A healthy diet incorporating at least 7-9 servings per day of whole plant foods that is is rich in leafy greens, whole grains, legumes and includes a modest amount of nuts and seeds is foundational to any lifestyle medicine intervention.
People who follow plant-rich diets – including the DASH and Mediterranean diet as well as various types of vegetarian diets (pesca-vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian or vegan) – have significantly lower risk for cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers compared to people who eat diets high in meats and processed foods.