The plant diet

BRONX (WABC) -- There's a good chance you grew up with the food pyramid guiding the way you ate.

Now, the U.S. government uses the imagery of a plate to guide citizens about healthy eating, but many doctors say what's on that plate is not always the healthiest option.

Vegetables, fruits, whole grains are all good, but the us government also says you should eat dairy and protein.

However, one Bronx doctor says no to dairy and no to animal protein, and he's found that by changing the way he eats, his patients often follow suit.

"I thought if i wanted to talk the talk, I had to walk the walk," Dr. Rob Ostfeld said.

Ostfeld is a cardiologist at Montefiore Hospital and practices what he preaches. His diet is based on the findings in two books: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease and The China Study. The authors of each offer lots of data showing how plant-based, whole grain diets result in healthier people with less heart disease, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes.

To get our engines running smooth again, he encourages his patients to eat like him and limit animal products to just 5 percent of their diet.

In two months since following her doctor's advice, Emily Flores says her blood pressure has gone down, her sugar is under control and she's even lost 15 pounds.

She's sticking to this new way of eating in part because she knows her doctor does too.

"I was really worried about my heart and he said it's up to you. You can do a change if you want , she said.

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diet, dieting, heart disease, health news, lauren glassberg

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