The Engine 2 Diet: What To Know

Overview

The aim:

Optimal health and disease prevention, with the added benefit of weight loss.

The claim:

A low-fat, “plant strong” diet can prevent and often reverse the diseases caused by the so-called Standard American Diet, including heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and cancer, according to Engine 2 Diet creator Rip Esselstyn, a firefighter, former professional athlete and medical scion. (His great-grandfather co-founded the Cleveland Clinic, and his father, Caldwell Esselstyn, a former Olympic rower and Cleveland Clinic surgeon, led landmark research on the prevention and reversal of heart disease through a plant-based diet.) In addition, you’ll lose weight, increase lean muscle mass, sharpen your mind and energize your body.

The theory:

Among other unwanted results, the consumption of animal products threatens your ticker with “artery-clogging saturated fat” and “plaque-promoting dietary cholesterol,” Esselstyn writes in his book on the diet. Plants, on the other hand, provide the right nutrients, fats and proteins to have your body humming as nature intended. Esselstyn’s prescription: A vegan diet with a twist – cut out vegetable oils. Why? They strip the plant of its nutrients, and leave in its place a lot of saturated fat and calories, he says. Esselstyn counters claims of deficiency in taste or nutrition, and provides data to support the health benefits of a low-fat, plant-based diet. He rounds out the regimen with a suggested fitness program, instructions on reading nutrition labels and tips to prepare for and follow the Engine 2 Diet.

Balanced Diet

These diets fall within accepted ranges for the amount of protein, carbs, fat and other nutrients they provide.

Pros & Cons

• Health and environmental benefits
• No calorie counting

• Complete lifestyle overhaul
• Considerable meal planning and prep