Wilcox - The Win-Win Diet

T he rise in popularity of plant-based eating spurs many questions: What exactly is a plant-based diet? Can I be plant-based and still eat some meat? If so, what kind and how much? How can I ensure that I will get all my nutrients when I am plant-based? How can I prevent myself from eating a meatless diet just as unhealthy as the one I ate before? Can being plant-based reverse my diabetes or hypertension, help me lose weight, or alleviate climate change? Can I afford to go plant-based? Will I be able to eat out? How will I be able to cook so many new foods? Are eggs good or bad? Is dairy inflammatory? And what is the truth about soy?

These are just some of the questions about this topical approach to eating Ive been asked by clients, friends, and family, which is why I decided to write this book. I believe a plant-based diet is an excellent choice for most, because it offers many avenues and a large potential for personalization. Whats more, becoming plant-based is easier than you think, as minimal changes yield a significant impact on your health, the environment, and animal welfare. In Part One of this book, I will explain the evidence in favor of a plant-based lifestyle, delve into the pros and cons of important foods to know about as you transition to this eating pattern, and lay out four approachesflexitarian, pescatarian, vegetarian, and veganto help you determine where on the plant-based spectrum you fall. Then, in Part Two, I will help you put the principles from Part One into action, so that you can successfully maintain your plant-based lifestyle for life. In Part Three, I will show you how to transition from an omnivorous diet to the four I have selected, provide guides to help you assess yourself and your progress, and help you deal with different eating environments. I will explain why it is so important to find a community of support, be mindful, and self-nurture. Lastly, I will show you how to develop your own personalized diet with recipes in Part Four and sample meal plans in Part Five.

The buzz about plant-based diets is growing, and no matter what media youre into, its hard to ignore. On Netflix, the documentaries The Game Changers and Forks Over Knives profile people from all walks of lifefrom an average American struggling with various chronic metabolic diseases to an elite athletewho have transformed their lives with plant-based diets. In a 2019 New York Times article, The Meat-Lovers Guide to Eating Less Meat, Melissa Clark wrote about modifying her meat-heavy diet when she realized that cutting back on animal products, even a little, could benefit the environment. According to Clark, The World Resource Institute, an environmental research group, recommends that wealthy nations cut their beef, lamb, and dairy consumption by forty percent to meet global emissions goals for 2050. Using the forty percent reduction amount as her guide, Clark decided to limit herself to two or three meals per week that included meat, seafood, or dairy. This plan has worked well for Clark and shes been able to stick with it for two reasons: she doesnt deprive herself of animal products completely, which she loves, and she is contributing to the wellness of the earth.

Clark is not alone. Bill Clinton, who remains devoted to a plant-based lifestyle, was one of the first to bring this style of eating to popular culture. In 2010, he announced he had become vegan to save his veins, arteries, and heart. In doing so, he also lost twenty-four pounds. Kim Kardashian has become an advocate of plant-based eating. Soccer star Alex Morgan swears by her plant-based diet as a performance-booster. In his acceptance speech for Best Actor at the 2020 Oscars, Joaquin Phoenix promoted plant-based eating by highlighting animal cruelty in food production. Even medical professionals, known to avoid giving nutrition advice for disease prevention and treatment, are increasingly endorsing plant-based eating, not only for their patients but also for themselves.