Some further thoughts, Tom. I hear these words a lot: "Very interesting but too extreme for me." I think it's a cultural barrier, and tying the issue to Christmas exemplifies that. It's a natural reaction, and I used to think the same way (I was a meat and potatoes and dessert guy). Food is cultural for all of us, we learn from our parents and friends as we grow up, and every cultural/holiday and family tradition includes food. Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and other holidays for other religions. Ethnic origin and religion play a big role.

What vexes me is when those words come from people who have serious preventable or reversible health issues, and I tell them about the FORKS OVER KNIVES video with the caveat "This my not be for you but you may find it interesting" but they don't want to watch it -- it's "too extreme" to even think about changing diet and lifestyle. They might be able to turn that around if they make a change in lifestyle -- but think that's "too extreme". They're sick and take meds that have side effects that compound health issues, and yet they act as if it's "under control" from some magic pill that has no downside. To my way of thinking, what's extreme is taking a passive attitude about one's health, and taking "preventive" meds that mask the real issue and make a person sicker by introducing added health risks and interfering with natural body processes. Surgery, cancer and stroke is really extreme!

Also, people who say that changing diet is too extreme may have the view we can't have interesting and appetizing food without animal protein and fats. With this change, my wife and I have expanded our horizons beyond traditional Northern and Eastern European and American food traditions, and our meals are more interesting than ever. Gene and Max posted some interesting recipes in this thread, and the http://ohsheglows.com/ site is really good. There are great tasting foods we're eliminating, but I don't really miss them.

There are creative ways to prepare healthier meals, and gluttony isn't a worthwhile pursuit. In adding Indian, Asian and middle eastern recipes our spice rack has gone from about 10 or 15 commonly used spices and seasonings, to more than 25. (We've got a Moroccan recipe that uses 8 spices, and my wife pre-mixes enough for 5 or 6 dinners to make it quicker to prepare that dish.) Here it is:

Moroccan chickpeas with tomato and spinach (from the Book: Quick Fix Vegan http://www.amazon.com/Quick-Fix-Vegan-Healthy-Homestyle-Minutes/dp/1449407854 )

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 small red bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 teaspoons Moroccan spice blend (see below)
9 ounces baby spinach
2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, including juice
3 cups home-cooked chickpeas, or 2 (15-ounce) cans, drained and rinsed
Salt
Ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, 5 minutes. Stir in the spice blend below, then add the spinach, the tomatoes and their juice, and the chickpeas. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors are well blended, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Serve hot.

Moroccan Spice Blend:
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg