CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Convinced! A Plant-Based Diet Can Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease & Give You Energy to Spare

 

CNN's Ali Velshi:  Can you really cure heart disease with food?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta:  The answer is yes!  We found living proof of this.

Sharon Kintz is the woman we profiled.  A 66 year old woman--had a heart attack--she needed to have heart surgery & she said, "No!"

She's adopted a plant-based diet.  She's very strict about it.  She's been doing it for over a year & it's quite remarkable.  Not only in how much she hasn't had any symptoms of heart disease, but in terms of her energy levels.

She could barely walk before all of this & literally now--a year later--on a plant-based diet, she's able to jump rope & has high energy levels.

CNN's Ali Velshi:  OK, so the plant-based diet is good for your heart, but can you really get enough protein on this diet?

Dr. Sanjay Gupta:  The answer is yes! The protein argument is a fallacy.

It's simply not true that you can't get enough protein on a plant-based diet.  If you do even a little research you find out that broccoli has more protein per gram than most meat.  Spinach has the same amount.  And of course there's tofu.

People who do this diet feel good & have a lot more energy.

 

 

If you received this post via email--you'll need to click here to get to the web version with the videos & links. 

Even though I watched the entire CNN "Last Heart Attack" special on Sunday--this promo really "Takes the Kale" for bringing home Dr. Sanjay Gupta's main point:  Heart disease--the No. 1 killer in the U.S. is a food-borne illness.  It need never exist.  Food can cure it--and make you heart-attack proof! 

Please take the four minutes to watch this promo--yes, even if you watched the special!  I promise you--it's worth it.  

Gupta comes clean with exactly what he learned after a year's worth of research on heart disease.   Talking to the experts.  Talking with patients.  Studying the research.  And Gupta's not just a TV doc--he's a practicing neurosurgeon at Emory University in Atlanta who graduated from the University of Michigan--undergrad & med school.

If you missed my post that summarized the special--& included the entire video, click here  for "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"

And if you missed "The Last Heart Attack" you can catch it again on Saturday, September 3 at 8:00 PM EST--or watch it now, without the commercials--right here!

 

Can Food Cure Heart Disease?

 

If you don't see this video on your screen, click here to go directly to it.

 

 

If you don't see the 2nd video on your screen, click here to go right to it.

Eating Your Way to Health--What About Protein on a Plant-Based Diet?

 

 

 

So, What About Those Energy Levels?  And What Exactly Do You Eat on This Diet?

 

Yesterday, I was up at 6:00 am--and I ended up working much later than I expected.  Like over 11 hours.  Got home about 9:15 pm--and my day included about 2 1/2 hours of moving heavy medical journals from one floor to the next--on & off shelves & pushing a heavy journal-laden trolley between floors.

Good thing I had packed my "lunch box" with breakfast, lunch, & snacks.  It easily got me through the day--until I could finally get home & eat dinner--at 9:30 pm.

 

Here's what got me through the day.

Check back for the Taco Salad, the No-Fat Creamy Chipotle Dressing, & the Chickpea & Spinach Burger recipes tomorrow--no time to post it right now--I'm off to exercise, and then I'm working late, again, tonight!

 

My Breakfast & Snack: "Cheezy Savory Oatmeal" with Spinach, Chia Seed, & a Peach

 

 

Cheezy Savory Oatmeal with Shiitake Mushrooms, Sun-Dried Tomatoes & Spinach--Ready to Eat

 

 

 

OMG Amazing Taco Salad with Black Beans & My No-Fat Version of NYC's Famous Candle Cafe Chipotle Dressing.  YUM!  Next Time I'll Add Roasted Corn.

 

Packed & Portable Taco Salad for Lunch

 

My Green Smoothie Mid-Day Sipping Snack-27 Ounces of Spinach, Carrots, Kiwi, Berries, & an Orange

 

My Late Night Dinner--Chickpea & Spinach Burgers with Light Tahini Lemon Sauce, Sprouts & Oven-Baked Spicy Sweet Potato Fries

And sometime this weekend--I promise--Part II of my 15+ months on a plant-based no-oil diet.  The tips, my favorite pantry staples, the supplements, & what's for lunch & dinner.

Tip:  Word has it that "Forks Over Knives" is now streaming on Netflix.  If you haven't seen it--it's a not-to-be missed documentary.  Read more about it here & here.

 

Readers Keep Asking for Updated Photos of Me & My Husband - This Week's 2 Hour Bike Ride on the Tow Path

 

Comments

[Chris O'Keefe]

Hey - is that the Tow Path in northern Ohio? I was born and raised in Akron/Bath area!

So when are you going to put together an all-recipe (with photos - they really tell the story) site??

Keep up the fabulous work and inspiration to us all!

Chris

[val]

You & your husband rock! Your blog is wonderful. I especially appreciate the careful thought and time you put into each post...today's is so comprehensive...video, transcript & cliff notes, wow! I'm on board, I'm working on converting my husband and it's your blog that keeps me inspired and helps educate my husband. Thank you for your support! I picked up the FOK book last week--good info. Looking forward to your next post, enjoy the holiday weekend.

[Richard Gill]

I sense a tipping point is near in the health care provider community on this issue of addressing the "diseases of affluence" through nutrition and other life style choices.

Another of my favorite health & wellness blogs, "On Healthy Survivorship" by Dr Wendy Harpham, is also adding to the dialogue surrounding "The Last Heart Attack". In fact, she mentioned that she picked up the link from "Happy Healthy Long Life"!

I have made significant improvements in my own health over the past year and a half from your postings and those of others like yours.

We can address a great deal of the health care crisis in this country through primary prevention efforts, and we really can't afford not to as a nation. Thanks for all your efforts on this front. Keep it up!

[Sue T.]

Like Val, I'm trying to get my husband involved too! We've been married 10 years and when we met, he was the ultimate meat & potatoes guy -- he wouldn't touch vegetables except peas & green beans. I've been a vegetarian for over half my life and have been trying to move toward a vegan/plant-strong diet. It's been a LONG road, but I've convinced hubby to give up fast food, and he is now eating vegetarian about half the time. I've found that getting a variety of vegan cookbooks, particularly "The Engine 2 Diet" since it's geared toward "manly men" transitioning from carnivore diets, and having him go through them and pick out recipes has been a huge help. I don't let perfect be the enemy of the good. Eating vegetarian or vegan 3-4 days/week is better than 0 days/week. And avoiding McDonald's/Burger King is a huge win. Thank you, Librarian, for this informative, helpful site -- I've never commented before but I've been a reader for quite a while now.

[PGYx]

Wow, you look *amazing*! I know you didn't get into this primarily for reasons of vanity, but it's wonderful that you get to show off your healthy insides with a gorgeous & glowing exterior! :-)

[Angela]

I'd love to eat this way, but get confused as to where to begin. I enjoy your blog!

Thanks

[Maria]

You are an inspiration! I love reading your posts, don't ever stop writing. I learn more from you than any other literature.
Thanks very much!

[KK]

Another avid reader/infrequent poster.

I have a simple recipe to pass along to your readers for salad dressing: equal parts Trader Joe's Mango butter and balsamic vinegar. It has a little sugar, so it might not be for purists, but a really nice sweet and sour taste.

[Ginger]

You both look fabulous and are wonderful examples of the lifestyle you discuss in this blog. I have learned so much. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.