Plant-Based Diets: a Prescription for Optimal Health
Did you hear? In one week, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West visit Woodland's Vegan Bistro in the District of Columbia, Chipotle pulls the pork on its menu and a new book will soon explain the secret behind Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez's most recent diet. In addition to the big match on Sunday for America's top-ranked football team, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are in their own battle for 2015's most-trending vegetable. As Veganuary comes to an end, plant-based nutrition trends are just warming up.
As a dietitian, I couldn't be happier. We're getting back to the healthy basics, and the timing is just right.
Close to 70 percent of American adults are overweight or obese, a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some forms of cancer. It's a problem that crosses political party lines, affects people of all ages in all 50 states, and attributes to 75 percent of health care spending for chronic disease. It's weighing our country down, but we have the power to exponentially change these statistics.
Research studies show populations who opt for plant-based fare -- vegetables, fruits, beans, whole grains, nuts and seeds -- are the trimmest and healthiest on the planet.
Better yet? The results from a new meta-analysis published last week in The Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics find the more plants you eat, the more fiber you consume and the more weight you lose. With this approach, you don't have to count calories, measure portions or ramp up your exercise routine. It's both easy to remember and effective.
One of my favorite success stories is from Eric O'Grey, a father in San Jose, California, who grew up on the standard American diet. Five years ago, Eric weighed 280 pounds. A decades-long struggle with his weight resulted in Type 2 diabetes, elevated blood pressure, high cholesterol, lethargy and constant nagging pain. Every month, he spent close to $1,000 on medications to ward off the symptoms. Today, he runs marathons and competes with athletes half his age.
The secret behind Eric's transformation? A plant-based diet.
After hearing former president Bill Clinton reveal that he lost 30 pounds and reversed his heart disease, Eric decided to take the same approach. Eric ditched the meat and dairy products, embarked on an exercise routine and stocked his refrigerator with fresh produce and almond milk. Within months, the pounds melted off, his blood sugar and cholesterol levels stabilized and his pain disappeared. After a year of filling up with fiber-packed foods, Eric lost more than 100 pounds, has kept it off for more than four years and dropped every one of his medications.
Eric's story isn't unusual, but it's remarkable. Several medical organizations, including Kaiser Permanente, and Kim Williams, the president of the American College of Cardiology, are encouraging doctors to follow suit by prescribing plant-based diets to help their patients overcome high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and obesity. A few weeks ago, the City of Little Rock, Arkansas, signed a proclamation to bring this approach to the masses.
As studies continue to show the dangers of metabolic risk factors, I'm hoping more people follow in the footsteps of Eric O'Grey, former president Bill Clinton and the City of Little Rock, Arkansas.
In line with the "New Year, New You" mantra, I'm rooting for a unified force between clinical researchers, health care providers, patients and policymakers. Celebrities, such as hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and country singing-sensation Carrie Underwood, can only help spread the word with their own unique stories.
Regardless of where you fall on the plant-based spectrum, we need to collaborate to make reaching for disease-fighting foods a lifesaving habit -- one that's both easy and effective.
I hope you'll join me this year, whether it's by transforming your diet, sharing the news with family and friends or speaking out for legislation that will teach our next generation about health-promoting foods.
The science is clear. The demand is high. We're getting much closer, but we have to act now.
Cameron Wells, M.P.H., R.D., is the acting director of nutrition education at the nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
