An unusual diet is gaining popularity at the White House — The Wall Street Journal
An unusual diet, centered on large portions of sauerkraut, has begun to gain popularity among some officials in U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration. This diet has become something of a trend among White House officials.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, and Vice President J.D. Vance have joined the diet, lured by promises of a slimmer waistline and glowing skin. Apparently, the officials decided that the health benefits outweigh the slight sulfuric odor—which, incidentally, has already caused several family arguments.
“I lost 20 pounds in 30 days,” Kennedy said at an event in Michigan this week. “J.D. Vance is also following this diet, and you can see how much his appearance has changed.”
The method was developed by Dr. Sean O’Marie, who advises patients to eat fermented foods such as sauerkraut and kimchi, as well as steaks from grass-fed animals—and to completely cut out alcohol and sweets. According to him, this diet reduces visceral fat around the organs and strengthens the microbiome, which has a positive effect on digestion.
The first to adopt the diet was 72-year-old Kennedy, followed by 64-year-old Lutnik and 54-year-old Duffy. 41-year-old Vance began following the cabbage diet during Lent at the beginning of the year—and has stuck with it ever since.
“I generally like working with older people because the return on investment is much higher… It’s like taking control of a sinking ship, a company heading toward bankruptcy,” O’Mara admitted. The doctor declined to speak directly about his patients, citing confidentiality; however, according to informed sources, it was him whom Kennedy, Lutnik, and Duffy turned to.
Each of the diet’s followers has adapted it to their own lifestyle. Kennedy often takes a supply of sauerkraut with him when he travels. Lutnik, on the other hand, began preparing fermented vegetables at home—instead of buying them at the store—and chooses “Old World cheeses” for snacks: blue cheese, Gorgonzola, or a whole wheel of Parmesan, without any crackers.
Vance usually has eggs, sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers, and berries for lunch, and beef or lamb with that same sauerkraut for dinner. On board Air Force Two, he snacks on jerky made from pasture-raised animals or a bunless burger with fermented vegetables.
Among those who have converted to the new way of eating is former Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy. After meeting Duffy last year and noticing how radiant he looked, McCarthy, on Duffy’s advice, turned to O’Mara—and is now actively promoting the method among his colleagues in Congress. “He told me I was the worst case he’d ever seen, but added, ‘You have tremendous potential,’” McCarthy recalls of his first meeting with the doctor. According to him, his waist has since shrunk by four inches.
Apparently, officials decided that the health benefits outweigh the unpleasant gas caused by an excess of cabbage in his diet—a phenomenon that has already sparked several family arguments.
O’Mara’s services aren’t cheap: according to the clinic’s website, the “optimization plan” starts at $8,000, and a one-on-one consultation with the doctor costs $18,000. As part of the program, clients are even accompanied to the grocery store to learn how to choose the right fermented foods from the back of the refrigerated display case—away from the light, which destroys beneficial microorganisms.
Trump himself is resisting the trend for now. At the NBA Finals earlier this month, the president feasted on pizza and French fries, washing it all down with Diet Coke — and on his campaign plane, there was always room for McDonald’s cheeseburgers and Chick-fil-A sandwiches, according to The Wall Street Journal.
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