The Brownsville, Brooklyn, native has a particular interest in plant-based diets — a term that can mean different things, from vegetarian or vegan to pescatarian or flexitarian, depending on whom you talk to. In Adams’s case, it has been a strict vegan diet — an approach he credits with helping him put type 2 diabetes in remission. Adams was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in spring 2016. In a 2018 interview with Everyday Health, the politician discussed his diagnosis and described the diet and lifestyle changes that led him to lower his A1C, a two- to three-month average of blood sugar levels, from an astronomical 17 to 5.7, which is considered prediabetes. The NYC mayor continues to share his story — most recently in an opinion piece for CNN and at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, where he joined local and national political leaders and private groups to discuss health and nutrition policy. Now, as mayor, Adams’s personal journey with diabetes and plant-based eating has influenced his goals as a policy maker in the most populous city in the United States.
Adams’s Diabetes Journey: Plant-Based Eating Changed His Life
In 2016, Adams woke up to a pain in his stomach, feeling groggy and unable to see well, Adams wrote in the CNN piece. A doctor quickly diagnosed him with type 2 diabetes. His doctor prescribed him medicines and warned that if left unchecked, diabetes could leave him visually impaired and with permanent nerve damage to his hands and feet. Adams didn’t like the prognosis. He described how he changed his eating habits. To this day, he attributes his dietary changes to stopping the condition’s progress. “At the heart of all of it was my diet," he said at the time. “My plant-based diet is the No. 1 reason that my diabetes was put into remission.” Adams’s definition of plant-based may have changed over the years — several outlets including Eater reported in February 2022 that bystanders had spotted the mayor ordering fish at NYC restaurants. Through his team, Adams declined to comment for this article or provide updates on his status. However you define plant-based, experts say that changing your eating habits is a proven way to improve blood sugar management if you’re diagnosed with diabetes, as Adams’s own story exemplifies. Dana Ellis Hunnes PhD, MPH, RD, a senior clinical dietitian at UCLA Medical Center, an assistant professor at the UCLA Fielding school of Public Health, and author of the book Recipe for Survival, says plant-based diets like the mayor’s can work for people who want to manage diabetes. “A plant-based diet is anti-inflammatory, lower in calories, can support weight loss, and is helpful in managing and even reversing chronic disease,” says Dr. Hunnes. A paper published in the Journal of Geriatric Cardiology in May 2017 detailed research on dietary changes for managing, preventing, and reversing type 2 diabetes. The authors noted that eating habits affect how your body responds to insulin, especially as you age. Researchers found that plant-based diets support cardiovascular health, treat nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy, improve kidney disease, and provide similar potential health benefits for people living with diabetes. A more recent systematic review, published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, and Obesity in 2020, found that vegan, pescatarian, and flexitarian approaches are associated with weight loss, as measured by body weight and BMI. In general, they write, people who eat plant based may consume more fiber and less unhealthy fat, among other factors, than people on a standard diet, and this results in weight loss.
Propelling Plant-Forward Policy
Adams’s experience with plant-based eating has influenced his work as NYC mayor. “I have made it my mission to use what I learned and increase New Yorkers’ access to a high-quality, affordable, nutritious diet, so that more people can avoid diseases in the first place,” Adams wrote in the CNN story. Kate MacKenzie, the executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Food Policy in New York City, says the administration is making changes to some of the 230 million meals it serves through city programs annually.
In spring of this year, Adams’s “Plant Powered Fridays” initiative kicked off in NYC public schools. This month alone, meals like three-bean chili, veggie burgers, Italian veggie salads, bean and plantain power bowls, and veggie-based pastas are the main meal options on Fridays. NYC public schools have provided free meals for students regardless of family income since 2017. The vegan meals have received mixed reviews — including the fact that they include milk and cheese and aren’t truly vegan, according to the New York Times.In September, the Adams administration announced a new “chef’s council,” led by celebrity chef Rachael Ray. The council will develop more than 100 plant-based and culturally relevant dishes to incorporate into NYC schools in the next year to refresh the school menus. The recipes will include dishes that use seasonal produce so students eat with the changing seasons. Once developed, the chefs will work with public schools to train staff on the new recipes.Adams rolled out enhanced food standards for city agencies in April. The goal is to make meals and snacks provided by the city healthier by reducing sugar and sodium, and increasing whole grains and minimally processed plant-proteins.
In addition to the health benefits, research has shown that eating less meat and following a vegetarian or flexitarian diet can save you money. In a study published in Lancet Planetary Health in 2021, researchers from Oxford University in England modeled the cost of plant-based diets in 150 countries around the world. They found that vegetarian, vegan, flexitarian, and other plant-based diets cut food bills by a quarter to a third in middle- to high-income countries — including the United States. Yet in lower-income countries these diets were shown to increase cost to consumers. In New York City, MacKenzie says that the addition of plant-based meals to NYC Health and Hospitals saves about 75 cents per meal. “If you go to the grocery store and are looking to buy meat versus veg and beans and legumes, they cost less,” says MacKenzie. “So this is really great, because it means that those hospitals are serving just about 860,000 meals a year, and at 75 cents less a meal, that’s a cost reduction of $650,000.”
How to Shift Toward Plant-Based Eating
Amber Pankonin, RD, a personal chef based in Lincoln, Nebraska, advises that not everyone can make the switch to a whole-foods plant-based diet. “I applaud the mayor for taking steps to improve his health and encouraging others in their health journey,” Pankonin says. “However, celebrities and people of influence often have access to other resources like personal trainers, chefs, and dietitians who can make treatment more manageable, as well as an elevated budget for high-end food.” If you want to make your diet more plant-forward, follow these expert tips.
Turn to the Professionals
Pankonin stresses that a doctor and dietitian can help individuals find the best way toward healthy eating that fits with their lifestyle.
Get Creative With Food Pairings to Feel Full
Remember that you can get many of your nutrients from plant-based sources, says Pankonin. To achieve a balanced diet — and feel full — she recommends pairing up multiple foods to get the biggest bang for your buck. “The plant sources of protein should also contain fiber or be paired with fiber-rich sources to provide satiety and balance blood glucose levels,” Pankonin says. “Legumes, nuts, edamame, and whole grains like quinoa would be great options paired with berries or cruciferous vegetables.”
Beware Unhealthy Plant-Based Foods (They Exist!)
Just because something is plant-based doesn’t mean it’s inherently healthy. “For example, fried foods like french fries or organic potato chips can be labeled plant-based,” says Pankonin.
If You Must Eat Meat, Opt for Lean
Sometimes completely cutting out animal protein isn’t an option, whether that’s because of preference or other factors. “I have seen individuals take ‘plant-based’ and modify that to mean ‘plant-forward’ by still including lean animal protein on occasion and keeping plant foods as the focus,” says Pankonin.
Make Small Changes Over Time
“Cut out one thing at a time or [change] one meal at a time,” Hunnes says. “Go slowly and steadily, and it will be much easier and less painful than trying to stop cold turkey and walking around feeling like you’re starving. It takes the body time to adjust.” It seems Adams has similar advice: “Do it slowly. Don’t try to go cold turkey. It’s a lifestyle change,” Adams told the New York Post. “You can eat a healthy meal without denying yourself.” For now, MacKenzie says Adams is keeping healthy eating a focal point of his administration. “This is about making sure that we’re promoting and building awareness around healthy eating with a focus on whole-food, plant-based options.”
