Dr. Esselstyn And Wife, Ann, Teach Heart Disease Reversal At Live Well Lakewood Event

On November 19, 2011, Dr. Caldwell “Es” Esselstyn, Jr. shared his research and experience with a capacity crowd of nearly 400 people at Lakewood Baptist Church on how to prevent and reverse heart disease with diet alone. Dr. Esselstyn, retired after a 35-year distinguished career as a surgeon and researcher at The Cleveland Clinic, has completed 20 years of compelling research on reversing heart disease. According to Dr. Esselstyn, heart disease is a “toothless, paper tiger.”  Even patients with severe, advanced coronary artery disease can reverse their disease with diet alone, and even make themselves “heart attack proof.”

Dr. Esselstyn shared the science and research that show persuasively that the Western diet, rich in meat, dairy and added fats, is the primary cause of heart disease. He cited startling studies showing that virtually all Americans aged 20+ already have some degree of clogged arteries.

His treatment, backed by 20 years of his medical research, is the Heart Disease Reversal Diet. It eliminates the meat, dairy, and fat that clog and damage the arteries. In his words, “stop pouring gasoline on the fire.” He cautions that “moderation kills.”  Traditional medical therapies that promote moderation in eating (and drugs, stents, and surgery) merely slow the progression of the disease which will eventually kill 70% of the patients.

The second pillar of the treatment is to repair the damage. Esselstyn explained the physiology of the arteries, in particular the inner lining, the “endothelium.” Green leafy vegetables, in particular, stimulate the endothelium to create the essential and amazing gas, nitric oxide (NO), which reduces friction, allows the arteries to expand and increases blood flow, reduces inflammation, decreases high blood pressure, and prevents additional clogging. Eating a plant-based diet with lots of green leafy vegetables is like “putting water on the fire.” He encouraged five servings a day. That’s right – five.

With this treatment, heart disease symptoms are reduced or eliminated in two to three weeks.

Esselstyn acknowledged that some call this treatment “extreme” or “radical.” On the other hand, according to the Center for Disease Control, heart disease kills one of every 4 Americans, is the leading cause of death, and costs the nation $316 billion in health services, medications and lost productivity. Perhaps that is extreme for a disease which does not even exist in parts of the world that eat a plant-based diet.

Dr. Esselstyn introduced his wife, Ann Crile Esselstyn, the granddaughter of Dr. Crile, one of the Cleveland Clinic founders. She explained the “how to” of the program -- offering cooking suggestions to incorporate kale, collard greens, beet greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce and other green leafy vegetables into daily menus; gave tips on reading food labels; recommended oatmeal varieties for breakfast; and encouraged all to take advantage of the heart healthy products offered by Nature’s Bin like no-oil hummus, nutritional yeast and Luna Burgers. She brought to life the bounty, richness, and delights of eating her husband’s proven, disease-reversing diet.

This event was sponsored by Live Well Lakewood, a grass-roots, community organization that promotes healthy, active living. Mayor Mike Summers, Lakewood Baptist Pastor Jonathan Glass-Riley, and Live Well Lakewood co-founder Paula Reed welcomed the crowd. Nature’s Bin distributed heart-healthy food samples. More info on Dr. Esselstyn and his treatment approach can be found on his website, www.heartattackproof.com. More info on Live Well Lakewood’s future events: www.livewelllakewood.org.

Sidebar:

Esselstyn’s Heart Disease Reversal Diet:

Do Eat

  • Vegetables – leafy green, root, red, green, purple, orange, yellow and all others except avocado
  • Legumes – beans, peas and lentils of all varieties
  • Whole Grains – bread, pasta, and other products that have no added fat
  • All fruits

Do Not Eat

  • Do not eat anything with a mother or a face (no meat, poultry, fish, or eggs)
  • No dairy products
  • No eggs, no egg whites
  • No oil of any kind – not a drop.  That means no olive oil.
  • No nuts, no coconut, no avocado.

Gary Pritts

Gary Pritts serves on the board of Lakewood Hospital and chairs the Community Relations Committee and the Community Advisory Board.

Read More on Lakewood Health Care
Volume 7, Issue 25, Posted 11:52 PM, 12.13.2011