Heart Health
Today is the American Heart Association’s Day to bring awareness of heart disease to society. February is the month where we celebrate love. So it is the perfect time to spread awareness about this terrible disease.
Heart Disease kills 1,100 women a day. One in every 4 deaths a year are from heart disease. So, because of this, in this month’s newsletter, I am going to address heart disease.
I’m a vegetarian and wrote the book, “How To Be A Healthy Vegetarian.” I have been a vegetarian for over 27 years, because I had a great many family members die of heart disease, strokes and cancer. So, honoring today, I thought I would discuss this briefly.
Years ago, I took a Cornell University course on the plant-based diet. Dr. T. Colin Campbell, who participated in the China Study and wrote “The China Study” and Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr. M. D. who wrote “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease” were two of the professors that taught the course.
Dr. T. Colin Campbell as well as Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn (a former surgeon, researcher and clinician at the Cleveland Clinic, -known as the number one heart clinic in the world) believes that by changing the diet, heart disease can be completely cured and prevented. In our class Dr. Esselstyn explained that cardiology has only focused on treating the symptoms and not the cause.
Dr. Esselstyn explained that a plant-based diet with only a minimum of limited/low healthy fats can not only prevent and stop progression of heart disease, but also reverse it. He explained that his scientific studies show with irrefutable scientific evidence that by changing to a plant based diet, heart disease can be prevented and the epidemic eradicated.
His drew evidence in his results testing with his own patients. He taught that despite the treatments the patients had already received, like bypass surgery or angioplasties, 5 of the original group of 17 had been told by their physicians that they would probably only have about a year to live. Of the group of 17, there had been at least 49 cardiac events leading up to this study.
Dr. Esselstyn’s 20 year clinical study comprised of 17 compliant patients on his plant based/low fat diet program the health improvement was dramatic. The patients cholesterol dropped, their anginia symptoms and blood flow improved dramatically. Within the 12 years, his 17 patients had no further cardiac events. The patients that stuck with the program survived beyond 20 years, free of symptoms. Anglograms taken of the patients showed a widening of the coronary arteries thus, a reversal of the disease. This study showed one of the most profound drop in cholesterol ever documented in a medical study.
So, if you think that heart disease just happens and that there is nothing you can do about it, then try switching to a plant based / low fat diet and see if that would work for you. It is a lot easier than you think. It just takes a new mindset, a few guide-lines, good recipes and a will to do it.
Last year was my 40th high school reunion. One of my classmates who had heart disease was told by his physician, that if he switched to a plant based diet he would never have to worry about having a heart attack again. He bought my book and has made some changes to move toward a plant-based diet.
I am so happy for him. Here is what he said about my book:
“Two years ago I had a quadruple bi-pass, and my cardiologist told me that if I changed to a plant based diet, I would never have this problem again. Being from Texas, I grew up on meat and potatoes, and I was not compliant with his advice. I came across Nancy Addison’s book and it made perfect sense to me with the simple and understandable approach. I’m started off dropping all animal meat, including chicken, which has as much unhealthy fat as steak. Within a month I dropped 17 lbs, just doing that. My system is functioning a lot better, I’ve added more fruits and vegetables, and doubled my energy. I haven’t given up seafood, but maybe down the road I will take the next step. Brava Nancy for getting me to take the first step, and helping me create a new, healthier life!!!!!”
– Ben McKinley – Naples, FL
So, in closing, what we eat in life is a choice. If you have heart disease, you may think about how the food you are eating is directly affecting your health.
I think of everyone who receives my newsletter as my dear friend and I love keeping in touch with you and adore hearing from you. Today, I am sending you big hugs and blessings for a healthy, loving heart this February and may you have a wonderful month full of health and love.
Copyright@nancyaddison2014
For more information on Nancy’s nutrition and health counseling go to : www.organichealthylifestyle.com
To order Nancy’s book on Amazon go to: http://www.amazon.com/How-Healthy-Vegetarian-Nancy-Addison/dp/0615398928
