Eat More, Weigh Less: Dr. Dean Ornish's Life Choice Program for Losing Weight Safely While Eating Abundantly

Ingeniously disguised as a weight-loss manual, this bestselling guide to preventing--and in some cases, reversing--heart disease through diet, exercise, and soul nourishing comes from renowned cardiologist Dr. Dean Ornish, the first doctor to prove that there are alternatives to surgery for clearing clogged arteries--namely, diet, exercise, and stress management. Citing his own published research findings, Ornish concludes that eating a vegetarian diet with only 10 percent of the total daily calories from fat is the first step to healthier, happier living. The other key elements--moderate exercise, fostering social support, and reconnecting with the self--take more time and care. For these, Ornish offers about 75 pages of encouraging words, again backed by numerous research findings and his personal experiences.

About 250 gourmet recipes from two dozen famous chefs help ease the blow to those who view becoming vegetarian as a dramatic lifestyle change. The good news is, entr es like Polenta Alla Veneziana and Tofu Gumbo will surely tickle the taste buds; the bad news is, the sheer number of ingredients and lengthy prep time required for most recipes could send readers running back to their favorite fast-food joints. Plenty of cooking methods, tips, and food descriptions help demystify the recipes; Ornish also provides a comprehensive nutritional analysis of common foods as well as for each dish. But the great strength of Eat More, Weigh Less is in Ornish's opening sections, where he builds a solid case for curbing fat, tossing out the meat and dairy, and fostering mental and emotional happiness. --Liane Thomas