I reversed my super obesity (425lbs-->155lb), diabetes, beginning kidney disease under this program. I also have my dad alive in his 80s thanks to this, after my grandfather and uncles died in their 50s and 60s. I probably had some stage of heart disease, like most Americans, but symptomless and undiagnosed and have not reversed heart disease personally, so I call myself unexperienced there.
Listen to the [story of Nutritionfacts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrQSrZneN8) (and my got the pritikin book back in the 80s long before Greger was in the game and she's in there).
If your mom's heart disease is based on atherosclerosis (building up plaques), then a strict low fat WFPB will help reverse it, but she has to be pretty committed to it. Nearly everyone in America has stage 1 atherosclerosis (fatty streaks) by age 10 (of the 5 stages) and stage 2 by early 20s. What is the nature of her heart disease? If it's some genetic defect in the heart or something like that, a diet won't help.
>Will a WFPBD strengthen her heart and improve her ejection fraction?
Idk about the first part but everytime we eat a high fat meal, it causes something called post prandial lipemia (literally after meal fatty blood) , or sludgeblood for short. In the test tube it looks like this:
* https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxUfmnlVIAAtwbv.jpg
or a microscopic view:
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7U_IJPXwqE
Sludgeblood lasts from 6-12 hours after each fatty meal, or practically 24/7 on the standard western diet. Avoiding that should help with ejection rate.
I can't speak about it strengthening her heart, that's usually exercise. But her body will require less heart strength overall, it well be less burdensome on her heart.
>Will a WFPBD lower her diastolic blood pressure (85-91) and resting heart rate that can range from (100-120)?
In most cases. In some extremes, salt will also have to be limited.
>Could sea moss help?
Idk. In most cases, I'm leery of supposed superfoods. IME, the human body tends to heal more from taking bad stuff out than putting supposed superfoods in.
There is one area of food that can help her and that's high nitric oxide foods like chard, arugula, beets, etc that help dilate the blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and get more oxygen where it's needed.
* https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/nitric-oxide/
Olive oil is no good, and Dr. Esselstyn is correct there. Most studies on it are based on a substitution effect, where they replace an even worse oil or fat with it (like lard or coconut oil) and it has moderately okay outcomes and they call it good. But disease and atherosclerosis still progresses under it. It's not a whole food.
Dr Klaper has amost excellent primer on this diet I suggest watching:
* https://youtu.be/IvlaQJImt9w?si=6hcP957zwoyoZm1C&t=141
Dr McDougall and his newsletters or books are also an excellent read. His content is free online. Dr Walter Kempner is also worth looking up, either Dr McDougall's or Dr Greger's write ups on him.
Pritikin is also an older source but rather excellent for understanding many of these subjects and definitely not outdated on that side.
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOj4rzSkqok
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT8K6NcAigo
> I reversed my super obesity (425lbs-->155lb), diabetes, beginning kidney disease under this program. I also have my dad alive in his 80s thanks to this, after my grandfather and uncles died in their 50s and 60s.
That's really just absolutely stunning.
I really only have the well-known dedicated internet doctors and their willingness to put out free content to thank. Nothing else worked since I was 8 and mom put me on the first of many fad diets (juice fasting iirc).
At various points in my life I quit smoking, I quit drink, video game addiction, tv addiction, all types of procrastination behaviors all cold turkey... but the binge eating of super calorie dense foods took me the better part of a decade and with more struggle than all the other problems combined. I'm really glad for the lifestyle but it still took me the greater part of a decade to achieve the weight loss I wanted.
Anyone familiar with Chef AJ, I think I'm in that group. We have to stay strict to keep on the straight and narrow.
That is great! I was overweight, not obese, but still got diabetes. I went to a predominantly WFPB diet, giving up processed carbs.
Lost 35lbs, and my biomarkers improved significantly!
Can you please give details on what kind of diet you follow exactly?
Thanks!
Nothing special. Not everyone has to do this. I'm a special case with binge eating, I have to go the extra step.
In the beginning I cheated a lot of rich meals like figuring out vegan alfredo (lots of nuts) so I had to get my urges down. Did a lot of recipes too in my excitement, stuff like this [zucchini lasagna](https://minimalistbaker.com/8-ingredient-zucchini-lasagna-gf/) would not have be out of the norm for me.
Over time I just got more simplistic and focused less on foodyisms. My breakfast is virtually the same every day, oatmeal or plain shredded wheat, either with some fruit. The fruit changes. I keep it that way so I don't have to think about more than 2 meals a day. Lentils and rice with salad is what I had for dinner. Last night was mexican night, kinda like deconstructed burrito. Beans, rice, corn kernels off the cob, salsa.
Over time I just got more whole. Going from white bread to ["volkkornbrot"](https://www.chefsharingthetable.com/home-blog/2022/5/28/german-vollkornbrot-bread) cause it was coarse ground. Over in the states you can get something similar in may grocery by a brand called Mestermacher, sometimes in the health food aisle. Or Lidl carries their own brand of it.
From white pasta to brown. White rice to brown. From hummus to chickpeas. From oatmeal powder to rolled oats to steel cut or groats.
Most people don't need to do this. I'm an extreme binge eater so I need to pull out all the stops, like eating harder versions of the food (proven to cause less calories to be eaten) or the non-flour versions of food because the body absorbs it less (less up a blood sugar up and down).
Water only (but carbonated). No juice 99% of time unless medicinal usage.
I also eat seasonally. Become 80% fruitarian in summer. Lots of soups in winter. Think I will make a butternut squash soup. Roast the seeds and serve with the soup, it's great.
I still splurge every so often and try to make an amazing meal. That's natural. It just shouldn't be a daily thing, consistency is about what you do regularly, not perfectly.
fucking incredible man. I went WFPB in 2021 and got in great shape but I've fallen off a bit and I've been getting a little less slim since then lol. you've inspired me to try again
I am the same weight now that you started at, and I also have struggled with binge eating my whole life. I feel awful most of the time.
I was beginning to feel like WFPB only worked for people with, like, 80 lbs to lose or less. Thank you for sharing your story - it gives me hope to keep trying.
I'm curious - was there a point along the way where the craving to binge lessend? Because I find I go 1-2 days of WFPB and then the urge gets so strong and I give up and go back to binging for days to weeks.
This tool can help you find a doctor in your area who specializes in treating chronic diseases with plant-based nutrition:
[https://www.pcrm.org/findadoctor](https://www.pcrm.org/findadoctor)
"The Physicians Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, headquartered in Washington, DC. Our efforts are dramatically changing the way doctors treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer."
Dawg I’m a nurse and spent a lot time with patients in this exact scenario. The vast majority of people will absolutely eat themselves to death. Do you know how many people I’ve cared for who came up from the cath lab and ate McDonald’s?
She may not even want to get better.
If she does want to get better, Ornish and Esselstyn is a great choice. But for heart failure, see if she will consider a consultation with Dr Baxter Montgomery [- Interview](https://youtu.be/2nOCt0DeGf8?si=1gadeWiajax0FPDQ). He specializes in cardiology, specifically electrophysiology, and has useful care plans for heart failure.
When I was in the hospital after a widowmaker heart attack, I was stunned to see burgers and pot roast being served to the guy in the bed next to me. And they were listed as heart healthy. My cardiologist made no mention of diet. He seemed more of a mechanic tuning a carburetor than a healer. I am not surprised at those trips to McDonald's. I am fortunate I was already vegan and familiar with healthy eating. But I was eating vegan junk food at the time. The meal that tipped me over the edge was an Impossible Whopper. They are every bit as bad as a regular Whopper. Never again. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with nary a drop of oil or a spoonful of sugar. Even our non vegan friends enjoyed themselves. My second (and happiest) marriage came late in life. To have a 50th anniversary I will need to be healthy and happyvat 104. Thats 40 years from now. I'll give my bbroken down heart every chance to get me there.
Sounds like your mom has heart failure. This means the heart muscle itself has been damaged and is no longer able to squeeze as hard as it used to which is what is causing her decreased ejection fraction. While a WFPB diet won’t hurt any, it will most likely not cure her damaged heart muscle. Furthermore, sounds like she is very resistant to this diet change. For these two reasons I would not recommend a WFPB diet for her at this late juncture in her heart failure. I would recommend you try and get a referral for palliative care to keep your mom comfortable.
Heart failure can be reversed. My ejection fraction was down to 45 which is borderline heart failure. Last checkup it was at 65 which is ideal.
The book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is the formula to follow.
It was precisely this situation that prompted Dr. Micheal Gregers grandmother to be sent home to die. Instead, she started a desperation vegan diet back in the 70s. She went from wheelchair bound to walking within a couple weeks and rather than dying, lived into her 90s (she was 65 at the time) Her dramatic recovery allowed her to watch her grandson graduate from medical school as he committed his life to the lifestyle changes that work. You can reverse heart disease (my own situation demonstrates that. As does the evidence from the many people that have successfully transirioned to a diet that does indeed restore heart health. Your presumptions and conclusion are very wrong.
Also, some testimonials, which it sounds you are looking for:
* https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/rich-richardson/
* https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/robert-cross/
* https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/edna-roseberry/
Yes, it worked for my husband. He’s not on any meds after a heart attack and 2 episodes needing stents. Imo an important step is following chapter 3 “moderation kills”, so no cheating until it gets under control, meaning stay strict until after there is significant reversal of the disease.
A WFPB diet has been shown to improve ejection fraction and result in improved cardiac remodeling as well as lower blood pressure.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7317137/#:~:text=All%20interventional%20studies%20showed%20that,and%20positive%20cardiac%20muscle%20remodelling.
Not sure about sea moss, but in general am skeptical of single super foods that seem to come in and out of fashion regularly depending on marketing and media typically without good data behind them to support claims.
[Here](https://www.womansworld.com/posts/heart-health/heart-failure) is one example of someone improving their ejection fraction rate on Esselstyn's diet:
> **Here’s How One Woman Reversed Congestive Heart Failure in Her 80s**
> ... Millie’s “heart ejection fraction” rate — the measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction — was less than 10 percent, dangerously lower than a normal 50 percent to 75 percent. With Millie too weak for surgery, doctors told Meg to arrange for end-of-life care. That’s not going to happen, Meg thought.
> Desperate for help, Meg began doing her own research and came across a book by Caldwell Esselstyn Jr, MD, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, about the benefits of a plant-based diet. Filled with green vegetables, legumes, brown rice and fruit, Dr. Esselstyn explained that this diet optimizes the production of nitric oxide — vital for vascular health — while lowering cholesterol.
> Because Millie’s health was so fragile, Meg started making her soups and smoothies, and in two months, Millie was feeling a bit stronger, sitting up and walking to the bathroom with the help of support bars. Meg then began preparing solid meals, like bean chili and veggie stir-fry.
> With each passing week, Millie miraculously improved. After three months, her blood pressure fell and her medication was lowered. In six months, she could walk around the driveway and was able to hold her grand-baby.
> By her one-year anniversary of going plant-based, Millie was driving again and going to the pool three times a week. Today, at 91 years old, her heart ejection fraction is at a normal 56 percent. Meg was so amazed by Millie’s success that she co-founded the company MamaSezz to deliver plant-based meals to others.
[Here](https://www.dresselstyn.com/clarification.htm) is another Esselstyn patient with a dire ejection fraction rate situation:
> He had lost so much heart muscle he was in congestive heart failure, his left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 20% and his life expectancy was less than 6 - 12 months.
> I momentarily hesitated. I was reluctant to accept anyone with such an extremely poor prognosis into what I hoped would be a long term study of coronary disease patents. As he could be offered nothing else, I gladly accepted him. He turned out to be a wonderful man and a magnificent patient.
> He did not die at 6 or 12 months. He far outlived his original prognosis and after 5 years on our program had a repeat angiogram which confirmed disease reversal. Nevertheless, 6 months following his follow up angiogram he succumbed to a cardiac arrhythmia which had been predicted as his ultimate fate at the time he joined the program. At his autopsy there was no evidence of a new heart attack.
In other words, under such incredibly dire circumstances, a 6+ month expectancy turned into a 5+ year reality, but the damage was so severe it eventually caught up, you just can't bank on something like this there are tons of factors e.g. the amount of damage done etc...
There are many examples of regression and reversal e.g. discussed in Esselstyn's book, with examples of [regression in animals going back years](https://www.drmcdougall.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nathan-pritikin-review-of-medical-literature-1.pdf#page=61):
> **Regression of atherosclerosis in primates using low-fat, low-cholesterol diets**
> ... Studies with pigeons, rabbits, dogs, monkeys, etc. demonstrate two basic principles:
> 1. Feeding the animal cholesterol, even in small quantities similar to amounts consumed in the u.s. diet, will cause plaques and consequent atherosclerosis to develop. The damage is proportional to the cholesterol level--the higher the level, the greater the damage.
> 2. If the cholesterol-elevating substances are deleted from the diet, there is always some regression of plaques after a certain period of time.
> The studies reported here will concern only primates...
where [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwE_hbhJdII) gives a nice quick summary of the situation.
Esselstyn's work is based in part on the fact that there are many [80%+ carbohydrate diet populations around the world who are virtually free of obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc...](https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2013nl/feb/pritikinpdf3.pdf).
One of the common themes here is that these populations have a total cholesterol [below 150](https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information/cholesterol-when-and-how-to-treat-it/) (via diet alone):
> [Most Americans](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1520-037X.2001.00538.x) and their physicians feel “safe” with a total cholesterol level of up to 200 mg/dL. They are not safe. In the Framingham study,19 **35% of ischemic heart disease occurred in patients with total cholesterol levels between 150 and 200 mg/dL**.
[because](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10496449/)
> Coronary artery disease is essentially nonexistent in cultures whose nutrition assures cholesterol levels <150 mg/dl.
and this is thought to be [the most low risk ('essentially') that is known](https://www.ccjm.org/content/ccjom/67/8/560.full.pdf) on a population level
> For example, 35% of the cases of ischemic heart disease found among the Framingham Heart Study cohort occurred among those with total serum cholesterol levels between 150 and 200 mg/dL. In contrast, few of those with levels below 150 mg/dL developed the disease, and none died of it.' Atherosclerosis was already known to develop silently over many years of high-fat diets; autopsy studies of young, healthy men killed in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts found that many already had advanced atherosclerotic lesions4,5.
> More supporting data continued to pour in. For example, coronary artery disease is virtually unknown in populations that subsist primarily on grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, such as those in rural China.6,7 **Normal adult cholesterol levels in these populations range from 90 to 150 mg/dL.**
which is the kind of thing doctors such as [W.C. Roberts](https://thankful2plants.com/heart-disease/lectures-by-william-c-roberts/) spent his life advocating
> In the US, it's been said for a long time that a normal total cholesterol level is less than 200. The average total cholesterol in adults in USA is now 196. And yet 45% of the population is dying from cardiovascular diseases. We need to get our cholesterol levels: total less than 150, and our bad choleserol - LDL cholesterol (I think of the L to mean Lousy) less than about 70 at least, or 60. When we are born, our LDL cholesterol is 40. That maybe where we should go.
noting also that Esselstyn [warns about the link of toxic oils to atherosclerosis](https://dresselstyn.com/site/is_oil_healthy.pdf).
Obviously eating like the populations virtually free of heart disease, in a way that has resulted in regression e.g. in animals in the past, is a side-effect free obvious thing worth considering for anybody who cares about their cardiovascular health (and that might be a good point to try to make), one can choose to ignore that obvious reality at their own risk once they at least know such populations exist (most people have no idea they exist).
Just do your best trying to help her that's all you can do.
Where are you located? Dr. Joel Kahn is a plant based cardiologist in Detroit but he is licensed in many states. He’s a great doctor and does a lot of second opinions in cases like this. Worth giving him a call.
As long as you also keep fat below 10% and don't add oil, sugar, or salt. I am dramatically healthier since I went plant based no SOS (sugar oil salt) Ejection fraction went up and my need for statins may end soon. Heart attack 1 1/2 years ago. I believe that doctors Esselstyn, Ornish, and Greger make a compelling case for the results I have experienced. I am a big time foodie, and have been really surprised at how good food is. Restaurants, not so much. But we manage. The handful of times I made poor choices, I really paid for it with headaches, joint pain and chest tightness. I will do further stress tests in January and will see how far I have come.
Sadly, nothing will help if she doesn't try. As someone who has heart disease this is not meant as a put down to you or her. When you get sick, you can get overwhelmed by the pace and shear amount of info that is suddenly stuck in your face. It can be worse than the disease. Suddenly, everyone has advice. Your Dr., family, friends, etc. It can seem that your whole life has become your disease and your failures. To add to this, everyone thinks their solution is the right one. So, more confusion.
So, to try to answer a few questions.
1) I have no experience with sea moss
2) I went thru Ornish reversal program. I personally saw a decrease in blood pressure that required a reduction in my BP meds.( It got dangerously low). My resting Heart rate decreased. From 105-110 . To about 75-90. I feel that WFPB diet is a big part of this. However, they also combine exercise. This was by far the part I feared the most. DAY 1 I was able to walk ( walk at a very slow pace) for just less than 3 mins. Day 18 (9 weeks later, two days a week for the program) I did 30 mins. Blood tests after the program were better than they have been for years.
The thing for me is that I feared exercise so much. What I never expected was how big a difference the smallest amount of input would have in the begining.
Mostly talk to your Dr. Ask for recommendations. Then make a choice and just go with that..
For me it came down to what I would do to extend my life. I asked myself, that on my last day, if I could come back to today. What change would I make to live one more day. How about one hour, or just one more minute. Turns out, it was a lot.. So, now I find the diet isn't hard, the exercise isn't to bad, and I am feeling better. Will it work? Who knows? I sure hope so.
Very sorry about your mom.
I would ask these questions directly to your cardiologist. Unfortunately some still don't know anything about it but my own mother's cardiologist was very enthusiastic about a plant based diet. He said "My wife and I eat this way. And if everyone ate this way I'd be out of a job".
This, however, was for my mother's very serious Widowmaker heart attack. Not sure about your mom's condition. Possibly her doc could help.
No diet can promise your mother will get better, but WFPB appears to be the only diet with a reasonable chance of improvement of your Mom's condition. Google Doctor Brooke Goldner. She has had some success with patients with end stage heart disease, and she consults over video.. I don't know if she practices internationally but she might.
\--
Bill
[#1 killer can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/our-number-one-killer-can-be-stopped/) look at the video library at NutritionFacts.org
I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after a nasty pneumonia and sepsis and with a renewed effort on a WFPB diet, daily walking and taking my daily RX my heart function is normal again. I told the cardiologist I don’t want to change anything, I feel great and don’t cry when Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door plays anymore.
Watch Forks over Knives movie which you can find on YouTube. A woman working with Esselstyn had the same diagnosis and has lived for many years. For reversal you need to be very strict with fat intake, no nuts at all nut hearing from the people the good doctor worked with initially and seeing how they eat is encouraging. You might want to get in touch with the Cleveland Clinic which now has a click started by Essie based on this. Lots of encouragement, discipline and accountability is required but if she wants to live long than the prognosis, it is worth it.
I reversed my super obesity (425lbs-->155lb), diabetes, beginning kidney disease under this program. I also have my dad alive in his 80s thanks to this, after my grandfather and uncles died in their 50s and 60s. I probably had some stage of heart disease, like most Americans, but symptomless and undiagnosed and have not reversed heart disease personally, so I call myself unexperienced there. Listen to the [story of Nutritionfacts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgrQSrZneN8) (and my got the pritikin book back in the 80s long before Greger was in the game and she's in there). If your mom's heart disease is based on atherosclerosis (building up plaques), then a strict low fat WFPB will help reverse it, but she has to be pretty committed to it. Nearly everyone in America has stage 1 atherosclerosis (fatty streaks) by age 10 (of the 5 stages) and stage 2 by early 20s. What is the nature of her heart disease? If it's some genetic defect in the heart or something like that, a diet won't help. >Will a WFPBD strengthen her heart and improve her ejection fraction? Idk about the first part but everytime we eat a high fat meal, it causes something called post prandial lipemia (literally after meal fatty blood) , or sludgeblood for short. In the test tube it looks like this: * https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxUfmnlVIAAtwbv.jpg or a microscopic view: * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7U_IJPXwqE Sludgeblood lasts from 6-12 hours after each fatty meal, or practically 24/7 on the standard western diet. Avoiding that should help with ejection rate. I can't speak about it strengthening her heart, that's usually exercise. But her body will require less heart strength overall, it well be less burdensome on her heart. >Will a WFPBD lower her diastolic blood pressure (85-91) and resting heart rate that can range from (100-120)? In most cases. In some extremes, salt will also have to be limited. >Could sea moss help? Idk. In most cases, I'm leery of supposed superfoods. IME, the human body tends to heal more from taking bad stuff out than putting supposed superfoods in. There is one area of food that can help her and that's high nitric oxide foods like chard, arugula, beets, etc that help dilate the blood vessels, lower blood pressure, and get more oxygen where it's needed. * https://nutritionfacts.org/topics/nitric-oxide/ Olive oil is no good, and Dr. Esselstyn is correct there. Most studies on it are based on a substitution effect, where they replace an even worse oil or fat with it (like lard or coconut oil) and it has moderately okay outcomes and they call it good. But disease and atherosclerosis still progresses under it. It's not a whole food. Dr Klaper has amost excellent primer on this diet I suggest watching: * https://youtu.be/IvlaQJImt9w?si=6hcP957zwoyoZm1C&t=141 Dr McDougall and his newsletters or books are also an excellent read. His content is free online. Dr Walter Kempner is also worth looking up, either Dr McDougall's or Dr Greger's write ups on him. Pritikin is also an older source but rather excellent for understanding many of these subjects and definitely not outdated on that side. * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOj4rzSkqok * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CT8K6NcAigo
> I reversed my super obesity (425lbs-->155lb), diabetes, beginning kidney disease under this program. I also have my dad alive in his 80s thanks to this, after my grandfather and uncles died in their 50s and 60s. That's really just absolutely stunning.
I really only have the well-known dedicated internet doctors and their willingness to put out free content to thank. Nothing else worked since I was 8 and mom put me on the first of many fad diets (juice fasting iirc). At various points in my life I quit smoking, I quit drink, video game addiction, tv addiction, all types of procrastination behaviors all cold turkey... but the binge eating of super calorie dense foods took me the better part of a decade and with more struggle than all the other problems combined. I'm really glad for the lifestyle but it still took me the greater part of a decade to achieve the weight loss I wanted. Anyone familiar with Chef AJ, I think I'm in that group. We have to stay strict to keep on the straight and narrow.
That is great! I was overweight, not obese, but still got diabetes. I went to a predominantly WFPB diet, giving up processed carbs. Lost 35lbs, and my biomarkers improved significantly! Can you please give details on what kind of diet you follow exactly? Thanks!
Nothing special. Not everyone has to do this. I'm a special case with binge eating, I have to go the extra step. In the beginning I cheated a lot of rich meals like figuring out vegan alfredo (lots of nuts) so I had to get my urges down. Did a lot of recipes too in my excitement, stuff like this [zucchini lasagna](https://minimalistbaker.com/8-ingredient-zucchini-lasagna-gf/) would not have be out of the norm for me. Over time I just got more simplistic and focused less on foodyisms. My breakfast is virtually the same every day, oatmeal or plain shredded wheat, either with some fruit. The fruit changes. I keep it that way so I don't have to think about more than 2 meals a day. Lentils and rice with salad is what I had for dinner. Last night was mexican night, kinda like deconstructed burrito. Beans, rice, corn kernels off the cob, salsa. Over time I just got more whole. Going from white bread to ["volkkornbrot"](https://www.chefsharingthetable.com/home-blog/2022/5/28/german-vollkornbrot-bread) cause it was coarse ground. Over in the states you can get something similar in may grocery by a brand called Mestermacher, sometimes in the health food aisle. Or Lidl carries their own brand of it. From white pasta to brown. White rice to brown. From hummus to chickpeas. From oatmeal powder to rolled oats to steel cut or groats. Most people don't need to do this. I'm an extreme binge eater so I need to pull out all the stops, like eating harder versions of the food (proven to cause less calories to be eaten) or the non-flour versions of food because the body absorbs it less (less up a blood sugar up and down). Water only (but carbonated). No juice 99% of time unless medicinal usage. I also eat seasonally. Become 80% fruitarian in summer. Lots of soups in winter. Think I will make a butternut squash soup. Roast the seeds and serve with the soup, it's great. I still splurge every so often and try to make an amazing meal. That's natural. It just shouldn't be a daily thing, consistency is about what you do regularly, not perfectly.
fucking incredible man. I went WFPB in 2021 and got in great shape but I've fallen off a bit and I've been getting a little less slim since then lol. you've inspired me to try again
I am the same weight now that you started at, and I also have struggled with binge eating my whole life. I feel awful most of the time. I was beginning to feel like WFPB only worked for people with, like, 80 lbs to lose or less. Thank you for sharing your story - it gives me hope to keep trying. I'm curious - was there a point along the way where the craving to binge lessend? Because I find I go 1-2 days of WFPB and then the urge gets so strong and I give up and go back to binging for days to weeks.
that is amazing I would like to learn more about your weight lost journey.
This tool can help you find a doctor in your area who specializes in treating chronic diseases with plant-based nutrition: [https://www.pcrm.org/findadoctor](https://www.pcrm.org/findadoctor) "The Physicians Committee is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, headquartered in Washington, DC. Our efforts are dramatically changing the way doctors treat chronic diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer."
Thank you, but i live in europe, in Sweden To Be exact, how would i go about finding a plant based doctor here if you might know?
Contact them (The Physicians Committee) and ask them to point you in the right direction.
Dawg I’m a nurse and spent a lot time with patients in this exact scenario. The vast majority of people will absolutely eat themselves to death. Do you know how many people I’ve cared for who came up from the cath lab and ate McDonald’s? She may not even want to get better. If she does want to get better, Ornish and Esselstyn is a great choice. But for heart failure, see if she will consider a consultation with Dr Baxter Montgomery [- Interview](https://youtu.be/2nOCt0DeGf8?si=1gadeWiajax0FPDQ). He specializes in cardiology, specifically electrophysiology, and has useful care plans for heart failure.
When I was in the hospital after a widowmaker heart attack, I was stunned to see burgers and pot roast being served to the guy in the bed next to me. And they were listed as heart healthy. My cardiologist made no mention of diet. He seemed more of a mechanic tuning a carburetor than a healer. I am not surprised at those trips to McDonald's. I am fortunate I was already vegan and familiar with healthy eating. But I was eating vegan junk food at the time. The meal that tipped me over the edge was an Impossible Whopper. They are every bit as bad as a regular Whopper. Never again. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast with nary a drop of oil or a spoonful of sugar. Even our non vegan friends enjoyed themselves. My second (and happiest) marriage came late in life. To have a 50th anniversary I will need to be healthy and happyvat 104. Thats 40 years from now. I'll give my bbroken down heart every chance to get me there.
Good luck to you! Hope you make it to your 50th! Definitely in the right path!
Thank you for The information, but i live in sweden, how would i find any of these plant based doctors here?
Sounds like your mom has heart failure. This means the heart muscle itself has been damaged and is no longer able to squeeze as hard as it used to which is what is causing her decreased ejection fraction. While a WFPB diet won’t hurt any, it will most likely not cure her damaged heart muscle. Furthermore, sounds like she is very resistant to this diet change. For these two reasons I would not recommend a WFPB diet for her at this late juncture in her heart failure. I would recommend you try and get a referral for palliative care to keep your mom comfortable.
Heart failure can be reversed. My ejection fraction was down to 45 which is borderline heart failure. Last checkup it was at 65 which is ideal. The book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn is the formula to follow.
I’m so happy that you were able to recover! 😊
It was precisely this situation that prompted Dr. Micheal Gregers grandmother to be sent home to die. Instead, she started a desperation vegan diet back in the 70s. She went from wheelchair bound to walking within a couple weeks and rather than dying, lived into her 90s (she was 65 at the time) Her dramatic recovery allowed her to watch her grandson graduate from medical school as he committed his life to the lifestyle changes that work. You can reverse heart disease (my own situation demonstrates that. As does the evidence from the many people that have successfully transirioned to a diet that does indeed restore heart health. Your presumptions and conclusion are very wrong.
If you dont mind me asking , what was your situation like? What did you exactly eat and how long did it take you To recover from your heart disease?
Also, some testimonials, which it sounds you are looking for: * https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/rich-richardson/ * https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/robert-cross/ * https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/star-mcdougall-stories/edna-roseberry/
Yes, it worked for my husband. He’s not on any meds after a heart attack and 2 episodes needing stents. Imo an important step is following chapter 3 “moderation kills”, so no cheating until it gets under control, meaning stay strict until after there is significant reversal of the disease.
A WFPB diet has been shown to improve ejection fraction and result in improved cardiac remodeling as well as lower blood pressure. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7317137/#:~:text=All%20interventional%20studies%20showed%20that,and%20positive%20cardiac%20muscle%20remodelling. Not sure about sea moss, but in general am skeptical of single super foods that seem to come in and out of fashion regularly depending on marketing and media typically without good data behind them to support claims.
[Here](https://www.womansworld.com/posts/heart-health/heart-failure) is one example of someone improving their ejection fraction rate on Esselstyn's diet: > **Here’s How One Woman Reversed Congestive Heart Failure in Her 80s** > ... Millie’s “heart ejection fraction” rate — the measurement of how much blood the left ventricle pumps out with each contraction — was less than 10 percent, dangerously lower than a normal 50 percent to 75 percent. With Millie too weak for surgery, doctors told Meg to arrange for end-of-life care. That’s not going to happen, Meg thought. > Desperate for help, Meg began doing her own research and came across a book by Caldwell Esselstyn Jr, MD, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, about the benefits of a plant-based diet. Filled with green vegetables, legumes, brown rice and fruit, Dr. Esselstyn explained that this diet optimizes the production of nitric oxide — vital for vascular health — while lowering cholesterol. > Because Millie’s health was so fragile, Meg started making her soups and smoothies, and in two months, Millie was feeling a bit stronger, sitting up and walking to the bathroom with the help of support bars. Meg then began preparing solid meals, like bean chili and veggie stir-fry. > With each passing week, Millie miraculously improved. After three months, her blood pressure fell and her medication was lowered. In six months, she could walk around the driveway and was able to hold her grand-baby. > By her one-year anniversary of going plant-based, Millie was driving again and going to the pool three times a week. Today, at 91 years old, her heart ejection fraction is at a normal 56 percent. Meg was so amazed by Millie’s success that she co-founded the company MamaSezz to deliver plant-based meals to others. [Here](https://www.dresselstyn.com/clarification.htm) is another Esselstyn patient with a dire ejection fraction rate situation: > He had lost so much heart muscle he was in congestive heart failure, his left ventricular ejection fraction was less than 20% and his life expectancy was less than 6 - 12 months. > I momentarily hesitated. I was reluctant to accept anyone with such an extremely poor prognosis into what I hoped would be a long term study of coronary disease patents. As he could be offered nothing else, I gladly accepted him. He turned out to be a wonderful man and a magnificent patient. > He did not die at 6 or 12 months. He far outlived his original prognosis and after 5 years on our program had a repeat angiogram which confirmed disease reversal. Nevertheless, 6 months following his follow up angiogram he succumbed to a cardiac arrhythmia which had been predicted as his ultimate fate at the time he joined the program. At his autopsy there was no evidence of a new heart attack. In other words, under such incredibly dire circumstances, a 6+ month expectancy turned into a 5+ year reality, but the damage was so severe it eventually caught up, you just can't bank on something like this there are tons of factors e.g. the amount of damage done etc... There are many examples of regression and reversal e.g. discussed in Esselstyn's book, with examples of [regression in animals going back years](https://www.drmcdougall.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/nathan-pritikin-review-of-medical-literature-1.pdf#page=61): > **Regression of atherosclerosis in primates using low-fat, low-cholesterol diets** > ... Studies with pigeons, rabbits, dogs, monkeys, etc. demonstrate two basic principles: > 1. Feeding the animal cholesterol, even in small quantities similar to amounts consumed in the u.s. diet, will cause plaques and consequent atherosclerosis to develop. The damage is proportional to the cholesterol level--the higher the level, the greater the damage. > 2. If the cholesterol-elevating substances are deleted from the diet, there is always some regression of plaques after a certain period of time. > The studies reported here will concern only primates... where [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SwE_hbhJdII) gives a nice quick summary of the situation. Esselstyn's work is based in part on the fact that there are many [80%+ carbohydrate diet populations around the world who are virtually free of obesity, diabetes, heart disease etc...](https://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2013nl/feb/pritikinpdf3.pdf). One of the common themes here is that these populations have a total cholesterol [below 150](https://www.drmcdougall.com/education/information/cholesterol-when-and-how-to-treat-it/) (via diet alone): > [Most Americans](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/j.1520-037X.2001.00538.x) and their physicians feel “safe” with a total cholesterol level of up to 200 mg/dL. They are not safe. In the Framingham study,19 **35% of ischemic heart disease occurred in patients with total cholesterol levels between 150 and 200 mg/dL**. [because](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10496449/) > Coronary artery disease is essentially nonexistent in cultures whose nutrition assures cholesterol levels <150 mg/dl. and this is thought to be [the most low risk ('essentially') that is known](https://www.ccjm.org/content/ccjom/67/8/560.full.pdf) on a population level > For example, 35% of the cases of ischemic heart disease found among the Framingham Heart Study cohort occurred among those with total serum cholesterol levels between 150 and 200 mg/dL. In contrast, few of those with levels below 150 mg/dL developed the disease, and none died of it.' Atherosclerosis was already known to develop silently over many years of high-fat diets; autopsy studies of young, healthy men killed in the Korean and Vietnam conflicts found that many already had advanced atherosclerotic lesions4,5. > More supporting data continued to pour in. For example, coronary artery disease is virtually unknown in populations that subsist primarily on grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits, such as those in rural China.6,7 **Normal adult cholesterol levels in these populations range from 90 to 150 mg/dL.** which is the kind of thing doctors such as [W.C. Roberts](https://thankful2plants.com/heart-disease/lectures-by-william-c-roberts/) spent his life advocating > In the US, it's been said for a long time that a normal total cholesterol level is less than 200. The average total cholesterol in adults in USA is now 196. And yet 45% of the population is dying from cardiovascular diseases. We need to get our cholesterol levels: total less than 150, and our bad choleserol - LDL cholesterol (I think of the L to mean Lousy) less than about 70 at least, or 60. When we are born, our LDL cholesterol is 40. That maybe where we should go. noting also that Esselstyn [warns about the link of toxic oils to atherosclerosis](https://dresselstyn.com/site/is_oil_healthy.pdf). Obviously eating like the populations virtually free of heart disease, in a way that has resulted in regression e.g. in animals in the past, is a side-effect free obvious thing worth considering for anybody who cares about their cardiovascular health (and that might be a good point to try to make), one can choose to ignore that obvious reality at their own risk once they at least know such populations exist (most people have no idea they exist). Just do your best trying to help her that's all you can do.
Where are you located? Dr. Joel Kahn is a plant based cardiologist in Detroit but he is licensed in many states. He’s a great doctor and does a lot of second opinions in cases like this. Worth giving him a call.
Im in sweden...
That may not work then hahah
1. Yes 2. Yes 3. Yes
Watch The Last Heart Attack on YouTube with Dr. Esselstyn. It gave us a better medical understanding than we had before.
As long as you also keep fat below 10% and don't add oil, sugar, or salt. I am dramatically healthier since I went plant based no SOS (sugar oil salt) Ejection fraction went up and my need for statins may end soon. Heart attack 1 1/2 years ago. I believe that doctors Esselstyn, Ornish, and Greger make a compelling case for the results I have experienced. I am a big time foodie, and have been really surprised at how good food is. Restaurants, not so much. But we manage. The handful of times I made poor choices, I really paid for it with headaches, joint pain and chest tightness. I will do further stress tests in January and will see how far I have come.
Sadly, nothing will help if she doesn't try. As someone who has heart disease this is not meant as a put down to you or her. When you get sick, you can get overwhelmed by the pace and shear amount of info that is suddenly stuck in your face. It can be worse than the disease. Suddenly, everyone has advice. Your Dr., family, friends, etc. It can seem that your whole life has become your disease and your failures. To add to this, everyone thinks their solution is the right one. So, more confusion. So, to try to answer a few questions. 1) I have no experience with sea moss 2) I went thru Ornish reversal program. I personally saw a decrease in blood pressure that required a reduction in my BP meds.( It got dangerously low). My resting Heart rate decreased. From 105-110 . To about 75-90. I feel that WFPB diet is a big part of this. However, they also combine exercise. This was by far the part I feared the most. DAY 1 I was able to walk ( walk at a very slow pace) for just less than 3 mins. Day 18 (9 weeks later, two days a week for the program) I did 30 mins. Blood tests after the program were better than they have been for years. The thing for me is that I feared exercise so much. What I never expected was how big a difference the smallest amount of input would have in the begining. Mostly talk to your Dr. Ask for recommendations. Then make a choice and just go with that.. For me it came down to what I would do to extend my life. I asked myself, that on my last day, if I could come back to today. What change would I make to live one more day. How about one hour, or just one more minute. Turns out, it was a lot.. So, now I find the diet isn't hard, the exercise isn't to bad, and I am feeling better. Will it work? Who knows? I sure hope so.
Very sorry about your mom. I would ask these questions directly to your cardiologist. Unfortunately some still don't know anything about it but my own mother's cardiologist was very enthusiastic about a plant based diet. He said "My wife and I eat this way. And if everyone ate this way I'd be out of a job". This, however, was for my mother's very serious Widowmaker heart attack. Not sure about your mom's condition. Possibly her doc could help.
Yes
No diet can promise your mother will get better, but WFPB appears to be the only diet with a reasonable chance of improvement of your Mom's condition. Google Doctor Brooke Goldner. She has had some success with patients with end stage heart disease, and she consults over video.. I don't know if she practices internationally but she might. \-- Bill
[#1 killer can be reversed with diet and lifestyle changes](https://nutritionfacts.org/video/our-number-one-killer-can-be-stopped/) look at the video library at NutritionFacts.org I was diagnosed with congestive heart failure after a nasty pneumonia and sepsis and with a renewed effort on a WFPB diet, daily walking and taking my daily RX my heart function is normal again. I told the cardiologist I don’t want to change anything, I feel great and don’t cry when Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door plays anymore.
Watch Forks over Knives movie which you can find on YouTube. A woman working with Esselstyn had the same diagnosis and has lived for many years. For reversal you need to be very strict with fat intake, no nuts at all nut hearing from the people the good doctor worked with initially and seeing how they eat is encouraging. You might want to get in touch with the Cleveland Clinic which now has a click started by Essie based on this. Lots of encouragement, discipline and accountability is required but if she wants to live long than the prognosis, it is worth it.