Garth Davis, M. D.

So finally got around to reading this. First off I've been a vegan for a decade, I did not read this to be convinced of that. Good book. It goes into quite a lot of depth (looking at many individual studies) on the consequences of high-protein diets, the nonsense peddled by high-protein diet promoters, how protein & carbohydrates are related to health & longevity, our actual protein needs and maybe a few things I neglected. What initially made me want to pick this up was a discussion of the needs for bodybuilding. As I'm lifting weights and want to get stronger I'm not immune to a lot in the community wanting to chase protein and I've even seen things by some very knowledgeable and competent people that I couldn't easily refute. The last chapter (if you ignore the ones on meal plan and how to go vegan which I didn't need) was actually incredibly good at this. It looked at a number of studies, compared various results (and the lack of them) and more which had really good information. I recommend this book.

Ah, one note for potential triggers. His professional background is as a weight-loss surgeon so the book does feature a lot of weight talk as well as a lot of "plant-based diet will make you lose weight" talk, which eh not ideal, but if that's a manageable trigger for you this is a very good book.… (mehr)

Of course I'm disappointed that more people are not reading or have read this heavily fact based book---but then again, he's writing to the choir at least for me. It is almost impossible to change people's eating habits unless for some reason they reach a point of desperation---sometimes, as with the author himself, a life or death decision. This book is so completely well researched but how does one get the low-carb crowd to even turn their heads to listen. I can't recommend this book with greater enthusiasm but there is a wall of "mental meat" (my term) out there to try and cut through, pun intended.

The one other reviewer comments that he sounds preachy but he was trying hard to make his points, and yes, it took and deserves repetition. The answers will appear over time as the low-carb crowd ages and finds out what happens to their bodies----do they have none of the resulting health problems Davis describes? I will agree that Davis is totally committed to his beliefs and with his resulting exercise efforts he can prove what has worked for one person, as a great example. Will that work for everyone? Of course not but I think he does provide plenty of evidence that there is more potential harm with a heavy protein food plan than with a heavy plant based food plan. It is up to each person to decide what they want to consume.… (mehr)

I skimmed this toward the end as he kept beating a dead horse. You're vegan, you think animal protein is the devil. Got it.
Oddly enough, I somewhat agree with his tenets. Carbs aren't the devil for everyone and they certainly haven't been for me personally in my weight loss journey. However in his quest to prove that he's correct and the proponents of paleo, Atkins, South Beach, etc. he commits some of the same errors as he accuses them of. He'll criticise doctors for not knowing nutrition but then go on to push his theory which of course is more correct than those he's critical of. I agree with some of his theories on the fetishization of Paleo as a true cave man diet, but I disagree with his assertion that there is one true way of eating. Different diets work for different people even if his theory that Americans are too overweight is true.
A good read, but could have been a lot shorter and a lot less preachy.… (mehr)