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!!