Benefits of plant-based eating

It’s both fitting and disconcerting that the Standard American Diet’s acronym is SAD. The SAD diet is high in saturated fats, sugar, sodium, processed meats and refined grains, and low in fruits and vegetables. This has led to a wide range of health problems in the U.S. The CDC has estimated that 42 percent of adults and 20 percent of children in this country are obese and have nutritional deficiencies in critical vitamins. Heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and cancer rates have all increased as well. 

Now, the pendulum is beginning to swing the other way. According to a study in the National Institutes of Health National Health Library, the number of Americans who follow a vegan diet increased 600 percent from 2014 to 2018, and the plant-based foods market has increased 29 percent in the U.S. between 2017 and 2019.  

But that’s given rise to a whole food industry determined to meet that demand with…more vegan processed foods like vegan burgers and cheeses that are full of chemicals, and vegan bakery goods or protein bars that are full of sugar. 

For that reason and others, Miguel Prieto, MD, an internal medicine physician with Cape Cod Healthcare’s Bourne Primary Care doesn’t like to use the word ‘vegan’ these days. He prefers recommending a whole food, non-processed predominantly plant-based diet to his patients and he also eats that way himself. 

“You could have a beer and french fries and that’s vegan, but that’s not healthy,” he said.  

Some patients have worried that they won’t get all of the protein, calcium and other nutrients if they stick to eating mostly plants, but that’s not true, according to Dr. Prieto. To educate his patients and give them some recipes to get them started, he gives patients a booklet, Food as Medicine Jumpstart written by the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. 

“When you eat a variety of vegetables, you get all of the nutrients you need,” he said. “There’s nothing you can’t get from plants except Vitamin B12, which I take as a supplement. Vitamin B-12 is a water-soluble vitamin. It is found in things that are decaying, which is why it is found in meat.” 

People who eat a whole food, non-processed plant-based diet get their protein from nuts, soy (like tofu) and legumes, which include lentils, pulses (chickpeas), beans and peas. Calcium-rich plant-based foods include green vegetables such as broccoli, kale, cabbage and bok choy, as well as sesame seeds, legumes and soy foods. 

“Most of my fats come from avocados and nuts,” Dr. Prieto said. “We have avocados four to five times a week and nuts daily. We use almost no oil.” 

Since he eats a plant-based diet, there are fewer calories in the foods he eats. He and his wife cook three times a day for their main meals, and Dr. Prieto supplements those meals with healthy snacks like an apple with peanut butter or dates stuffed with cashews. 

Reduction in Diabetes and Heart Disease 

For those who want to switch to a predominantly plant-based diet but aren’t ready to commit to entirely giving up meat, Dr. Prieto refers to a study that included 21,000 people. The study participants had to commit to eating five one-half-cup servings of fruits and vegetables a day and exercise 30 minutes a day. They were non-smokers and could be overweight but not obese. 

“If they met those four criteria there was a 93 percent reduction in the incidence of diabetes, an 80 percent reduction in the risk for heart attack, 50 percent reduction of strokes and 36 percent reduction in the risk for all cancers,” he said. “These were not fully plant-based diets and yet they had significant improvement.” 

Dr. Prieto understands why some people don’t want to give up meat entirely. He used to feel the same way until he started studying the health data and realized the health risks associated with eating meat. 

“However, it doesn’t really hit home until you start feeling it in your body,” he said. “The difference it has made in my life is great.” 

Dr. Prieto believes there is an increasing awareness about how healthy behaviors and lifestyles are the key to preventing chronic diseases and reducing the need for medical procedures. With that in mind, he is offering a series of Lifestyle Medical Workshops to raise awareness. 

The sessions are an expansion of the shared medical appointment sessions for weight loss that he ran last fall. These sessions focus on reversing medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension through diet and lifestyle changes. 

The next session will begin at 3 p.m. on April 16, 2025 and will cover nutrition and physical activity. The second session will take place at 3 p.m. on April 30, 2025 and will cover stress management and controlling your emotions. Two weeks after that, there will be a session on sleep and avoiding risky substances. Then participants will come back once a month to check in and report on their progress. 

“People start making the changes and we see the results,” Dr. Prieto said. “We have great success with people losing weight and reverting diseases.” 

The Lifestyle Medical Workshop is a group session that any patient of Cape Cod Healthcare can attend, even if they aren’t a patient of Dr. Prieto. Call 774-552-3212 to sign up. No referral is necessary and there is no out-of-pocket cost aside from an insurance co-payment for a regular appointment. 

May 10 Wellness Event

Dr. Prieto is also in the process of planning a wellness event from 9 to 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 10 at the park on Main Street in Buzzards Bay. There will be six stations offering participants information about how a healthy lifestyle can prevent medical diseases. 

The stations will include:  

• Nutrition with the possibility of healthy snacks prepared by Upper Cape Regional Technical High School culinary students. 
• The importance of exercise. 
• The importance of social engagement. 
• The importance of avoiding risky substances like smoking, drugs and alcohol. 
• The importance of good sleep. 
• Stress management techniques. 

As part of the event there will be a 5K planned where people can walk or run along the canal at their own pace. 

Plant-Based Recipe

Chickpea of the Sea Recipe from Food as Medicine Jumpstart

Ingredients 

• 1 (15 ounces) can low-sodium chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup hummus or plant-based yogurt
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds
• Salt and pepper to taste

For serving, per person

• 2 romaine leaves or 2 slices of whole grain bread, lightly toasted
• Sliced red onion, tomato, avocado and/or lettuce

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, mash drained and rinsed chickpeas with a fork. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
2. Prepare desired toppings such as sliced red onion, tomato or avocado.
3. If serving as a sandwich, toast bread and serve between slices with toppings.
4. If serving with romaine lettuce leaves, top leaves with chickpea mixture and toppings.
5. To round out meal, pair with baby carrots or a piece of fruit.