Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease: The Only System Scientifically Proven to Reverse Heart Disease Without Drugs or Surgery

Of all the "alternative medicine" heart books out there (or at least the five best-sellers that I've read), Ornish's is still the most complete, up-to-date, sensible and safe. Esselstyne's, which is currently in the number one slot in sales, is practically the same except slightly more "radical" (he prohibits oils of any kind--whether fish, flax, soy). It's simpler to read, briefer, and more current (probably accounting for its popularity), but for the most part it's a stripped-down version of Ornish's book, even following the same organization (advice plus lots of recipes). Ornish's program has the advantage of giving consideration to factors other than food and exercise as a therapeutic measure, and is the more "philosophic." (Also, there's the matter of sugar and triglycerides, appended below.) What sets Ornish apart, above all, is his holistic approach. He's fully aware that just as conventional medicine has placed excessive emphasis on stents, statins and bypasses, alternative medicine has committed much the same when on too-exclusive emphasis on foods, fish oils, various vitamins, enzymes, proteins and amino acids. Ornish looks squarely at the mental-emotional-spiritual dimension of human experience and the role of stress on heart disease. Just as literature-philosophy-theology teachers of modern thought dwell on the theme of alienation--from self, from others, from a higher power--in a modern and post-modern world, Ornish repeatedly comes back to the same theme, quoting, for example, T. S. Eliot and "The Four Quartets" (the Thunder's words at the end of "The Wasteland" also resonate here). For Ornish the operative word is not "alienation" but "isolation," which must be confronted and overcome at all costs for healing to occur. Quoting Sam Keene, he makes it clear that projecting one's own biases against the "other"--as members of hate groups are want to do--is no antidote to "isolation." It requires control, sympathy, understanding, perhaps above all a rejection of material values and the need to be liked. Ornish's is the one book that goes beyond what to eat and not to eat, what pills to take and avoid, what exercises to do and how often. His is the most spiritual approach. Here's the problem with some of the other books--for example, by Sinatra (who to his credit provides the most specific, illuminating information about "the new cardiology" or Ignarro (Dr. N.O.): With the exception of Ornish and Esselstyne, they prescribe the consumption of vitamins, supplements, pills and powders in megadoses that are not proven to be without side-effects which, for some individuals, can be draining and stressful in themselves. I know people who can't tolerate probiotics, ginseng, S-ame, goldenseal, grapefruit seed oil, and any number of the recent supplements that are sold simply on the basis of one "expert's" say-so, the cooperation of the vitamin manufacturers, and without FDA approval. To ingest the quantities of CoQ-10 and d-Ribose recommended by Sinatra or the 4 grams of d-Arginnine plus Citrulline required by Ignarro (in addition to 5 to 10 other "essential" supplements) is to invite a certain amount of discomfort before any of the advertised effects might be noticed. Indeed, to follow these recommendations is to trust that the medical "establishment" is completely ignorant of the wondrous powers of these supplements or determined to make us over-tax the health care system more than is already the case. Lord knows, the FDA, or organized medicine, has slipped up its share of the time, has been overly slow to approve some measures, overly hasty in other cases. But to demonize them as some sort of vast conspiracy intent upon keeping us all feeling unwell is, however much of a therapeutic placebo to some, an insult to common sense and logic. In fact, some of these health evangelists--going back to Adele Davis and Linus Pauling--prescribe as much from the perspective of belief, faith and theology as caution, wisdom, and science. [Not a popular review, but I stand by it. Even in his preface (p. xxix), Ornish calls attention to a matter that I simply missed while reading 5-6 more current books on CVD: simple carbs, or "non-fat" sugar and corn syrup. Yes, Esselstyne (and the rest, too) endorses organic, whole grain products, which would ensure the reader imbibes essential complex carbs. But the other books don't always explain as fully as necessary the primary REASON for watching the carbs no less than the fats. It leads to high sugar blood counts, overproduction of insulin, insulin resistance and, as a result, not only tiredness but elevated triglycerides and high blood pressure. I had been so exclusively focused on HDL and LDL and the avoidance of all meat, dairy, oils, fats, etc. that I was inadequately prepared for the results of a truly comprehensive lipid panel. To be fair to Esselstyne, it was from a paper on his website--not from any personal physician--that I learned about the absolute necessity of staying on Plavix following insertion of a chemically-treated stent. All the more reason to try alternative measures--such as the diet changes recommended by Ornish and Esselstyne--to preserve that precious endothelium before replacing it with something you didn't receive from your mother.]

This is an excellent book for mental and spiritual as well as physical well-being. Kudos to Dr. Ornish for this service. But one caveat. Dr. Ornish, being a follower of Swami Satchidananda (a Hindu monk of the Advaita/Monism order of Vedānta) focuses on the Vedānta verses that explain the ultimate identity of the Universe with God who is in fact the indweller (Super Soul) of the Universe with the Universe forming God's body. The Vedānta aphorism "Tat tvam Asi" that the book refers to, seeks to explain this principle of God's immanence in the Universe as the indweller of every living entity (spirit soul) as well as matter, thus ultimately all terms that have immediate reference to various living entities and objects in this Universe have their ultimate reference to God, the indweller. This however does NOT mean that the immediate identity and function of a living entity is that it's God. Rather, Vedānta when understood comprehensively, teaches that the infinite number of finite individual living entities (spirit souls) and Matter constitute God's inseparable, dependent, but different distinct/unique attributes individually and thus constitute God's body. Vedānta further explains that God is both within the Universe and without. IN A NUTSHELL, if we take a person named "John", the name "John" has immediate reference to the body/person that we see with our naked eyes. Then the name has mediate reference to the finite individual spirit soul in that body. Then the name ultimately refers to God, the Indweller (Super Soul) *inside* the finite individual spirit soul. Thus 3 degrees/levels of reference for the name "John" (and all other names that refer to individual living entities). In the case of matter, there's 2 degrees/levels of reference with the name of the object referring to the object we see with the eye and then God that indwells it. Below are a few references to Advaita (Monism) interpretation of Vedanta in the book that are better understood as explained above: 228: "By means of spiritual discipline the individual soul ultimately recognizes its oneness with the Universal Soul." 232 1st para: "you are one with God" 247 5th para: "MAHARSHI: ... You are the Self; you are already That.". 247 7th para: "Everyone and everything is God in disguise, in different FORMS": FORMS (BODIES) should be understood here as referring to individual souls and matter. 248 3rd para: "everything as simply the Self disguised in different forms": FORMS (BODIES) should be understood here as referring to individual souls and matter. 248 last para: "everything is our Self in different forms": FORMS (BODIES) should be understood here as referring to individual souls and matter. 248 last para: "Where would I go?": God's not going anywhere, but we the finite individual spirit souls constituting His several different attributes can and do move here and there. 250 4th para: "we may be more interconnected than we often realize": AS BODY (SEVERAL DIFFERENT DISTINCT ATTRIBUTES) OF GOD. A few other clarifications in the interest of comprehensive Vedānta: 231 last line: "the essence of God is to be found within": And outside in temples, where He is mercifully present for easy approach to Him. 232 2nd para: "we are not separate from God": We are not separate from Him, but at the same time, we have a dependent but distinct existence as His infinite attributes. 232 3rd para: "God manifesting in different ways": as the Indweller (Super Soul) of infinite number of finite individual spirit souls and matter. Not that each living entity is God in immediate reference/function. 234 1st para: "In one word, this ideal is that you are divine. 'Thou are That ...'": Only in the sense that God is the Indweller (Super Soul) of All and ultimately everything refers to Him in ultimate reference/connotation. But at the same time, we are all different "distinct" individual living entities (finite spirit souls), dependent on and inseparable from God. 234 1st para: "All the powers in the universe are already ours.": Then how did you forget "Thou art That"??? 234 2nd para: "there are many paths to the same ultimate truth.": Yes, some longer and some shorter. 246 last but one para: This is Equanimity taught in Sri Bhagavad Gita (the essence of Vedānta).

There are many books on the market that discusses heart attacks and how to prevent it. Many talk about diet, exercise and lifestyle changes. The book was shipped on time and received on time. Among the many, this is probably the best book. It starts with a good explanation of why many are at risk for heart attack and then goes on to explain that there are many changes one can make to prevent or reverse heart disease. This is the only book that address multiple factors in the lifestyle that will help anyone. It discusses better eating habits, better food, exercise, stress management, emotional health and overall change in the lifestyle that has been proven to reverse heart disease. Anyone who is considering drugs and surgery (unless they are in imminent danger of heart attacks) should consider reading this books and see if the steps in it will help them in the long run.

My husband and I used to eat relatively healthy. Bio-markets, occasionally vegan soups, we even bought an omega juicer. His cholesterol was hovering around 200 and below, LDL at about 100, and blood pressure was slightly high (135/85 or around that number.) We are in our 40s, athletic, no family history of heart disease, non-smokers. It was a shock to us when he started having chest pains, and was told he had 80% LAD blockage. The doctor was clearly not very tactful in the cath lab when he told me that it was called "the widowmaker." So he got a stent, started taking statins and anti-platelet, and we switched to Dr. Ornish (or Caldwell, or Esselstyn, or Pritkin... there are several proponents of similar plans with slight variations) diet. I got all the books and the recipes, and started the diet with him, since I cannot scarf down burgers while he eats carrots. Two months later, I can see the following results: His weight went from 175 to 155 lbs. Mine from 136 to 120. Before the diet I was trying to lose 5 lbs, to get to my happy weight of 130. The scale did not budge. Now, if I don't eat I keep losing weight, so I have to eat a lot, and often. His cholesterol went from 197 to 90, with an LDL of 20. That's not even human, in my opinion. Now he does take Lipitor (40 mg), so I am his "control group," since I take no medication. Mine went from 187 to 150, and LDL from 102 to 70. We asked the cardiologist whether he recommends this diet. He said yes, sure, if you can do it. He'd rather have people take their statins though, since the diet is so restrictive that few people stick with it long term. My husband's blood pressure went from 135/85 to 116/70, or something around there. We have a blood pressure machine now, so I can tell. (Can you tell I am doing this very scientifically.) I read all the articles I could find on pubmed.com and decided to supplement with B12 and Fish Oil of some high quality. The cardiologist said the fish oil makes no difference, but for now we take it. We also take Cardioviva, a probiotic which might have some benefits. It can't hurt anyway. We started eating fish a few weeks back, grilled or steamed, about twice a week, so we might stop the fish oil. That is the only concession we make to the diet. Is it hard? Yes, it is, especially since I am doing it just to support him. Can it be done? Absolutely. It only depends how scared you are, and how strong is your motivation. We exercised before, so we keep that up. I'd say the first three weeks were the worst, your body just can't figure where did all the dietary fat go. Then you adjust, and things that you took for granted start to taste amazing, especially the forbidden ones. I can tell immediately if something has peanuts, because I can TASTE THEM! But I cannot eat them, not part of the diet. There is a direct correlation between your LDL and the number of coronary and cardiac incidents. Below 50 LDL, none. So that's where we try to keep it, and I worry of course about the stent, and the anti-platelet medication, and about an asteroid hitting the Earth someday. That's just me. But the diet works, I feel healthier than ever, I can wear skirts I had stashed away 20 years ago (I found one in a box) and all my... mmm... systems work really well. We miss cheese, lobster rolls, fried clams, oysters... but you get used to it, and when you look at the benefits I think it is worth it. If we make it to 75, maybe we will stop and start eating whatever.

This is a very in depth book. I have found it very useful to help change the way my household has been eating. A must read if you have been told you have great disease. Very doable. I wish the author would have given more suggestions for cooking without oil. But I am working around this change. It is great once you get into the book to see the do and don't do list of foods for the reversible as l diet. If you have been told told change your eating to live and reduce your heart disease, this is well worth buying.

My husband, who is a physician, and has a family history of heart disease, and I, an RN, began diligently following the reversal diet of the Ornish program in January, incorporating the recommended supplements, exercise and meditation. Since then, in a period of two months, he has lost 30 pounds, his cholesterol, and LDL have significantly improved, his HDL has not, and his already high Triglycerides have risen significantly by 30%. The previous post by the Ornish group states: "HDL and Triglycerides are only potential risk factors for heart disease, they are not diseases" If they are potential risk factors..then my concern is that my husband may still be high risk since he still has the potential risk factors. The Ornish group also states in it's post, "It is true that one can eat an unhealthful low-fat diet if it is high in simple carbohydrates.... Such a diet may cause a shift to the more harmful pattern B LDL subclass that Mr. Bayan mentions" We have been following the Ornish reversal diet/program diligently and have seen " a shift to the more harmful pattern B LDL subclass that Mr. Bayan mentions" They also state that "Patients whose triglycerides increase are counseled to be even more mindful in reducing their intake of simple carbohydrates and increasing their exercise." We have not been eating simple carbohydrates, "such as sugar, white flour, alcohol, and many popular fat-free desserts", and my husband has been exercising almost every day. They also state: "Also, for many years we have recommended that patients take 3 grams/day of fish oil, which also helps to lower triglycerides" We have been taking 3 grams/day of fish oil, along with the other recommended supplements, and his triglycerides rose 30%. I must confess I am confused, and while I do believe the Ornish program may work for some people, I am concerned about the safety of this program for my husband specifically. We are going to pursue the cholesterol subclass testing mentioned by Mr. Bayan. I have also posted several questions to the Ornish website about my concerns...but have not received any feedback n this phenomenon as of yet, or reassurance that these test results are not something to be concerned about. We plan to work with our cardiologist on exploring what we can do to lower his triglycerides and raise his HDL, since poor levels of both are still considered "potential risk factors" I do not wish to "discourage some people from making changes in diet and lifestyle that we have proven to be lifesaving", because I do believe for some folks the Ornish program may be just the ticket. My question, until I do more reading and have more information, is whether it could be risky for some who may not respond the same way. Until I have more information and answers to my questions, I cannot whole-heartedly know if it's for everyone. And I would certainly advise folks who are interested in trying this program, to do so with medical supervision, as is advised by the Ornish group. Just as a side note..I have really enjoyed eating the Ornish reversal diet. We have both very much enjoyed the recipes, the meditation, yoga and exercise. I like the total comprehensive approach dealing with the whole person. I've also lost 25 pounds on this program..and for that reason alone, would very much like to continue with it, as I have more to lose. I have not yet had my cholesterol re-tested but plan to soon. Still..we have some home-work to do to figure out why my husbands triglycerides and HDL are not responding, what we can do about it, and to figure out whether it's even a problem that they're not. As we have both been otherwise delighted with this program, we are both very disappointed to get caught on this snag.

I am a 70-year-old physician who was hospitalized for his first and only heart attack at age fifty-three. My Dad had his first heart attack at age forty-two and died at age forty-nine after his second heart attack. My brother had a massive heart attack in his fifties. Except when placed at the time of a heart attack, I am skeptical that the placement of stents in heart blood vessels are more valuable than a placebo. I read this book because I happened to see Dr. Ornish, the author, interviewed on Nova when I was at home convalescing from my heart attack. I was very doubtful about the validity of what I was hearing from the author (none of my physicians had mentioned Ornish's approach); however, I thought that I would be dead in a few years and had nothing to lose by trying Ornish's program. Two months after going on the diet described in the book, I was astounded when the hospital laboratory reported that my cholesterol had dropped by one third. I suspected that the hospital laboratory had made an error; a similar result a week later amazed me. I had been a little overweight. On the Ornish diet, I ate all that I wanted; and my weight dropped by more than ten percent. I discovered later that deviations from the Ornish diet caused rapid increases in the cholesterol in my blood. I have adhered rigorously to his diet and have had no heart problems, strokes, or other diseases related to arteriosclerosis. It is very profitable for cardiologists to insert stents. For most patients, it would be much more valuable to follow the diet and other changes in life style that are described in this book. The text is short and fun to read. Since my heart attack seventeen years ago, I have given over fifty copies of this important book to friends with cardiovascular diseases.

My cholesterol has been high all my life - around 300 at best. Statins and the Doctors diet plan reduced this at most by 60 points, the response I got was I needed to take them regularly. I suffered a significant blockage in my main artery which was a big wake up call and though I was unsure, I bought the book. First of all don't make my mistake of buying the mass media paperback - the writing is so small it is almost impossible to read. OK - I spent several days reading the book and planning for grocery shopping etc. The diet is overwhelming. The recipes are not in a logical listing and I got so frustrated I could have quit BUT WE DIDN'T. We persevered, I learned how to plan ahead and my husband learned that Hummus is his best friend, it became easier. The food is excellent, tasty, colourful and more than we could eat. The first week we were both so hungry it was pitiful but it was not for the lack of eating - in fact we ate almost constantly! Week 2 was easier - not so many hunger pangs and the weight was falling off. Week 3 and we both feel substantially better in ourselves, the cooking is under control and I am glad we persevered. We have both lost 11lb (despite the constant eating) my cholesterol has dropped from 300 to 185 and I am more confident in my future. Bottom line, don't let yourself get discouraged, go into this knowing it will be a lot of work and confusing and frustrating at times. I have lost count of the number of times I have thrown this book on the counter and yelled "I can't do this!". I am so glad that we continued and got over the hump. Now that the cooking is under control I plan on starting the exercise program and will follow that with the stress relief techniques. There is no way I could have started all of it together but eventually we will follow the whole plan.

brought for a friend and he says it is a very interesting book. He had a heart attack and has read about half dozen books and is now recovery. This was one of them. He says the approach is very strict especially the diet and newer books have given different information, I guess a happy medium is the approach my friend has taken taking into account all the information he has gathered from various books that were written at different times. This is a must for anyone who wants more information about recovering from heart disease. It is very informative and my friend said it taught him a new way of looking at his condition and is recovering well without all the drugs the hospital and doctors gave him.

LÓGICO E INTERESANTE SU MÉTODO, TOMANDO EN CUENTA QUE NUESTRA SALUD ES RESULTADO DE UN CONJUNTO DE VARIANTES Y NO SOLO UN MEDICAMENTO

Very long and too small print

A handy book information regarding heart

Je m'attendais à quelque chose de bien mais ce livre m'a surpris car il fait le lien avec d'autres domaines. La méthode ne se limite pas à des conseils d'alimentation et d'activité physique ! À recommander et à offrir à vos amis.