What do you think?
Rate this book
The Meat Fix: How a Lifetime of Healthy Eating Nearly Killed Me
"The Meat Fix" is the story of how eating meat again after twenty-six vegetarian years changed John Nicholson's life powerfully for the better, and his quest to understand why the supposedly healthy diet he had existed on was actually damaging him.
He is not a scientist and this is not your standard diet book. Rather, it is an explanation of how Nicholson discovered what works for him and why we should all look at nutritional advice through a clear lens, not the warped prism of what has become conventional dietary advice. This is a surprising, often hilarious, and shocking journey of discovery.
John Nicholson is author of "We Ate All the Pies," which was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize.
He is not a scientist and this is not your standard diet book. Rather, it is an explanation of how Nicholson discovered what works for him and why we should all look at nutritional advice through a clear lens, not the warped prism of what has become conventional dietary advice. This is a surprising, often hilarious, and shocking journey of discovery.
John Nicholson is author of "We Ate All the Pies," which was longlisted for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize.
- GenresHealthNonfictionFood
274 pages, Paperback
First published February 2, 2012
17 people are currently reading
92 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
April 3, 2014
Completely unlike any food or diet book that I've ever read, The Meat Fix is a hilarious and engaging account of the author's 26 year stint as a (mostly vegan) vegetarian, and how he regained his health by eating meat instead of soy and grains. Even if you're not greatly interested in the topic, I'd recommend this book for the sheer entertainment value.
September 4, 2012
Hilarious, heavily anecdotal, a completely and overtly personal account of one man's experience with diet.
The author turned vegan in the early 1980s, long before such a diet became widely recommended as healthy. After a few years he became beset by horrendous chronic digestive problems, humorously but graphically described. Deciding to eat meat again after 26 years cured him, pretty much overnight. Now he feels incredibly healthy on a meat and fat rich, almost carbohydrate free diet. The end.
It sounds like a thin premise for a whole book, but it is packed with fun reminiscences and entertaining ranting. I particularly enjoyed the section on what people ate, and what people's attitude to food was, in 1970s Britain - the author's childhood eating experiences, and indeed mine.
It will make you feel nervous about eating your lunchtime sandwich (all that wheat!) but it's a fun read.
The author turned vegan in the early 1980s, long before such a diet became widely recommended as healthy. After a few years he became beset by horrendous chronic digestive problems, humorously but graphically described. Deciding to eat meat again after 26 years cured him, pretty much overnight. Now he feels incredibly healthy on a meat and fat rich, almost carbohydrate free diet. The end.
It sounds like a thin premise for a whole book, but it is packed with fun reminiscences and entertaining ranting. I particularly enjoyed the section on what people ate, and what people's attitude to food was, in 1970s Britain - the author's childhood eating experiences, and indeed mine.
It will make you feel nervous about eating your lunchtime sandwich (all that wheat!) but it's a fun read.
March 9, 2017
This idiot is actually promoting the consumption of class 1 carcinogens, cholesterol, saturated fats and animal protein which all lead to the biggest killers in western society.
It has been scientifically proven time and time again that cutting out animal products from your diet prevents and in some cases reverses 14 of the 15 leading causes of death in western society. This book ignores that fact and instead chooses to use no logic, science or studies in any of its claims that animal products are beneficial.
If you truly care about your health, check out How Not To Die by Dr Michael Greger, which will instantly shut down all of the idiotic arguments and claims that are put forth in this drivel that somehow made it into book format. The author is truly a demented madman that was let loose with a pen and who wanted his moment in the spotlight. He couldn't care less about your health.
It has been scientifically proven time and time again that cutting out animal products from your diet prevents and in some cases reverses 14 of the 15 leading causes of death in western society. This book ignores that fact and instead chooses to use no logic, science or studies in any of its claims that animal products are beneficial.
If you truly care about your health, check out How Not To Die by Dr Michael Greger, which will instantly shut down all of the idiotic arguments and claims that are put forth in this drivel that somehow made it into book format. The author is truly a demented madman that was let loose with a pen and who wanted his moment in the spotlight. He couldn't care less about your health.
April 28, 2015
Highly entertaining account of how the author found the right food choice for his body. He's very British, so if you don't know what bollocks means, you ought to remedy that straight away. I imagine any vegetarian reading it will become defensive very quickly even though he's condemning processed food more than vegetarianism. Also, now that the FDA has admitted that dietary cholesterol is okay to eat, this book has renewed applicability.
January 2, 2017
Do you think 'five a day' is the answer
A compulsive read if u r interested in the value of what you eat! John Nicholson provides an alternative view to all we are lead to believe about 'healthy eating'. His conclusions are well researched and quite startling. Our NHS guidelines are obviously not working. Do his suggestions offer a sensible alternative? Read his book and decide for yourself!
A compulsive read if u r interested in the value of what you eat! John Nicholson provides an alternative view to all we are lead to believe about 'healthy eating'. His conclusions are well researched and quite startling. Our NHS guidelines are obviously not working. Do his suggestions offer a sensible alternative? Read his book and decide for yourself!
March 16, 2017
Save yourself the read. The author ate unhealthy amounts of soy every day for years and got IBS and fatigue from it, then discovered that lamb chops are tasty. The writing rages in circles against conventional wisdom and the NHS like a raving old man, which is exactly what he is. Super repetitive and even repeats anecdotes. Boring. Meat isn't the answer, a plant based diet with minimal soy/processed foods intake will do you just fine.
April 3, 2014
An intelligent and entertaining look at the food presumptions we make fueled by misleading and often apparently mis-informed government guidelines. some of the conclusions differ from my own experiences but everything is backed up with intelligent references.
Overall an eye-opening read. recommended.
Overall an eye-opening read. recommended.
June 28, 2013
Easy intro into low carb eating. (Did you know that humans don't need carbs, that is none at all?). Funny and interesting, read this then read Gary Taubes
September 5, 2014
What an excellent book - read it to change how you think about healthy food.
November 12, 2013
Having gone vegan over a year ago, I was interested by the blurb on this that claimed that eating a high plant/ whole foods diet actually made the author incredibly ill.
The book actually supports a wholefoods diet, and does little to touch on the ethical and moral ramification when the author started eating meat again (in fact, he basically has sex with a steak when he finally tries it for the first time in several decades).
But it's good. Easy to read- I zapped through in a couple of hours- and while it may not comment on the big issue (is eating animals a bit of dickish thing to do?) it does point out the downfalls of an overly processed and GM riddled diet.
The book actually supports a wholefoods diet, and does little to touch on the ethical and moral ramification when the author started eating meat again (in fact, he basically has sex with a steak when he finally tries it for the first time in several decades).
But it's good. Easy to read- I zapped through in a couple of hours- and while it may not comment on the big issue (is eating animals a bit of dickish thing to do?) it does point out the downfalls of an overly processed and GM riddled diet.
August 11, 2013
I really don't know what to make of this sarcastic, shouty diatribe. The author was a hippy type vegan for most of his adult life and developed an horrendous, life-limiting IBS. By his own account, gorging on meat cured him overnight.
We know that modern medicine is not good at dealing with lifestyle chronic illness; that doctors are not trained as dieticians; that scientific understanding of nutrition is a work in progress. This seems less than sufficient to justify cherry-picking theories and scare stories from the counter-culture (whilst simultaneously rubbishing vegetarianism). The embrace of the lobbyists and assertion that medicine is in cahoots with a big food conspiracy seems extreme.
We know that modern medicine is not good at dealing with lifestyle chronic illness; that doctors are not trained as dieticians; that scientific understanding of nutrition is a work in progress. This seems less than sufficient to justify cherry-picking theories and scare stories from the counter-culture (whilst simultaneously rubbishing vegetarianism). The embrace of the lobbyists and assertion that medicine is in cahoots with a big food conspiracy seems extreme.
July 16, 2015
This is a fun read about a "typical" British guy born in the early 1960s, how he fell into vegetarianism and stayed that way for 26 years, how it (and the UK's health system) almost killed him, and how he re-discovered meat (& other unprocessed foods). Some readers have found his language distasteful, but I enjoy British humor/slang/etc. and appreciated his seemingly complete honesty about everything (and I mean, everything). You can't necessarily base your lifestyle/dietary habits on one guy's experience, but on the other hand, he provides some interesting facts/ideas/philosophies that are worth thinking about.
January 4, 2014
I found the foodie info interesting. I am not particularly clued up on nutrition but like having a better idea on the whole food industry v shopping habits v illness. Brought back memories on growing up in the 80s which I seem to have repressed. Easy reading.
March 6, 2014
It's really interesting, reading his story and finding out about his experience. The last chapter or so is a bit preachy, but otherwise it's a really good read.
May 6, 2013
Very informative if, however I would have edited it drastically as he's tends to go off tangent on a personal rant!
January 7, 2015
I had some concerns about his points, but thought provoking and worth considering.
October 5, 2019
A few years ago Football365 was my go-to website for football, and Nicholson was one of its better writers, wry and amusing. But I hope no-one from the site was tempted to do a Mediawatch style critique of this book, which was mostly contradictory rubbish.
This was a shame as the first 100 pages or so were the amusing stories I'd expected, in which Nicholson described his lifestyle changes from childhood to the present day, and the various health problems he'd experienced. This might sound dry, but he has a good turn of phrase and his tangents were interesting.
And then the last two thirds. Clearly, Nicholson had had poor experiences with the NHS, and a change to his diet seemed to be the decisive factor, which was fine. But in explaining that, there was unjustified ranting, railing against experts, using other experts as authorities to support his point, in a less structured and far less powerful conclusion.
The epitome of this attitude was on a discussion of Gillian McKeith, in which her dietary 'science' was debunked by Ben Goldacre. McKeith bought qualifications and used faulty logic to justify why her dietary advice should be followed in order to make money. But while quoting Goldacre's takedown, Nicholson asks whether McKeith's approach is really that bad if it offers an alternative. To which the answer is unequivocally 'yes', because there is a difference between wilful deceit, and the complexities of the human body that mean that there is not a magic formula to dieting.
I did find myself agreeing with some of his points, but then again, if you hold multiple points of view on a single topic, this is quite likely. The heavy processing of soya against its natural, feelgood branding is iffy, as is the vegetarian morality of farming and killing animals for food, as long as you don't actually eat their meat. But he uses anomalous findings as proof against orthodox views, asks why the NHS tells us we're going to die if we don't eat enough fruit (it doesn't say that), asks why the NHS doesn't give a full list of references for some general health advice on its website, and asks stupid questions like whether a fruit counts towards your 5 a day if you eat it 2 minutes after midnight. Nicholson seemed like a fairly intelligent guy of F365, but I do wonder...
I can't question his personal experience, and if his health has improved then that's a good thing. But what could have been an amusing story of how the virtues of veganism are overrated turned into a flawed assault on doctors and health advice.
This was a shame as the first 100 pages or so were the amusing stories I'd expected, in which Nicholson described his lifestyle changes from childhood to the present day, and the various health problems he'd experienced. This might sound dry, but he has a good turn of phrase and his tangents were interesting.
And then the last two thirds. Clearly, Nicholson had had poor experiences with the NHS, and a change to his diet seemed to be the decisive factor, which was fine. But in explaining that, there was unjustified ranting, railing against experts, using other experts as authorities to support his point, in a less structured and far less powerful conclusion.
The epitome of this attitude was on a discussion of Gillian McKeith, in which her dietary 'science' was debunked by Ben Goldacre. McKeith bought qualifications and used faulty logic to justify why her dietary advice should be followed in order to make money. But while quoting Goldacre's takedown, Nicholson asks whether McKeith's approach is really that bad if it offers an alternative. To which the answer is unequivocally 'yes', because there is a difference between wilful deceit, and the complexities of the human body that mean that there is not a magic formula to dieting.
I did find myself agreeing with some of his points, but then again, if you hold multiple points of view on a single topic, this is quite likely. The heavy processing of soya against its natural, feelgood branding is iffy, as is the vegetarian morality of farming and killing animals for food, as long as you don't actually eat their meat. But he uses anomalous findings as proof against orthodox views, asks why the NHS tells us we're going to die if we don't eat enough fruit (it doesn't say that), asks why the NHS doesn't give a full list of references for some general health advice on its website, and asks stupid questions like whether a fruit counts towards your 5 a day if you eat it 2 minutes after midnight. Nicholson seemed like a fairly intelligent guy of F365, but I do wonder...
I can't question his personal experience, and if his health has improved then that's a good thing. But what could have been an amusing story of how the virtues of veganism are overrated turned into a flawed assault on doctors and health advice.
November 25, 2016
It's an interesting premise written in a conversational style. I'm not entirely convinced by the argument, but I certainly understand his frustration. He followed the "right" diet for 20+ years and it seems to have caused (or exacerbated) his IBS. No tests helped, no medication helped, no doctors helped... It's only when the author started eating meat again (after 26 years) that his symptoms eased.
May 11, 2018
Vegetarians need to read this book - and hopefully before they develop any serious diseases.
August 21, 2021
This story was great and it show how diet change life.
July 8, 2013
I hate to be a downer when most of the reviews for this book are quite good, but I really did not enjoy it at all. I appreciated the author's frank recounting of how veganism nearly destroyed his body and how meat put him on the road to recovery. What I did not appreciate was the simple writing, crass language and overly detailed descriptions of bodily functions. I personally didn't find the crudity funny but very off-putting. He also spent a lot of time on small details and side stories. This autobiography could have been told just as easily in 100 pages. I do believe this type of story needs to be told more often, but I think the author's crass style is not very palatable. I didn't enjoy reading it and I absolutely cannot recommend it to anyone else.
February 5, 2017
Bloke was a vegan and very ill with high cholesterol so started eating meat again and felt immediately better and recovered from IBS. Too much soya is bad of you. Eat less carbs so tried these things and already lost 2lb. Written in a bit of a jokey style but 3rd book I've read having a go at statins.
March 24, 2016
Very readable and funny.
April 28, 2012
Enjoyed this book very much, eye opening and witty at the same time.
March 20, 2015
Great read. Quite hilarious at times (if you like Bill Bryson's style) and very informative, too.
January 4, 2016
Particularly interesting for a vegetarian.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews