Thursday 26 May 2022 at 7pm BST

About Dr Monica Aggarwal

Monica Aggarwal, MD, is an adjunct Associate Professor in the University of Florida’s Division
of Cardiovascular Medicine where she conducts research on the impact of nutrition in chronic
illness. She also serves as the Chief Medical officer of the not-for profit, 4Roots Farm which is
looking at how to improve food quality to improve human health. She received her medical
degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine and subsequently went on
to complete a residency in internal medicine at Tufts University Hospital in Boston, MA. She
then completed a cardiology fellowship at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, MD.

Dr. Aggarwal’s own path to understanding the impact of nutrition in illness started soon after
the birth of her third child, when she developed an advanced form of rheumatoid arthritis. She
was placed on medications that gave her severe side effects. It was only through learning
about the microbiome (gut), its impact on the immune system and the role of nutrition in
affecting the gut, was she able to truly heal. Determined to change the face of medicine,
Monica left private practice and returned to academics in order to pursue research on the role
of diet and to create an integrative cardiology practice focused on nutrition and lifestyle.

Dr. Aggarwal served as the Director of Integrative Cardiology and Prevention at the University
of Florida for 5 years during which time she was promoted to Associate Professor of Medicine.
At University of Florida, she focused on promoting food as the foundation of healing and for its
medicinal value. In her clinic, she emphasizes plant-based nutrition and often performs
multiple mind-body techniques with her patients, including yoga and meditation. At University
of Florida, she was also the Director of Medical Education for Cardiology, where she directed
education for medical residents and cardiology fellows, with a focus on prevention, nutrition,
and lifestyle. In the hospital, she has multiple initiatives including developing a 100% plant-
based menu for cardiac and vascular patients.

Dr. Aggarwal gives talks around the community, country and internationally. She was named a
“Next Generation Innovator” by Cardiology Today. She is often featured in Veg News, Naked
Magazine and forksoverknives.com. She conducts research on nutrition education in medical
institutions and on how a plant-based diet impacts cardiovascular disease. She has published
in major medical journals such as Journal of American College of Cardiology and American
Journal of Medicine.

Board certified in cardiology and three specialties of cardiology: echocardiography, nuclear
cardiology and advanced lipid management, she is a fellow of the American College of
Cardiology (ACC), where she is a member of the nutrition council working on nutrition policies
for the nation. Dr. Aggarwal specializes in preventive management of heart disease with
lifestyle techniques in conjunction with medications. She is the author of the book “Body on
Fire: How Inflammation Triggers Chronic Illness and the Tools We Have to Fight It,” which
outlines prescriptions to help guide people to better health and the recently released Body on
Fire Cookbook which provides whole food, healthy recipes to help implement change.
She has instituted a new plant-based menu at the University of Florida/Shands Hospital which
is receiving national attention along with new discharge education that empowers patients to
heal their bodies with their lifestyles. She was recently named Florida’s Cardiovascular
Researcher of the year which provided her with a grant to conduct the important research
needed on nutrition in 2019 and Exemplary Teacher of the Year in 2020.

She currently conducts research at University of Florida and sees patients in Orlando, Florida
at AdventHealth and via telemedicine as part of Wholistic Cardiology and details can be found
on her website.

Web: drmonicaaggarwal.com
Facebook: monicaaggarwalmd
Twitter: @drmaggarwal
Insta: drmonicaaggarwal

We would really appreciate a donation for this webinar (suggested donation: £5) as this enables us to continue providing evidence-based education around plant-based nutrition: donate by card or Paypal.

Sign up as a member and join our growing community.

This webinar lasts one hour including a Live Q&A. 

We are supported by BSLM, ProVeg and Veganfitness.com