Health & Nutrition: Health Starts Here
Our Commitment to Your Health
We believe in promoting the health and wellness of our customers, Team Members and community through education and support.
Every Whole Foods Market in North America and the UK is committed to your health. No matter where your favorite store is located, you'll find a variety of options to help you get started on a healthier lifestyle plan, including:
- Culinary Education Classes and Series
- "Getting Started" programs:
- Eat Right America™ 28-Day Program
- The Engine 2 Diet™ 28-Day Health Opportunity
HEALTHY EATING PRINCIPLES
Plant based
- No matter what type of diet you follow — including those that incorporate dairy, meat and/or seafood — eat more plants, like raw and cooked vegetables, fruits, legumes and beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains
- Eat a colorful variety of plants to ensure you're getting the best nutrients for your body, which leads to feeling satiated
Whole foods
- Choose foods that are real, fresh, natural, organic, local, seasonal and unprocessed
- Eliminate the consumption of refined, highly processed foods and foods void of nutrients, such as artificial flavors, colors, preservatives, sweeteners and hydrogenated fats
Low fat
- Get your healthy fats from plant sources, such as nuts and avocados
- Minimize extracted oils and processed fats
- If eating a diet that includes animal products, choose leaner meats and seafood as well as low-fat dairy products
Nutrient dense
- Choose foods that are rich in nutrients when compared to their total caloric content; also known as foods with a high nutrient density
- Build your menus around plant-based foods to ensure highly nutrient-dense meals
- Choose foods with a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants
- Look for the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI)
scoring system to guide you on healthier choices
TIPS TO GET YOU STARTED
- Look for the "Health Starts Here" logo around the store
- Visit the Whole Foods Market "Health Starts Here" area to browse our selection of books
- Learn to use the Aggregate Nutrient Density Index (ANDI) scoring system throughout the store to guide you on healthier choices
- Ask a Team Member about additional healthy eating support, including:
- Prepared Foods offerings
- In-store Healthy Eating areas
- "Health Starts Here" books
- Online recipes
- "Getting Started" program sites
- Lifestyle support clubs (select stores)
- Healthy Eating supper clubs (select stores)
- And more!
Our Health Partners
Eat Right America's Chief Medical Officer, Joel Fuhrman M.D., has treated more than 10,000 patients in 15 years, proving that a properly nourished body can:
- Conquer food cravings
- Seek its ideal weight
- Reverse chronic conditions
- Have more energy
- Result in brighter, healthier kids
A 2008 peer review published in Alternative Therapies Magazine noted this program produced an average weight loss of 53 pounds per participant in only two years.
Based on the simple premise "we are what we eat," Eat Right America has developed the Nutrition Prescription, the nation's only online personal nutrient assessment and eating plan designed to ensure you're fully nourished. Whether you are vegan, vegetarian or include meat, seafood and/or dairy in your diet, this eating plan can work for you.
For more information about this 28-day getting started plan, visit eatrightamerica.com/wfm.
The Engine 2 Diet is a plan of action for following — and sticking to — a heart-healthy, mind-healthy, body-healthy, and taste-bud-tempting, plant-strong diet.
Created by Rip Esselstyn, former professional triathlete and firefighter, the Engine 2 Diet can help you lower cholesterol, significantly reduce the risk of disease and lose weight in four weeks.
"A whole food, nutrient-packed, plant-based diet, filled with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans—these are the life-changing foods that will make you look better, feel stronger and make you bulletproof to Western disease as well!"
—Rip Esselstyn
For more information about the benefits of living plant-strong, or to learn more about the 28 Day Health Opportunity, visit Engine2Diet.com.