Firefighters: fit, strong, able men and women fighting an enemy that devours all. They are saviors battling one of the ultimate forces of nature: Fire.

Firefighters require a lot of energy to do the job well, and they therefore consume more food than most of us. This enables them to fight fires, but with increased food intake comes an increased intake of ‘bad’ cholesterol which can become a health risk.

However, a firefighter station in Austin, Texas may have found an answer to this potential health threat by introducing a vegetables and fruits only diet.

Rip Esselstyn, a 46 year old firefighter from Austin’s Engine 2 station authored a book named “The Engine 2 Diet: The Texas Firefighter’s 28-Day Save-Your-Life Plan That Lowers Cholesterol and Burns Away the Pounds.” In it, he describes the diet, guidelines and exercises as well as a wide range of recipes for every situation.

Does Rip’s plan work? One of his fellow firefighters had family history of heart problems - he tried the diet and saw his cholesterol levels decrease from 344 to 196!

So what is this Engine 2 Diet? How does it work? What can and can’t you eat? Can you follow this diet safely? Keeping reading to find out more…