Heart Attack Survivor Leads Schools in Plant-Based Food Challenge

LIVINGSTON COUNTY – Over 1,300 participants from 35 school districts and Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC) are participating in the 10-Day Plant Based Jumpstart Your Health Challenge from from Jan. 8 to Jan. 17.

According to a press release from the FInger Lakes Area School Health Plan, a whole foods plant based diet (WFPB) has been medically proven to help heal many of the leading chronic diseases that cause death in the U.S. The Finger Lakes Area School Health Plan (FLASHP), a consortium of 36 school districts and FLCC, is looking to improve the health of their employees through this 10-day challenge.

Doug Schmidt, a teacher in the Victor School District, who had a heart attack at 49 and healed himself using a WFPB diet of coronary artery disease is leading the participants through social media and email newsletters. Participants are using the ‘Engine2 Seven Day Rescue Diet Cookbook’ by Rip Esselstyn.

A select pilot group of participants will be receive before and after biometric screenings (blood work) to see just how much their health can change in 10 days. The release says that typical results include a 26-point drop in total cholesterol, drop in blood sugar, drop in blood pressure and drop in weight.

FLASHP is a Health Care Consortium whose members include Finger Lakes Community College and the following school districts: Avon, Bloomfield, Caledonia-Mumford, Canandaigua, Clyde-Savannah, Dansville, Dundee, Gananda, Geneseo, Geneva, Honeoye, Keshequa, Livonia, Lyons, Manchester-Shortsville (Red Jacket), Marcus Whitman, Marion, Mt. Morris, Naples, Newark, North Rose-Wolcott, Palmyra-Macedon, Penn Yan, Phelps-Clifton Springs (Midlakes), Red Creek, Romulus, Seneca Falls, Sodus, Victor, Waterloo, WaylandCohocton, Wayne, Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES, Williamson and York.

Each FLASHP member has a Wellness Coordinator(s) who is/are helping to implement this project. Wellness Coordinators for FLASHP comprise the WIN (Wellness is Now) Committee. Along with Victor’s Doug Schmidt, the WIN Committee is responsible for the impressive turnout for this Plant Based Food Challenge.

The Wellness Coordinators from Livingston County schools include:
Avon – Maura Kostraba
Caledonia-Mumford – Sarah Santora
Dansville – Tom Hammel
Geneseo – Craig Veley, Chris Masters
Keshequa – Todd Isaman
Livonia -Robbin Carll
Mount Morris – Sarah Williams
York – Val Kingsley, Alison Guesno