Appearing on 5-16-11 in The Westerly Sun, a daily newspaper serving the southwest corner of coastal Rhode Island and the adjoining corner of Connecticut.

J. Morris Hicks -- the "big picture guy" when it comes to the staggering impact of the human diet on planet Earth, beginning with our own health.

Borough author promotes plant-based lifestyle — JUST DON’T CAL IT VEGAN

by Leslie Rovetti, Sun Staff Writer

STONINGTON — Borough resident J. Morris Hicks admits that the diet and lifestyle he espouses in his new book is foreign to the vast majority of Americans. But, the author notes, it’s beginning to catch on. “People are beginning to warm to the fact that this is not some quackery,” he said.

Hicks’ book, “Healthy Eating, Healthy World,” espouses a lifestyle devoid of animal-based protein. Although his whole-food, plant-based diet is classified as vegan by many people, Hicks declines to use that word, saying that veganism describes what not to eat, not what to eat.

“You could eat nothing but diet coke and potato chips and call yourself a vegan,” he expained.

Instead of simply telling readers to eschew meat, Hicks said his book explains what to eat, and why. He’s not a doctor or a licensed nutritionist, but he draws on the work of numerous medical researchers and doctors to make his point. In addition to discussing nutrition, he said he also includes energy and environmental issues, and a chapter on why this way of eating has been marginalized in the medical community.

“You don’t need an M.D. degree to know that,” he said. Because he is not a physician, Hicks said the book is less technical than some others on the subject. In his opinion, it can be easily read and absorbed by the average eighth-grade student, he noted.

Among the 5 percent of Americans who follow this diet is Shawn Lankton, Hicks’ nephew. Hicks bought Lankton a copy of Joel Fuhrman’s “Eat to Live,” which encourages a similar diet, and Lankton began following it. “I finished the book and cleaned out the fridge that afternoon,” Lankton said. Six years later, he’s still eating that way.

Lankton said he hadn’t been overweight, out of shape, or unhealthy. Still the diet made a positive difference in the way he felt. “I just started feeling fantastic,” he said. “You can be healthier.”

Alexandra Stoddard -- bestselling author of "Living a Beautiful Life" and 26 other books

Another person Hicks converted to his way of eating is Alexandra Stoddard, a fellow resident of Stonington Borough and prolific author. She read an advance copy of Hicks’ book and wrote a blurb for it.

J. Morris Hicks’ world-changing book, “Healthy Eating – Healthy World” is compelling in transforming our health — promoting dietary choices to be over 80 percent from whole plant foods. Not only will we restore our own fitness, vigor and happiness as we become healthier, we will be celebrating a world-wide paradigm shift by living in harmony with nature on our precious planet.

Hicks has asked several other people who either espouse or follow this diet to write comments about his book. Included on that list is former President Bill Clinton, who had not yet responded to this request by press time.

J. Morris Hicks reviewing his book manuscript with Dr. T. Colin Campbell at Cornell University

The foreword to Hicks’ book was written by T. Colin Campbell, a scientist and his son, Nelson. The elder Campbell is “the foremost science expert in the field of plant-based nutrition,” according to Hicks. Campbell’s book, “The China Study” has been a bestseller for BenBella Books. The Dallas publishing company is also handling Hicks’ book.

Hicks hopes his book is also a bestseller, and that his readers will be better off for it. “A person has to have a leap of faith to change their health,” he said. “This book will give them that faith.”  —- lrovetti@thewesterlysun.com