How are ye doing guys, you read the title...let's do this!
I just got Dr. Neal Barnard's new book 'The Vegan Starter Kit.'
Dr. Barnard, Fellow of the American College of Cardiology is one of the best-respected
doctors in the Lifestyle Medicine field and one of the most prolific authors on the subject.
He has been a New York Times bestselling author and his most recent publication was designed
to be a concise guide for people looking to drop animal products from their diet, launched
just in time for January.
I was expecting a science-heavy read when I first got the book, and the first thing
that struck me was that this turned out to not be the case at all.
But it quickly became clear to me that this is the book's strength - I believe it is a
welcome departure from science-heavy texts, especially for those already convinced of
the benefits of a plant-based diet but looking for a little help with how to start one.
Those in the nutrition World can often get bogged down in the science and not focus enough
on practical solutions to our dietary problems, something I know I'm guilty of myself!
The book follows a clear path, first briefly outlining the health benefits of a vegan diet
and some celebrities and athletes that have reported improvements in both health and sports
performance going vegan.
But in addition to these important and oft-cited arguments, the book also touches on some other
important points not often mentioned - how the people around you are affected by changing
your diet, the impact on the rest of your family of your becoming ill and a practical,
step-by-step guide for actually implementing a 3-week vegan "test drive."
Next, in a strong chapter Dr. Barnard offers strategies for specific health goals, for
example weight loss, lowering blood pressure, protecting the brain and improving athletic
performance.
Sources of nutrients of potential concern are covered comprehensively, with possibly
one exception - I would have liked a little extra detail in his discussion on omega-3
fatty acids.
This is a bit of a pet peeve of mine though, and I will be addressing this topic in a video
myself in the future.
Another strong addition is a chapter detailing dietary needs for specific life stages - a
topic that is often glossed over, especially here on YouTube.
Almost all nutrition authorities are in agreement that a well-planned vegan diet is nutritionally
adequate for all stages of life including pregnancy, lactation and infancy, and this
chapter will help with this planning from the pre-natal stage to childhood and beyond.
It even details specific dietary recommendations for different stages of infancy!
Dr. Barnard offers some great strategies for the lazy or time-deprived vegan, tips for
eating plant-based at work, restaurants, when travelling and at parties, addresses potential
stumbling blocks on the diet and in what I think is the strongest chapter of the book,
humorously and informatively dispells some of the myths surrounding the vegan diet.
The rest of the book features some recipes, of which the Easy Tofu Scramble is the one
I'm most looking forward to trying!
Overall, this book delivers on the promise of it's title and subtitle, and I recommend
it as a useful aid for anyone looking to drop animal products for 2019, with a few exceptions.
I would not recommend this book for anyone wishing to reverse a disease or aggressively
reduce their risk, since in my opinion the dietary changes proposed are not strict enough
for fully, 100% optimal nutrition.
I can see why Dr. Barnard did this, he is trying to make the diet as accessible and
easy as possible for people and it certainly is healthier than what over 99% of people
are eating whilst at the same time being very easy to implement.
'The Vegan Starter Kit' offers the kind of insight that comes only from over 30 years
of immersion in plant-based nutritional science whilst concurrently working tirelessly with
many people to help them change their diet, and I learned a great deal from the book myself.
In conclusion, this book is an excellent addition that offers a welcome departure from science-heavy
texts whilst still providing enough convincing reasons to go vegan, but focuses more on the
HOW, and that is it's strength.
There's still enough time left in Veganuary to do Dr. Barnard's 3 week "vegan test drive!"
I'll leave a link to this book in the description box in case you're interested.
Thanks for watching, if you have any questions or comments, leave them in the comment section
below and I'll get back to you.
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Sláinte!