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Experience Food as Medicine

21-Day Plant Powered Jumpstart

A virtual health empowerment program for Jewish communities

Presented by Jewish Veg and Plant Powered Metro New York

A plant-powered lifestyle has the power to prevent and reverse disease, restore our relationship with the earth, and live compassionately with all creatures. It is a Jewish ideal.

 

This May, Jewish Veg and Plant Powered Metro New York are teaming up to bring you and your Jewish community on a journey of empowerment, sharing information and resources that will forever change your relationship to food and potentially transform your life.

The 21-Day Plant Powered Jumpstart is your chance to experience how whole plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds) can impact health — and how achievable and delicious a plant-based lifestyle can be.

The Jumpstart is also a unique opportunity to understand how food choices affect our planet, the tragic lives of farmed animals, and many interwoven social justice concerns.

You have the power to create change. Take the journey with us this spring.

Why Whole Food, Plant Based Nutrition?

Whole food, plant-based nutrition has the power to prevent, treat, and sometimes even reverse conditions like…

  • heart disease

  • diabetes

  • obesity

  • hypertension

  • kidney disease

  • chronic pain

A plant-based lifestyle can improve mental health, build a healthy immune system, and help minimize the risk factors associated with COVID-19.

Orientation Session:

Wednesday, May 3 from 7:30 – 9:30 PM ET

 

Educational Sessions:

Wednesdays in May at 8 PM ET + Sundays, May 7 & 21 at 3 PM ET

 

Group Mentorship Meetings:

Wednesdays, May 10 – 24 afternoons or evenings
1:00 PM ET or 7:00 PM ET or 9:00 PM ET

 

Location: Virtual/Zoom, with options for in-person events or watch parties in your home community

The 21-Day Plant Powered Jumpstart is open to adults ages 18+ anywhere as the program is completely virtual. Keep in mind that the educational sessions and group mentorship meetings are all set in the Eastern time zone, so you’ll want to make sure those line up with your availability.

Who is the Jumpstart for?

  • Health-seekers
  • People seeking another dimension to their spiritual lives
  • People living with chronic illness or caring for those who are
  • People with high genetic risk for chronic disease
  • Anyone curious to explore the power of food in health

This program is a part of a study conducted by SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University’s School of Public Health. Participants are asked to submit labwork results and to complete additional questionnaires before and after the program. Participation in the study is voluntary.

The Jumpstart includes:​​

  • Educational sessions covering the essentials of evidence-based nutrition, grocery shopping, mindset, the connection between Judaism and veganism, and more
  • Support with setting and achieving goals for whole foods plant-based eating
  • Weekly group mentorship meetings 
  • Culinary demonstrations to build your recipe repertoire and meal prep skills
  • A Jumpstart app with easy access to resources, including a shopping list and meal planning resources
  • And more!

For more details, including a schedule, check out our Jumpstart Brochure.

How much does it cost?

Rates are highly-subsidized thanks to sponsorship by the Ancowitz and Kanner families in memory of Arthur Ancowitz, MD, a pioneer in disease prevention through diet and lifestyle.

  • $36 general rate
  • $18 student rate
  • Group rates for Jewish organizations: $180 for 10 people, $360 for 25 people*
  • Free for clergy and Jewish communal professionals*

*Please reach out to Jodi Graber for more information.

For more information about Plant Powered Metro New York, visit PPMNY’s website.

Stories of Change

Robert Klein:

I’ve been living this lifestyle since a shocking cancer diagnosis in 2017 at the age of 34. I’ve been cancer-free ever since and became an Ironman finisher last summer. This will be my 7th Jumpstart as a mentor since 2020. The lasting change I’ve seen from my groups has been life changing. It is an honor to be a small part of each person’s journey to improved health.

 

Pamela Trester:

I had been suffering from a pericardial effusion (a buildup of excess fluid in the sac-like structure around the heart called the pericardium) for some time, and was experiencing chest pain. My cardiologist explained that there were risks involved in draining the effusion, and chose to treat it more conservatively with large doses of aspirin for the first three weeks of every month, and then off the aspirin for the remainder of the month. I stuck to that regimen for months, but the pain would return after I stopped the aspirin. I was concerned about the effects of taking large doses of aspirin over a prolonged period and was desperate to find a more natural way to control the pain I was experiencing, so I signed up for Plant Powered Metro New York’s Jumpstart. As a result of adopting whole food, plant-based nutrition, I have lost 20 pounds, have an average BP reading of 100/68, and my total cholesterol value is currently 130 — but, most importantly, I no longer experience pain from the effusion!

Lianna Levine Reisner:

Growing up, I had no idea that food and hormones were related. I lived with endometriosis for more than 15 years, enduring heavy and painful periods that interfered with school and work. In my 20’s, I had an ovarian cyst removed that was associated with my endo. Doctors told me I needed to be on the pill to regulate my hormones and didn’t believe that diet had anything to do with the condition. Yet, within two weeks of changing my diet away from animal and processed foods and toward wholesome plants, I had a normal period. I also lost 25 pounds and then went on to have a healthy-weight pregnancy, following two pregnancies with 50 pounds of weight gain in each. This lifestyle continues to be transformational.

 

Denise Bassin:

I have been eating whole plant foods without added sugar or oils for over three years with amazing results, including increased energy for physical and mental tasks, clearer skin, and a return to my optimal weight without counting calories! I was also able to eliminate an antibiotic and topical prescription for rosacea and an over-the-counter medication for GERD [acid reflux]. Most recently, I have significantly reduced my TSH, a blood marker that tells you how well your thyroid is working, using a nutrient-dense protocol, and I am now working with my primary doctor to wean off my last remaining prescription medication!

 

Julie Dinnerstein:

I joined the Jumpstart program with Plant Powered Metro New York (PPMNY) last fall, and it changed my life. Not only did I learn about whole food, plant-based eating, I was able to join an affinity group with Jewish Veg where I connected with other Jews on such topics as navigating meals around the High Holidays, where to find vegan challah, and Jewish theological support for a vegan diet. Since beginning my whole-food, plant-based journey with PPMNY and Jewish Veg, I have learned to cook, gained energy, and, unexpectedly, lost over 30 pounds eating as much whole plant foods as I want. I loved the Jumpstart, and wish I could convince everyone I know to do it!

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