The Lifestyle Rx to Fight Diabetes, with Dr. Michelle McMacken

To celebrate National Fruits and Veggies Month, we’re dedicating our September episode to healthy eating! We’re so fortunate to be joined by Dr. Michelle McMacken, Executive Director of Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine at NYC Health + Hospitals. Dr. McMacken discusses the innovative program she created at H+H that uses lifestyle medicine to treat and prevent diabetes, as well as other chronic conditions such as heart disease and hypertension. A plant-based diet is at the heart of the program, but Dr. McMacken emphasizes that even small changes can produce big results. One of her simplest tips? Take a “low-hanging fruit” approach…by eating more fruit! Combined with three other healthy habits—regular exercise, avoiding tobacco and maintaining a healthy weight—a nutritious diet can help reduce the risk of everything from type 2 diabetes, hypertension and high cholesterol to heart disease, certain cancers and even dementia.

The Takeaway

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