Heart Health Fuhrman Ornish

Hi Dolores,

Again, please get to being real healthy fast !! Thank heavens your heart attack was mild. You are a super person, and we need you.

If I may be so bold, may I offer suggestions, only, hopefully, to be helpful.

Your 100% blockages, in spite you your excellent lifestyle, show that your heredity is telling you that you have to be stricter than most, to be healthy. Thus the chapter "Moderation Kills", in Dr. Esselstyn's book.

Because of person to person variation of heredity, we cannot say "it's the clams" or "it can't be the clams", because what may be great for one person or one group, may be far to moderate for a specific individual.

In my experience, my IMT got worse, following Pritikin strictly for 2 years. Ornish ran a study with heart patients, where the Ornish diet group had 1/2 the heart problems, compared to the standard medical care group. But, the Ornish and standard medical care group, both had no change in their IMT.

When I converted to the Fuhrman program, I was able to reverse my atherosclerosis, based on IMT. I lose 10 pounds, and ate far more vegetables. On Pritikin, I ate zero fat, meat fish or poultry or dairy, or nuts or seeds. On Fuhrman, I ate plenty of nuts and seeds.

Dr. Fuhrman would suggest that you, as having diabetic tendencies, change from 4 meals daily to 2 meals, maybe 3. The metabolic condition of drawing from your reserves, instead of drawing from food as it is digesting, is very healthy. I think it gives some of the benefit of weight loss (drawing from your reserves) without weight loss.

Dr. Fuhrman also would suggest to be lean enough to pinch an inch by the navel, for a woman.

Being lean is very healthy, and essential, to one extent or another, depending on your heredity. Also, it is absolutely true that the fastest reversal of atherosclerosis is with weight loss. Losing weight provides rapid improved arterial health. Being lean also contributes to continuing the good arterial health, and continuing the improvement.

(Many doctors mistakenly advise to keep weight up. This is wrong advice, based on studies showing that the leanest group of heart patients often do poorly, as well as the overweight patients. When a person nears end of life, their cholesterol will lower, and weight reduce. So, if cholesterol drops or weight drops, due to nothing that the patient is doing, that might be a bad sign. If cholesterol or weight drops due to lifestyle efforts, that's very healthy.)

Do take statins and other medications prescribed by your doctor, as these are helpful. Statins contribute to reversal of atherosclerosis. Dr. Esselstyn and all the doctors we follow, use them for their patients, if indicated. If you are able to identify and improve the lifestyle aspects that are key to your metabolism, perhaps the medications can be reduced or eliminated in the future. How's your homosystein level? Your CRP? Lipo-a ?

My best advice follows here: Get medical advice from Dr. Fuhrman (www.drfuhrman.com , $50/mo to ask medical questions). Doctors know a lot of stuff. They can identify problems based on blood tests, etc. that is extremely valuable.

Or, choose Dr. Esselstyn. Several people have contacted Dr. Esselstyn by phone. Really, the diet is the same as Fuhrman, except for the question of nuts & seeds. My opinion is not to worry about whether to eat nuts and seeds, for the time being.

It's far more important to get medical counseling from Fuhrman or Esselstyn for your blood tests, and get any additional information they ask for. Place your faith in the doctor you choose, and follow precisely, with confidence.

Sincerely yours, EngineerGuy