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Benefits of a Plant-based Diet (podcast)
All plant-based diets are healthy, but which one is right for you?

Dr. Dolly Doctor, Primary Care, Scripps Coastal Medical Center
All plant-based diets are healthy, but which one is right for you?
“Eat your vegetables. They’re good for you.” How many times did you hear that growing up? Turns out, mom was right. The evidence showing the health benefits of a plant-based diet is piling up. But what exactly does “plant-based” mean?
True plant-based diets consist of mainly things that grow in the ground and exclude processed foods. There are several types, ranging from vegan, meaning no animal products of any kind, to semi-vegetarian, where the person sticks to fruits, veggies, and whole grains most of the time, but occasionally indulges in poultry, fish or eggs. There’s really a plant-based diet for everybody.
In this episode of San Diego Health, host Susan Taylor is joined by Dolly Doctor, MD, an internal medicine physician at Scripps Coastal Medical Center Encinitas who specializes in weight management. They discuss the various types of plant-based diets, why it’s not necessary for humans to eat meat, what you should consider before starting a plant-based diet and what a meal plan typically looks like for Dr. Doctor, a semi-vegetarian herself.
With many Americans suffering from chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, it’s surprising more people don’t make the switch to healthy plant-based diets, which have been shown to slow down or even reverse the progression of these diseases. Plant-based diets (even those that include a small amount of meat) are great for weight loss too, Dr. Doctor says, although calories still count. The only downside of plant-based diets is that they lack vitamin B12, but a multivitamin or supplement should make up for it.
Listen to the episode on the health advantages of a plant-based diet
Listen to the episode on the health advantages of a plant-based diet
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