is no way I can do it without massive preparation in my free time. And seriously, prepping food in my free time is the very last thing I want to do. Big respect to those who can though.
I am not 100% vegan, but am pretty close. I have eaten maybe 5 pieces of meat since 1980. I rarely eat cheese or dairy products. Very occasionally I have a piece of fish. And I’m healthier than I have ever been. What do I eat, you ask? Beans! Legumes! White beans and black beans and chickpeas and varieties of lentils and yellow split peas. I’m 57 years old, have been eating this way a long time, and haven’t run out of energy yet.
By the way, Charlotte, being LDS, are you a vegetarian? I heard that some of the healthiest people in the US were LDS folks in Southern CA. My first vegetarian cookbook in the 70s was published by LDS people.
(hes a local guy & id love to meet him but..) this way of eating isnt for me.
🙂
I shall stop there before I hijack the post as I think its a good plan…if it works for you.
Id feel too deprived with the list of GIT OUTTA YER KITCHEN described in the book.
(oooh but doesnt that make you (the royal the plural) wanna read it now?? :))
Not for me. I’m not a fan of the restrictive diets – banning something immediately makes me crave it. Yeah, I’m a rebel that way.
Good luck though!
We’ve eaten fairly close to the PB for some time, and it’s worked well… my husband has lost a ton of weight; I feel better, and it happens to suit the foods that I like best, anyway. Carbs… the white starchy kind anyway… are exactly what does kick off disordered eating for me, so eliminating them is not a bad thing.
But the one thing I’ve learned after a billion diets is that everyone is different, and like exercise, you have to pick something that you love, something that works for you, or you spend all your time fighting it.
How about ‘Vegetarian until 6’? Because that’s how I eat. Vegetarian breakfast, lunch, snacks during the day, then dinner includes meat to keep Husband happy.
“Never eat anything with a smile” was how Vegan was explained to me. I can’t remember the last time a cow, pig or chicken looked up and grinned at me so I’ll take those frowners for protein in moderation.
Hhmm, I’m intrigued. I’ve never tried going vegan, but I’d be interested in trying it out.
I’m not doing either. I’ll stick to moderation and non-restrictive dieting. Either of those two diets would give me the push back into EDland.
Vegan would certainly be a struggle for me. Considering I get the majority of my protein from meats, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese and egg whites, not too sure how I’d go about fueling 5-6 workouts a week and skipping those protein sources.
Ultra-low fat is a tough one to follow too–the anti-thesis to the Crossfit nutrition prescription. You might be interested in reading this blog entry to hear a bit more regarding fat intake:
http://www.againfaster.com/articles/from-the-archives-a-second-opinion.html
Although I don’t follow a diet plan, I tend to err on the side of low-carb, high protein/high-fat. Maybe more like the zone, if you will. I’ve done low-fat, high carb (mostly whole grains though and not vegan), and I felt terrible.
I really do like the MDA blog — the way he writes is not elitist or condescending at all, and he really recognizes that food choices are personal. It seems like he provides a lot of research and encourages one to make one’s own decision, and acknowledging that people are at all different places on the spectrum.
I just don’t think I have the kind of willpower, or determination to stick with a diet that is that incredibly restrictive. It seems like a diet like that is just asking for you to fail, since you’re constantly depriving yourself of what you want.
But I guess, if it works, it works right? Idk, I still don’t think I could do it.
I’m mostly vegetarian, and could likely comfortably switch to completely vegetarian fairly easily. However, I eat A LOT of cottage cheese, milk, eggs and whey protein powder, and don’t know if I’d do well without these non-vegan friendly options. I also think I’d struggle on low fat.
I’m interested, though….
And I remember mention of “PB-light”, but don’t remember the details.
Have to say I agree with Nolafwug when it comes to Mark’s Daily Apple- enjoyable read, some interesting info, but I take pretty much all of it with a grain of salt.
I don’t like the idea of extreme anything, although I’m really intensely curious, just what CAN you eat on that vegan diet? Is it basically spinach and that’s about it? I’d be amazed if it still provides enough energy (and nutrients…)
One day I do plan on trying out a vegan diet for a short period of time- but that won’t be for quite a while yet 🙂
I think the take home point is that books like Skinny Bitch and people like Mark Sission aren’t really coming to different conclusions at all. They both conclude that human body does really well when you start exercising and quit eating processed crap.
If you go from a diet of Poptarts with a side of Cheatos to a raw low-fat vegan diet, you are going to feel better. If you go from eating a diet of Poptarts with a side of Cheetos to a primal diet, you are going to feel better.
The truth is- or seems to be to me anyway- that it doesn’t really matter if you eat grilled steak or raw broccoli, if you run marathons or walk around the block. Absolutely anything you do to put down the remote and the Hohos will benefit you.
Exercise and eat whole foods in a way that makes you happy and works with your lifestyle, and you’ll be golden.
That idea probably doesn’t sell many books, though…
Chelsea, AMEN!!!!!
Common sense doesn’t make much money or grab a lot of attention, lol!
Having said that, I’m interested in the results of this experiment. Different things work for different people. I know many vegans who eat the way they do because of their beliefs, not because of the health benefits. (Just like some folks keep kosher, or don’t eat meat on Fridays, etc.)
I tried doing 100% raw veggies for a month. By the end of each day I was starving and so mean that I was ready to kick innocent fluffy kittens. (I took to avoiding anything innocent or fluffy to be safe.) Adding just a bit of high-fat food at the end of the day helped me make it through the night without chewing the bed posts. (Well, they are high fiber.)
My problem with low-fat diets is the same as my problem with low-carb diets: it matters WHICH fats you cut out. The idea that all fats are created equal is very American, but I don’t agree with it.
I think these diets can work well for some, and not-so-well for others. I’d be a little concerned about the low-fat aspect, though. I’m a vegetarian and I’ve recently noticed that I haven’t been getting enough healthy fats in my diet. Once I made the effort to add in things like nuts, I noticed I feel so much better. A low-fat AND vegan diet would be too restrictive for me. I think everyone just needs to find out what works best for them, and ignore the fads.
I don’t think I could follow a vegan diet strictly – I would miss my yogurt too much! As for the low fat, there are a lot of really healthy fats that we do need, so I am skeptical about that. I’m sure it would be an interesting read though.
I’m veggie too, and I could never do a vegan AND low-fat diet.
The last blood test I took had the doctor was telling me I needed MORE healthy fat in my diet. Mmmmm fat.
I don’t think anything as extreme as either of those diets would be good for you at all. Doesn’t your brain need some fat to function? And doesn’t it need carbs to fuel workouts?
Sure, if you sat around all day doing nothing (or only doing Woman’s Day magazine workouts), maybe these would work…but not if you’re active.
there are so many different ways of eating – it’s really hard to know what is the best way. Overall, I just aim to be balanced. I try my best to eat real, unprocessed food, too. I really don’t think I would want to go low-fat. And I certainly don’t want to be super restrictive. Then, too, I love meat and eggs – could not possibly give them up.
Charlotte. So excited about your mini-experiments. I tried the Primal Blueprint Diet last summer and GAINED weight. I was pissed, and when I began limiting my meat intake (primarily red) and adding grains back into my diet, I lost weight. That being said, I still eat a lot of fat, and without it I’m miserable. I go through a jar of almond butter a week, and so I don’t think I’d last long on the Engine 2 Diet. If it wasn’t low fat, I’d be on board with ya as I can live without meat, and you know I’m not doing dairy this month. I am anxious to hear how you do. My thoughts are you’ll like the Engine 2 better since you don’t eat meat, and I know you love your beans. 🙂
Keep us posted, and don’t be so hard on yourself. (I’m catching up on blogs and just read your last post). You are a very intelligent and beautiful person, so clever and funny and a good mom. Love yourself Charlotte – you have to, so that you can love others to the best of your ability.
I love everyone’s comments and have to agree that the theme of cutting out the over-processed junk, and instead eating as close to natural is definitely the not so exciting “secret” (along with exercise)
I have to add this relates not just to veggies but also to meat (no offense to vegetarians).
A few months ago I saw an article that talked about how grass-only fed beef is healthier than grain/corn-fed beef. It said what an animal is fed does make a huge difference in the nutrient content of its meat. Grass fed beef has has less fat/calories and more Omega-3 vitamins etc, and the best part is it tastes AMAZING!! (again- sorry to any vegetarians, I mean no offense)
The bad side is that it is ridiculously overpriced in the store. We live in cow-country so it is not hard to buy a cow and split it with three families. It is much cheaper that way.
What Chelsea said…I can’t top that.
But also, I was a vegetarian for many years, and then not, and then practically vegan (no dairy, occasional eggs, very occasional seafood).
But, I realized I had to cut carbs from my diet. I did, and after a week or so of adjustment, I dropped weight and felt better.
I tried to do a mostly vegetarian low carb diet (with only some seafood now and then), but it was too restrictive for me.
I would sure be interested in winning and reading this book, though. I’m always open to research.
Funny, I’ve been checking out a lot of Crossfit sites, which seem to have a lot of firefighters participating. They certainly aren’t doing a Good Housekeeping workout! And it seems many Crossfitters are into Paleo eating which I’m guessing is a lot like Primal Blueprint. Squats and lunges are great for firefighters, but I certainly hope they’re toting at least a normal person’s weight while doing it!
I’m pretty close to vegan most of the time.
However, I love nuts and I do indulge in a little cheese here and there. Little string cheeses and babybels are my fall back choices at work when I crave a little protein.
oh yeah, and yogurt. Ok, so I guess I’m just a good vegetarian.
This diet interests me. I first heard about it when Newsweek had a blurb about it. I think they concluded in the same way you seem to be leaning–good, but almost impossible for most people to adhere to.
I’d give it a “perfect week” though if I were lucky enough to win and still use the recipes!
Huh. I am also quite interested in the results of this GFE…
And curious as to how Mr. Mark managed a vegan diet within a fire station, where food is usually cooked in huge batches by rotating members of the crew.
(my da’ was a fireman for Los Angeles 9’s)
I think perhaps the reason why he only included that small set of exercises was because the other workouts that firemen do involve 7-story training towers, ladder drills, running 100 + lb. hoses with 100 + lbs. of equipment strapped to your back, and a mask on your face…and those bits of equipment are difficult for a layperson to find, non?
🙂
Good luck, Charlotte!
Low-fat vegan is what I did when I was a poor, busy college student (bulk rice and beans=cheap!). I got plenty of protein with all those beans. I find it pretty easy, but prefer having more produce and then some fat (like nuts!) to more calories.
Low-fat vegan is best when you need to reverse heart disease. I don’t and don’t feel I will develop heart disease.
For the naysayers: there are a million different ways to be vegan. So saying “vegan diet” isn’t much-it can be low or high protein/fat/carb/junk.
-Anna
Sounds really interesting. I was vegetarian for 14 years… can’t have soy so I’m really curious how they balance the diet. Almost anything has the possibility of working short-term – it’s the long term sustainability I really wonder about.
I gave up grains and went semi-primal over a year ago and am really enjoying it. Aside from people’s surprised reactions when I tell them that I don’t eat grains (today I went to the infamous Diddy Reese bakery in LA with some coworkers and bought them each a brownie because I owned them money but didn’t get anything and they were very surprised), I am feeling great. I eat meat (primarily organic + gress-fed), fish, full-fat dairy (love my greek yogurt!), eggs, fruits, vegetables, and nuts and don’t feel deprived at all!
I’m a recovering low-fat vegan foodie. I’ve just started adding cottage cheese, tuna, and salmon into my diet, and I’m doing intermittent fasting where I only eat from 12 noon to 8pm. So far, I feel great. I also felt good on the vegan diet, but I had plateaued as far as weight, and I wasn’t getting the bigger muscles I wanted. This is my experiment! The low fat vegan did improve my blood work – everything was perfect except my B12 and iron plummetted – to be expected. I don’t think I’ll be going back strict vegan anytime soon…I’m bored with the foods after 2 years. Good Luck!
I’d love to give it a try. I’m interested in knowing how they get their iron supply. Is it through food combining? Protein can be found through nuts and beans, but is iron supplied through greens? Count me in as someone who would love to win a copy of the book.
Thanks!
LOL, every time you post these “wanna join me” posts, it takes me a while to think about it. I *think* I’m in for the “till 6” plan. I just have to fine tune what EXACTLY I’ll be doing until 6, LOL. (I’m leaning toward high-protein, low-carb, on the assumption that if I know I can have pasta for dinner, it might short circuit the Crazy, you know? And the irony is that once I know I can have it . . . I won’t really want it. LOL.)
Good luck with Experiment Version 2.0 I hope that you fare better this round. Personally, I’d be worried about the various “issues” that the Engine 2 diet may bring up for me. My issue with “Skinny Bitches” was their complete ignorance to the effect that genetics have on someones body composition.
I am currently contemplating doing the “raw” diet for a week to see how it makes me feel.
From what I've heard, this diet really knocks out the fat and people who have stubborn fat have really lost weight. So, I'm excited to try it. I will probably try the Vegan until 6:00 pm or maybe the Vegan until 4:00 or 5:00 p.m. LOL. It's hard to imagine what to eat as because the meat, dairy, milk, cheese, consisted of almost every meal. I'll have to look up some vegan ideas … soup, cabbage, carrots, broccoli, sweet peas, snap peas, protein drinks, fruit. God help me.