On My Reading Table ...

Over the past year or two I've picked up several books related to the benefits of eating a plant-based diet. I have to admit I've really just glanced through them, agreeing with their content but not applying what I'd learned. In fact, I think the reason I never really delved in and seriously *read* the books is because I didn't believe I could make the changes that I knew I would feel compelled to make once I'd absorbed their message. And there was a part of me that didn't want to know what I didn't know. Even though in my heart, I knew.

Now that I've made the decision to actually get serious about switching to a plant-based diet, I want to go back and read some of these books. On my reading list:

Eat To Live by Dr. Joel Fuhrman

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan

Veganist by Kathy Freston

Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating by Erik Marcus

The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner, and Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

Vegan's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Inspiration for Cooking, Eating, and Living Compassionately by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone

Becoming Vegan: The Complete Guide to Adopting a Healthy Plant-Based Diet by Brenda Davis

Crazy Sexy Diet: Eat Your Veggies, Ignite Your Spark, and Live Like You Mean It! by Kris Carr

The China Study by T. Colin Campbell

Food Revolution, The: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World by John Robbins

The McDougall Plan by John McDougall

I guess the book that started it all for me was Eat To Live (which I need to re-read) ... and then a lot of blog reading after watching the movie Food, Inc. I know there is a lot more I need to learn and based on my personal beliefs, I'm choosing to focus on learning more about the vegan approach. I think at some point you realize you just can't keep pretending you're not aware that your decisions have consequences, that animals suffer when we choose meat and dairy over plants.

I think I've arrived at that crossroads. In a way it's really scary. In a way, it's incredibly exciting and liberating.

There are 12 books listed above and my goal is to read one book each month. I'm fortunate to have a great library system that makes that goal possible but I have a feeling I'll be adding a lot of them to my reference library.

In addition I'd like to read:

The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook by Dr. Neal Barnard

Animal Ingredients A to Z by EG Smith Collective

The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions: Veganize It! Foolproof Methods for Transforming Any Dish into a Delicious New Vegan Favorite by Celine Steen

I'll be posting a review of each of the books I read and will include highlights that had the most impact.