After reading about 20 books now in the realm of plant based nutrition I would have to say this is the one I would recommend to someone wanting to learn not only about the health benefits of a plant based diet, but a summary of what impact it livestock has on the health of our planet, the role Big Food plays in shaping government guidelines, and why we haven't heard more of the scientifically proven benefits of a plant based diet. I understand alot of people do not have the time to invest to reading multiple different books books on the various topics and some really just want to get started on a healthy path. Well this is it in a nutshell.
What makes this book the complete package however is the McDougall Guide of what we should and shouldn't eat. This is organized in a stop light fashion where "red" foods such as meat, dairy, eggs, and vegetable oils are the ones we should avoid. The "yellow" foods are ones we should be careful with, especially if weight(fat) loss is your goal. These include higher fat foods such as nuts/seeds, avocados, and tofu. The "green" light foods are ones we should eat in abundance. They are full of fiber and keep us satiated. These include fruits, vegetables, and starches (beans, potatoes, rice, corn, oatmeal, soups, cereals, peas, etc. Basically the foods all large populations have eaten throughout history which rarely suffer the diseases we see in America on the Standard American Diet (meats and sweets which consists of 70% meat and dairy products, 20% simple sugars and refined starches, 5% fruit, and 5% nonstarchy vegetables).
Lastly, it has a great section of recipes in the back of the book. These consists of typical breakfast foods like french toast, banana pancakes, breakfast burritos, as well as bowls, salads, soups, tofu, potato, rice, bean, pasta dishes, burgers, wraps, pizza, sauces, and desserts
This books has excellent guidelines to change your life and to witness for yourself all the benefits of plant based nutrition. I have went from a 240lb Strongman competitor to 180lbs following similar guidelines. After you get the hang of it you can't tweak thing to your specific needs and you will find out what foods you like best. You may even discover a love for food you never had before. I now am leaner than I have ever been in my life with a physique I have been aiming for my entire competitive career. The only thing I regret is not knowing about this sooner! As for health effects I went to the doctor for a wellness check up yesterday(blood work coming soon) and my BP and HR were both better than they ever have been (112/62 and 51 bpm). Not bad for a guy who just walks for cardio anymore.
If its an improved quality of life you are aiming for and an abundance of energy get this book!
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