Vegan for Life: Everything You Need to Know to Be Healthy and Fit on a Plant-Based Diet [Paperback]

I have both been a vegan and a grateful fan of the work of Ginny Messina and Jack Norris for many years. Both of them are truly unique among advocates of plant based diets simply because they refrain from hyperbole and don't promise that eating buckets of kale will lead to a life void of the inevitable: old age, sickness and death. That's not to say that veganism has not been a boon to my personal health: it has. But, like everyone else, I will die some day, and vegan eating doesn't change that.

Ginny and Jack keep the arguments about veganism all about the animals, even though they are both dieticians and devoted to human health and nutrition. But they are interested in healthy, happy vegans, too. They have written, at their own time and expense, for many years about the benefits and pitfalls of plant-based eating. They have made recommendations, and changed their positions many times as the science continues to unfold about human nutrition (which should be considered new and emerging). They have done so with kindness, compassion and without a hint of arrogance.

Vegan for Life, a brilliant double-entendre, is an exceptional book. If it's not the very first, it has to be among the very few that paints a reasonably complex picture of vegan eating that goes over every facet--- the good, the bad, the ugly and everything in between. They don't claim that everyone must eat ultra low-fat (quite the opposite); they don't push raw diets (or even recommend them, actually). I actually suspect that they will receive a fair amount of criticism for this book because of its refusal to oversimplify and paint with a broad brush; because they don't promise miracles, and because they admit that there's much we simply don't know about nutrition. But that's precisely what I find refreshing about their work, and this book in particular. Their honesty is precisely why I trust them.

I believe that all humans can become vegan. That's also my wish. However, I believe that it's not a one-size-fits-all way of eating, and we have yet to figure out how every person can become vegan, and stay vegan, successfully --- enjoying abundant health. Vegan for Life gives lots of useful information for people wanting to maintain good health, and for people who feel like they're struggling to get what they need. Vegan for Life shows that it's not impossible for everyone eat, and stay, vegan.

In my opinion, this book renders all other books on vegan nutrition written to date useless (not because other authors necessarily wrote bad books, but because this book incorporates the latest and greatest). And alas, Vegan for Life is written for the long time and brand new vegan alike; all of us are wise to pay attention because --- as the title suggests --- animal advocates want people to become vegan for life. Ginny and Jack are just the people to show us all how.

This book was mainly written for people who follow a vegan diet or are already considering it. It's a complete overview of vegan nutrition in all stages of life. While there is a short introduction on "why being vegan"... the authors quickly jump to the juicy part and cover the nutritional information all vegans need to know.

The authors have done their research! This is not a classic vegan book repeating the same old arguments. It provides clear nutritional guidance to help vegans stay healthy and design the most adequate diet possible. It's up to date science!

You'll discover interesting pieces of information in this book. For example:

- Vegans can benefit from getting adequate amounts of protein. While it's true that almost nobody suffers from true protein deficiencies in the West, not getting adequate protein can result in muscle mass loss and poor bone health.
- Vegans should take a B12 supplement, even if they just started the diet. The old idea of "wait three years to do it because your body has reserves" is not the wisest.
- Why some vegans crash and fail to thrive, reverting back to animal foods, because they make their diet too restrictive and idealistic
- Getting the RDA for calcium is important for vegans. You'll discover which greens have a negative calcium balance and how to make sure you get enough calcium on a vegan diet, even without supplements
- Other nutrients to watch out about on a vegan diet (or any diet), such as vitamin D, iodine, zinc, etc.
- Ideas for making a vegan diet fun and easy to follow.
- Why it makes sense to take a vegan DHA supplement
- How to adapt a vegan diet to meet the needs of growing children, pregnant women, older people, etc.

This book does not contain a recipe section, but it does contain a lot of meal ideas.

It's filled with tables and useful references, so I would suggest buying the print version, as some of the tables are not as convenient to look at on the Kindle version.

You can tell that the book has been written by professional nutritionists. It's a very good reference, and a great starting point for any vegan.

After years of reading the authors' excellent blogs, I am very happy to have their outstanding book. Having been vegan for a number of years, I am always interested in keeping on top of the literature so that I do not develop any nutrition-related health issues. This book is based upon current, sound research and is presented in an easily read, enjoyable format. The authors are nationally (and perhaps internationally) respected professionals in their field-and both are Registered Dietitians. As a licensed professional myself, I am always concerned about the credentials of those who advise others on diet and health matters. This book is written by qualified, credentialed professionals.
That being said, I have to add that this is not a boring tome on nutrition or ethics--it is an easily read, fun yet informative book. Filled with easy to follow advice and suggestions.
They cover everything from how to eat, what to eat, and why one would eat vegan (e.g., ethical issues, health issues). Detailed discussions of supplements and menu suggestions are included. This is essential reading for anyone considering a transition to a vegan diet as well as those who have been vegan for some time.
I highly recommend Vegan for Life and thank and applaud the authors on this great book. It is my new "Bible" and go-to book for eating healthy and well. I ordered the hard copy for my patient waiting room and ordered the digital for my Ipad. I look forward to their future books!