A GOOD PLACE TO START
Ok, so you’ve decided to make a big life change and work on your health, and think you might want to dip your toe into this whole plant-based thing. AWESOME! The process can be overwhelming. Take a breath - it doesn’t have to be all at once (although if you go 100% you’ll see the maximum benefit the quickest, but everyone’s journey is different, it’s ok, baby steps are also fine). In the Internet Age it’s hard to know how to trust, especially if it’s radically different from what you might have heard (“Wait - whaddya mean, carbs are ok??? I thought fruit was bad!”).
Good indicators that a source is likely reliable are the following:
They cite their sources
They are not trying to sell you a bucket of supplements
No mention of the word “cleanse”
When presented with new data, they will change their approach
On that note, here’s some links to get you started:
Forks over Knives - This started out as a documentary and became a movement. The film is free to watch on their website. Watch it with your family, roommates, whoever you prepare food with or for.
Plantrician Project - With two downloadable guides on how to get you and your family started on your health journey.
Nutritionfacts.org - A treasure trove of evidence-based nutrition information, this is my go-to for information on how to treat a patient with something other than medications.
Harvard School of Public Health - They have lots of information on their website that is easy to read. I like to show patients their page on whole grains and show the picture of the Healthy Plate.
TRAINING PROGRAMS (IF YOU NEED A COACH - CAUSE WHO DOESN’T??)
The unfortunate fact is that our healthcare dollars are woefully misplaced. To me, it would make more sense to take the $1000 an insurance company would pay for a drug and use it to cover lifestyle management resources. To enact change, many people need HELP. A LOT of it! More than what most insurance will pay for. In fact, if you don’t have diabetes already, many insurers won’t cover seeing a dietitian. So these are some programs to help out - there are a lot of free resources out there, and consider the paid programs an investment in your health that will help you avoid expensive medications and procedures in the future.
Rochester Lifestyle Medicine Institute - This program out of New York is available remotely and involves structured lifestyle medicine coaching programs certified by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
Physician’s Committee for Responsible Medicine - PCRM is an organization in Washington D.C who has been advocating for health improvement for decades. Their 8-session Fight Diabetes With Food course includes such topics as “how to get all my nutrients” and “navigating social situations.” It’s led by world-renowned dietitians and doctors out of George Washington University. DID I MENTION IT’S FREE???
Dr. John McDougall - Author of “The Starch Solution,” Dr. McDougall has been working on lifestyle solutions for decades.
Dr. Brooke Goldner - A true inspiration, Dr. Goldner won a life threatening battle with lupus with the power of nutrition. Her explanations of inflammation and how to reverse it with a whole food plant based approach are both fun and informative.
Mastering Diabetes - Started by Cyrus Khambatta and Robby Barbaro, both with type 1 diabetes, they offer personalized coaching with a low-fat, plant based approach that is beneficial regardless of your type of diabetes.
Freedom From Diabetes - A disease reversal program out of India, with both group and individual sessions.
PCRM resources for Southeast Asians - A very significant portion of our patient population in the Bay Area is from Southeast Asia, and diabetes is unfortunately common. Dr. Vanita Rahman of PCRM has a lot of helpful tips and videos available - again for free!!
FOR FOLKS WITH KIDDOS:
“My kids eat healthier than I do.”
I hear this from patients ALL THE TIME and I find it COMPLETELY BAFFLING. Why would the kids be eating something other than what mom and dad eat??
“Well, they’re better about eating fruits and veggies, but they still snack.”
Ah, there it is. Processed foods - they’re killing our kids. Because they’re easy and accessible and may be dubiously marketed as “healthy,” the processed foods have become an unfortunate staple in the “SAD” - aka Standard American Diet. In fact it’s most of what our kids eat. I get it - parents are stressed, they don’t have time for meal prep, the kids won’t eat real food. Plus you can’t control what they eat at school, their friends’ houses, the mall, etc. It’s true, our society does not set up our kids for success. What you CAN do is help them establish healthy habits by setting an example.
Bear in mind the following:
Kids are still operating mostly on the primitive “survival brain” that craves the maximum amount of energy density in case there’s a famine. Given the choice between jelly beans and an apple, most will take the jelly beans every time (that goes for most adults, too!). It’s not their fault - it’s how we’ve evolved to survive. Problem is we have NOT yet evolved to handle the sheer amount of calorie dense foods available to us, and now we’re seeing the health consequences of that excess.
It doesn’t work to keep cookies in the house and tell kids they can’t have the cookies - they will eat the cookies while you’re asleep. See above.
It shouldn’t be a special meal for them - the family should all eat the same thing together. There should be no such thing as a “kids’ menu.”
Enlist those kids for manual labor! I had a patient get her 2-year-old a special knife to cut vegetables - it’s never too early! Put them to work in the kitchen, make them establish a healthy relationship with food.
Rather than couching a food as “good” or “bad,” explain it in terms of nutritional value - what benefits am I getting from this food?
Take them to a farm. Take them to the Farmer’s Market. Grow some herbs in a pot. Show them where their food comes from.
Remember - THEY WON’T STARVE! They’ll be grumpy, they might throw a tantrum, but eventually they’ll eat something.
Dr. Yami Cazorla-Lancaster — A plant-based pediatrician, she has a great podcast on how to implement diet changes in the home. Her book is called “A Parent’s Guide to Intuitive Eating.”
Dr. Jackie Busse - A colleague of mine from Palo Alto Medical Foundation who lectures for the T. Colin Campbell Plant Based Nutrition course. She has a fantastic resource page like this one filled with tools for helping kids eat better.
Nourish by Dr. Reshma Shah and Brenda Davis RD - I’ve heard Brenda Davis speak and she’s wonderful. She collaborated with pediatrician Reshma Shah to give patients a road map for feeding kids healthier meals.
Dr. Julia Nordgren - Another colleague at Palo Alto Medical Foundation, Dr. Nordgren took a hiatus from pediatrics to attend the Culinary Institute of America. Her clinical focus is on pediatric cholesterol management, and she additionally is a featured presenter at the annual Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives conference given by the Harvard School of Public Health. Her cookbook is geared toward busy families.
Good Inside - Dr. Becky Kennedy is a psychologist who helps parents navigate parenting with mindfulness. She has a workshop on how to get picky eaters to eat better, among many other topics.
Kids Eat In Color - A ton of resources led by a team of dietitians offering tips for getting picky eaters to eat!
PODCASTS
Food We Need To Talk - Conversations between a Harvard doctor and a podcast host about various health topics. It’s a little silly, but still a good listen!
Rich Roll - One of my favorite resources! Rich Roll is a lawyer-turned-athlete whose in-depth interviews with inspiring figures are always interesting and informative.
The Proof - Simon Hill is a physiotherapist and nutritionist with a passion for sustainability and health advocacy.
The Drive - Dr. Peter Attia is a surgeon who shifted his attention to longevity. His information is pretty in-depth, though great for those who want to get into the weeds of health topics. His discussions of cholesterol are especially helpful. Wear your thinking cap!
Plant Chompers - Ok this one is a YouTube channel, but still great - Chris McAskill is an environmental scientist with a passion for data and nutrition science.
DOCUMENTARIES
The Game Changers - Who says elite athletes need to eat a porterhouse every day for protein?! This documentary was produced by James Cameron and profiles some amazing plant-based athletes at the top of their game. Available on Netflix.
Forks over Knives - The original documentary, available FREE on their website!
You Are What You Eat - Follows four sets of twins participating in a study comparing two healthy diets - omnivorous vs plant based. Interspersed are stories that delve into where our food comes from - an uncomfortable conversation that our nation desperately needs to have.
READING LIST (or, ya know, just look up the authors on YouTube if you don’t have time to sit down and read a book, it’s ok)
DISEASE REVERSAL
How Not To Die - Michael Greger MD - The granddaddy of them all! This is the quintessential manual on how to address the chronic diseases that reduce the quality and quantity of our lives. The title never fails to get a chuckle out of my patients. Dr. Greger is a huge goofball and fun to watch on his site nutritionfacts.org.
Program For Reversing Diabetes - Neal Barnard MD - Dr. Barnard’s book is easy to read and makes the process seem simple. Definitely a great place to start!
Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease - Caldwell Esselstyn MD - His program is geared toward patients with advanced heart disease, in whom he has demonstrated improvement and even reversal of coronary artery disease. He is VERY restrictive about oil of any sort, which many may find difficult. However for a patient suffering from severe cardiac failure, it’s a necessary life-saving effort.
Fiber Fueled - Will Bulsiewicz MD - One of my favorites! Dr. Will puts the emphasis on addition of fiber and improving health at the level of the gut. With all the buzz about “leaky gut syndrome,” he illustrates this concept beautifully and goes through what to do about it.
Proteinaholic - Garth Davis MD - A bariatric surgeon whose frustration with his patients regaining their weight after surgery and being denied life insurance himself led him to change both his lifestyle and his practice for the better. He’s also fun to watch in interviews, very matter-of-fact.
Mastering Diabetes - Cyrus Khambatta PhD and Robby Barbaro MPH - Their discussion of the mechanisms of insulin resistance is clearly written and fascinating, coupled with their personal stories of how they improved their health. They totally turn the concept of carbs-as-the-enemy on its head!
Living PCOS Free - Nitu Bajekal MD - An ob/gyn in the UK, she wrote this book with her daughter, who is a dietitian, using a WFPB approach to heal PCOS.
Goodbye Autoimmune Disease - Brooke Goldner MD - Her manual on inflammation reversal, which notes the same approach that worked for her lupus can extend to other inflammatory conditions.
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
This Is Your Brain On Food - Uma Naidoo MD
The Pleasure Trap - Doug Lisle PhD - We love food because it's delicious. Ever stop and think, “WHY is this so delicious?” Dr. Lisle explains how the addictive properties of many foods make them as difficult to kick as any drug.
FOOD! GLORIOUS FOOD!
It KILLS me when people accuse me of not liking food. I LOVE FOOD!!! What I think they mean is I don’t like “food-like substances,” meaning highly processed food made in a lab. To make diet changes, it helps a lot if you are open minded and willing to try new things. And remember, your taste for things can change over time!! You might not like kale now, but if you add a little to a salad and start adding more and more greens to the diet, your taste will adapt. All of a sudden all those nutrient-dense foods will sound pretty darn yummy.
COOKBOOKS
Bad Manners - My interns introduced me to these guys when I was in residency. Their tagline is “Eat like you give a f*ck.”
Toni Okamoto - Who says plant based eating has to be expensive? Toni Okamoto’s book “Plant Based On A Budget” has a lot of quick and easy tips on how to make it practical and delicious.
The Fiber Fueled Cookbook - Did I mention Dr. Will has a cookbook?? It’s a Cliff’s Notes version of the original Fiber Fueled. I got a spiral-bound copy so it can lie flat on my counter. It’s pretty spattered at this point. Sign of a great cookbook, means it’s been used a lot.
Plant You - Carleigh Bodrug has been referred to in plant-based circles as the “Taylor Swift of plant-based cooking.” I love that her recipes are all simple and her books are very visual.
YOUTUBE CHANNELS
Spain on a Fork - How cute is this guy?? If you’re looking for ideas for healthy Mediterranean meals, this is a great source.
Chef AJ - A chef with a history of food addiction, Chef AJ makes plant based cooking simple. She also does interviews both with leaders in the health field as well as with ordinary folks sharing their plant based success stories.
Yeung Man Cooking - If you like Asian cooking, Will Yeung is a photographer by trade who makes tasty and beautiful dishes. You can modify the oil content, of course.
Rainbow Plant Life - MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE FOOD BLOG. Harvard-trained lawyer-turned-food blogger Nisha Vora has a lot of great fun-to-watch food videos, as well as a fantastic Instant Pot cookbook.
Flav City with Bobby Parrish - Offers some helpful tips for navigating the grocery store. I recommend his videos on store-bought bread and non-dairy milks.
Whole Food Plant Based Cooking Show - Jill Dalton shares her tips on cooking WFPB, specifically oil-free. A great resource for those trying to watch their intake of calorie dense foods.
A WORD ABOUT THE FOOD INDUSTRY…
The survival-oriented “caveman brain” that craves calorie density is pretty darn strong, so the more you can reinforce the less-evolved “intellectual brain” in charge of decision-making, the better. When lamenting not being able to eat indiscriminately, it’s helpful to think about the powerful industry that keeps us sick - Big Food. They’re as bad as Big Tobacco. It’s worth delving into the practices of the food industry so we all realize just HOW BAD it’s gotten. Just as the tobacco industry specifically created their products to be addictive, so to does the food industry. In reading New York Times journalist Michael Moss’ pieces, I found the experiments in children to determine their “bliss point” particularly disturbing.
In Defense Of Food - Michael Pollan
Salt Sugar Fat - Michael Moss
Food Politics - Marion Nestle
Food Rules - Michael Pollan - THIS SHOULD BE REQUIRED READING IN SCHOOLS!! If you read nothing else on this page, READ THIS!
BUT I DON’T HAVE TIME TO COOK….
YES YOU DO. Seriously, how long does it take to babysit a piece of chicken? How many times have you overcooked a piece of white fish? (Many times in my case…) And how much of a godawful mess does grilling meat make?? Frankly I’ve found a plant based diet to be infinitely easier with less cleanup.
Ok yes I get it, not everyone geeks out in the kitchen like I do. That’s ok. There’s a lot of tools to help you out.
Forks over Knives cooking course - How do I make Brussels sprouts taste amazing without deep frying them, you ask? Take the FOK cooking course and learn how!
Planted Table - If you live in the Bay Area, these guys are out of Oakland and delivery tasty plant-based meals. I had a patient tell me their lentil shepherd’s pie got rave reviews from her meat-and-potatoes husband!
Thistle - Plant-based meal delivery service
Purple Carrot - Meal kit delivery with pre-measured and prepped ingredients.
Rich Roll - Not only is his podcast great, but he and his wife Julie offer a program to help put together recipes and shopping lists.
Little Spoons - healthy food delivery for kiddos
MY FOOD FAVS
Rancho Gordo Bean Company - My family laughs at my bean obsession. I would challenge anyone to NOT be obsessed after trying RG, who grow their heirloom beans in Napa. Good enough for the French Laundry!
Oaktown Spice Shop - An independently owned small batch spice shop. They have a couple brick-and-mortar shops in Oakland.
A Dozen Cousins - Found these guys at Trader Joe’s. Their flavored beans are delicious and microwave up in a jiffy. Add a side of rice and half a plate of greens and you’re good to go!
Spindrift - I propose this as an alternative to soft drinks to patients, it’s sparkling water with a teensy bit of real juice - just enough to give it flavor, but not enough to be a significant source of sugar. Typically I tell patients they should ONLY drink juice if they have hypoglycemia from insulin and their life depends on it. However, if the alternative is aspartame or sucralose or GASP! high fructose corn syrup, I think this is a better choice. They come in a ton of flavors and are way tasty!
DON’T BELIEVE ME??
Here’s some compiled data available for download and review citing the evidence behind a whole food plant based approach