Eric Adams’ ‘Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine’ clinic is expanding to Brooklyn

By Brooklyn Magazine Staff

A major Eric Adams initiative to encourage everyone to follow the (not-quite totally) vegan mayor’s lead by eating more veggies is expanding across the city.

The “Plant-Based Lifestyle Medicine” clinic is opening at two city-run Brooklyn hospitals over the next year, with the aim of helping people make “healthy lifestyle changes” to help manage chronic diseases with access to plant-based diet resources, the city announced Monday.

Started in 2019, the program began with an assist from the advocacy of the then-Brooklyn borough president, who often credits switching to a (mostly) plant-based diet to manage his type II diabetes.

The clinics employ a medical team consisting of a dietitian, health coach and physicians that advocate for “evidence-based lifestyle changes, including adopting a healthy plant-based diet, increasing physical activity, improving sleep habits, reducing stress, avoiding risky substances, and providing social support.”

In a press event Monday, Adams said the launch is “personal” to him. “A plant-based lifestyle helped save my life, and I’m thrilled that New Yorkers in every zip code will have access to this critical programming,” he said.

Adams also obliquely commented on a report that he eats fish, which doesn’t exactly qualify as vegan. The New York Post importantly reported over the summer that he was spotted eating broiled fish and spinach at Rao’s.

“Does Eric eat fish, does he eat hamburger, does he do this, does he do that?” he said, referring himself in third-person.  “Listen, here’s my message: The more plant based meals you have, the healthier you are going to be. New Yorkers, don’t beat yourself up. No one is perfect in this city … Don’t worry about what is on Mayor Adams’ plate. Put these items on your plate.”

Worry we won’t. Unless the mayor orders the fish at Peter Luger, then we’ll voice some concern.