This post was written based on a Powered by Plants presentation hosted by Kristin Gerhardstein, MD, PPG – Family Medicine and Primary Care, Lydia Hall, RDN, Center for Healthy Living, and Kathy Wehrle, RDN, community outreach dietitian, Parkview Health.
We increasingly see overwhelming recommendations for a shift toward a whole-food plant-based (WFPB) diet. As one study on the impact of a WFPB nutrition approach explained, “Research indicates that 80% of chronic diseases are preventable with simple lifestyle changes, such as tobacco cessation, improved diet, moderate exercise, and maintenance of a healthy weight. Given that six of 10 adults in the United States have at least one chronic condition and at least 40% have two or more, the benefits of lifestyle changes are encouraging. In particular, diet plays a central role in our current chronic disease crisis. The whole-foods, plant-based (WFPB) dietary pattern has been shown to prevent and reverse multiple chronic medical conditions.”
The power to fight disease
Adopting a WFPB diet can reduce the risk of many chronic conditions, including:
- Hypertension
- High cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Cancer (including breast, prostate and colon)
- Heart attacks
- Strokes
- Autoimmune disease
- Depression
- Alzheimer’s dementia
- Osteoporosis
- Fatty liver disease
- Asthma/allergies
What is WFPB?
At its core, WFPB eating is about reducing the amount of processed foods and animal products you’re consuming and prioritizing nourishing, more natural foods instead. This means optimizing your intake of vitamins, minerals and fiber, which the body needs to stay healthy.
More specifically, a WFPB menu might include:
- Fruit: bananas, grapes, strawberries, blueberries, oranges, cherries, etc.
- Vegetables: lettuce, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, carrots, etc.
- Tubers and starchy vegetables: potatoes, yams, yucca, winter squash, corn, green peas, etc.
- Whole grains: millet, quinoa, barley, farro, rice, whole wheat, oats, etc.
- Legumes: kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, lima beans, cannellini beans, black beans, etc.
- Nuts and seeds: Walnuts, almonds, flaxseed, chia seeds, hemp seeds, etc.
- Herbs and spices
What is not included in a WFPB diet?
Some of the common food items that you wouldn’t find on a WFPB menu might include:
- Red meat
- Chicken, turkey, pork
- Processed meats
- Fish
- Eggs
- Dairy
- Oil, butter, margarine
- Processed foods
- Refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, white pasta, crackers made with white/enriched flour, white sugar)
The prevalence of heart disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, accounting for 32% of all deaths. In the U.S., someone dies every 33 seconds from cardiovascular disease.
High cholesterol
High cholesterol is an important risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis.
Key numbers to know:
- Normal lab values state that a total cholesterol <200 is normal and an LDL of <100 is normal
- However, populations globally that have a total cholesterol <150 and an LDL of <80 simply do not have heart disease
- If we adhere to a WFPB diet and get our total cholesterol <150 and LDL <80 we cannot deposit fat and cholesterol into our arteries
The role of oils
Fifteen studies reviewed olive oil and concluded it is not a cardioprotective food because it increases LDL cholesterol and increases coronary artery disease by 7%. All oils are atherogenic (contribute to clogging the arteries in our body) and diabetogenic because they promote weight gain. At 120 calories per tablespoon, oils are calorically high but low in nutrients. Additionally, they are a processed food.
Nuts and seeds
The Physicians’ Health study showed that nuts and seeds also seem to have an anti-arrhythmic and anti-seizure effect that dramatically reduces the occurrence of sudden death. If diet is less than 10% fat with no nuts/seeds it may dramatically increase one’s risk of life-threatening arrhythmias
Nuts and seeds reduce LDL, raise HDL and can help reduce the small dense LDL particles that are damaging to blood vessels. At 30 calories per tablespoon, they are high in nutrients.
Recommendations:
- 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of nuts per day for those who need to lose weight.
- Up to 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of nuts per day in those with a healthy body weight.
- 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed every day.
Her Heart Challenge
If you’re interested in learning more about living a heart-healthy life, the Her Heart Challenge is a free program that includes:
- Health information and support at weekly evening meetings held on the Parkview Regional Medical Center campus
- Lab work
- Opportunities for physical activity
- Access to health experts, including physicians, nurse practitioners, nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, behavioral therapists and much more.
Learn more and apply here.
Looking for a different resource to support your heart health goals? The Parkview Heart Institute offers support groups for men and women concerned about their cardiovascular health. Learn more here.
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