UK HealthCare

Plant-Based Diet Advocate and Author Will Share Heart-Healthy Recipes at Gill Event

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Photo of Jane Esselstyn and her mother Ann
Photo of the Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook
Photo of Jane Esselstyn's recipes

LEXINGTON, Ky.  (Oct. 16, 2017) Popular cookbook author Jane Esselstyn is coming to Lexington on Nov. 18 for a lecture and cooking demonstration about the benefit of a plant-based diet for heart disease prevention.

Esselstyn, a former health educator, has spent most of her life advocating for a plant-based whole food diet. A collection of her recipes are featured in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, which she co-authored with her mother, Ann.

"Feeding Your Heart and Soul" is part of the Gill Heart and Vascular Institute's Women's Heart Health Program.  Dr. Gretchen Wells, the program director, is an enthusiastic voice in the campaign to reduce the incidence of heart disease in Kentucky.

Numerous studies have linked a plant-based diet to lower risks of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease – as much as 30 percent, according to one Harvard study, said Wells.

"One of our missions at the Gill is to educate Kentuckians about lifestyle and encourage them to make changes that reduce their risk for heart disease," Wells said, "Jane can provide them the tools to live healthier lives, so bringing her to Lexington was a logical fit."

The morning will begin at 8 a.m. with an optional free yoga session. Esselstyn will take the stage for a brief lecture at 9 a.m., followed by a cooking demonstration at 10 a.m. and tastings at 11 a.m.

Some of the recipes Esselstyn will be demonstrating include: kale bruschetta, corn muffins with jalapenos and salsa, chocolate-raspberry mango parfait, smoky little devils and several salad dressings. Samples of most recipes will be available for tasting following the demonstration.

"Feeding Your Heart and Soul" 8 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Nov, 18 at UK HealthCare's Albert B. Chandler Hospital.  The $15 registration fee includes a free copy of her cookbook and tastings.

Registration ends Nov. 10 and is limited to the first 125 people. Free parking is available in the UK HealthCare parking garage, 100 Transcript Avenue. To register, contact Karen Michul  at Karen.Michul@uky.edu or call 859-218-0121.