Heart Healthy Eating

[TMR]

Hello all on the "new" thread. I think it will be a positive as more become interested in heart healthy and "plant based" in specific.

We will see others who are interested but have not done any reading/research on what are now quite well documented ("proven") results from a pant based diet for those with heart disease at various level. Also some/many will not be doubtful as to the "truth" of it all. That is fine as long as they and "we" are respectful in our discussions and occasional "debates".

I also learned the hard way not to be too enthusiastic in discussions with others. Others need to form their own opinion and determine what is best for them. We do now have one daughter (43) and her boyfriend that are very actively working on the plant based diet and both are having good early results. BTW...if nothing else happens you do lose weight!

My wife and I are "progressing" on a bit of a bumpy road. We have "fallen off" a couple of times but are getting right back on the diet quickly. We have not done a real good job of developing a long enough list of menu items that are satisfying...but we are making steady progress.

In spite of our occasional failings we have lot 17 and 15 pounds respectively and I have reduced my blood pressure med in 1/2 and my Type 2 diabetes meds in 1/2...and have very low blood pressure readings and very low blood glucose readings. I am planning on reducing my Lipitor after my next blood tests which will be in January...VERY confident I can reduce that by 1/2 also and probably more in the future.

BTW...CNN/Sanjay Gupta had a one hour special on the plant based heart healthy diet focused on President Clinton's story...and others. It is a GREAT story and pretty much discusses the benefits and the "naysayers" approach. Not sure if that is available anywhere? It would be good for all to see.

Well. back to today's efforts...time to go work out...I also have been spending 40 minutes on an elliptical trainer nearly every day...that helps also!

TMR

 

[txdon]

Hello all on the "new" thread. I think it will be a positive as more become interested in heart healthy and "plant based" in specific.

BTW...CNN/Sanjay Gupta had a one hour special on the plant based heart healthy diet focused on President Clinton's story...and others. It is a GREAT story and pretty much discusses the benefits and the "naysayers" approach. Not sure if that is available anywhere? It would be good for all to see.
TMR

TMR I did see it and it was a good reinforcer to my exactly where my research had led me. I had been telling my parents how my eating has changed and after they saw this special they "got it" and they are part of my support group now. My mom keeps wanting to know recipes she can cook for me when I come over.

For those who did not see it here is a web site that has the special and the transcript. You have to scroll down a little to see the aired special.

Happy Healthy Long Life: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "The Last Heart Attack" Finally Airs on CNN - Looks Like Diet & Non-Invasive Diagnostic Testing Win Over Bypasses & Stents - The Cliff Notes, the Collected Transcripts, & the Entire Documentary

 

[Chef Pa]

TMR/Don: Thanks for the info/link. Have some friends & family concerned I am going to starve / suffer from malnutrition. Maybe this will help.

BTW...CNN/Sanjay Gupta had a one hour special on the plant based heart healthy diet focused on President Clinton's story...and others. It is a GREAT story and pretty much discusses the benefits and the "naysayers" approach. Not sure if that is available anywhere? It would be good for all to see.

TMR

For those who did not see it here is a web site that has the special and the transcript. You have to scroll down a little to see the aired special.

Happy Healthy Long Life: Dr. Sanjay Gupta's "The Last Heart Attack" Finally Airs on CNN - Looks Like Diet & Non-Invasive Diagnostic Testing Win Over Bypasses & Stents - The Cliff Notes, the Collected Transcripts, & the Entire Documentary

Have a good one

 

[blueriver]

" the diet is going to be hard "

Blue, It will only be hard if you look at it as a diet and not a life style change..Diets are what people go on for awhile and then go back to eating according to their old habits and gain all the weight and more back...Lifestyle change means you come to realize a new way of eating and begin to enjoy it and the food as you are rewarded with results...It is hard the first 4 to 7 days...after that it becomes much easier and you will have seen and felt some results by then and that will encourage you...

This is as much mental as physical...stay positive...you will be happy with the results.

Thanks ... I love food and have a hard time walking away from eating more. Also the wife is tring hard to change the cook habits ... its as hard for her to change up and get away from fried and portion size ... even grocery shopping is not the norm.

Blue river welcome to the heart thread. The diet/lifestyle change is a challenge but a very doable task. First you have you TBN friends here to help with any question you have and secondly we will be posting tasty heart healthy recipes that pass the TBN taste test.

There are several good books out there by Ornish, Furman, McDougal, Gould and Esseltyn. After my heart attack I decided to quite playing softball with my diet, (it was a good diet but one of moderations) and do the very best that I could. That is why I choose Esselstyn. After going to one of his family seminars and hearing the long term effects of his patients I knew my decision was correct. His book is "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease" is a wealth of good information about heart disease.

There is a Documentary film, Forks Over Knives, a spinoff from his book that I recommend highly:
(and should be on your Christmas list)
Forks Over Knives | The Official Movie Website

Believe me the back of the ambulance in not a comfortable place and you are at a very vulnerable time in your life. Most heart attacks are from newer plaque that is only blocking 30-40% of the artery and you have no signs or symptoms before it ruptures and forms a clot blocking the blood flow to part of the heart - heart attack.

Again welcome and keep us posted, we are here as your support group!

Thanks ... I have a good sized belly Doc Says its gotta go ... I'm shooting for 40 lbs. One just always believes they are as healthy as a horse and nothing will change. It seems like I woke up one day and bang there it was and here I am.

So I'm searching "Heart Healthy" walking more and eating less. I go back Jan. 3 and am hoping the scale reflects a little change. I'm not expecting alot just a couple pounds.

 

[txdon]

I just got a e-mail this morning. For anyone wondering how to get started eating plant strong there is a new DVD just released by Rip Esselstyn.

Rip got started in the nutrition business when he made a bet with his fellow Austin Firefighters at station 2 on lowering their high cholesterol by eating plant strong. The nutritionalist he refers to is Jeff Novick.

I thought it would be appropriate for this thread because it all starts at the grocery store and Rip tells what to watch out for and shows how to cook the food. Below is the description.

"Continue the Conversation that's Changing the Way America Eats

Join Rip Esselstyn, former Texas firefighter and bestselling author as he teaches the White and Wali families the basics of a whole-food, plant-based diet. Step-by-step, Rip guides these families on how to take control of their own health by:

Undertaking a top-to-bottom pantry clean-out
Showing them how to navigate the grocery store aisles to not get burned by misleading nutritional labels
Giving cooking lessons to make family favorite, tantalizingly plant-strong dishes"

Here is a special limited time priced link and trailer:

https://shop.forksoverknives.com/product_p/5003.htm

 

[blueriver]

Just came in from the Dr office ... down 11 lbs !! I knew some had come off and was surprised at 11 lbs. BP was nice 135/82 and they pulled blood and should know those numbers tomorrow afternoon.

More greens and veggies ... smaller helpings and no seconds along with no in between meal snacks ... desert once a week and a few more walks each day.

Now the hard part will be to see if I can shed more again next month. A john Deere Gator is my worst enemy ... before I had one I walked every where ... so I took it away from myself.

 

[Combustix]

Txdon and others have any of you seen the documentary forks over knives good doc about plant based diets and the health benefits involved.

 

[txdon]

Blueriver, If your like me you can always find a place to tweak a little more to get the desired results. Good luck!

Combustix, I'm sure everyone with heart disease has seen the eye opening documentary. Thanks for bringing it up again! The documentary really puts the effects of food, the one thing you can control, into perspective with heart health and of course it has all my favorite authors in it.

 

[beppington]

People might be wise to look at meat-dairy-oils as poison.

Delicious, addictive poison ... but poison nonetheless.

They're probably bad for all of us, just that they kill some people slower than others.

I guess a long time ago a caveman saw a tiger eating an animal, & then once when the caveman was attacked by a tiger but was able to kill it, he took a little taste & thought it was pretty good. Now most people think meat is perfectly fine to gorge on.

 

[blueriver]

Blueriver, If your like me you can always find a place to tweak a little more to get the desired results. Good luck!

Combustix, I'm sure everyone with heart disease has seen the eye opening documentary. Thanks for bringing it up again! The documentary really puts the effects of food, the one thing you can control, into perspective with heart health and of course it has all my favorite authors in it.

This month was not as good ... 1 lb ... I mean 1 stinking pound. BUT my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are in line and I feel better.

All the links in this thread give me inspiration ... I just keep working at it ... its like a new job!!

 

[two_bit_score]

People might be wise to look at meat-dairy-oils as poison.

Delicious, addictive poison ... but poison nonetheless.

They're probably bad for all of us, just that they kill some people slower than others.

I guess a long time ago a caveman saw a tiger eating an animal, & then once when the caveman was attacked by a tiger but was able to kill it, he took a little taste & thought it was pretty good. Now most people think meat is perfectly fine to gorge on.

Not trying to pick a argument........but it may not be a good idea to gorge on anything. I find it's better, for me, to just stop eating when I get full, no matter if that is after two bites or ten.

I think refined sugar is probably the main thing it's beneficial to avoid. But that's just me.

.

 

[two_bit_score]

This month was not as good ... 1 lb ... I mean 1 stinking pound. BUT my blood pressure and cholesterol levels are in line and I feel better.

All the links in this thread give me inspiration ... I just keep working at it ... its like a new job!!

Losing one pound is better than gaining one pound.

Congratulations!

 

[beppington]

Not trying to pick a argument........but it may not be a good idea to gorge on anything.

I'm sure you're right. Today's Whopper this, super-size that, triple-stack, double cheese ... is what I had in mind.

I find it's better, for me, to just stop eating when I get full, no matter if that is after two bites or ten.

The problem there is that both my BIL and a good friend of over 20 years, who both battle their weight, tell me they don't really ever get a "full" feeling, at least not like I do, & maybe that you do. I have told both of them that there's no point in me eating an "appetizer" because 2 or 3 bites of anything, followed by a delay, & my appetite is gone as though I've eaten a meal. Both of them say they never have that feeling.

 

[two_bit_score]

Bep,I think a lot of what they are saying goes back to what they gave gotten used to.

For me, it works bet if I drink a beer first before ordering anything when I go out. That dulls the appetite for food and keeps me from over eating.

But I notice if I don't do that, I eat more, and gain weight and don't want to stop eating. I do like good food.

If I get used to eating small amounts I am OK with small amounts.

.

 

[txdon]

When I go out to eat I ask what's on the menu that has no added oils and or animal products and I usually have to remind them that cheese is an animal product and anything fried is out. Usually there are just one or two items.
No wonder half the people have heart disease.

I find it is very hard to over eat and gain weight with such restrictions. If you just eat to eat heart healthy (just "cut down" on oils and animal products) and but portion size is larger, what have you gained? An "official" portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards and no one serves portions that small. I'm convinced that eating cholesterol and fats in moderation just increases the craving for more. One dietitian said that when you stop eating fats the cravings can last up to 90 days.

Then there is the other aspect: calories in calories out.

That brings us to exercising the heart. Every day I bring my heart rate up to 130-140 for a continuous 30-45 minutes. Sometimes it's running sometimes it's elliptical. Several people I've talked to say their job is physical and they get plenty of exercise. That might be correct for their other muscles but not the heart muscle.

Hang in there.

 

[TMR]

Hi Don...we are now at about 4 months. Generally we have done a pretty good job being vegetarian but not quite as good being vegan and "reversing" status. Our weakness is candy, non-fat dairy and moderate added oil products.

I had first "labs" Tuesday and hope to see results soon. I anticipate we will need to regroup and tighten up our diet in order to achieve desired results.

My view is this is a major change for me since I ate very few veggies and fruits before and followed the fast food, deep fried with lots of cheese approach. We have now created quite a few "standard" menu items and need to review the rest of our diet and move toward "reversing" standards. Just 4 months into the "rest of our lives".

Saw that E2 has an immersion weekend a few places...would sure like to do that but may not fit our schedule this year.

Thanks All...Tom R

When I go out to eat I ask what's on the menu that has no added oils and or animal products and I usually have to remind them that cheese is an animal product and anything fried is out. Usually there are just one or two items.
No wonder half the people have heart disease.

I find it is very hard to over eat and gain weight with such restrictions. If you just eat to eat heart healthy (just "cut down" on oils and animal products) and but portion size is larger, what have you gained? An "official" portion of meat is the size of a deck of cards and no one serves portions that small. I'm convinced that eating cholesterol and fats in moderation just increases the craving for more. One dietitian said that when you stop eating fats the cravings can last up to 90 days.

Then there is the other aspect: calories in calories out.

That brings us to exercising the heart. Every day I bring my heart rate up to 130-140 for a continuous 30-45 minutes. Sometimes it's running sometimes it's elliptical. Several people I've talked to say their job is physical and they get plenty of exercise. That might be correct for their other muscles but not the heart muscle.

Hang in there.

 

[dmccarty]

The mistake people make in loosing weight is to jump into a weight loss diet.

What one should do FIRST, is modify their diet so that they are no longer gaining weight, or maybe loosing a bit.

People, me included, do the diet thing, loose the weight, go back to living the way they did before the diet and gain the weight right back. Why? Because they did not modify their diet to maintain or not gain weight before going on the weight loss diet.

Years ago I started modifying my diet. No more lunches at lunch. I simply do not need the calories. Now I keep unsalted peanuts and dried fruit at my desk. I eat when I am hungry not when it is TIME to go to lunch. For dinner I have really cut back. No more rice and pasta dishes. Now, most nights it is a sandwich or something small. Breakfast is an omelette with bacon and salsa. Heart healthy? I do not know what to believe anymore about what food is good or bad but I do know I am not hungry for 4-5 hours after eating breakfast which keeps me from over eating which is healthy.

The worst thing I have given up is a beer most nights during the work week. I do go to bed a bit hungry some nights but it is not a big deal. This is especially true after a work out.

I have been exercising quite a bit because of Bird and other TBNers.

On the knee replacement discussion Bird and other mentioned they had a Schwinn recumbent exercise bike and how much they liked it. I remembered that conversation but I did not intend to buy the bike. Right after XMAS we got a sales flyer from a sports store with the Schwinn. I check the price and threw away the flyer.

For some reason on New Years Eve I started researching the Schwinn. I have no idea why. Long story short it was on say the week after New Years, I went and tried it out then bought it. :thumbsup:

This thing rocks. :laughing:

In the first week I rode it six times. Now way I could run six days in a row. I have been riding four or more days a week since we bought the bike. At this point I ride most times for an hour with one ride at 75-90 minutes. I am burning about 550 calories an hour and have lost three pounds in the first month. I gained one pound back but that is muscle not fat.

I bought a Kindle Fire before XMAS to read books but mainly the WSJ. The cost of the WSJ on the Kindle saves me enough money over the paper version that the Kindle will be paid for in a year. I get on the bike and read the WSJ in between sets of lifting weight. An hour goes by fast. I really look forward to bike time. :thumbsup:

By the end of the summer, if not sooner, I will have lost the fat I need to loose, but then I am going to be burning too many calories. :laughing: Even if I cut back to three exercises a week. I should be able to have a beer a night at that point! :drink::dance1:

Later,
Dan

 

[txdon]

This thing rocks. :laughing:
Dan

I did the recumbent bike at rehab and it can really work you heart when pushed. I can see watching TV, but reading? My hands are drenched and I'm breathing too hard to read. However, you must be doing more than a Sunday ride with burning 500+ calories. That's how many calories I use in an hour run, according to my Garmin GPS, heart-rate watch. Can you give me a link to that recumbent, this running 100 miles a month is getting to my knees and the watch works with a bike.

There is so much excelent information given in the E2 Emersion, if there is anyway you can rearrange your schedule I guarantee it is worth it.

About "A Diet" you are right. I am no longer on a diet. This is just the way I eat. I don't look at what I can't have anymore, I look at what is acceptably available.

 

[dmccarty]

I did the recumbent bike at rehab and it can really work you heart when pushed. I can see watching TV, but reading? My hands are drenched and I'm breathing too hard to read. However, you must be doing more than a Sunday ride with burning 500+ calories. That's how many calories I use in an hour run, according to my Garmin GPS, heart-rate watch. Can you give me a link to that recumbent, this running 100 miles a month is getting to my knees and the watch works with a bike.

There is so much excelent information given in the E2 Emersion, if there is anyway you can rearrange your schedule I guarantee it is worth it.

About "A Diet" you are right. I am no longer on a diet. This is just the way I eat. I don't look at what I can't have anymore, I look at what is acceptably available.

The bike I bought is a Schwinn 240, [ame]http://www.amazon.com/Schwinn-240-Recumbent-Exercise-Bike/dp/B00275R23E[/ame]. The reviews on the bike are pretty accurate. It takes a about 2.5-3 hours to assemble. The packaging is improved with the parts being shrink wrapped to card board. No way to loose something in transit. The "computer" is a PITA to operate and the instructions could be improved but after you have used it awhile you get the hang of it.

The 240 has a built in heart rate monitor. It is a Polar so if you have a Polar 5K strap, the computer will pick up the signal. There are two handles near the seat that one can hold to pick up the heart rate. The problem with the handles is that you have to hold on the entire exercise period to get valid average and maximum heart rates.

Using a Kindle makes reading easier. There is a little ledge on the computer which can hold an eReader. I have to wear my eye glasses and bump up the magnification on the Kindle but it is easy to read. Sweat is a problem but I use a towel to keep my hands and forehead somewhat dry. :laughing:

I am DRENCHED when I get off the bike. One of the kids came in when I was at the end of a "ride" and commented that I was gross. I hope that was a comment about being sweaty. :laughing:

The bike has 16 resistance levels which is programmable. The first month I just set the program to at 3. If I felt like it I would bump it up by one for an interval. Now I am up to the fourth level which really increases your burned calories. I am lifting some hand weights which helps kick up my heart rate. I do not think the computer calculates the calories burned based on the heart rate so I am sure I am burning more than it says.

Getting off the bike, the legs can get a bit wonky just from the repeated cycling but after a few steps all is back to normal. I have barely felt the exercise in my leg muscles. If I had been running I would have been in a world of hurt. :laughing: No way I could run six days in a row without feeling it. Even four times a week I would feel it. I have had no problems with the knees either. However, I have been VERY careful to NOT push it on the bike. I have to hold myself back since I have a strong tendency to push exercise. This usually gets me too sore to exercise for days afterwards so I have been very careful to not push it. I think one COULD over do it and cause some knee pain but one would really have to push.

I just want to burn calories and push up the heart rate. The bike is certainly doing both. When I started I went easy and the heart rate was averaging 105ish over the course of the exercise which is at the low end of where I should be. Now the average is 125ish and I can been over my max. The max is pretty low as far as I am concerned but I am holding back.

If I can continue at the current rate, in a few months I will have a much higher average heart rate, which I would guess would be close to my maximum. I think I might be near 1,000 calories in an hour. When I used to work out in a gym I would get on the treadmill. My rule was I could not get off until I burned 1,000 calories. I could run. I could walk. I could crawl. But I had to burn 1,000 calories somehow This would get my heart rate up and make me breath real heavy with a very loud exhale. I am sure I drove people nuts with my breathing. :laughing: Now I just bother my family. :thumbsup:

I am starting to push a bit on the bike but not like I would have in the past. I really have not found it hard to burn 300 calories at the start. I am pushing a bit to get to 550 but running would be MUCH harder on me. If I eased off a bit, I would still be doing 500 calories in an hour. Over the weekend I was talking to my parents on the phone for 75 minutes or more. I burned over 500 calories in that time. The heart rate was at the low end but I did need to talk.

Bird and another TBNer gave me the idea to get the Schwinn. :thumbsup:

Later,
Dan

 

[pacerron]

Do you guys keep a record of your normal resting heart rate and how long it takes for it to return to normal after you stop your vigorous exercise?
Has your resting pulse rate reduced much since the days before you started an exercise program?
Do you ever take your blood pressure right after exercise and find it to be lower than normal resting rate?
I find the pulse monitor on my treadmill to be very eratic. As my hands become more sweaty it becomes more stable but still not satisfactory.
I purchased a wireless transmitter that is a belt around the chest and a receiver plugged in the treadmill. It is not much better than the hand grips on the treadmill.
Much more accurrate to have the wife do it with her finger on my wrist and use a wristwatch or step off the mill and do it myself.
My treadmill programs age, gender, weight, height and other factors to relate to the calorie counter over time versus the incline and speed of the belt but there is not much difference based on the input data differences and calories burned. People with a short stride have to burn more calories at a given mph of the belt than a tall person, in my opinion.
I like all the electronic gizmos on the exercise machines but feel they are more psychological in selling new equipment than they are accurrate.
I do rely on an electronic BP cuff versus the hand pump and scope as I think it is more accurrate.(not acurrate if you have a murmer or miss though) You know how different nurses get different results based on their techniques and how much of a hurry they are in.
The real proof is in the records over time, the scales, how you feel, and results of the blood tests averaged over time. Even the blood test results can be a lot different depending on what you ate and the liquids you had a few days before a fast and draw.