Mineral Sunblocks vs. Chemical Sunscreens

Sun-protection products generally fall into two categories: mineral (aka physical) sunblocks and chemical sunscreens. Both are designed to protect your skin from UV damage, but they work in different ways.

Mineral sunblocks work by forming a barrier that blocks UV rays from penetrating the skin. “Mineral sunblocks are made with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and these sunblocks sit on top of the skin, reflecting the damaging UV rays from the sun,” explains board-certified dermatologist Jason Solway, DO.

Chemical sunscreens, on the other hand, absorb UV radiation and convert it into heat, which is then released by the body. These formulas tend to go on more smoothly and invisibly, but they may cause irritation for people with sensitive skin. Additionally, a 2020 FDA study found that compounds from chemical sunscreens can be absorbed into the bloodstream. “This does not mean that chemical sunscreens are unsafe to use, and as of right now, they are still deemed safe by the FDA,” Solway says. Still, he recommends opting for mineral-only sunblocks. “They offer broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection and a much lower risk of allergic reaction.” Mineral sunblocks are also safer for the environment, while chemical sunscreens contain compounds that contribute to coral-reef bleaching and harm marine life in other ways.

Solway generally recommends sticking with mineral-only sunblocks for broad-spectrum protection and a lower risk of irritation. But he emphasizes that the most important thing is finding a product you’ll actually use. “The best sunscreen is the one you’re going to wear,” he says. “Both types work, and both are FDA-approved.” Look for a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30, and be sure to re-apply regularly.

Plant-Based Pros’ Favorite Vegan Sunblocks and Sunscreens

Looking for sun protection that’s effective and aligned with your values? These vegan-friendly picks come recommended by plant-based cookbook authors, bloggers, and parents who take skin protection seriously.

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 50 | $38 at Supergoop!

“My favorite sunscreen is Unseen Sunscreen by Supergoop,” says Toni Okamoto, author of Plant-Based on a Budget: Quick & Easy, founder of the Plant-Based on a Budget blog, and co-host of the podcast Plant-Powered People. “I love how lightweight and invisible it feels on my skin. It goes on smoothly, doesn’t leave a white cast, and doesn’t feel greasy or heavy, even on hot days.” Supergoop also makes a mineral version.

Grown Alchemist Natural Hydrating Sunscreen | $42 at Revolve

Jackie Akerberg, author of The Clean Vegan Cookbook and creator of the blog Jackfruitful, loves Grown Alchemist’s Natural Hydrating Sunscreen (which is actually a mineral-based sunblock). “I love the clean, plant-based ingredients in this formula. It’s creamy but lightweight and easy to rub in, especially for a zinc sunscreen, and it has a sheer finish that doesn’t leave you feeling white and chalky. It also protects against UVA and UVB rays.” Akerberg adds, “In a pinch, I will grab Sun Bum or Coola. They are not as clean, as they’re not 100% mineral-based, but they have better ingredients than many mainstream sunscreen options and are certified reef-safe!”

Thinkbaby SPF 50+ Baby Clear Zinc Sunscreen | $15 at Thinkbaby

Brittany Jaroudi, founder of the Jaroudi Family YouTube channel and blog, recommends this all-mineral sunblock, which is formulated for sensitive skin. “I’ve been using Thinksun’s Thinkbaby products for years [to protect my own skin],” Jaroudi says. Now a new mom, Jaroudi says she loves that she can safely use those same products on her son. “I really enjoy how healthy it is for us and the planet.”

Paula’s Choice Resist Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense Face Sunscreen SPF 30 | $39 at Paula’s Choice

“This tinted sunblock is my ride-or-die. I’ve worn it every single day for years,” says Forks Over Knives Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Turner. “The finish is a little glowy but not greasy, and the tint looks so natural on my fair skin that I rarely bother with foundation. I buy three of these on sale every Black Friday and it gets me through the whole year.” Paula’s Choice also sells it on Amazon.

Green Tea SPF 30 | $34 at 100% PURE

Dusty and Erin Stanczyk, co-authors of The Happy Healthy Plant-Based Cookbook, live in Florida, where they take care to dress themselves and their three young kids in hats and UV-protective long sleeves to limit sun damage. “For the times when we are going to be out for extended periods of time—e.g., in the water or on a long bike ride—we do keep some sun block handy. We look for minimal ingredient mineral sunscreens, such as zinc oxide. Erin especially loves 100% Pure Green Tea SPF 30.” The zinc-based sunblock features aloe and cucumber juice to hydrate thirsty skin while protecting it from damaging rays.

The post Sunscreen or Sunblock? A Dermatologist Weighs in, and Plant-Based Pros Share Favorite Brands appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Editor’s note: FOK may collect a small share of sales from some of the links on this page, though it doesn’t influence our selection.

Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

“Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease may very well be the most important health book ever written. It’s the science-backed, detailed guide that Dr. Esslestyn used to remedy heart disease for scores of his patients and now legions of people around the world. The book, which includes 150 mouthwatering recipes from his wife, Ann, is a must read for anyone who wants to render heart disease as nothing more than a ‘paper tiger.’”

—Brian Wendel, founder of Forks Over Knives

Diet for a New America

“John Robbins’ Diet for a New America was the first book that opened my eyes and made me want to remove animal products from my diet. Published in 1987, this book pioneered the plant-based movement and sparked my personal growth and career [path]. Diet for a New America is in its 25th-anniversary edition and is still a valuable read.”

—Dreena Burton, author of Dreena’s Kind Kitchen: 100+ Whole-Foods Vegan Recipes to Enjoy Every Day

PlantYou Scrappy Cooking

“I loved PlantYou Scrappy Cooking, Carleigh Bodrug’s second cookbook, which came out last year. It makes you realize that almost everything you think is waste can actually be used for cooking, in exceptionally creative ways. It’s easy to get into a pattern of throwing away things like zucchini rinds, broccoli bottoms, lemon seeds, and date pits, but Bodrug shows you how to transform them into sauces, jams, ‘coffee,’ and much more.”

—Cyrus Khambatta, Ph.D., co-author of Mastering Diabetes

The Homemade Vegan Pantry

“Miyoko Schinner is a legend in the plant-based movement, and in The Homemade Vegan Pantry, she provides readers with an essential guidebook for creating many plant-based staples at home, such as sausages, pasta, sour cream, and vegetable stock, instead of purchasing highly processed alternatives at the store. A few of my favorite oil-free recipes in the book are Oil-Free Eggless Mayo, Creamy Soy Milk, and Nice Thick Nondairy Yogurt. Some recipes have added sugars, oils, and salt, but you can omit them in many cases.”

—Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN, founder of The Plant-Powered Dietitian

The China Study; The Starch Solution; Food Is Climate; The Pleasure Trap; and Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows

“My all-time top recommendations are always The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., and The Starch Solution by John McDougall, M.D. More recently I’ve recommended Glen Merzer’s Food Is Climate several times. (It’s a short, factual read, with the second half of the book being recipes to help the reader start eating plant-based.) The Pleasure Trap by Doug Lisle, Ph.D, and Alan Goldhamer, D.C., and Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows by Melanie Joy are books I often suggest to those looking to dive a little deeper into the plant-based lifestyle.”

—Rachael J. Brown, author of For Fork’s Sake: A Quick Guide to Healing Yourself and the Planet Through a Plant-Based Diet

The Whole Story

“I highly recommend diving into [Whole Foods co-founder] John Mackey’s latest masterpiece, The Whole Story. With the narrative flow of a captivating novel, Mackey [tells the story of Whole Foods and] intricately weaves in his transition to a vegan, whole-food, plant-based lifestyle, offering profound insights into his personal evolution. Moreover, the book explores his bold decision to [sell] his brainchild to the wealthiest suitor in the world. Trust me: It’s a page-turner!”

—Rip Esselstyn, founder of PLANTSTRONG and author of The Engine 2 Diet

Escape: Breaking Free from a Self-Made Prison

“One book I’d recommend to Forks Over Knives readers is Tim Kaufman’s Escape: Breaking Free from a Self-Made Prison. It’s about Kaufman’s journey from obesity and addiction to health. His story is relatable and inspirational, a testimonial that shows how changing your lifestyle can help you overcome life’s challenges.”

—Darshana Thacker Wendel, author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor!

How Not to Die and Finding Ultra

“How Not to Die by Michael Greger, M.D., is a classic that I love and consistently recommend. Another of my favorites is Finding Ultra, Rich Roll’s book about turning his life around. He went from an overeating, out-of-shape lawyer who couldn’t make it up the stairs to a plant-based ultra athlete completing triathlons on each of Hawaii’s islands in under a week.”

—Katie Simmons, Chicago-based personal chef and founder of Plants-Rule

The post Plant-Based Pros on the Books They Recommend Again and Again appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

The missing link? A framework to streamline the meal-preparation process. Enter A Grain, A Green, A Bean, Hamshaw’s new cookbook, built around a simple formula designed to help home cooks create palate-pleasing, nutritionally balanced meals without stress or decision fatigue.

Hamshaw drew on her educational background (she holds a master’s in nutrition from Columbia) and her love of food to develop more than 80 pared-down, grain-green-bean recipes, livened up with flavors from Japan, Mexico, Korea, and beyond. Readers will also discover a helpful grain-cooking primer and an everything-you-ever-wanted-to-know-about-soybeans section in the introductory chapter of this vegan cookbook. (A note for our oil-free readers: Many recipes in A Grain, A Green, a Bean call for a small amount of oil; in most cases, you could easily adapt these recipes using classic no-oil sauté and roasting methods.)

In anticipation of the book’s April 15 launch, we spoke with Hamshaw about big-picture eating, cooking affordably, and her number-one tip for saving time in the kitchen. Read on for the full conversation, and be sure to check out the Maple Mustard Lentils, Sweet Potatoes, and Herbs recipe from the new book!

This is your fifth cookbook, and you’ve also got a popular blog, The Full Helping. How did your passion for food and cooking begin?

Gena Hamshaw: I got interested in cooking at around the same time I became vegan. I live in New York, but back then, it just wasn’t easy to go into any restaurant and get a great vegan entree. And there were fewer products available, too. And so as I became vegan, I really felt like it was time for me to teach myself how to cook a little more capably.

What are some global cuisines that lend themselves particularly well to the grains-greens-beans formula?

GH: It’s not specific to a culture. This is a way of thinking about building a plate of food that can be mapped onto almost any cuisine that comes to my mind. There are certainly culinary traditions around the world that have relied more on legumes and grains than others. I’m thinking about many Southeast Asian and South American cuisines, where beans and grains have always played a prominent role in people’s diets. But I wanted to present this principle of a grain, a green, a bean as something that people can adapt to their own culinary life, their own culinary traditions, their family cooking traditions, and also their culture of origin.

You can’t help but embrace the bean after reading this book. Have you discovered any ways to minimize the flatulence they’re known to cause?

GH: I think it’s about adjusting expectations, meaning, when you eat beans—and the same goes for crucifers and really big portions of vegetables—it’s a lot of fiber. And the fiber in beans is particularly tricky for us to break down. That will create some gas and some flatulence. It’s not inherently harmful. It’s just uncomfortable. And you can make a decision about the right portion size and frequency that works for you. And just know that they’re giving your body great nutrition, whether they make you a little gassy or not.

Readers might be surprised to discover that bread, including wraps, tortillas, and pita, counts as a grain in this book. Are some breads healthier than others?

GH: I think that “healthy” is really a matter of overall dietary patterns, and this is something I feel pretty strongly about. I think you can have conversations about which breads are higher in fiber, which breads have more protein. If you are eating a diet that’s rich in plant proteins, rich in fiber overall, because you’re getting a lot of fiber-rich foods, there’s space for you to eat some baguette, which might have a little less fiber than a piece of whole grain bread.

What are some ways we can save money by eating the plant-based foods you include in the book?

GH: [Frozen vegetables] are a great way to save money, because they’re often inexpensive. There’s no risk of them spoiling, which is fantastic. You keep a bag of frozen broccoli florets or green beans in the freezer and you can always dip in when you need them. And of course, they’re as nutritious as fresh vegetables, sometimes more so. And beans and grains are still a good bang for your buck. A bag of lentils is still pretty inexpensive.

Do you have any favorite time-saving tips for home cooks?

GH: Meal prep is the number one, and batch-cooking. There is never a time midweek where I’m not grateful to have [already] done some of the work. And one thing I’ve learned is to be less ambitious about my batch-cooking and my meal prep. It’s great if I have time to make lasagna over the weekend, but it’s also fine if I roast some sweet potatoes, cook a couple batches of rice, maybe make a quick stir-fry with some seitan or some tofu, and just leave it there. If you have a couple of great sauces in your fridge, you can dress up very simple meals and have them still taste great.

The post A Grain, a Green, a Bean: Gena Hamshaw’s Budget-Friendly Formula for Nourishing Vegan Meals appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

But not all WFPB experts agree that it’s necessary to avoid oil to reap the benefits of the diet. We also recognize that a strict no-oil stance can deter newcomers from adopting or even trying a healthy plant-based lifestyle. Our mission is to help people embrace a diet rich in whole plant-based foods—whether or not that includes small amounts of oil.

What Are Forks Flex Recipes?

To keep in step with that mission, we are introducing Forks Flex Recipes into our recipe collection. Like all FOK recipes, every Forks Flex Recipe is built around whole or minimally processed plant-based ingredients. The difference is that a Forks Flex Recipe will include a modest amount of optional oil, usually extra-virgin olive oil. The choice is yours: Exercise the oil option, or leave it out. The oil-free version will be lighter, but both versions will be vegan and cholesterol-free, with nutritionally conservative levels of fat and sodium.

What Is Forks Over Knives’ Current Guidance on Added Oils in the Diet?

The guiding principle of the WFPB diet is a focus on whole (or minimally processed) plant-based foods. Oil is not a health food and not essential to a healthy diet. For people with heart disease or major risk factors such as hypertension, high LDL cholesterol, diabetes, or obesity, avoiding or minimizing added oil is beneficial. For others, research suggests a small amount of extra-virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil is unlikely to be harmful. That being said, oils remain the world’s most calorie-dense foods, so replacing them with whole foods is always a win.

The post Introducing Forks Flex Recipes: Why Some Forks Over Knives Recipes Now Include Optional Oil appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

“I wondered, ‘Are people still going to want to make my stuff?’” Doming says. The response surprised her. “When I made the announcement, a lot of people said that they never even knew what the ‘8’ in Vegan 8 meant. They just liked my recipes because they were healthy while still being delicious and impressing non-vegans in their family. [The number of ingredients] didn’t matter.”

Stepping outside the constraint of eight ingredients gave Doming room to experiment with more complex flavor combinations while keeping her recipes healthful and accessible. Now, she’s compiled her latest creations into her second cookbook, Vegan Wholesome: High-Protein Meals and Snacks to Energize and Nourish (out April 15). The book highlights satisfying, quick meals that deliver lasting energy (think casseroles, soups, pasta, and flatbreads), along with oil-free vegan takes on day-to-day essentials like cream cheese and barbecue sauce.

We caught up with Doming to discuss the inspiration behind her new book, how her own fitness journey over the past few years influenced the recipes, her favorite quick meals, must-have kitchen gadgets, and more. Read on for the full conversation, and try Doming’s Harissa Almond Pasta with Spinach for a taste of Vegan Wholesome!

What drew you to a vegan lifestyle?

Brandi Doming: I went vegan in 2012, almost 13 years ago now, because my [husband at the time] had gout. He was on a lot of medications, and we tried multiple different diets. He had been going to doctors for years and they would always tell him the same thing, to eat more chicken and to eat yogurt and dairy—which never helped. Gout can be excruciatingly painful, and he had a very serious form. His knees would flare up, his ankles, his elbows. And so he would be on crutches a lot of the time. After we had our daughter in 2011, it was really hard for me to take care of him and a newborn.

So, after following what doctors told us for so many years and none of it working, I decided to start researching things for myself. I’d stay up till 2 o’clock in the morning reading as much as I could online. Somehow, I came across plant-based eating. I started reading about how meat and dairy were inflammatory. I thought, “We’ve tried everything else.” And I didn’t want him to be on all those medications for the rest of his life, which had side effects and weren’t good for his heart. So, I said, “OK. We’re going vegan.” He wasn’t real thrilled about it, because he’s from Louisiana and he lived off seafood. But I said, “I’ll do it with you.” It ended up helping him dramatically. He was able to get off the crutches and off the medications. … And I actually got better, myself. I’d had really bad digestion problems since I was a little girl. My mom used to take me to the doctors all the time for my stomach problems, and they could never figure it out. I went vegan and within two, three weeks, the symptoms all vanished. At that point, I thought, “Wait a minute, I think I’m going to stick to this.” Then I started researching animal cruelty [of the meat and dairy industries], and once I saw that I knew I would never go back.

When you went vegan, were you immediately eating a wholesome vegan diet?

BD: Yes. I did not buy anything pre-made. I’ve cooked my whole life anyways. I’ve always been health-focused, in that sense. So, I just started making everything with vegetables and fruits. [At first we just ate] a lot of vegetables, potatoes and fruit and whole wheat pasta. I started learning how to cook more and working with nuts to make creamy sauces. And that’s been my way of cooking all these years: to make it whole food-based, but still be really satisfying and delicious and rich, because taste is super important to me. I grew up here in Texas eating very filling, indulgent meals.

How did your blog, the Vegan 8, start?

BD: When I first started cooking [plant-based], I had a different blog called The Healthy Flavor. I realized there were a lot of vegan blogs out there. So, I thought, “How can I reach more people so I can help them eat healthier and trust my recipes?” I looked at the recipes on my blog that people were making the most, and I noticed they were all eight ingredients or less—because they were simple but delicious. So I decided to call my blog “The Vegan 8” and to make every recipe eight ingredients or less, not counting salt, pepper, or water. And then my blog just took off. I did that for about nine or 10 years. And then three or four years ago, I stopped doing only eight ingredient recipes because it was limiting my creativity. I still do [short ingredient lists], but I do more than eight now. It’s still my style, still whole-food–based, still oil-free. It’s just more ingredients and more creative.

You write in the book’s introduction that you allow a little bit of oil into your diet personally. Why is it important to you that you keep your recipes oil-free?

BD: A lot of people started following me from the Forks Over Knives group on Facebook, or from some of the plant-based doctors who don’t use oil. And I just felt after learning everything I could that it is best to stick with whole-food fats, such as cashews and hemp seeds. Oil adds up so quickly. One tablespoon is 14 grams of fat. By contrast, nut butter is 8 grams.

When I go out to eat, I don’t stress about perfection. That’s just not my way, and I don’t want to raise my daughter that way. But when we cook at home, we eat oil-free as much as possible. I do use nonstick spray for baking certain things so they don’t stick to the pan. But for the most part, I try to avoid oil. And my recipes don’t taste like they’re oil-free or lacking in something, which is why so many people will say, “I can’t believe there’s not butter in this.” Because taste and texture is number one.

How did you decide on the high-protein focus for this cookbook?

BD: When I switched my blog from just eight ingredients, around that time was also when I got divorced and I started incorporating fitness to help me mentally. It was a big transition, a lot going on in my life. I started working out to help me deal with everything that was going on. So, I started sharing my workouts online with my followers, and a lot of people started following my workout plans and asking me for a higher-protein cookbook. And this book is healthier than my first book. They’re both oil-free and whole-food-based and healthy, but the first book had higher-sodium recipes and way more desserts. This one’s lower-sodium and has fewer desserts. It’s also more creative because the recipes have more ingredients.

In the book, you talk about how you try to achieve an overall balanced plate but don’t worry about counting calories or macros. Can you speak to that?

BD: I include the nutritional stats because a lot of readers like that, so that’s for them. But on a day-to-day basis, I don’t count my calories. I pretty much know, just from doing this for so long, what is in most foods, and I try to keep a balance. But I don’t like obsessing over it. I just don’t feel that’s healthy, for me personally, anyway. Everybody’s different. But I don’t want to raise my daughter with that mentality that she’s got to count every calorie and eat perfectly. … It should be a balance. Mental health relates to physical health.

What are some of your daughter’s favorite snacks?

BD: She loves the nut-free chocolate chip granola bars, which are on my blog. She doesn’t like actual granola, which is weird, but she loves those granola bars. She also loves my thin mint cookies that are on the blog. And then I have some peanut butter cookies in Vegan Wholesome, but I make them with almond butter for her, and she loves those.

What would be your top-three favorite recipes in the new book for people to try?

BD: The Swedish Meatballs with gravy and the Vegan “Tuna” Casserole. Those were the most requested recipes. And then also, my Protein-Packed Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Those three are amazing. They got approval from [my daughter] Olivia—which is saying a lot, because she’s a teenager. The soup chapter is my favorite—so many amazing soups in there that are really creative, really different. One of them, the Feel-Good Roasted Red Pepper and Veggie soup, the base is made from roasting bell peppers and then blending them up with broth and seasonings. So, it has so much flavor in it.

You mention in the book that you’ll buy nondairy yogurt from the store sometimes. Are there any other convenience foods that you recommend to make life a little easier?

BD: Definitely. Some of the recipes in the book where I use mozzarella, I give the option to use my homemade mozzarella (which is in the book and is amazing), but you can also use Miyoko’s liquid mozzarella. I feel like [Miyoko’s] is probably the healthiest vegan mozzarella, because it’s not full of all preservatives and processed stuff. It’s got real ingredients. [Editor’s note: It does contain oil.] The same thing if I call for barbecue sauce: You can use my homemade recipe or store-bought. I let the reader decide. Because I know sometimes, we’re in a hurry. Or maybe you’re making something for non-vegan guests, you could use store-bought vegan cheese, which has oil in it but maybe tastes a little bit more indulgent.

Say you’re home for an hour before rushing out to dance practice: What’s your go-to quick nourishing meal?

BD: The 20-minute Alfredo from my blog. I’ve timed it, start to finish. You can finish it in 20 minutes—including the pasta-cooking time—and it’s really creamy and rich. You just mix cashew butter, onion powder, broth, lemon juice, nutritional yeast and a couple other ingredients. And you could add any veggies you want, like broccoli or spinach or even chickpeas if you want higher protein.

On the blog I also have a homemade ramen soup seasoning mix that you can keep in your pantry. Add it to broth with a little bit of soy sauce, and you have homemade, low-sodium ramen soup in less than 10 minutes. You could add tofu or whatever else you like. Those are a couple of my go-tos. Olivia really likes Italian flavors, so I’ll do pasta topped with a blend of basil, tomato sauce, some of my mozzarella and some Italian seasonings. I’ll add a little bit of tahini or almond butter. I know that sounds weird, but it tastes amazing. It makes it rich and creamy, and then it gives some fat for her, because I really try to make sure she eats enough fat since she’s growing and does a lot of gymnastics, so I make sure I keep her calories high.

Did anything surprise you in the course of writing Vegan Wholesome?

BD: How much more work it was to photograph every recipe myself! I didn’t do that with the first book.

You photographed every recipe yourself?!

BD: Yes. It was crazy. At first, I was like, “Well, why not? I know how to take pictures.” But now I understand that for a cookbook, the photography style is different than typically what you put on your blog. For a cookbook, you want to give readers the feel that they’re eating it right there, with a few crumbs or seasonings spilled on the side, as opposed to everything looking perfect. And it’s true; it gives you more of a home feel. I learned so much about food styling through this book.

You include gram measurements alongside cup measurements in your recipes. Why?

BD: I’ve been cooking by grams for over a decade. It seems a little awkward at first, but a large majority of my followers make my recipes by gram weights now, because it becomes so easy. You don’t have to get out the measuring cups at all, just get out a bowl and turn the kitchen scale to zero, add the first ingredient, hit zero, add the next. You don’t use the kitchen scale for tablespoons or teaspoons, because they’re too small, and it probably won’t detect it accurately. But any measurements around three tablespoons and up, you can use the scale. Everybody measures a little bit differently when they use cups. And I want people to enjoy the recipes. So, following gram weights, you’re going to get the exact way I tested it in my kitchen. I provide cup measurements, too, and you can use those. But using the scale is so quick. And you have way less cleanup, too.

Any other essential kitchen gadgets?

BD: The Vitamix. I think probably every vegan has a Vitamix or a Blendtec. And also, a food processor, because there are some things that work better in a food processor than a blender. Those two and the scale are really the main things that I can think of that are a necessity for my recipes. Because when you’re blending up nuts and stuff, you’re going to get way better results with a high-powered blender. But if you only have a food processor, just soak the nuts longer and it’ll be fine.

At the same time you were working on this second cookbook, you’ve been pursuing your dream of becoming a dancer. What has that been like?

BD: When I started working out, like I said, I was dealing with a lot. I was in a bad depression. I started working out and getting more self-love, trying to take care of myself mentally, and I had always dreamed of being a ballroom dancer. Since I was a little girl, I always wanted to do it. I watched Dancing with the Stars for years. After I got divorced, that urge became very heavy. It was almost like it was saying, “It’s time.” Since I was sharing my workouts online with my followers and they were really interested in it, I thought, “You know what? I’m going to be honest about what I’m going through. I’m going through a divorce. I’m going through depression.” Because I feel like being honest with people helps me to connect with them more. I’m not just some perfect person who posts recipes online. I’m a human being. I’ve gone through changes and I wanted to be open and that helps my followers as well going through divorce and life changes. So, I started sharing about my dance journey, and many of my followers started taking dance lessons as well, because they were inspired to pursue their own dream. My message is, “Live your life. It’s short. Do something that you love, that you’re passionate about because you only got one life. And when you do something for yourself, you’re going to be happier mentally and physically.” Mental goes with physical; you need to take care of both. It all just ties in together.

What else would you like Forks Over Knives readers to know about Vegan Wholesome?

BD: With these recipes, I am completely confident that not only will you as a plant-based eater or vegan enjoy them, but that you can serve them to your non-vegan guests. I know a lot of people think that vegan food is only going to appeal to vegan taste buds. My goal is always to appeal to every eater. A lot of my followers are not vegan—that is my proof.

You can have something healthy and whole-food based, but it can still taste just as good as non-vegan food. And it doesn’t have to be complicated or full of a bunch of processed ingredients. My recipes are good for you and will appeal to anybody.

Brandi Doming headshot courtesy Kim Schaffer Photography. All other photographs courtesy Brandi Doming.

The post Brandi Doming’s ‘Vegan Wholesome’: High-Protein, Oil-Free Recipes That Pack Big Flavor appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Based on groundbreaking research of Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., M.D., at the Cleveland Clinic, and T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., at Cornell, the low-fat WFPB lifestyle began as a therapeutic diet to help people with heart disease turn their health around. Low-fat plant-based diets have also been shown to reverse Type 2 diabetes and help with obesity and other chronic conditions. For people who aren’t facing major health challenges, it’s a way to stop lifestyle-driven diseases before they start.

The guiding principle of the WFPB diet is a focus on whole (or minimally processed) plant-based foods, which are dense with nutrients and fiber yet low in saturated fat and calories. It’s a nutritional one-two punch that nourishes the body while helping people lose the excess weight that often leads to chronic disease. When you go the next step and replace added oil with whole-food sources of fat (think avocados, nuts, and seeds), you can further drive up nutrients and drive down calories, effectively supercharging the diet.

But not all experts in the WFPB space agree that going oil-free is a necessary step for reaping benefits of a WFPB lifestyle. And in 2025 FOK slightly relaxed its stance on added oils for people with no health issues. (You can read our current position on added oils here.) In order for our audience to make the most informed decision for their own health, we asked a dozen leading plant-based physicians and nutritionists how they currently think about added oils in the diet and what they tell their patients. Enter The Great Oil Debate.

Should We Avoid Culinary Oils for Optimal Health? A Conversation with Rip Esselstyn and Garth Davis, M.D.

To kick things off, we hosted a live debate featuring two leading voices in the plant-based world: Garth Davis, M.D., board-certified bariatric surgeon, obesity medicine specialist, and author of Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession With Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It, and Rip Esselstyn, founder of PLANTSTRONG Foods; author of several books, including The Engine 2 Diet series; and son of WFPB pioneer Caldwell B. Esselstyn, M.D.

Are Plant-Based Oils Healthy? More WFPB Experts Weigh In

In the lead-up to the live debate, Forks Over Knives reached out to several leading WFPB physicians and nutritionists to ask the big question: How do you counsel your patients/audience on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils? Some of them also opted to answer a bonus question: Do you personally avoid all added oils, even in small amounts? Why or why not? Read on for their answers.

Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr., M.D.

A pioneer of the whole-food, plant-based movement, Dr. Esselstyn was featured prominently in the Forks Over Knives film. He is the director of Esselstyn Heart Disease Program at The Cleveland Clinic and author of the New York Times best-seller Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease: The Revolutionary, Scientifically Proven, Nutrition-Based Cure.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Esselstyn: “The patients I counsel are almost uniformly sick with heart disease. And heart disease really has its onset when we progressively injure the delicate innermost lining of the artery, the endothelium. Why is that important? Because the endothelium is responsible for making this magic molecule of gas called nitric oxide.

“What are the functions of nitric oxide? Number one, it keeps all the cellular elements within our bloodstream flowing smoothly. It keeps things from getting sticky. Number two, it’s the strongest blood vessel dilator in the body. When you climb stairs, your arteries to your heart and legs, they expand, they dilate. That’s nitric oxide. Number three, nitric oxide protects the arterial walls from becoming thick and stiff or inflamed and protects us from getting hypertension. Number four is key: A normal amount of nitric oxide protects us from developing blockages and plaques. Literally everybody on Earth who has cardiovascular disease has it because over the previous decades they’ve sufficiently injured and compromised their endothelial system.

“The good news is that this is not a malignancy; it’s a foodborne illness. What are the foods that injure the endothelium? It’s any drop of oil: olive oil, corn oil, soybean oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, palm oil. Oil on a cracker, oil on a chip, oil on a piece of bread, oil in a salad dressing. Once patients understand that never again are they to pass through their lips a single morsel that would further injure a damaged endothelium, then the endothelium will recover and make enough nitric oxide to halt disease progression. And we often see significant disease reversal.”

Do you personally avoid added oils?

Dr. Esselstyn: “We don’t eat any oil, whether it’s at home or out or at restaurants.”

T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D.

Another expert prominently featured in the Forks Over Knives film, Dr. Campbell co-authored the groundbreaking book The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long Term Health. He is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University and founder of the nonprofit T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies.

Dr. Campbell’s position on added oils is clearly stated on the Center for Nutrition Studies website: “Even the finest olive oils are 100% fat, meaning calorically dense and nutrient-poor. Oil injures the endothelium, the innermost lining of the artery, and that injury is the gateway to vascular disease. Especially for those with known heart disease, adding even a little oil can negatively impact heart health.”

Neal Barnard, M.D., FACC

The president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, Dr. Barnard is a New York Times bestselling author of 20-plus books and more than 100 scientific publications.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Barnard: “Plant oils are generally much healthier than animal fats, because they are lower in saturated (‘bad’) fat, which is linked to high cholesterol levels and Alzheimer’s disease. The exceptions are coconut and palm oil, which are loaded with saturated fat—not unlike animal fats.

“But even ‘healthier’ oils and fats have the same high calorie content, and they all contribute to insulin resistance and hormonal problems, so minimizing them is a good idea. Here’s our approach: We help patients to learn oil-free methods in food preparation: Use a nonstick pan, sauté in water or vegetable broth, choose nonfat salad toppings, and read labels so you can buy lower-fat products. Soon, people come to prefer the lighter tastes.”

Dean Ornish, M.D.

Dr. Ornish is president and founder of the nonprofit Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, and clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He is the author of seven bestselling books, including Dr. Dean Ornish’s Program for Reversing Heart Disease. His Ornish Lifestyle Medicine program is a nine-week, Medicare-covered program for reversing heart disease using a very low-fat (10% of total calories) plant-based diet.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Ornish: “My lifestyle medicine program is based on science, which evolves over time as we learn more. It’s remarkable how little my recommendations have changed since I developed and studied this lifestyle medicine program for reversing heart disease almost 50 years ago.

“In 1981, for example, I began recommending that people add three grams per day of algae-based omega-3 fatty acids to their diet based on new research at the time documenting their many health benefits which were initially documented by my mentor, Dr. Alexander Leaf, who was Chief of Medicine at Harvard Medical School at the time. I remember talking at the time with a group of dietitians who said, ‘You can’t add oil to the Ornish diet!’

“In that spirit, I used to preclude seeds and nuts because they are high in oils and fat. Several years ago, I became impressed with a variety of studies showing that regular consumption of nuts and seeds is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions. Consuming approximately 15 grams of nuts and seeds daily can decrease the risk of coronary heart disease by around 20%. This is about 3–4 small handfuls a week of unsalted nuts and seeds that are not roasted in oil. Especially beneficial are walnuts, almonds, flaxseeds, pistachios, and cashews.

“While these benefits may come from nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, and magnesium, there is a germinative quality of seeds and nuts—life ready to burst forth—that we may have a hard time measuring but may play an important role. Seeds and nuts provide a broader spectrum of nutrients than added oils, which are highly processed, dense in calories, and often inflammatory.”

Garth Davis, M.D.

A board-certified bariatric surgeon and obesity medicine specialist in Houston, Texas, Dr. Davis serves as medical director of Houston Methodist Comprehensive Weight Management Center. He is the author of Proteinaholic: How Our Obsession With Meat Is Killing Us and What We Can Do About It.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Davis: “I discuss the fact that oils are not intrinsically bad, but they are calorie dense. I recommend being conscious of the fact that they are calorie dense and so should be used cautiously.”

Do you personally avoid all added oils?

Dr. Davis: “I don’t avoid oils at all. I love olive oil. I don’t overdo oils, but I certainly don’t avoid them.”

Monica Aggarwal, M.D., FACC

Dr. Aggarwal is an adjunct Associate Professor in the University of Florida’s Division of Cardiovascular Medicine where she conducts research on the impact of nutrition in chronic illness. She is the co-author of Body on Fire: How Inflammation Triggers Chronic Illness and the Tools We Have to Fight It. Notably, Aggarwal co-authored the 2024 Recipe for Heart Health Trial, which studied the impacts of olive oil and whole-food plant-based diets in 40 adults at risk for cardiovascular disease.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Aggarwal: “I tell my patients there’s no negative in having a little bit of oil, especially if you’re on the leaner side. But don’t be under the misconception that oil is good for your health. I tell people to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables, more beans and [whole plant foods] because we know for sure that when you eat those foods, the fiber, the low saturated fat, you’re going to do better.

“I think there’s more data needed in the olive oil debate. But at this point, my feeling is we don’t need olive oil or other oils for our health, but certainly there’s no significant harm in eating a little bit of oil in your diet.”

Do you personally avoid all added oils?

Dr. Aggarwal: “I eat a little bit of oil in my personal diet. … I eat very clean and I have a very good LDL and I have a normal body mass, so keep that in mind; that’s important. When I go out for a meal … I don’t restrict the oil. When I cook at home, which I primarily do, sometimes I will use maybe less than a tablespoon of oil to cook 2 pounds of lentils. So very, very little oil in general. But I’m not afraid of a little bit of oil in my diet or my family’s diet.”

Michael Greger, M.D., FACLM

Dr. Greger is a physician specializing in clinical nutrition, a founding member and Fellow of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine, and founder of the nonprofit NutritionFacts.org. He is the author of the New York Times bestsellers How Not to Die, The How Not to Die Cookbook, How Not to Diet, and How Not to Age.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Greger: “The healthiest sources of fat are whole plant foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados. If people are going to use oil, I would recommend extra-virgin olive oil, which is better than refined vegetable oils, and refined oils are better than tropical oils and animal fats.”

Brenda Davis, RD

Brenda Davis is a registered dietitian, speaker, and consultant specializing in plant-based nutrition. She has authored/co-authored 12 books, including Plant-Powered Protein and Nourish: The Definitive Plant-based Nutrition Guide for Families.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Brenda Davis: “It depends on the individual. For those who are struggling with overweight or obesity, or chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, it makes sense to minimize or avoid oils as they are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor compared to whole foods like nuts, seeds, and avocados. To optimize the diet for effective treatment, it is best to prioritize whole plant foods over oils. On the other hand, oils can have a place in a healthy diet, as evidenced by many populations who include oils in their traditional diets, including all of the Blue Zones.

“For active individuals or those with high caloric requirements, good-quality oils can help meet energy needs without increasing the bulkiness of the diet. Also, oils have value from a culinary and cultural perspective, enhancing the flavor, texture, and enjoyment of foods.

“Of course, the health effects of oils depend on what they replace in the diet. If oils replace animal fats (e.g., butter, lard), they are beneficial. Switching from saturated fats to unsaturated vegetable oils reduces cardiovascular risk and overall mortality. However, if oils replace healthier whole plant foods, less favorable outcomes would be expected. Whole plant fats contain protective factors such as fiber, antioxidants, and phytonutrients that extracted oils lack. Oils are energy-dense and lack fiber, making them more prone to passive overconsumption of calories.

“The bottom line is that vegetable oils can be part of a healthful diet when used appropriately, but fats from whole foods remain the superior choice for long-term health.”

Do you personally avoid all added oils?

Brenda Davis: “I minimize my use of oils but do not completely avoid them. For example, I like to include a little sesame oil for flavor in a peanut sauce. I sometimes add a little oil to homemade cheeses for special occasions. I do not worry about oil avoidance when eating out (although I rarely eat out).

“The reason I am not rigid about oil avoidance is that I view oil in much the same way that I view sugar. These foods are not poisons, but they are generally best minimized. We want most of our macronutrients to be intrinsic to fiber-rich plant foods. Of course, the health impacts of oils and sugars depend on their source and quality. Organic blackstrap molasses has more value than white sugar, just as fresh-pressed flaxseed oil has more value than highly refined soybean oil.

“Unlike refined sugars, which have little redeeming value, high-quality oils typically supply essential fatty acids, vitamin E, and vitamin K, along with beneficial phytonutrients such as polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil. They also boost the absorption of valuable fat-soluble nutrients.

“My goals extend beyond human health to ethical and ecological issues. I want to see a mainstream shift toward healthy plant-based diets. I believe we will have greater success in achieving these goals if the diet is inclusive, honors cultural traditions, and allows some flexibility. We need to empower people to make healthy, plant-forward choices without creating barriers that may discourage consumers from embracing this compassionate, sustainable, healthful way of life.”

David Katz, M.D., MPH

Dr. Katz is a specialist in preventive and lifestyle medicine, with particular expertise in nutrition. He is the president and founder of True Health Initiative, founder and CEO of Diet ID, Inc., and a past president of The American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Katz: “Optimal diet is as optimal diet does. Per Gertrude Stein: a difference, to be a difference, must make a difference. In other words, it is outcomes—for our own health, the well-being of our fellow creatures, the sustainable health of the planet—that matter most, and in turn define the healthfulness of diet. Through these several lenses, optimal diet is a theme, not one dogmatic prescription. Bountiful evidence associates optimal outcomes with whole-food, plant-predominant (or plant-exclusive) diets with or without the inclusion of select, extracted oils—most notably, extra-virgin olive oil. My counseling accordingly makes this a choice.”

Do you personally avoid added oils?

Dr. Katz: “No. My wife was raised in southern France, and there is a strong Mediterranean influence on her cooking and our eating. High-quality EVOO is a staple in the Katz kitchen, as are several other oils (most notably, organic expeller-pressed canola) because of their uses in cuisine, their enhancement of culinary pleasure, and their compatibility with optimal health outcomes, as noted above. To be clear, we have no randomized controlled trials directly comparing optimized plant-based diets of standardized overall quality, differing only by the inclusion or exclusion of select, extracted oils. I would be very interested in such a study! Until or unless it is conducted, the evidence we have suggests parity.”

Alona Pulde, M.D., and Matthew Lederman, M.D.

Drs. Pulde and Lederman are practicing physicians specializing in nutrition and lifestyle medicine and the co-founders of WeHeal. They created the medical program used in the Forks Over Knives film and in the Whole Foods Market Medical & Wellness Centers, and co-authored the New York Times bestselling The Forks Over Knives Plan and The Whole Foods Diet.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Drs. Pulde and Lederman: “Our goal is to provide evidence-based guidance to help patients make informed choices about their health. When discussing oil, we share the following key points:

• Oil is not a health food: Oils are calorie-dense and nutrient-poor, easily leading to overconsumption and weight gain.
• Stripped of essential nutrients: Oil is pure fat, lacking fiber, protein, vitamins, and other nutrients, making it harder for the body to regulate calorie intake. Since excess fat in our diets is often already a problem, adding more fat is not the solution.
• Negative health effects: Oils raise cholesterol, impair blood vessel function, and increase the risk of heart disease, immune suppression, and possibly cancer.
• Non-essential fats: Oils, including olive oil, are high in non-essential monounsaturated fats (meaning we can make them on our own and don’t need to get them from our food). Essential fats (omega-3 and omega-6) are best obtained from whole plant-based foods. While foods like walnuts and flaxseeds are richer sources of these fats, all whole plant foods naturally contain small amounts of essential fats that, over the course of a day, meet your needs.
• Misleading marketing: The Mediterranean diet’s health benefits are due to its emphasis on whole plant-based foods, not olive oil.

“For these reasons, we advise minimizing or eliminating oil from the diet.”

Do you personally avoid added oils?

Drs. Pulde and Lederman: “We believe there is nothing beneficial that oil provides to a diet. We may consume oil on occasion, such as when dining out, traveling, or at social events where options are limited. However, whenever possible and always at home, we choose to avoid all oils, even in small amounts.”

Joel Kahn, M.D., FACC

Dr. Kahn is an integrative cardiologist; the founder of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Longevity in Bingham Farms, Michigan; and the author of several books, including The Plant-Based Solution: America’s Healthy Heart Doc’s Plan to Power Your Health.

How do you counsel patients on consuming olive oil and vegetable oils?

Dr. Kahn: “I am ‘oil flexible’ with my cardiac patients. If they have advanced heart disease, weight issues, diabetes issues, or prefer to follow a no-SOS [no added salt, oil, or sugar] diet, I am completely supportive. I followed the same diet for decades and my wife still cooks that way at home. If they are not in the groups I mentioned, I recommend certain brands of organic, ice-pressed extra-virgin olive oil at a dose of about 1 to 2 tablespoons a day or less. I am unable to ignore the impressive data from the CORDIOPREV randomized trial that followed 1,002 heart patients in Spain for seven years and found impressive advantages to the higher olive oil group. I do not find the current craze labelling all seed oils as toxic to be authentic with the science but I do not use or advise them unless patients have a strong personal preference.”

Do you personally avoid added oils?

Dr. Kahn: “I am back and forth on oils in my own diet. I did decades oil-free. I owned restaurants that offered oil-free menus, unique in the food industry overall. In the last five years I have added back high-quality EVOO, but 1 tablespoon at most a day. Recently I have returned to a no-oil diet at home but it may swing back again. I do not think eating should cause profound anxiety, and I see many patients extremely tense about this topic to a point where it causes them harm and loss of joy while dining.”

The post Should We Avoid Oils for Optimal Health? Here’s Where Top WFPB Experts Stand on the Great Oil Debate appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Given Jaroudi’s history of hypertension, health care workers pegged her as high-risk and initially expected to only let her pregnancy go to 37 weeks. But Jaroudi ended up having a smooth, full-term pregnancy—and taught WFPB cooking classes right up to the day before her water broke. “I felt like every time I showed up at the doctor, I was proving to them, ‘Look what this lifestyle can do,’” she says. We asked the new mom to reflect on her plant-based pregnancy and share her biggest takeaways. Read on for Jaroudi’s advice, along with expert insights from a plant-based nutritionist.

1. Pregnancy is a good time to be plant-based.

Jaroudi says it’s not unusual for people to abandon a vegan lifestyle when they get pregnant. “I think a lot of it is just the misinformation out there,” she says. “People are like, ‘Oh, my gosh, your iron’s low. You need meat.’” But a plant-based diet is indeed safe during pregnancy; in fact, it’s advisable, even if you’ve never been plant-based before, says nutritionist Brenda Davis, RD, co-author of Nourish: The Definitive Plant-Based Nutrition Guide for Families. “There is evidence suggesting advantages such as a lower risk of excessive weight gain, gestational diabetes, and pre-eclampsia,” Davis says.

The key is to follow a well-balanced plant-based diet rich in whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and to supplement with vitamins as needed.

2. Nutrition knowledge is power.

Doing research on plant-based pregnancies helped Jaroudi feel confident in her choices and better able to advocate for her health. Two books she recommends: The Plant-Based Baby and Toddler, by Alexandra Caspero, MA, RDN, and Whitney English, MS, RDN; and the aforementioned Nourish, which Davis co-authored with Reshma Shah, M.D., MPH.

3. Prenatals are a must.

Davis recommends looking for a prenatal supplement that includes iron, zinc, vitamin D, folate, and at least 150 mcg of iodine, 100 mg of choline, and 25 mcg of vitamin B12. Additionally, she suggests that plant-based eaters take a daily EPA/DHA supplement that includes 500 mg of EPA and at least 200 mg of DHA while pregnant. And bloodwork is a good idea: “Sometimes there are signs [of nutrient deficiency], such as fatigue with insufficient iron, but often symptoms are not overt,” Davis says. “It is best to have lab tests to ensure adequate intakes and absorption of key nutrients, such as vitamin B12 and iron.”

4. You need a supportive doctor.

Your docs don’t have to be plant-based, but they do have to be on board. If they’re not, you can find plant-based health care providers in a range of specialties, including obstetricians and pediatricians, through the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine database.

5. Meal prep makes life easier.

Having a store of meals frozen into individual portions makes it easy to grab what you need. “[Prepping meals] ahead of time can be a game-changer,” says Jaroudi, who went from occasionally meal-prepping to doing it regularly as a new mom. “It makes life really easy to have those ready-to-go meals.” Check out these 20 Meal-Prep Tips From People Who Have Been Doing It for Years.

How to Eat Whole-Food, Plant-Based at the Hospital

Staying nourished during labor and recovery is essential. Here’s how Jaroudi was able to eat plant-based while at the hospital.

B.Y.O.

While some hospitals offer healthy vegan food, it’s safest to assume you’ll need to supply your own. “I joke that my hospital bag was half baby stuff and half our cooler and all my other food,” Jaroudi says. Don’t be afraid to fill the gaps with WFPB convenience foods. Jaroudi recommends dehydrated meals from Leafside (goleafside.com) and Wellbean Bars (wellbean.life).

Leverage Cafeteria Options

Be sure to check out the cafeteria. “Sometimes it can surprise you,” says Jaroudi. She found fresh fruit and oatmeal there, which were good to have in a pinch.

Communicate Your Needs

Hospital food culture is slowly changing. Don’t be afraid to tell the kitchen staff (politely) what you eat; they may be able to accommodate. Jaroudi and her husband were pleasantly surprised when the hospital served them a delicious WFPB meal as part of a candlelit “Mommy and Daddy dinner.” “I took pictures of it,” Jaroudi says. “I was so shocked!”

The post Plant-Based YouTuber Brittany Jaroudi Shares the Biggest Lessons from Her Healthy Vegan Pregnancy appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

What drew you to the field of gastroenterology?

Shilpa Ravella, M.D.: At the core of practicing medicine is this idea that you’re helping people with their most valuable possession, their health. No matter how small a part we play in that, it was something that I felt compelled to do. … And as the years went on, everything I was interested in learning about nutrition and lifestyle and the gut microbiome was so directly relevant to gastroenterology. I just fell in love with the field.

How did you become interested in inflammation?

SR: As I went through my fellowship, I saw a lot of patients who struggled with inflammatory gastrointestinal disorders. They were coming into the clinic and asking, “Is there something I can do with my diet and lifestyle to decrease inflammation?” At that time, folks in Western medicine would think of [an anti-inflammatory diet] as a hoax. I had a lot of questions: Is there a true anti- inflammatory diet? Moreover, what is low-level inflammation, and can it be a root cause of disease? … During the early years of my fellowship, someone very close to me was diagnosed with a devastating autoimmune disorder, and that also compelled me to want to know more about this topic.

What are the top foods that you recommend cutting to reduce inflammation?

SR: Ultraprocessed foods are truly insidious. They’re made in laboratories by companies who want to make them addictive. So you don’t just eat one chip— you’re eating bag after bag after bag and bypassing your body’s regulatory systems. They’re mostly made of whole-food derivatives and additives that we are finding more and more problematic, including artificial sweeteners and some oils that are very inflammatory. So the first step is going back to real foods. Even if you can’t make the shift to a [completely] plant-based diet, make the shift to whole foods.

What have you learned working with patients in Hilo, Hawaii?

SR: At the government-funded rural health clinic [in Hilo], we see a proportion of native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and this particular population experiences the highest rates of death from any type of cancer compared with other racial and ethnic groups of the same age, and the highest incidence of heart disease and stroke and diabetes. … We’re seeing a lot of cancer in young folks here. Part of the problem is that the “local” diet has taken over—a lot of fried foods, very meat-heavy. By contrast, the ancestral Hawaiian diet is largely plant-based. It involves a variety of vegetables, like ulu (breadfruit), which can be prepared in so many different ways, taro (a starchy vegetable), and seaweed. A return to this type of diet is what I push for my patient population. I try to put it in that cultural context: This is the diet that your forefathers followed, and this is a diet that can help you thrive.

Can anti-inflammatory foods cancel out the effects of processed foods?

SR: To an extent, you can indeed dull the inflammatory spikes you get from junk foods by pairing them with something healthy. For example, there are studies that show if you add berries or nuts to processed breads and cereals or some spices to your chicken dinner, you see less of an inflammatory spike as opposed to if you’ve eaten those foods on their own.

I think the biggest problem with that outlook is the opportunity cost, because the goal is not just to prevent inflammation but also to reverse it so that your body has greater potential to heal. Someone who is 90 years old and eating a highly plant-based diet, exercising regularly, breathing clean air, drinking clean water is going to have more potential to resolve the inflammation from, say, an infection, and a more robust immune response as well.

Stamping Out Myths About Inflammation

We asked Ravella to break down some of the most common myths she encounters about inflammation.

Myth #1: Plant foods promote inflammation.

“Certain plant foods or components of plant foods, like nightshade vegetables, gluten, or lectins, are often demonized for being inflammatory,” Ravella says. “However, evidence to date shows that these foods are actually anti-inflammatory and beneficial for human health.”

Myth #2: All inflammation is bad.

“We need some inflammation in our bodies to fight off infections and keep us healthy in other ways. And in fact, increased bodily inflammation is a natural part of aging. It’s when inflammation becomes excessive or deployed without reason that problems arise.”

Myth #3: Anti-inflammatory diets are expensive.

“A true, evidence-based anti-inflammatory diet does not rely on expensive foods or supplements,” Ravella says. “Anti-inflammatory, plant-forward diets—such as traditional Mediterranean, Okinawan, African, Latin American, Native American, Asian, and Hawaiian diets—are rooted in ancient traditions and arise from humble origins.”

The post What We’re Getting Wrong About Inflammation: Gastroenterologist Shilpa Ravella Explains appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Ramírez’s own eyes were opened to the breadth of her home country’s cuisine when she moved to Mexico City as a young adult and encountered dishes and ingredients she’d never come across while growing up along the Mexico–Texas border. “I felt like I knew nothing about Mexico or Mexican food because it was so different from where I grew up,” she recalls. When she set out to write Comida Casera, she made a point of featuring veganized dishes from every corner of the country. She also took care to highlight indigenous cooks upholding the plant-forward traditions of their ancestors. “I wanted this cookbook to be all of Mexico,” says Ramírez.

Instead of the usual appetizer-main-side format, Comida Casera is structured around key culinary traditions, from mole markets to antojitos (street food), home-cooked classics, and beyond. Ramírez invites cooks of all skill levels into her kitchen, with a detailed ingredient glossary and step-by-step visual guides for essential techniques like roasting chile peppers, despining nopales, and assembling tamales.

The Culinary Institute of America–trained chef showcases the versatility of plant-based ingredients, transforming rice into chicharrones and dried hibiscus flowers into barbacoa. “Comida Casera honors traditional Mexican flavors and techniques, but relies on the immense world of plants to do so,” she says. There’s a strong whole-food focus to the book. Every recipe is vegan, and most include oil-free variations.

We caught up with Ramírez to talk about the new book (which is out March 18), the magic of Mexican food, and the fateful kitchen mix-up that made her rethink her approach to plant-based cooking. Fix yourself a plate of Tacos de Rajas con Crema and dig into the full conversation below!

Even though you grew up in your family’s restaurant, it wasn’t until you ventured far from home that you yourself fell in love with cooking. How did that happen?

Dora Ramírez: [My siblings and I] would sometimes help when my father was catering big events, but we’d help with little stuff, like peeling carrots. Most of the time, we weren’t super involved, especially not in the kitchen. And my mom stopped cooking at home when I was 6, when the restaurant opened. Because she was like, “Why am I going to keep cooking? There’s a whole restaurant!” So I wasn’t really ever exposed to cooking because I would just go to the restaurant and eat. But then I was a missionary [in Mexico City] for a year after high school, and one of my chores was to help out in the kitchen. That’s when I really discovered the magic of cooking.

What sort of food were they making there that sparked your interest?

DR: I’m from Acuña, a town on the border with Texas, and the food is a mix of Texas, Tex-Mex, and Northern Mexico influences. We’re really close to the town that’s famous for inventing nachos, so nachos are big. In Northern Mexico, we eat a lot of meat and a lot of flour tortillas, and that’s pretty much it. Not a lot of vegetables. Central Mexico is completely different. … There’s an emphasis on vegetables. There’s an emphasis on zucchini flowers. … People have a little vegetable soup to start off their meal, even if they’re eating meat.

What inspired you to go plant-based for your health?

DR: I was having a lot of yeast overgrowth, infections, and rashes, and it got to the point where it was very painful. Doctors would tell me, “You need to take this antifungal medication.” It wouldn’t work. Then they would give me antibiotics. It would be better for a little bit, and then it wouldn’t. I was just in pain all the time.

One friend said, “You need to watch Forks Over Knives.” I told her I didn’t want to. I knew it was a plant-based documentary. I loved cheese. I loved going out to restaurants. I didn’t want to have to change the way I ate. But this friend was insistent. We were in a mommy group together, and every single week she would ask, “Did you watch it yet?” It got to the point where I needed to either stop going to this mommy group or watch this documentary. I ended up watching it just to get her off my back. I was very surprised by it, and I decided to try [going whole-food, plant-based]. I failed several times. I would go plant-based for a week, say, “I don’t see any changes,” and give up. Then one Lent, I went plant-based for 40 days straight, and it was like magic. The inflammation was gone. My skin rash was gone. My pain was gone. I stopped taking all the medications I had been taking. To this day, sometimes I struggle with the yeast overgrowth, so I watch my processed sugar intake. But in general, the switch from eating a meat-centered diet to a plant-based diet resolved my health issues.

Could you talk about the comment from your mom that changed your approach to vegan cooking, as you relate in the book’s introduction?

DR: My mom got diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. I’d been vegan for a little bit at that point and read a lot of books by plant-based doctors, including Neal Barnard’s book on reversing Type 2 diabetes. So I was trying to get my mom to eat plant-based, and I made her vegan dishes that I really loved at the time. One of the first things I made were Vietnamese spring rolls. While I was preparing them, I set a block of tofu on the kitchen table. I left the room for a moment, and I heard my mom spitting something out and saying, “What is this?” She had eaten a spoon full of tofu, thinking it was panela. It really did look like a nice fresh panela cheese. It was glistening. She thought it was the most disgusting thing. I said, “Let me cook it for you. You’ll see it’s delicious!” She said, “I’m never eating tofu again.” I tried a couple other dishes until finally she was so frustrated that she said, “Can’t you just make it Mexican?” And it hit me, like, “Oh yeah, that’s right. I can make it Mexican!”

Comida Casera isn’t organized like a traditional cookbook. How did you decide to organize it the way you did?

DR: The book is organized as a journey through the key culinary landmarks in Mexico. We start in the indigenous kitchen, the basis of [Mexican] cuisine. Then we go to the market—in Mexico, there are huge markets where you can buy mole pastes—and we called that chapter Mole From the Market. Then there’s street food, and home-cooked classics. … And because I have culinary training, I have a chapter, Modern Mexico, for what I would serve if I had my own fine-dining restaurant. I wanted the cookbook to represent all of Mexican cuisine, and there’s a recipe for every state in Mexico in the book.

You managed to offer oil-free versions for an impressive number and array of dishes (including chicharrones!). Why was that important to you?

DR: When I started on my whole plant-based journey, I ate oil-free, because my focus was health. But there are certain dishes where you really need the oil, from a culinary standpoint. Mole is an example. Mole has nuts and seeds, so it already has a lot of fat, but there’s a key step to making mole where you have to fry the sauce in oil, which changes its flavor. You can make it without it, but it won’t have that same flavor. So when I saw that there were certain dishes that I couldn’t replicate without oil, I moved back to using some oil.

But you’ll see in the cookbook that even for the recipes that use oil, they use very little of it—maybe two teaspoons. They don’t have huge quantities. I know a lot of people are plant-based for health reasons and need to avoid oil. And I wanted them to be a part of Comida Casera, too. So I had recipe testers make every recipe with and without oil. There are some recipes in the book that don’t include a no-oil variation—that’s because we tested them without oil and they didn’t work.

How did you discover that dried hibiscus makes a good vegan barbacoa?

DR: There has been a big vegetarian movement in Mexico since the seventies, and it’s not uncommon for hibiscus to be used as a meat substitute. The way I’ve seen it used in Mexico is as a filling for tlacoyos, where the hibiscus is very lightly sautéed with onion and garlic and then served in tortillas. In Mexico they can very lightly cook hibiscus so that it’s still chewy and has a lot of texture, probably because hibiscus in Mexico is way fresher and more tender than the kind that we get in the U.S.

But I’d been to a restaurant in Dallas called Nuno’s Tacos, and he does a barbacoa with hibiscus, and it is so good. He wouldn’t give me the recipe, but he did give me tips. As you’ll see in the book, you boil the dried hibiscus forever. But at the end, you come out with a shredded texture that absorbs flavors really well. And the hibiscus has a little bit of tanginess, which works really well with the eggplant in that recipe, because eggplant is so savory.

What was your process like for developing a Cashew Queso Asadero that actually melts?

DR: I did a lot of testing with that one. It uses kappa carrageenan, which is not a common ingredient, and so I tried to make it without it. But without it, it doesn’t melt, and it’s more like gel-like. With the addition of the kappa carrageenan, it really gets that melty texture. I did tests with agar-agar, and we tried an oil-free version that used tofu instead of oil, but it didn’t get good results with the testers. It didn’t melt.

In the book you talk about returning to ancestral foodways, and you describe the practice of la milpa. Could you share about that for our readers?

DR: La milpa was an agricultural practice practiced by the Nahuas. (Nahuas is the broad name for several indigenous groups.) La milpa is based on planting corn, which was their main crop, but with the corn, they intercropped tomatoes, chiles and beans. All of these crops were put together because they helped each other nutrient-wise, and they helped ward off pests for each other. It’s a sustainable system. They even used the weeds—they would cook and eat those, too. Those are called quelites, or wild greens, and I use them in the book, as well as huitlacoche, the fungus that grows on the corn.

The book goes beyond the typical pantry shopping list. You explain the background and use of each ingredient. How did you decide to go so in-depth?

DR: I really want this book to be for everyone. For it to be for everyone, it needs to explain everything. That’s why that chapter is so specific—because I want you to experience Mexican cuisine, really experience it, and to be able to do that, you need to maybe be a little uncomfortable and go to the Mexican store and buy dried chiles, when you’ve never used them before. That’s why I included so much information about dried chiles, the fresh chiles they come from, where you can get them, and how to prepare them. I wanted to remove all the barriers so that people can make these recipes without looking at the book and being like, “Well, I don’t know what that is. Where do I get it? How am I going to make this if I can’t get this?” Even if they’re not going to be 100% the way that they’re made in Mexico, you can very, very closely replicate them in your home.

Speaking of peppers, for the Rajas con Crema recipe, if someone can’t find Poblanos, is there another pepper that would work?

DR: You can make it with bell peppers. The flavor won’t be the same because it won’t have that smokiness or the heat, but you can make it with bell peppers. There’s also canned poblano peppers, which you can drain and use.

What else would you like readers to know about Comida Casera?

DR: I really loved writing the home-cooking chapter (called “Comida Casera”) because I asked my mom, “What did grandma used to make for your family meals?” My mom is one of seven kids. She said, “Look, we were really poor. Sometimes we could only eat rice and beans and a sopita (pasta soup). Sometimes we could maybe afford a little bit of meat. But one thing that I can say about your grandma is that her table was always open to everyone.” There was almost always [a guest] at their family meals, and usually it was somebody who needed a meal. That, to me, is the heart of comida casera (Mexican home-cooking), and the whole message I was trying to express in this book. This is my Mexican table, and everybody’s welcome.

The post Dora Ramirez’s ‘Comida Casera’: A Vegan Journey Through Mexico’s Myriad Cuisines appeared first on Forks Over Knives.

Every year in the U.S., nearly 90,000 people are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor symptoms like tremors and muscle rigidity, along with non-motor issues such as cognitive decline and mood disorders.

The Gut-Brain Connection: How Parkinson’s May Begin in the Digestive System

Within the past decade, research has indicated that Parkinson’s begins in the gastrointestinal tract and spreads via the vagus nerve, a long cranial nerve, to the brain. This may explain why many patients report gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, years before receiving a Parkinson’s diagnosis.

In light of these discoveries, physicians are increasingly recommending dietary changes as part of Parkinson’s treatment, in addition to prescribing medications. In a new study, published in December 2024 in Neuroscience, researchers compared the neuroprotective effects of various diets—including Mediterranean, vegan, carnivore, paleo, and ketogenic—with regards to Parkinson’s disease.

The study found that the largely plant-based Mediterranean diet showed the greatest promise, correlating with a slower disease progression and lower rate of Parkinson’s occurrence. The vegan diet also appeared beneficial.

How a Plant-Based Diet May Slow Parkinson’s Progression

As noted in the new review, plant-rich diets may help protect against neurodegenerative diseases by lowering oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress, an imbalance of free radicals and antioxidants in the body, can lead to cell damage and contribute to neuron loss. Meanwhile, inflammation can damage the nerve cells that control movement.

The paper sheds further light on growing awareness of the gut microbiome’s important role in this progressive disease, something even neurologists had not considered until recently, explains Sergio Ramirez-Salazar, M.D., MPH, a cognitive neurologist at Dartmouth Health Medical Center who was not involved in the study.

“Definitely, the diet has a direct role,” Ramirez-Salazar says. “We’ve found that through the vagus nerve, there is a direct connection between the brain and the gut in Parkinson’s.” He adds, “It’s interesting, because [before], we didn’t know the microbiome was playing an important role in not only neurological conditions, but other types of diseases.”

Healthy vegan diets and Mediterranean diets emphasize higher consumption of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E, polyphenols, and carotenoids. These help reduce oxidative stress and support healthy cell function, particularly in the mitochondria, where energy is produced. Additionally, plant-based foods contain compounds that can reduce inflammation, further lowering the risk of cell damage linked to Parkinson’s. Researchers noted that historically, in regions where plant-based diets are common, such as East Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, there are lower rates of Parkinson’s disease.

“What recent studies have shown is that green, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and also tea can help a microbiome prosper,” Ramirez-Salazar says.

On the flip side, the study authors noted that consuming more red and processed meat is associated with an increased incidence of metabolic syndrome, which has been linked to a higher Parkinson’s disease risk. High-protein, meat-heavy diets can interfere with the absorption of carbidopa and levodopa, key medications that help increase dopamine levels and reduce Parkinson’s symptoms like stiffness and tremors.

Furthermore, meat lacks fiber, which is critical for gut motility and microbial balance. As such, constipation, already common among Parkinson’s Disease patients, may be more prevalent among heavy meat eaters.

“I would say every single movement disorder specialist would say try to stay away from a huge carnivore diet because that is going to affect the absorption of the medication,” Ramirez-Salazar says.

Ramirez-Salazar, along with the Parkinson’s Foundation, recommends a whole-food, plant-based diet for individuals who wish to reduce their risk of Parkinson’s and those who have been diagnosed with the disease.

He also emphasizes that diet is just one piece of the puzzle—exercise, sleep, and other lifestyle factors also play a crucial role in managing Parkinson’s. “It’s an interplay,” he says.

The post New Study Finds Vegan, Plant-Forward Diets May Help Prevent and Slow Parkinson’s appeared first on Forks Over Knives.