Whole-Food Plant-Based Lifestyle

A whole food, plant based diet is centered on Whole, unrefined or minimally refined plants. It based on fruits, vegetables, tuber, whole grain and legumes, it excludes meat ( including chicken and fish…yes these are considered meat), dairy products and eggs, as well as highly refined foods like bleached flour and refined sugar and oil. This is from the Forks over Knives Bookazine.

This excerpt is from Dr. Esselstyn’s Book “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease”. ” I often ask patients to compare their coronary artery disease to a house fire. Your house is on fire because eating the wrong foods has given you heart disease. You are spraying gasoline on the fire by continuing to eat the very same foods that cause the disease in the first place. I don’t want my patients to pour a single thimbleful of gasoline on the fire. Stopping the gasoline puts out the fire. Reforming the way you eat will end the heart disease.” Remember a way of eating that will end heart disease is also the way of eating that will prevent and reverse high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and many types of cancers. These are the rules for Dr. Esselstyn’s program:

  • Do not eat anything with a face…so no meat, no poultry and no fish.
  • Do not eat any dairy products
  • Do not consume oil of any kind, even olive oil
  • Generally, do not eat nuts or avocados, mostly because people have problems limiting themselves with nuts and they turn into a high fat go to snack.

You can eat a variety of nutrient dense…yes protein packed foods:

  • veggies
    • broccoli
    • lettuce
    • kale
    • carrots
    • spinch
    • tons of others
  • tubers
    • potatoes
    • sweet potatoes
    • yams
    • etc.
  • fruits
    • apples
    • grapes
    • bananas
    • blueberries
    • strawberries
    • etc.
  • legumes
    • chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
    • lentils
    • black beans
    • lima beans
    • etc.
  • whole grains
    • quinoa
    • barley
    • rice
    • oats
    • 100% whole grain breads
    • 100% whole grain pastas

A majority of chronic disease in America is due to lifestyle and nutrition.

  • 35% of all cancers can be attributed to nutrition
  • 90% of heart disease is preventable by reducing risk factors – diet
  • 80% of healthcare spending in America is for patients with at least one chronic disease