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About us

Plant Powered Metro New York is catalyzing the local movement for vibrant health through whole-food, plant based (WFPB) nutrition. We empower and support people who have chosen this diet and lifestyle, raise awareness  locally about the tremendous health benefits, and seek to bring about communal change.

Everyone is welcome to participate in our network at any place along the journey to health. Whether you are coming to this way of life via The China Study or Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Forks Over Knives or Dr. Greger, Engine2 or Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, you will find a community of like-minded friends who are learning from each other and eager to bring the benefits of WFPB nutrition to the wider community.

Our meetings are held online and at various locations throughout New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and New Jersey.

To learn more, visit us at www.ppmny.org and join our mailing list.

Dinner & Movie Social in East Harlem

Dinner & Movie Social in East Harlem

Ginjan Cafe, 85 East 125th Street, New York, NY 10035, New York, NY, US

Register here!

Join Plant Powered Metro New York for a flavorful community meal and connection at Ginjan Café, a vibrant West African café known for its fresh, nourishing dishes and signature ginger-based beverages. Ginjan is a proud participant in our Plant Powered Plates initiative, which brings more whole food, plant-based meals to you through partnerships with local eateries.

Ginjan Café will prepare a specially curated whole food, plant-based, family-style meal for our group including jollof bowls, salad, roasted plantains, and baked yuca.

Over dinner, we'll screen PlantWise, a documentary that follows six individuals as they improve their health through a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. Blending personal stories with evidence-based nutrition science, the film explores how dietary change can help prevent and even reverse chronic disease while restoring energy, vitality, and overall well-being.

The evening will also include opportunities for reflection and conversation designed to foster meaningful connection and shared learning.

$42 per person includes meal and gratuity. All reservations are requested by 12:00 PM on Friday, June 19. After this time, limited space may be available, and we will no longer honor refund requests.

Hosted by Danielle Doucette and Rebecca Johnson

1 attendee

Upcoming events

11

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  • Heart to Healthy Heart: Plant-Based Conversations That Can Save Your Life

    Heart to Healthy Heart: Plant-Based Conversations That Can Save Your Life

    ·
    Online
    Online

    Register here!

    Heart disease touches us all. It holds the long-standing title as the leading cause of death in the US despite the millions of statins, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, anticoagulants, and aspirin prescribed every year. Fortunately, there’s another promising path we can take to protect our hearts. In this series, you’ll hear the powerful and evidence-based facts about the relationship between cardiovascular health and the food on your plate. We’ll explore the science and the health benefits of consuming a low-fat, whole food, plant-based diet with our guest medical experts, including cardiologists and nutritionists.

    This month on Heart to Healthy Heart, meet Heather McDougall, CEO of the McDougall Program. Heather is an experienced program director, group facilitator, and whole food, plant-based home chef dedicated to empowering people with the knowledge and practical tools to transform their health. She leads a renowned lifestyle medicine program started by her father, John McDougall, MD, that has been helping reverse chronic illness for over 40 years through a whole food, low-fat, starch-based diet.

    The Heart to Healthy Heart series is created and hosted by PPMNY community members, Ben Martens, Judy Zerden, and Jim Spellos, who have each experienced heart conditions and found healing and hope through a whole food, plant-based lifestyle.

    1 attendee
  • Growing Health: A Regenerative Farm Tour in Central NJ

    Growing Health: A Regenerative Farm Tour in Central NJ

    Location not specified yet

    Register here!

    Head out to Central New Jersey for a one-of-a-kind immersive farm experience as we visit two inspiring regenerative farms — Cold Brook Farm in Oldwick and Ethos Farm in Long Valley — for a day of learning, connection, and fresh air. We’ll get closer to the source of our food while deepening our understanding of plant-powered living and sustainable agriculture.

    The tour begins at Cold Brook Farm, where farmers Jason and Deb DeSalvo will guide us through their diverse and abundant landscape. Their farm showcases permaculture in action, with over 70 varieties of nuts, grains, fruits, and vegetables.

    We’ll then caravan to Ethos Farm, 20 minutes away, a regenerative organic farm and healthcare model, where Jason and Nora Pugliese, Ethos Farm Manager, will continue the conversation. You’ll gain insight into how the production of whole plant foods grown in healthy soils serve as “living medicines” to prevent and reverse chronic disease and advance planetary health.

    Following the tour, enjoy a relaxed picnic (please bring your own lunch in a cooler) on the beautiful grounds of Ethos Farm, with the option to purchase freshly-harvested offerings from the Doctor’s Farm Market and nearby farms. Ron Weiss, MD, Ethos Farm to Health founder and PPMNY Healthcare Advisor, will join us over lunch, adding to the opportunity for meaningful discussion and connection.

    Participants are welcome to stay into the early afternoon, with the option to attend Ethos Farm’s Farm & Garden Tea Social beginning at 2:00 PM — please register for that event separately if you intend to stay.

    About Our Speakers:

    Jason DeSalvo grew up in suburban New Jersey, co-founded Strategic Outpatient Services in 1995, and continues to serve as its CEO while also contributing to several nonprofit boards and community organizations. Now a regenerative farmer at Cold Brook Farm, he combines his business background with a passion for sustainable agriculture, whole foods, and an active outdoor lifestyle.

    Deb DeSalvo began her career in New York radio before becoming a stay-at-home mother, later evolving into a Master Gardener and environmental educator focused on birds and native plants. She now supports conservation efforts through leadership roles while embracing her interests in nature, baking, reading, and family life.

    Nora Pugliese started as a backyard gardener, becoming an apprentice organic farmer in 1994 at Farmer John’s Organic Produce — the first organic farm in New Jersey. By 2000, she started her own organic CSA and ran it for over twelve years. In 2014, Nora became the farm manager at the Ethos Farm to Health, where she transitioned the farm to a certified organic operation and acquired certification from The Real Organic Project.

    Ron Weiss, MD, is board certified in Internal and Lifestyle Medicine and is Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. He is the founder of Ethos Farm to Health and practices primary care in New Jersey and New York.

    Presented in partnership with Cold Brook Farm and Ethos Farm to Health

    To Register:
    A suggested donation of $20, though any amount is welcome.

    In addition to on-site purchases at the Ethos market, you can pre-purchase certified organic, regeneratively grown grains from Cold Brook Farm at this link. Please make your purchases by Wednesday, June 17, so they are ready to pick up that Friday.

    • Glenn Wheat Berries — 5 lbs. $30 / 10 lbs. $56
    • Glenn Wheat Flour — 5 lbs. $34
    • Streaker Hulless Oat Groats — 5 lbs. $30 / 10 lbs. $56
    • Streaker Cold-Rolled Oatmeal — 5 lbs. $34

    Hulless oats are especially notable for their nutritional integrity. Unlike most commercially available oats, they require no steaming or processing to remove their hulls, preserving their full, natural nutrient content.

    Cold Brook Farm t-shirts, made from 100% organic cotton grown on a small family farm in Texas, will also be available:

    • Short sleeve — $20
    • Long sleeve — $25

    This is an outdoor event. We plan to proceed (light) rain or shine. Please dress appropriately for the weather and farm conditions, including comfortable shoes that can get dirty, sun protection, and water.

    The farm is not easily accessible by train or bus. Participants may drive out on their own or request to be part of a carpool. Contact Corey Simoneau, PPMNY’s Marketing and Outreach Coordinator, corey.simoneau@ppmny.org with any questions about carpooling.

    1 attendee
  • Dinner & Movie Social in East Harlem

    Dinner & Movie Social in East Harlem

    Ginjan Cafe, 85 East 125th Street, New York, NY 10035, New York, NY, US

    Register here!

    Join Plant Powered Metro New York for a flavorful community meal and connection at Ginjan Café, a vibrant West African café known for its fresh, nourishing dishes and signature ginger-based beverages. Ginjan is a proud participant in our Plant Powered Plates initiative, which brings more whole food, plant-based meals to you through partnerships with local eateries.

    Ginjan Café will prepare a specially curated whole food, plant-based, family-style meal for our group including jollof bowls, salad, roasted plantains, and baked yuca.

    Over dinner, we'll screen PlantWise, a documentary that follows six individuals as they improve their health through a whole food, plant-based lifestyle. Blending personal stories with evidence-based nutrition science, the film explores how dietary change can help prevent and even reverse chronic disease while restoring energy, vitality, and overall well-being.

    The evening will also include opportunities for reflection and conversation designed to foster meaningful connection and shared learning.

    $42 per person includes meal and gratuity. All reservations are requested by 12:00 PM on Friday, June 19. After this time, limited space may be available, and we will no longer honor refund requests.

    Hosted by Danielle Doucette and Rebecca Johnson

    1 attendee
  • Top Five Foods for Hormone Health

    Top Five Foods for Hormone Health

    ·
    Online
    Online

    Register here!

    Hormones influence everything from energy and mood to metabolism and long-term health — and what we eat plays a bigger role than many people realize.

    Join Plant Powered Metro New York for an empowering conversation on nutrition and hormone health with Stephanie McBurnett, RDN, Nutrition Educator for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Hosted by PPMNY’s Karina Pearse, this presentation will explore how everyday food choices can support hormone balance and overall well-being.

    Through a practical, evidence-based approach, Stephanie will highlight the top foods for hormone health, including the important connection between diet, inflammation, fiber, and hormone function. Participants will learn how a low-fat, plant-based eating pattern may help naturally regulate hormones such as insulin and estrogen, while reducing inflammation and oxidative stress linked to conditions including thyroid disease, breast cancer, diabetes, and more.

    Stephanie McBurnett, RDN, is a registered dietitian and nutrition educator with PCRM, a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing preventive medicine through plant-based nutrition and research. Her work focuses on chronic disease prevention and women’s health, including community education initiatives. A former U.S. Naval Officer, Stephanie brings a warm, practical, and empowering approach to helping people build healthier lives through nutrition.

    1 attendee

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