Food- Virtual

Virtual

• NEW Handbook for Restorative Diet Recipes
  • 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.
• T.Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies
  • Numerous topics related to nutrition and healthy eating, as well as plant based recipes
• Nutritionfacts.org
  • Dr. Michael Greger, providing free updates on the latest in nutrition research via humorous bite-sized videos
• Nutrition Guide-CELM (aafp.org)
  • Healthy but not plant based
• Good-and-Cheap.pdf (leannebrown.com)
  • Free cookbook with budget-friendly, healthy recipes (not strictly plant-based).
  • Some recipes use butter and cheese, but these can be skipped or substituted.
• Jumpstart Program
  • 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.
• Dr. McDougall's Health & Medical Center
  • 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.
• Oldways: A Food and Nutrition Nonprofit Helping People Live Healthier, Happier Lives
  • “There’s 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.”
• Suffolk County Fitness & Nutrition Resource
  • 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.
• Canada's Food Guide
  • Government of Canada's website with ideal plate visuals and great recipes

Mindful Eating

• Mindful Eating
  • Psychologist’s website who discusses mindful eating, has books on mindful eating and offers consultations on mindful eating
• The Center for 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.
• Slow Food USA
  • 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

• What is a plant-based diet and why should you try it?
  • Harvard article on plant-based diet
• What You Should Know About Plant-Based Diets
  • Cleveland clinic information on plant-based diet
• What Is a Plant-Based Diet? Food List, 7-Day Meal Plan, Benefits, and More
  • Sample meal plan for plant-based diet
• The Plantrician Project
  • 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."
• Plant Strong's Meal Planner
  • 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.
• The Plantfed Gut
  • 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.
• Plant-Based Paediatrician
  • A paediatrician's website with very specific information about plant-based diets for infants and children

Nutrition for Specific Health Conditions

High Blood Pressure

• DASH Diet: Healthy Diet to Lower Blood Pressure - NIH
  • 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 “Best Heart-Healthy Diet” and “Best Diet for High Blood Pressure” by U.S. News & World Report (2025), the DASH plan offers practical, evidence-based guidance for lifelong healthy eating.

Alzheimer's Disease

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

Diabetes

• Mastering 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 — all designed to support people with diabetes reclaim their health through food.

High Cholesterol

• Jenkins Portfolio Diet
  • Evidence-based eating pattern to help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol using specific cholesterol-lowering foods.
  • Research shows that combining these foods can reduce LDL by up to 20–30%, similar to starting a low-dose statin for some people.
  • This dietary “portfolio” 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.