Mark Bittman

Simon and Schuster New York, London, Toronto, Sydney

327 pages

US $ 15.00 Canadian $ 19.99

 

The author is a proponent of sensible food consumption. In this book he explains in detail how in North America, the population, more especially Americans, can help reduce pollution, and environmental degradation by eating less meat. He points out that in most developed and industrialized countries people consume 1/2 lb. (225 grams) of meat daily and argues that 3 oz. (90 grams) is perfectly sufficient for an adequate protein supply. More importantly, a plant-based diet is much healthier and he recommends it repeatedly and forcefully.

M. Bittman rightly points out that eating food produced close-by is preferable to those imported from distant growing regions in the U. S. A. and abroad.

Factory farming harms the environment and is cruel to animals. Considering the fact that 60 billion animals are raised annually for food his argument for less meat consumption is fully justified. All these animals emanate much of the carbon dioxide affecting climate change.

In addition, in this book he explains that sugar consumption in North America is excessive, leading to all kinds of diseases for young adults, overweight, and obesity with more disabling repercussions in the long run.

On the other hand, the author never mentions that government policies contribute largely to over consumption since American farmers are handsomely rewarded with subsidies to produce more corn, sugar beets or cane and other foods. Simply put food in the U.S.A is priced too low that encourages excessive consumption.

Constant TV food advertising encourages people to eat highly processed and refined food, which hampers the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and ultimately causes diseases that are difficult to cure. TV programming is also full of weight loss advertising, clinics offering cures, and companies specializing in weight loss programmes.

The author recommendations of eating a plant food based diet will go a long way to saving the American and in general the North American health care system, billions of dollars.

The book contains 75recipes that are designed to satisfy the average individual and may even lead to a gradual weight loss.

He is an advocate of diet modification to lose weight, rather than “severe” diet that in the short run work, but fail in the long run. It is proven that “crash” diets at first work but later more weight is gained than lost. Gradual reduction and altering eating habits work much better.

This is what Mark Bittman stresses in this excellent book.

Read it, keep it as a reference and above all practice what the author suggests.

Highly recommended.