Roll Rich - The Plantpower Way: Whole Food Plant-Based Recipes and Guidance for The Whole Family

By CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Sanjay Gupta, MD

It would be too easy to call this a book of recipes or a guide to go vegan. It is much more than that. It is an invitation to be a guest at the home of a truly marvelous family. As you know, one can learn quite a lot about people through the foods they consume, and you will feel like you are part of this family by the time you are done with The Plantpower Way. Julie, Rich, and their kidsTyler, Trapper, Mathis, and Jayaare all ridiculously fit, good-looking, and oozing bliss. They share a lot of themselves in this book and seamlessly weave together their stories, their philosophy, and their foodthe final product feels wonderfully complete, authentic, and delicious. Quite simply, Julie Piatt and Rich Roll have authored the best book I have read on the topic, and I have read many. The Plantpower Way is remarkably thorough, teaches you about the very essence of the foods, provides a guide to buying those foods, and includes the perfect preparation and the astonishing benefits. There are big lessons and small, such as when to add herbs and spices for maximum return, and also a reminder to take time to smell those herbs every now and then.

The book quickly jumps onto your wavelength and is so intuitive that it provides answers before you even ask the question. To blend or to juice. How to get your kids on the diet and the age-old query about whether plants can provide adequate protein. In case your curiosity is piqued, Rich Roll says you can absolutely get the building blocks of protein you need through Plantpower, and decrease the risk of vascular disease at the same time. He will show you how.

By the way, I am living proof of his philosophy. It worked for me.

If you are perusing this book, you are probably already looking for a change. You are likely dissatisfied with the standard American diet (SAD) and already believe in something more. If that sounds familiar, this book could change your life. Give it a place of prominence in your home. Share it with your friends. It will be one of the greatest gifts you ever provide. They will definitely thank you for the Cherry Cacao Blend; it is almost too good to be true.

This may surprise you, but most doctors didnt learn nutrition in medical school. It seems almost absurd, given that our foods can be medicine. Nearly all I learned has been on my own. And around the time I turned forty it took on a new sense of urgency. With heart disease running in my family, I was not prepared to accept the same destiny as generations of men before me. Not only did I want to avoid that seemingly preordained fate, I wanted to turn it on its head. I wanted to get fitter, healthier, and even younger than I was the year before. I spent late nights reading and then traveling the world to meet the people who could teach me even more. Rich Roll was one of the first people on my list.

Rich Roll is one of Americas most admired athletes. It is not because he is an ultraman, which makes most people tired just describing it. It is not because he has clocked top finishes at the world championships. It is not because he is one of the worlds fittest men, and one of the humblest at the same time. It is not even because he accomplished all of this on a plant-based diet. It is because he is just like you, and me. He was sedentary and overweight at age forty, and believed he could be better. At a time when shortcuts and hacks had become the new normal, Rich worked incredibly hard and invested in the journey. It paid off.

No, this is not your typical recipe book. It is a book about hope, and the universally shared belief that any one of us can be better.

The book is also a story about unwavering support, steadfast faith, and love. Julie Piatt has spent decades perfecting the content of this book. She also spent countless hours developing strategies to nourish the body and the soul of her ultraman when he returned from his high-intensity training rides. From energy bars to green drinks to the perfect vegan brunch, it is all in here. If you ever considered a plant-based diet while training, this book is essential.

A few years ago, I had the good fortune of eating in the Malibu home of Julie and Rich. You will see the pictures of this magical place sprinkled throughout the book. It was an outstanding meal, and I didnt miss meat or dairy one bit. Even more powerful, though, was the infectious enthusiasm and support of the hosts themselves. Through The Plantpower Way, you will get to experience all of it for yourself.

I take immense pride in helping introduce the world to Rich Roll and Julie Piatt through a television story. As a health journalist, I have never found it sufficient to simply report on better ways to manage disease. And it wasnt good enough to simply preach wellness. I believe in the optimization of the human body and the human spirit. You will not find better guides in that quest than the authors of The Plantpower Way.

My friends Rich and Julie are going to help a lot of people become better versions of themselves through this bookand create a lot of joy along the way.

LETS GET PLANTPOWERED!

Now Is the Time to Embrace the Next Level of Nutrition to Live Your Best Life

If this book is anything, its a family celebration of just how dramatically our lives have changed in the last decade.

Eight years ago, enslaved by a dehumanizing career track dominated by eighty-hour workweeks, Rich was hurtling into a disillusioned middle-aged malaise. He had a hopeless addiction to fast food and a myriad of unhealthy lifestyle habits that left him fifty pounds overweight and on an inevitable crash course with depression, obesity, heart disease, and, ultimately, an early grave.