Vegan Health

100 great vegan quotes

2012-11-02T08:45:00.002-07:00

I found this great website and thought I'd share it. It is filled with wonderful quotes from a variety of people who all speak to kindness, empathy and not killing animals. I highly recommend it.

http://www.pledgevegan.com/vegan-spotlight/top-100-vegan-quotes

Thanks,
Ambrose

Wonderful interview with Chef AJ

2012-05-07T12:07:00.001-07:00

Chef AJ has written a book called, "Unprocessed" which is available on her website.

It's a wonderfully direct book with lots of great tips, however, she is also a wonderful interviewee!

www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-health/easy-tips-to-minimize-your-consumption-of-processed-foods/

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Ambrose

Funny interview with Lance Armstrong!

2012-03-28T14:43:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know. Rip Esselstyn who is a famous "Plant Strong" former triathlete, has recently been training again with his former competitor, Lance Armstrong who is also a former triathlete before he focused on cycling. Rip mentioned this in the presentation I attended at the Whole Foods market in Annapolis, Maryland back a few months ago. I just read an article on Lance Armstrong where he mentions his training buddy, Rip. It's quite humorous how he describes Rip's diet! The brownie part is particularly humorous!

"http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/03/29/lance-armstrong-2012_n_1262237.html"

Here's a section of the interview that mentions Rip. There's more in the article. HPC is the interviewer and LA is of course, Lance.

"HPC: Do you have a certain way you approach food?

LA: I didn’t for a long time until about a month ago until I started messing around with this new diet.

HPC: What changed?

LA: I started swimming again, and I swim with a guy [ed's note: former triathlete Rip Esselstyn] who started basically a food program called the Engine 2 Diet, which is a plant-based, 100% natural, organic diet. His dad was a famous cardiologist who did Forks Over Knives, and was President Clinton’s doctor. Clinton has gone to a completely vegan diet and he’s essentially erased his heart disease.

It’s basically whole grains, different types of beans, kale salad with creative alternatives for dressing. They’ll bring out something that looks like a brownie, but it’s not a brownie … though it tastes a bit like a brownie. So I did it for one day, then two days. Then I branched out and started doing it at breakfast and lunch. I still insist that I get to do whatever I want for dinner. But it’s made a significant difference in just in a month."

How do you prevent animal abuse?

2012-03-06T12:55:00.001-08:00

You prevent animal abuse by blocking animal rights people and reporters from finding out about it!

Republican Gov. Terry Branstad of Iowa has signed into legislation a law designed to prevent folks from reporting on animal abuses! It states that anyone who lies in order to work on a farm (essentially to film what is going on) can now be prosecuted with jail sentences of up to 1 year and $1,500 or more if found guilty more than once! Read it for yourself.

http://goo.gl/Z2GKl

This is not the way to improve factory farms covering up the problems certainly doesn't help!

Amazing!

Ambrose

Meat is the new Tobacco!

2012-03-06T11:03:00.002-08:00

I saw this on Huffington Post and had to repost it. Kathy Freston mentions Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. in her indictment of meat being a major cause of chronic and fatal illness in the general public. This is a wonderful read!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathy-freston/animal-products-cancer_b_1316222.html

More later,
Ambrose

Rip Esselstyn and Jeff Novick in Horse Play!

2012-02-06T14:06:00.001-08:00

It's good to see these health advocates having so much fun!

I met Rip Esselstyn in Annapolis

2012-01-20T11:10:00.000-08:00

I enjoyed meeting Rip Esselstyn at the Whole Foods in Annapolis on the 19th of January. He is a dynamic speaker and had a great time doing his presentation. There was also a showing of "Fork over Knives" which is a terrific movie that shows how eating a Plant Strong diet can really change your life.

Thanks to Whole Foods for putting on the talk. They are leading the way in changing America's eating habits!

I wish that my camera worked since I (almost) got a picture of us together!

More later,
Ambrose

Doctor Terry Simpson Refutes Dr. Esselstyn

2012-01-12T12:49:00.000-08:00

I just saw this video and thought I'd share my thoughts on it. First, Dr. Terry Simpson's comments on Dr. Esselstyn's diet.

Now that you've seen this video, I'd like to offer some comments.

If you want to sound credible when refuting someone, get their name right! It's Dr. Caldwell EsselStyn, Jr. M.D.
If you say that a study was invalid because it was done during the Cultural Revolution, then offer a reason why it's invalid instead of just saying that people were dying of starvation. It was the largest study of it's kind ever. You can't quibble with why the study was done!
When you look at coronary angiograms for a patient who cannot receive normal heart interventions, that isn't the case with the patient named Dr. Crow. He wasn't able to receive an angioplasty or a bypass and (luckily for him) worked with Dr. Esselstyn who recommended his diet to Dr. Crow which saved his life!
I don't believe Dr. Esselstyn talks about atherosclerosis or cholesterol levels as an indicator of heart disease at all. He talks about platelet plugs as the primary cause.
Exercising alone won't do much of anything to prevent and reverse heart disease.
Quitting smoking is a great idea, but it won't prevent and reverse serious heart disease. I can't believe that smoking is the leading cause of heart disease since rates of heart disease have not decreased in this country yet many people have quit smoking which you state yourself!
Reducing weight alone will not prevent and reverse heart disease. Losing weight will help in your general health, but it won't improve your cardiovascular health very significantly at all.
Eating a vegan diet without oil isn't "an obscure diet that nobody can follow that's tasteless." You haven't tried it. It's actually quite simple and how tasty it is depends entirely on your cooking/preparation skills.

You've really missed the point on this. Plant-Strong, oil-free diets are delicious, healthy, and not difficult to follow at all, unless you're addicted to eating a typical Western diet of meat-laden, oil-soaked, highly processed foods which is so typical here in America. Our country is becoming obscenely obese and our rates of heart disease haven't come down even though we have the best medicine in the world with the best medications in the world. The easiest way to improve America's health is to eat healthier, non-heart damaging foods and to live an active lifestyle.

Thanks for listening.
Ambrose

Doctor Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. does TEDx Cambridge

2012-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

I see that Doctor Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. appeared at TEDx in Cambridge. He does a 15 minute presentation.

It's a great way to get a quick capsule summary of his thesis, of which I'm a great fan!

Ambrose

Rip Esselstyn coming to Annapolis!

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

I've just signed up to attend a presentation by Rip Esselstyn (son of Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. MD), author of the best selling cook book, The Engine 2 Diet. He will be in Annapolis, Maryland on the evening of January 19th to do a 28 day diet challenge to go Plant Strong for 4 weeks! The sign up page is here:

http://www.acteva.com/booking.cfm?bevaID=226581

He will start at 6:00 PM and go until 9:00 PM. I plan on picking up a copy of his Engine 2 Diet book there.

Hope to see you there too!

Former Buffalo Bill player goes Plant Strong!

2011-11-18T11:06:00.001-08:00

Former Buffalo Bills player Adam Lingner suffered the exact same symptoms that I did and had the exact same angioplasty that I did and had a stent put in like myself! He has also decided to go the Plant Strong route and has adopted Dr. Esselstyn's diet. His story was documented by the local TV station and is online here:

http://www.wgrz.com/video/default.aspx?bctid=1281795408001

It's a truly heart felt story and shows how one change can make a huge difference. It also shows how much a supportive spouse can help in making the change.

Thanks Adam for sharing your story. All the best.

Ambrose

Sarah Taylor's Take on Eliminating Oil from your Diet!

2011-11-17T12:43:00.001-08:00

Sarah Taylor is a well-known author on matters of veganism and a healthy diet. She is a faculty member of the Nutritional Education Institute. She's written a book:

Vegan in 30 Days: Get Healthy. Save the World.

She has also had a direct connection with Dr. Esselstyn and his contention that oils are not healthy for you. I could quote the entire article, but I'll just post a link to it and have you read it yourself. It's quite convincing.

http://veggiegrettie.com/2011/11/16/guestblog-oil-sarah-taylor/

Ambrose

Dr. Esselstyn's Post on Serum Cholesterol

2011-11-17T12:32:00.001-08:00

I just noticed that Dr. Esselstyn has posted a great article on his website.

http://www.heartattackproof.com/reversal01.htm

In it, he comments on the effects of lowering your lipid levels in order to improve your chances of getting coronary artery disease. He sums up by saying:

"Epidemiologic and evidence-based research has identified a lipid threshold for preventing the coronary artery disease epidemic. We have demonstrated that this threshold can be achieved and maintained with a plant-based diet and lipid-lowering medication when indicated, and that maintaining low lipid levels arrests and often reverses coronary artery disease."

I highly recommend you read it and understand why he's so passionate about eating a plant-strong, whole foods diet!

Ambrose

Bill Clinton Mentions Dr. Esselstyn on Letterman

2011-11-17T12:11:00.001-08:00

I forgot that former President, Bill Clinton was on David Letterman's show a couple of months ago and on the show, mentioned his new diet and Dr. Esselstyn in particular!

Bill Clinton's determination to live a heart healthy lifestyle is truly inspiring.

Ambrose

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Sr. and Lou Gehrig

2011-11-11T11:02:00.001-08:00

I learned something new today and thought I'd share it.

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Junior's father (Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Senior) was Lou Gehrig's personal physician right up to the time of Lou Gehrig's passing in 1941. Dr. Esselstyn Junior wrote the popular diet book, "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease". Dr. Esselstyn, Senior was a surgeon in New York City during that time and he was assigned Lou Gehrig as a patient. Dr. E Sr. visited Mr. Gehrig's home every day to make sure he was okay and was by his side when Lou passed. Dr. E. Sr., then went on to form a foundation called the "Rip Van Winkle Foundation" which focused on giving everyone low cost healthcare. Dr. Esselstyn, Jr. serves on the board of the foundation today.

Ambrose

Another information filled video from Dr. Esselstyn

2011-10-31T12:04:00.000-07:00

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn gives us an 8 minute chat on how to prevent and reverse heart disease. It's a capsule summary of his hour long presentation I attended recently. Highly informative and easy to understand.

Ambrose

Q&A with Doctor Essenstyn

2011-10-28T13:31:00.001-07:00

Kripalu posted a very concise Question and Answer session with Dr. Esselstyn which may answer a lot of questions you may have about his philosophy of eating a whole foods, plant based diet.

http://www.kripalu.org/article/1253/

A wonderful write-up on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and his book

2011-10-28T13:25:00.000-07:00

Bhoomi magazine online has a wonderful write-up on Dr. Esselstyn's book: Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

This movement is gaining ground thanks to Dr. Esselstyn's tireless crusade against the typical Western Diet of overprocessed, artificially flavored, artificially sweetened, animal based foods. We can do ourselves a great service by simply eating our way to health as so many corporations have stated, but really mean "pills."

Dr. Esselstyn's philosophy of eating a whole foods plant based diet is so logical and simple that it simply works!

Remember, don't anything from a mother or that has a face. Also, don't eat any oils.

http://www.bhoomimagazine.org/component/k2/item/137-prevent--reverse-heart-disease-%E2%80%93-caldwell-esselstyn/137-prevent--reverse-heart-disease-%E2%80%93-caldwell-esselstyn

More Reasons To Eat Your Fruits And Veggies

2011-10-19T11:52:00.000-07:00

I found this interview on the Science Friday website with an audio recording. It shows that the 9P21 gene causes you to have a higher risk of a heart attack. The gene is present in a large part of our population. You can counter effects of this bad gene by eating multiple servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

In a new study, researchers from McMaster University found that in people with a certain gene that elevates heart attack risk, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help lower the risk. Dr. Sonia Anand explains the study, and what still needs to be learned about the gene.

Amazing to find another study which shows that eating fruits and vegetables is good for your heart!

http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201110147

More later,
Ambrose

"The Last Heart Attack"

2011-10-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

This past Summer, I saw a special on CNN called "The Last Heart Attack." It was done by Dr. Sanjay Gupta and featured former President Bill Clinton. The show featured many doctors and specialists.

In the show, Dr. Arthur Agatston made a statement which is quite surprising to me. He said that in practices with aggressive heart attack prevention techniques, he has seen heart attacks almost disappear. he declined to say "completely disappear," however, he was clear that it went down to almost none. He invented a heart imaging system called a "coronary calcium scan" which is a noninvasive cardiac imaging technique which scans your heart to look for plaque buildup.

The show shows a man named Tom Bare who was diagnosed with partial blockages on all of his major heart arteries. One year later, his arteries were much worse even though he did the clinical routine of diet, medicines, lifestyle and exercise changes. It did not help.

The show then focused on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. His diet was called "radical" by some, however, it seems a natural solution to the problem of heart disease. His diet change is to eliminate all fats and processed foods and to feed yourself only a plant based, whole foods diet. The mantra is "nothing with a mother and nothing with a face." He also advocates a complete elimination of all oils. His study of 25 years ago proved that it works and eliminates all heart disease in the patients he followed for many years.

I highly recommend everyone watch this special and also another movie done recently called "Forks Over Knives," which also features Doctor Esselstyn as well as Dr. Colin Campbell. Both doctors recommend a plant based, whole foods diet. Dr. Campbell bases his conclusion on the extremely comprehensive study of the Chinese population done in the mid 70's. He wrote a book about that study called, "The China Study." In it, the Chinese found that areas where the diet was mostly vegetable based with very little animal protein, the rates of heart disease and many other common life-threatening diseases were essentially non-existent!

Please change the way you and many other people eat and save your own life! Eat a plant-based, whole food diet!

More later,
Ambrose

MAC4Wellness event in Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania

2011-10-05T12:12:00.000-07:00

I attended the presentation given by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn this past Thursday evening. I had a wonderful time and learned a great deal in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania at the Mercersburg Academy. Dr. Esselstyn and Ann Esselstyn were amazing in their presentations. The meal served that evening was delicious and very filling.

I didn't want to bother the doctor since he had a long line of guests with questions so I snuck a picture.

I am grateful to all of the organizers of Mac4Wellness who sponsored the event and to Dr. Elizabeth George in particular who responded to my emails and who took this photo!

Here's a shot of Dr. Esselstyn on stage right after his presentation to the group with Dr. Elizabeth George.

I was particularly impressed by Mercersburg Academy. This is probably the most beautiful campus I have ever been on. The grounds are beautiful, the buildings are magnificent, and the architecture is classic and elegant. Here's a photo of the Lenfest Library on campus.

More later,
Ambrose

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. Visiting Area

2011-09-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

After starting my vegan diet based on Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr.'s philosophy, I Googled his name and found that he is coming to my area (well, close to my area) in the next few weeks. Dr. Esselstyn will be attending the Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Area Council for Wellness (mac4wellness.org) meeting on the evening of September 29th. Dr. E. will give a talk on Preventing and Reversing Heart Disease and his wife, Ann Esselstyn will also give a talk on "Shop, Stock and Cook the Healthy Way." There will also be a food tasting that same evening. The information poster is here. It's an Adobe Acrobat PDF file.

The program starts at 6:00 PM at the Burgin Center of the Mercersburg Academy in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania.

Map here.

More later,
Ambrose

First Post on Heart Health

2011-09-19T15:12:00.000-07:00

Hello World!

I started a new diet about 2 weeks ago and thought that I should start a blog since I have so many blogs on other interests as well. This one may be the most important one for me of them all!

I am a 55 year old naturalized Chinese American who has a heart problem. :)

I was diagnosed with a 99% block of "The Widowmaker" the Left Anterior Descending Artery (LAD) back in 2004 and as with many heart ailment sufferers, underwent a lot of thoughts about my life and in particular, my diet! I went with a low fat, low salt diet with few other limits.

After 7 years, I wasn't happy with what I felt was still going wrong with my heart so I decided to make a significant change. This one would provide me with two benefits, heart health and weight loss. It wasn't a difficult decision because I was mostly vegetarian when I was in College and going back to it wasn't a strain on my lifestyle. Of course, this was met with some resistance from my wife who would have to support me in this endeavor because she does the cooking at dinner time!

Besides limiting myself to just vegetarian foods, I am going one step farther and going with a pure vegan diet that also eliminates oils.

It's motto is very simple. Nothing with a face and nothing from a mother. No milk, no cheese, no animal products and no oils whatsoever. It's based on a diet I heard about on Sanjay Gupta's CNN news special called:

Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: The Last Heart Attack – Sanjay Gupta MD - CNN.com

It is available to view online at:

http://sanjayguptamd.blogs.cnn.com/2011/08/29/sanjay-gupta-reports-the-last-heart-attack/

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr. known as the prescriber of the diet that former President, Bill Clinton is on right now. President Clinton has also sworn off all animal products in his diet. I hope to report on my progress and also on tips and tricks I find along the way.

More later,

Ambrose