Customer Reviews

Transition to Vegetarianism: An Evolutionary Step

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Most people can't stop eating meat one day and put a red "X" on the plate instead. Unless you live in a culture like India, or eat lots of beans and rice, it takes a bit of adjustment to move to a plant-based diet.

When newly minted militant vegetarian friends reject the idea of starting out by simply eating less meat, this book is the place to turn for support. After twenty years of shepherding people toward a more vegetarian diet, I've seen definite trends that emerge when giving up meat: persistent cheese-eating, a plethora of omelet dishes, a sudden craving for peanut butter, etc. This guide gives sound practical explanations about why these cravings happen; it also gives suggestions for maintaining nutrition without going overboard on fat. Vegans will be unhappy with the assertion that a plant-based diet with some milk products is a typical solution for Americans, but realistically, how many of us are willing to do what it takes to maintain a strictly vegan diet the rest of our lives? And as additional research emerges on fatty acids (such as Omega-3 and Omega-6 oils) there seems to be an increasing number of reasons to consider fish as a practical substitute for supplements like hempseed or flaxseed oil.

Over the years, I've heard countless people wake up to nutrition and tell me they've discovered the "only healthy diet there is." Every one of those diets has been different! Rather than rushing out to try someone else's diet, I'd recommend looking at Dr. Ballentine's set of guidelines first. This is one of the only books on vegetarianism I know that doesn't tell you "here's the best diet." Instead, the author presents the pros and cons of various food options, and gives you a reasonable way to work towards a diet which suits both your body and your life situation.

In Transition To Vegetarianism: An Evolutionary Step, Doctor Rudolpf Ballentine presents an informed and persuasive survey of the value and reasoning to a vegetarian diet. Dr. Ballentine's informative text is laced with health relevant information such as meat-eaters having three times as many heart attacks as vegetarians, that a vegetarian diet decreases osteoporosis dramatically, that in endurance tests vegetarians had more than twice the stamina and strength of meat-eaters, and that the vegetarian diet is a time-honored technique for promoting alertness and clarity of consciousness. Ideal for the non-specialist general reader, Transition To Vegetarianism covers red meat, poultry, fish, and the question of milk and eggs in a vegetarian diet. If you are considering the pros and cons of a vegetarian diet for yourself, begin with reading Dr. Rudolf Ballentine's Transition To Vegetarianism.

I wish I had this book when I first eliminated meat from my diet - it would have saved me a LOT of grief and prevented some pretty bad dietary habits. It gives a unique and well-grounded approach to becoming a vegetarian or shaping up your diet if you're already vegetarian. It does say that eating dairy can be helpful, which there is some controversy on, but even many experts who are anti-dairy object to milk products mainly because they are packed with hormones, pasteurized, and homogenized. When dairy is pure, organic, and fresh it's a good source of nutrition when used properly and in moderation. Also, the book says you should eat dairy OR fish as a supplement to a vegan diet, which makes sense when you look at the traditional diets of native cultures around the world - I don't know of any that are purely vegan. Rudolph Ballentine seems to be a very wise author with a lot of grounded perspective on holistic nutrition.

I am 58 years old and have been a vegetarian for 24 years. I read this book 24 years ago. It is still the best source for learning how to make the transition to a meat-free way of life. Dr. Ballentine wrote this scholarly work in layman terms so that it is easily understandable. He documents the plethora of reasons (ethical, social, health, environmental) why a person should become a vegetarian. The book is packed full of nutritional information so that one can be assured of the best way to combine various types of foods to be able to get ALL the nutrients necessary for excellent health without meat. Be sure to read the end-notes in the book because there is almost as much useful information there as there is in the main part of the text. If you peek at all the references you will notice that the author did extensive research in this field. I keep buying these 3 at a time to give to friends and colleagues who inquire why I became a vegetarian. Otherwise, I'd have to say, "Do you have several hours to hear my answers. Also, I continue to refer to it from time to time. This book is well worth its cost.

Rudolph Ballentine is my personal guru I must say. I've bought all his books and treasure them all. This was the last unread one, and I was confident it would be all that I hoped it would be, and I wasn't dissappointed. He has such a thoughtful considered balanced writing style, making it easy to go for go to whoa with him. He adds a breadth and depth to the rationale for going vegetarian that noone else I've read has managed, and so makes this book a valuable addition for those considering going meat-free. Once you've read this book, the trip will be easier. Good health and thanks again Rudolph!

This is a very informative, well written book enveloping all aspects of nutrition and modern society. The only critisism I have is that it's written from an American point of view, not Australian. Their statistics are quite different to ours, although we are becoming more like them with our obesity problems and other health issues.
This book contains vital information for any person thinking of becoming a vegetarian.

I bought this book on the recommendation of my homeopath, who had worked under Rudolph Ballentine. I was disappointed. While the nutrition in terms of meat's value and replacement in the diet may be of great help to my sister, who *is* vegetarian, I found the "dairy is good for you" message questionable in terms of my personal experience and in terms of different articles I've read. I'll take a sensible vegan cookbook any day.