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From:	Jon (76.21.4.84)
Subject:	Re: Reversal Diet, Fats and Proteins - Diet 100%, Exercise - Nice
Date:	February 23, 2008 at 1:44 am PST

In Reply to: Re: Reversal Diet, Fats and Proteins - OUT OF DATE BOOK posted by Ricardo Gouvea on February 21, 2008 at 5:26 am:

Hi Ricardo,

Congratulations on your weight loss. Mine took longer but there was more
to lose. ;-).

> My doctor that believes on Reversal said that 60% is exercising
> and 40 % Diet. Do you believe in it too?

Looking back from two years following the diet, I have found a tremendous
increase in exercise capability - from 30 minutes endurance to over 6 hours.
Age 50.

But was that due to being overweight followed by weight loss, being terribly
out of condition followed by hard exercise, by reversing a statin side-effect
(see below), or FINALLY, even reversal? There is no way to know ...

The only suggestion I would make is to do the reading and pick the best
advice you believe and to follow it. I chose on the basis that it was a life or
death decision. Helps the critical faculties no end, IMO. That or the beer ;-).

In my case it is Esselstyn's advice.

I believe that 100% compliance with Dr. Esselstyn's diet will guarantee that
one is heart attack proof. In about 3 weeks. As the good doctor says in his
book.

Dr. Esselstyn says that some patients who were unable to exercise - stroke
patients - but who did follow the diet - 10% fat from starches, etc - you
know the diet - got exactly the same benefits as those who were able to
exercise as well as follow the diet!

In your case it might be your doctor's opinion. If you have a real live doctor
who believes in reversal you are streets ahead of most patients. (90%?).

I would only be concerned if he said of Ornish, McDougall, or Esselstyn
"Nah, don't bother." Or as in my own case "try the South Beach diet." (Atkins
plus "moderation"). "Dear God give me strength and preserve me from
imbecile nutritional advice."

For myself, I tend to prefer the diet AND exercise approach, but that is a
protestant background - self discipline, abstinence, self-denial, austerity ;-
). A fellow countryman - Oscar Wilde - Irish - did say that the thing to do
with temptation was to give in to it. I'm assuming that that was in all things
except diet ;-).

I exercised hugely, but I choose to believe that I did not have a "cardiac
event." I prefer to believe it to have been a statin side-effect, where too
large a dose of statin deprives the muscles of the heart of ubiuquinone -
CoQ10, resulting in a feeling of "weakness." Plus a lot of unecessary cardiac
workups. (Treadmill, Holter, Nuclear stress, Angiogram). The most dense
CoQ10 use is in the heart so it makes a kind of sense. BUT do I know that?
Absolutely NOT.

(See www.spacedoc.net for the general idea, IF relevant to your situation,
otherwise ignore as a dangerous diversion from following the diet 100%).

Happily, the cure in either case is the diet, plus exercise IF ABLE.

After a heart attack I'm sure that exercise must be very carefully monitored,
so I would be definitely NOT suggest that anyone do what I did and exercise
so hard.

DIET
Esselstyn's diet is the best diet I have found. But you have read more widely
than I. (I don't know Agatston).

If your doctor suggests Exercise - 60% and Diet 40%, and you follow the diet
100% and do the exercise you can, what more can you do?

Will it agree with Esselstyn's suggestions? Absolutely. Ornish and
McDougall? Certainly.

I don't know how to implement an exercise program for a cardiac patient.

If your doctor can and does, that would be terrific. If one then found an
aerobic sport that one enjoyed, that would make it easier too. Running is
hard on the joints. Cycling is like running but with a very comfortable seat.
Others swim ...

I see that you are in Brazil. Walking on Cocacabana beach past girls in
dental floss bikinis might be "contra-indicated," until further down the
reversal path ;-).

Re 3 years to reversal -

Esselstyn says three weeks to heart attack proof.

Elsewhere he says that severe cases took up to 8 or 9 months to be relieved
of angina when exercising.

Unless one undergoes an angiogram (which has its own risks - allergy to the
drugs, 1% death, 5% heart attack) one can't PROVE that there has been
reversal.

A 64 slice EBCT or CT scan is suggested as an alternative, but is it? What
about the X-ray exposure? The cost? The necessity for?

After a year or two and no angina AND greatly increased exercise
endurance, might one not be so concerned to PROVE that there had been
reversal?

And be content to live very happily dieting, exercising and enjoying life and
ASSUME that there indeed was reversal, but that PROOF had too high a price
and few additional benefits.

If you read John McDougall - The McDougall Program for a Healthy Heart
you will probably be dissuaded from undergoing any unnecessary cardiac
tests. The question of where the tests lead is key. Not to an operating table
and an angioplasty or a bypass, if one is given a choice, is following the diet
100%, and if Dr. John McDougall is your guide!

Best wishes,

Jon

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