Dr. Garth Davis isn’t shy about sharing his plant-based journey. His book, Proteinaholic, narrates his transition from a protein-lover suffering from multiple health issues to a full-blown vegan and Ironman competitor. After diving into the research – which is a big focus of this book – he not only changed the way he eats, he also changed the diet recommendations that he gives his patients.
As a previous animal protein connoisseur, Davis digs into why we’re eating more protein than we should, yet most people think they should be eating more. It’s an ironic state to be in. Davis offers a great metaphor painting a picture of our current relationship with protein:
“amino acids (made from protein) are like bricks. They are obviously necessary for the construction of a brick wall, and they’re needed when we want to extend the height or length or width of the wall. They’re likewise required for ongoing maintenance, when we need to replace missing or broken bricks. But are more bricks always better? What if your house were built, and in fine repair, but a dump truck kept dropping loads of bricks on your front lawn and a forklift kept leaving pallets of bricks on your kitchen floor. At that point, those bricks would go from valuable building materials to dangerous nuisances.”
He calls for an end to the brick (aka protein) surplus. Specifically, protein from animal products that is associated with a multitude of health conditions.
Dr. Davis recommends a diet that centers around whole, plant-based foods including whole grains, legumes, fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds. Eating these foods will give you all of the protein you need – as long as you’re eating enough calories. This is even the case if you’re doing regular exercise! 
Though at first glance it may not seem as important as the research and health information about plant-based eating, I appreciate that Davis takes the time to cover the actual act of changing your diet. Change (especially when it comes to our beloved food) is hard and he recognizes this. Davis recommends strategies such as setting goals, surrounding yourself with others who have similar goals and journaling to stay on track.
Available on Amazon: Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession with Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It
