Firefighter Rip Esselstyn's Today Show Appearance - The Engine 2 Diet in Four Simple Steps - Grains, Beans, Vegetables & Fruit, No Oil

If you're like me and missed Rip Esselstyn's quick review of his Engine 2 Diet on the Today Show Monday morning you can catch it here!  For those of you who have trouble launching YouTube videos, just click here

It was a near-death experience that inspired him to challenge his fellow firefighters to a 28-day "Get-Healthy-Lose-Weight-Lower-Cholesterol" diet make-over,  which turned into his new book: The Engine 2 Diet. 

 "The Engine 2 Diet," is a groundbreaking plan to help people lose weight and lower cholesterol in just four weeks. When Esselstyn learned that some of his fellow Engine 2 firefighters in Austin, Texas, were in dire physical condition, he sprang into action and created a lifesaving plan for the firehouse. Everyone who followed his plan lost weight and lowered their cholesterol.  Click here for an excerpt

When Esselstyn challenged the Engine 2 firefighters to the 28 day diet makeover the honors for the highest cholesterol level went to the firefighter with a total cholesterol level of 344.  No surprise that he also had a family history of heart disease.

Since Rip's father just happens to be Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, a well-known physician with the longest evidence-based experience in stopping or reversing heart disease using a plant-based diet--no one was better qualified to coach the Engine 2 firefighters.  After all, Rip has been eating plant-based for over 12 years, and he was a world-class tri-athlete to boot!

After just 28 days on Rip's plant-based diet, the average cholesterol drop was 62 points.  The average weight loss was 14 1/2 pounds.  It's an eat until you're full diet--no counting calories here. And it's definitely a diet for "Real Men".  Watch the short video to see stunning before and after pictures.

The Four Week Plan - Plain & Simple

Week One:  Eliminate dairy, processed & refined foods.  aka "Gas Station" food

Week Two:  Stop eating meat, chicken, eggs & fish

Week Three:  Remove added oil

Week Four:  Maintain Weeks 1, 2, & 3

As Rip explains, this is not about deprivation.

It's going from a diet of extravagance that does nothing for your health  (the Western diet--where we eat like it's Thanksgiving, Christmas & a birthday party every day)  --to A Diet of Excellence.

Here's what you eat:  Whole Grains, Beans, Vegetables & Fruit.

Engine 2 is a big fan of Tex-Mex cooking.  There are burritos, fajitas & chilis. Beans & portabello mushrooms are great subs for meat.

My favorite Rip Quotes?

1.  Learn to peel your vitamins!  Don't take them as supplements!

2.  This diet will make you as regular as a Swiss commuter train!  Believe it.

The Super Star of Rip's Diet? 

GREENS.  Kale, Chard, Spinach, & Collards.  They're the best source of plant protein & loaded with the phytochemicals that provide the building blocks for life-giving nitric oxide. That's the stuff that will relax & dilate your blood vessels & prevent atherosclerosis.  Oh, and guys, it's natural Viagra/Cialis.  Save your money.  It also happens to be the star ingredient in "Green Smoothies".

Gotta run, folks!  I'm off to exercise before prepping to make "Green Smoothies" for a Veganfest tonight that is a fund-raiser & educational event for a local cancer support organization.  The featured speakers will be Dr. Caldwell & Ann Esselstyn.  (Check sidebars to links about them)

If you missed my original post about Rip, just click below:
Tri-Athlete & Fireman Rip Esselstyn's Heart Healthy Weight Dropping Cholesterol Lowering Diet for "Real Men"