EAT PLANTS FEEL WHOLE-a review

EAT PLANTS FEEL WHOLE

Harness the healing power of plants and transform your health

By George E. Guthrie, MD, MPD, CDE

Note: I received a complimentary digital advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This post does contain affiliate links. Thanks.

If you think a whole-food, plant-based diet is boring, bland, expensive, or difficult, you should read this book. George Guthrie, M.D. a Family Physician, also pursued extensive education in nutrition and lifestyle medicine.

Dr. Guthrie developed several lifestyle-change programs, including the Complete Health Improvement Project (CHIP), the Wellspring Diabetes Program, and AdventHealth’s CREATION Health program. He is active in the American College of Lifestyle Medicine and has served there as secretary-treasurer, president-elect, and president. 

Food can be addicting…some of us eat because it makes us feel better.

Dr. George Guthrie

Dr. Guthrie focuses on the major non-infectious diseases-obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease-those that we see daily in family medicine. He explains how evidence shows that these are chiefly due to SAD-the Standard American Diet.

Many people struggle with the same issues: mindless snacking, overeating, or consuming whatever is most convenient. Refined foods are designed to stimulate the pleasure centers in our brain and bring us back for more.

Dr. Guthrie

He explains in thorough but easy to understand language the components of nutrition beginning with the major categories-fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Then he reviews the micronutrients, that is vitamins and minerals. He made a point that we can get all of these we need from food, with supplements only needed in isolated cases.

He offers multiple examples of patients from his practice who transformed their health with this whole-food plant-based approach. (Using care to change details to protect confidentiality.) They lost weight, lowered blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol with less or even no medication, and increased stamina.

This essential companion journal will help you track your journey to feeling whole. 

The book concludes with a detailed outline for the whole-food, plant-based eating plan, which he emphasizes is not just another version of a vegan or vegetarian diet, which he says are not necessarily healthy. Dr. Guthrie recommends using the 18-day QuickStart Plan.

The book concludes with easy-to-follow recipes. I appreciated that the ingredients are ones that you are likely to already have at home, or available to buy at a regular food store, without the need to seek out a specialty store or buy online.

Even if you don’t have a chronic disease, this diet plan is worth considering as it can potentially prevent high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. Before I read this book, I considered my eating habits healthy, but I discovered changes I can easily make for improvement. I think you will too.

“PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This book is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified healthcare professional but as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the author. You are advised and encouraged to consult with your healthcare professional in all matters relating to your health and the health of your family. “

This short e-cookbook is available to download free at Dr. Guthrie’s website

Plant-Powered Recipes to Help You Feel Whole

You may listen to Dr. Guthrie talk about plant based eating at this link to his library of podcasts-

Eat Plants Feel Whole

exploring the HEART of healthy eating

If this post or Dr. Guthrie’s book motivates you to make some eating changes, please comment, I’d love to know how you are exploring the heart of health.