
Encouraged by his results and wanting to reach a larger patient population, Ostfeld created The Montefiore Cardiac Wellness Program. Together with Lauren Graf, MS, RD, the nutritionist for the program, the two health professionals perfected their vegan diet, adapting it to various dietary restrictions and requirements. The diet consists of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans, legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, a small amount of nuts and avocado, as well as dairy alternatives. It is comprised of whole foods cooked from scratch as opposed to processed foods — which they discovered was a key factor in achieving such promising health outcomes.
Ostfeld started a group of his patients on the diet and began to see dramatic improvements in their health. Many of these patients who have been diagnosed with heart or blood vessel disease are losing weight, lowering their cholesterol and blood pressure, improving their energy levels and even reversing type 2 diabetes.