The University of Rochester Program for Nutrition in Medicine
March 2nd, 2016 | ArchiveOver 20 years ago Drs. Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn published research demonstrating the power of diet and lifestyle to halt or reverse advanced heart disease. Their research has been confirmed with long-term follow up and is supported by many different types of diet and health research over the past 100 years.
Similarly, the diet and lifestyle changes shown to benefit heart disease also have been shown to halt or reverse diabetes, encourage weight loss, and improve outcomes for early stage prostate cancer. These same dietary patterns are linked to lower rates of kidney stones and gallstones and lower risks of certain cancers.
For those patients in our medical system suffering from one of these all-too-common chronic conditions that we now know are likely to be strongly influenced by diet and exercise, the University of Rochester Program for Nutrition in Medicine offers an opportunity to regain health and prevent further disease in a medically supervised clinical setting. The program is co-directed by Thomas M. Campbell, MD, a family medicine physician and co-author of the bestselling book The China Study and author of The Campbell Plan, and Erin Campbell, MD, MPH, a preventive medicine physician. Dr. Tom Campbell is also a medical director and educator at a nonprofit that offers popular nutrition education via eCornell, Cornell University’s online subsidiary.
The program, at its foundation, utilizes a whole food, plant-based diet similar to the diets used by Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. Patients are given practical tools to learn how to shop for, cook and enjoy plant-based snacks and meals without counting calories, carbohydrates, or restricting portions. Participants are strongly advised to avoid hunger and eat to fullness. Drs. Campbell work with patients to address their individual health concerns and make the dietary changes they are ready to make to work towards the patient’s goal.
Patients have the option of seeing Dr. Tom Campbell for individual consultation visits or enrolling in the comprehensive 8-week Lifestyle Intensive small group program led by the Drs. Campbell. A comprehensive one hour consultation visit with phone follow-up can be valuable for addressing specific conditions and dietary concerns. The 8-week program provides additional support and includes three individual visits with the physicians, weekly monitoring, and engaging, science-based classes with dinner provided twice weekly. On average participants lose 1-2 pounds a week and cholesterol and blood pressure decrease. There are also monthly seminars in the community, called Lunch with Docs, where a heart-healthy lunch is served and a diet and health topic is presented for those who want to sample the food and information without making any long-term commitments.
For more information about UR Program for Nutrition in Medicine visit URNutritioninMedicine.com or call (585) 794-8746.
