The Vegetarian Way: Total Health for You and Your Family

The vegetarian lifestyle, which has varying levels of strictness, may be adopted for health reasons or out of ethical concerns, e.g., animal welfare, the environment. In this comprehensive guidebook, the Messinas (she is a dietician; he has a Ph.D. in nutrition), who are longtime vegetarians, place the emphasis on health. Citing numerous studies, they argue persuasively that going meatless lowers the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes and other diseases, and they write reassuringly about any possible protein, mineral or vitamin deficiencies in a meat-free diet. For beginners, they offer a nine-step program for getting started, with recipes and sections on meal planning and food buying. The special needs of pregnant women and nursing mothers, infants, children, teenagers and seniors are addressed, as are those of diabetics, athletes and the overweight. A resource directory is included, along with advice on eating out, entertaining and dealing with the gibes of omnivores. (Mar.)