Going Vegan: Here Is How To Go Vegan

Dr. Mo evaluated some popular diet plans people use to lose weight. This week, she’s presenting more fad diets. She’s going to give you what you need to make an informed decision about a diet.

READ: 5 Popular, Ineffective, Fad Diets You Should Never Consider

Question: To honor Valentines Day, and Heart month what are some of the red foods that are really good for the blood and the heart?

Dr. Mo: I wanted to show you some red foods that are good for your heart in the middle of American heart month. So those chemicals, those colors rather are called phytonutrients plant chemicals, and basically are beneficial to us. We’ve got red onions, we’ve got beets, we’ve got red bell pepper, red wine, pink, or red grapefruit, tomatoes, cherries, red kidney beans. And even red lentils. All of these have a variety of health benefits from number one, being excellent sources of fiber, which is good for your gut. They have antioxidants, they lower your bad cholesterol. Raise your good cholesterol. Beets help make nitric oxide, which is a chemical that helps to relax the blood vessels, improving blood flow. Nitric oxide is the chemical that helps improve erections in men.That’s how Viagra and other medicines like that work.

READ: 10 Delicious Foods That Can Strengthen Your Heart

Question: Is a 30 day reset or cleanse a good thing to do?

Dr. Mo: Please consult your physician first. Some call it the whole 30 diet, which is where you kind of wipe the slate clean. You eliminate everything for 30 days and gradually add back things. This is more for people who have sensitivities, whether it’s stomach issues, intestinal issues, skin issues, joint issues. It allows you to kind of narrow down and pinpoint what’s causing it. This one, you kind of take all the bad out or you can eat some modest amounts of meat, seafood, eggs, fruits and vegetables, and you would eliminate things like dairy, alcohol, grains, and added sugar. And so the benefit is this, again, it kind of helps some people narrow down or figure out what’s bothering them.

READ: What’s the Best Diet for Preventing Heart Disease?

Question: What is considered one of the healthiest diets?

Dr. Mo: The Mediterranean diet. This is a good one. This is a good one. This is one that I think a lot of people, when they think of a healthy diet, they may not know the name of it, but this is kind of what they’re thinking of. This is a hardy, healthy diet based on foods found in countries near the Mediterranean sea. So countries like Greece. What can you eat? So again, whole grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts and seeds, herbs and spices, olive oil, seafood, fish, dairy and poultry in moderation, and red meats and sweets occasionally. So with this diet I think, some people say, yeah, you know, I can do that. I don’t have to have a steak every day, but once a month or on a special occasion. What you don’t eat on this diet though are eggs and butter. So that can be difficult come breakfast time. But there are some great egg substitutes such as egg whites.