Food- Virtual

Virtual

    • Loma Linda University Health has created a new patient handbook to help people treat chronic diseases with a whole-food, plant-based diet.
    • The handbook introduces nutrition's role in overall health and includes the dietary spectrum from the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
    • It offers recipes, practical tips for overcoming barriers like cost and time constraints, guidance on reading food labels and meal planning, and meal planners and grocery lists to help patients get started.
    • Numerous topics related to nutrition and healthy eating, as well as plant based recipes
    • Dr. Michael Greger, providing free updates on the latest in nutrition research via humorous bite-sized videos
    • Healthy but not plant based
    • Free cookbook with budget-friendly, healthy recipes (not strictly plant-based).
    • Some recipes use butter and cheese, but these can be skipped or substituted.
    • This is a 15-day, physician-supervised program designed to rapidly improve health through a whole-food, plant-based diet.
    • Participants receive daily virtual guidance, group support, and education on how plant-based eating can help reverse chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes, and obesity.
    • Free information based on Dr. McDougall's 12-day program addressing chronic illness based on whole food, starch-based nutrition.
    • "The McDougall Program is a leading medical program that heals chronic illness through professional medical care, world-class education, and ongoing support for people transitioning to a starch-based lifestyle." It is a great website for plant based recipes, and a free program to teach you how to eat a very low fat- and oil-free plant based diet that could be crucial for some patients battling heart disease or cancer.
    • 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot that can be learned by evolving back to the customs of our ancestors. By embracing diets abundant in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and seeds. By maintaining a healthy balance of seafood, yogurt, cheese and meat. And by dressing it all with healthy oils, herbs, and spices.鈥
    • A compilation of fitness and nutrition resources in Suffolk County, including Parks with Hiking Trails, Guided Trail outings offered, Town Parks and Recreation Departments, YMCA locations, Healthy Lifestyle phone apps, and online resources for nutrition and physical activity.
    • Government of Canada's website with ideal plate visuals and great recipes

Mindful Eating

    • Psychologist鈥檚 website who discusses mindful eating, has books on mindful eating and offers consultations on mindful eating
    • "Mindful eating helps us become aware of our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations related to eating, reconnecting us with our innate inner wisdom about hunger and satiety." The Center for Mindful Eating (TCME) is a member-supported, nonprofit international organization whose mission is to help people achieve a balanced, respectful, healthy, and joyful relationship with food and eating.
    • Find a local chapter of the Slow Food Organization, a group that works to promote savoring food in this fast-paced world and choosing our food mindfully to promote clean, healthy, sustainable food for the local community as well as for the whole planet.  

Plant-Based

    • Harvard article on plant-based diet
    • Cleveland clinic information on plant-based diet
    • Sample meal plan for plant-based diet
    • Information about a plant-based diet
    • A site whose mission is to "educate, equip, and empower our physicians, healthcare practitioners, and other health influencers with knowledge about the indisputable benefits of whole food, plant-based nutrition."
    • Helpful website to change diet and learn plant-based cooking, but involves a fee of $1.90/week when you sign up for a year.
    • Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, MD MSCI is a gastroenterologist who teaches people to take better care of their gut health by increasing the consumption of plant-based foods and adopting sensible lifestyle habits, such as exercise and meditation. His book, "Fiber Fueled", is heavily referenced and evidence-based.
    • A paediatrician's website with very specific information about plant-based diets for infants and children

Nutrition for Specific Health Conditions

High Blood Pressure

    • The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) Eating Plan is a flexible, balanced eating pattern proven to lower blood pressure and support heart health.
    • It emphasizes vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, low-fat dairy, nuts, and seeds while limiting foods high in saturated fat, sugar, and sodium.
    • Named the 鈥淏est Heart-Healthy Diet鈥 and 鈥淏est Diet for High Blood Pressure鈥 by U.S. News & World Report (2025), the DASH plan offers practical, evidence-based guidance for lifelong healthy eating.

Alzheimer's Disease

    • Recipes to help fend off Alzheimer's disease while still enjoying delicious food. They are mostly plant-based or with fish.

Diabetes

    • Offers evidence-based, plant-focused nutrition coaching to help reverse insulin resistance and improve blood sugar control in people with type 1, type 2, prediabetes, and gestational diabetes
    • The site offers personalized coaching, group programs, a step-by-step online course, meal plans, webinars, podcasts, and a blog 鈥 all designed to support people with diabetes reclaim their health through food.

High Cholesterol

    • Evidence-based eating pattern to help lower LDL (鈥渂ad鈥) cholesterol using specific cholesterol-lowering foods.
    • Research shows that combining these foods can reduce LDL by up to 20鈥30%, similar to starting a low-dose statin for some people.
    • This dietary 鈥減ortfolio鈥 includes four key components:
      • Plant Sterols: naturally found in fortified foods; help block cholesterol absorption.
      • Viscous (Soluble) Fiber: oats, barley, beans, lentils, okra, eggplant, fruits like apples and berries.
      • Nuts: especially almonds and other tree nuts (about a small handful daily).
      • Soy Protein: tofu, soy milk, edamame, and other soy-based products.
    • The diet encourages a predominantly plant-based, heart-healthy pattern rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and healthy fats. It can be followed on its own or combined with other approaches like the DASH or Mediterranean diets.

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