Plant-Based, Meat-Based and Between: Ways of Eating for Your Health and Our World

by Gennady Ermak

Keto, paleo, vegan, flexitarian... Which diet is right for you? The author created this book to provide a one-stop-shop for credible information that can help in making your choice. He is a scientist/biologist, who authored over 50 scientific articles and several books, including Emerging Medical Technologies .

The book goes deeply into an important but little-understood which animals can't feel pain and can be eaten without guilt? It analyzes our practices of animal handling and offers a perspective on how these can be improved. It also demonstrates how alternative foods can alleviate the problems associated with the consumption of animal-based products. Finally, the author shares his experience in adjusting his own diet.

Genres: Nonfiction

156 pages, Hardcover

Published January 3, 2022

Reviews

[Tima · Rating 4 out of 5]

A reasonable account of our dieting habit. Going beyond classification through who likes to eat meat vs who prefers to eat on a plant based diet, there are some new terminologies and a whole different meaning behind it.

For most of the people, food is somewhat a matter of personal choice, a person inclined to eat meat has genuine reasons why he enjoys it, while for those who object to it, have moral, environmental, or religious reasons. But the most visible reason is animal cruelty.

Gennady Ermak has done a great job in defining the particulars of dieting habits, some of which were quite new and interesting to me. Surely, the historical and biological relations are well accurate. Humans do fall in the omnivorous category and perhaps the most mature and rational race that can make choices for the better of all.

It's about making the right choice and the author has given sufficient grounds on why one can adapt to a more sustainable and environmentally friendly diet and our biological features only emphasize his points.

I will say that this book distinctly clarifies the outcomes of both diets and most importantly, how they come to our table. A large section shed lights on farming meat products and how it affects the environment in all dimensions. Animal suffering is the biggest reason behind, and I totally agree with the author because I feel that a rational member of the human race will not prefer a food on his table that has come from slaughter, inflicting unbearable pain and death upon an animal.

But again, there are arguments on the other side, people who have pre conceptualized some animals as a source of food. These are serious topics which deserve a rather in depth analysis and this book has provided weight to arguments in defence of adapting to an eco-friendly diet.

[S. Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to start out by saying that the title is slightly misleading. The book functions more as a "why meat is bad" primer than it does as a comparison between the three dietary approaches of the title. That being said, it is a perfectly serviceable introduction for a reader wanting to know more about what nutritional buzzwords actually mean. The author begins with a discussion of what it means for an animal to be an herbivore or carnivore, and what biological features put humans solidly in the omnivore category. However, Ermak points out that the modern world offers individuals greater choice over their food options, and meat may no longer be an obligatory part of all human diets. Following this is a chapter devoted to the health consequences of different dietary components, explaining that nutritional data is often inexact, subject to many variables, and far from immune to corporate and political pressures. The majority of text is devoted to animal suffering as it relates to meat consumption, with a brief discussion on why organic farming is actually more environmentally destructive than modern factory farming. The sections devoted to animal pain, farming and harvesting practices, and suggestions for approaching diet in a more ethical way are the strongest and most memorable in the whole book. These are broad, complex topics, and the fact that they are condensed into such a slim volume may account for the rather dry delivery. Some sections seem to be little more than a recitation of statistics, and it does not make for the liveliest account. Still, I think the book might be of some use for anyone considering shifting towards a vegetarian diet, especially if animal welfare is their prime motivation for doing so.

[Courtnee Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Plant-Based, Meat-Based and Between is a book by Gennady Ermak. The author explains different types of diets and some of the reasons behind a particular choice, both sides of the debate on red meat, foods with the benefits and possible disadvantages of eating them a little or too much. A large section of the book is devoted to the debate about whether vertebrates and invertebrates can feel pain, and reasonable arguments are discussed at length on the topic. Ermak suggests vegan and vegetarian recipes and provides a link to seventy dishes.

Gennady Ermak has written a comprehensive book for diets that will make health and nutrition easier to understand, as he presents arguments for eating meat and raises good points against them, like cutting global greenhouse emissions by almost seventy percent. He informs readers that labels can be misleading, mentions ways to cut food waste, and discusses alternative foods and the average person’s access to them. The author seeks to clarify the misinformation surrounding organic farming, and he speaks from his experience farming and raising animals in his childhood. Ermak holds a doctorate in biology, so the reader can be certain he has studied the science involved in the text extensively. The author wrote his book to inform readers about a better way to handle cattle, read food labels, and understand animal-based products. Plant-Based, Meat-Based and Between is a great selection for anyone who wants to know the truth about the treatment of animals in the meat industry and make more informed decisions about their diets.

[Kayleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great look into all diet types and names used to label them, with a non-judgemental insight into the meaning of each.

I found it really interesting learning about how different animals experience pain and how our diet choices affect the environment. I have personally eaten many different diet types over the years, from vegan to meat-eater and every flexible option in between. There is a lot of contradictory and also biased information online for people looking to transition between diets. One of the biggest reasons people get defensive about eating meat and refuse to explore plant-based is due to feelings of guilt and the lack of understanding from people already successfully eating a plant-based diet.

This book helps to bridge that gap, offering a safe and unbiased way for people to explore options and facts before being able to make decisions about their diet and health for themselves.

A really good read and well-formatted. Easy to jump around to find the info you're looking for! Recommended for anyone who would like the facts without judgement of current diet and health or desired outcomes.

[Aditya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love food! Almost every one of us works so hard that at the end of the day, we can go to bed with a full stomach and a happy mood. Though sometimes, we meat eaters often feel guilt because of the meat we eat, which was obtained by forcefully killing another sentient that calls earth their home. The author very beautifully addresses the problem in his book. He is a Ph.D. holder, so he knows more about these things, compared to a simple google search. hence, for me, his word is credible enough to believe in.

For anyone, who loves to eat but is suffering from the same guilt or even in general, if you are passionate about food and health, this book is a gold mine for you. There is not much to write about since this kind of academic literature dumbed down for us readers, for which, I am very grateful to the author.

Thank you
Happy Reading

[Susan, aka Pooh Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

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