Tuesday, June 18, 2013

My Beef with Meat, by Rip Esselstyn

The sub-title of Mr. Esselstyn's book is, "the healthiest argument for eating a plant-strong diet."  To jump to the punch line, Mr. Esselstyn believes that avoiding meat (of all sorts, including fish and dairy products) is essential to good health.   In this, he follows in the footsteps of his famous father, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, MD.

What distinguishes Mr. Esselstyn's writing is how accessible it is.   In this book, he addresses a variety of common myths about meat -based diets a chapter at a time, in simple and clear language.

You may recall his prior book, "The Engine 2 Diet," which also promoted a "plant -strong" (i.e., meat and dairy product averse) approach to nutrition.   That book leveraged Mr. Esselstyn's credibility as a firefighter (and former professional Ironman competitor).

I marked up quite a few recipes (out of the 140 in "My Beef with Meat") to try and am optimistic about them.

For bar-b-que chewing folks who aren't sure what the hoopla is about avoiding meat, and want to know what their "enemies" are thinking, this is a great overview.   If, on the other hand, you're on the borderline and thinking about reducing your meat intake, this book will answer most of your questions. And, if you're already convinced about a plant-strong (or starch -based) approach to healthful eating, then you'll get a bunch of simple answers to your meat -eating friends' questions and challenges, plus some recipes.

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