Dr. Dean Ornish gave this presentation at a TED conference in February 2004. He discusses the importance of lifestyle including diet as well as exercise and stress reduction in maintaining or regaining good health. His program has had proven success in reversing heart disease and cancer. He and his colleagues have shown that the more a person is willing to move to the healthy end of his Spectrum of lifestyle choices, the more positive results they will obtain.
More...
Dr. Ornish's latest book is "The Spectrum". In addition to advice on exercise and stress reduction, it includes recipes created by Chef Art Smith with ingredient variations for different levels of The Spectrum of healthy diets. These are some of the chapters:
Chapter 9 - Lowering Your Cholesterol Level Using the Spectrum
Chapter 10 - Losing Weight Using the Spectrum
Chapter 11 - Lowering Your Blood Pressure Using the Spectrum
Chapter 12 - Preventing and Reversing Type 2 Diabetes Using the Spectrum
Chapter 13 - Preventing and Reversing Cardiovascular Disease Using the Spectrum
Chapter 14 - Preventing and Treating Prostate Cancer and Breast Cancer Using the Spectrum
In Chapter 5 - The Nutrition Spectrum, he includes a table with 5 groups of foods, ranking them from the healthiest (Group 1) to the least healthy (Group 5). His Reversal Diet, which has been shown to actually reverse heart disease and cancer, contains foods only from Group 1. His Prevention Diet is for people who are not actively trying to reverse disease, but rather are interested in maintaining good health and preventing disease. In additon to the Group 1 foods, his Prevention Diet also includes food from the other groups. His research has shown that the more your diet consists of Group 1 and 2 foods, the healthier you will be.
Dr. Ornish has also published several other books. In these books, he includes hundreds of recipes, most created by professional chefs and dietitians. In addition to other book sellers, you can buy his books at Amazon.com.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing and other natural wonders
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Eating Right for Cancer Survival -- Neal Barnard, MD
In Dr. Neal Barnard’s “The Cancer Project” web site, he offers a video, “Eating Right for Cancer Survival”, which is designed to be used along with his “Survivor’s Handbook”. It includes several presentations describing how the right food choices can help in cancer prevention and survival and bring major changes in your health and well being. They are available to purchase and on-line.
Dr. Neal Barnard is one of Foodie and Friends' Nutrition and Medical Experts and has several excellent web sites covering topics related to nutrition and chronic diseases including cancer and diabetes.
The data in his video presentations and handbook explain how and why the food we eat affects our health. Links to this very valuable information and Dr. Neal Barnard’s web sites are provided after the jump:
More...
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Survival Handbook can be used in conjunction with the video lecture series or by itself. Here is the link to download it in sections as Adobe files.
Survival Handbook
Dr. Barnard’s “Eating Right for Cancer Survival” lecture series is available in 8 individual QuickTime videos through the following links:
Introduction
Fueling Up on Low-Fat Foods
Favoring Fiber
Discovering Dairy Alternatives
Replacing Meat
Planning Healthy Meals
Antioxidants and Phytochemicals
Immune-Boosting Foods
Maintaining a Healthy Weight
Here is a link to download a QuickTime Player.
Here are links to related Neal Barnard MD web sites. In addition to nutrition and medical research articles, they include an extensive list of recipes including meal ideas. The NutritionMD site has an extremely easy recipe search tool and the ability to create and print out a shopping list for the recipes you have chosen. The individual recipes include a nutrition analysis. It’s very nice resource.
PCRM
The Cancer Project
Atkins Diet Alert
Healthy School Lunches
Humane Charity Seal
Kids Get Healthy
Neal Barnard, MD
NutritionCME
NutritionMD
Strong Bones
(For ease of navigation and to include future sites, there are links to Dr. Barnard’s PCRM related web sites in a drop down window on the individual web sites.)
Monday, October 20, 2008
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
This delicious and healthy recipe is easy to prepare. The original recipe is available in Dr. Neal Barnard’s NutritionMD web site, www.nutritionMD.com. It is a recipe submitted by the Millennium Restaurant in San Francisco, which is recognized as one of the finest gourmet vegetarian restaurants in the world.
This creamy and spicy pasta recipe is low in calories and total fat content, high in fiber, and high in vitamins and minerals.
Total calories = 250; Fat calories = 34; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 12% (3.8 g), Protein = 18% (13 g); Carbohydrates = 70% (50 g)
With more than 20% of the RDA, it is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D, Iron, Magnesium, and Niacin; and with between 10% and 20% of the RDA, it is a good source of Calcium, Folic Acid, Pantothenic Acid, and Selenium.
It fits the nutrition guidelines recommended for a low fat, whole foods, mostly plant based diet strategy. These nutrition guidelines are included in the “Nutrition Analysis - by the numbers ... ” post on the Foodie and Friends blog (www.FoodieandFriends.com). Its ingredients are high in nutrient density and fiber and are in Dr. Dean Ornish’s classification of healthiest ingredients, which can be found in his books, including “The Spectrum”.
The goal of a low fat diet is to keep fat content below 20% and preferably closer to 10% of total daily calories. For a 2000 calorie diet, a Fat content of 33 grams to 44 grams, represents 15% to 20% of total calories. With 3.8 grams of total fat, this is a suitable recipe to be included in a daily low fat menu.
Preparation demonstration and nutrition analysis after the jump:
More...
4 cloves - Raw Garlic
1 cup – Vegetable Broth (low sodium, organic) Pacific Natural Foods
0.5 tsp - leaves Dried Thyme
1 tsp - Fresh Rosemary
Cut the top off Each head of garlic, about ½ inch from the top.
Place the garlic heads in a small baking dish, and add the vegetable broth and spices.
Dry white wine or non- alcoholic wine could be used in pace of the vegetable broth.
I really like buying spices in small quantities from markets that sell them in bulk.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
I cut the top off a sweet yellow onion and paced it in the baking dish to braise at the same time. I’ll use it in another recipe.
Bake them for 1 ½ hours – until the heads are soft and slightly browned.
Set them aside to cool. Then squeeze the soft garlic cloves out of open tops.
3 cups - soy milk - plain Silk
2 tbsps - Nutritional Yeast Flakes Red Star
2 tbsps – Miso (white)
1 tsp - leaves Dried Oregano
0.5 tsp - Black Pepper
0.5 tsp - Ground Nutmeg
1 tsp - Fennel Seed
2 tsps – Paprika (Spanish)
0.33 tsp - Cayenne Pepper
1 recipe - Millennium Braised Garlic 
Blend all these ingredients together.
Be careful with how much Paprika and Cayenne Pepper you use. With too much, the recipe could become too “spicy”.
12 oz - Penne (Whole Wheat) Davinci
While cooking the Whole Wheat Penne Pasta, keep the sauce warm in a 150 degree oven.
Spoon the sauce over the pasta.
The original recipe does not call for adding any cheese topping. I chose to add hard parmesan cheese.
If 1 oz of hard parmesan cheese is added to the entire recipe, it adds 19 calories to the total, increasing it to 268 calories, with an additional 11 Fat calories, increasing it to 46 Fat calories, raising the Fat content by 1.2 grams to a total 5.1 grams.
If a low fat Parmesan cheese is used, it increases the fat content by 0.24 grams to a total of 4.1 grams.
This delicious recipe could be served alone, or with a salad, or topped with grilled shrimp or salmon, or with a side of vegetables, or topped with a skewer of grilled vegetables – or any of these kinds of variations.
How would you serve it?
__________________________________________
There are small variations in fat content caused by changing ingredients. The original recipe specifies light soy milk. But, it also could be made with whole soy milk or skim milk. And, different toppings could be added.
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Light Soy Milk
Total calories = 235; Fat calories = 27; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 10% (3 g), Protein = 17% (12 g); Carbohydrates = 73% (50 g)
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Soy Milk
Total calories = 250; Fat calories = 34; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 12% (3.8 g), Protein = 18% (13 g); Carbohydrates = 70% (50 g)
Some people might prefer to use skim milk. This would reduce the fat content, but introduce animal protein, casein, into the recipe.
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Skim Milk
Total calories = 243; Fat calories = 19; Fiber = 6.7 grams
Fat = 7% (2.1 g), Protein = 19% (13 g); Carbohydrates = 75% (52 g)
The original recipe does not specify any toppings. If 1 oz of hard parmesan cheese is added to the entire recipe, it adds 19 calories to the total, increasing it to 268 calories, with an additional 11 Fat calories, increasing it to 46 Fat calories, raising the Fat content by 1.2 grams to a total 5.1 grams.
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Whole Soy Milk and Hard Parmesan Cheese Topping
Total calories = 268; Fat calories = 46; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 15% (5.1 g), Protein = 19% (14 g); Carbohydrates = 66% (50 g)
If a low fat Parmesan cheese is used, it increases the fat content by 0.24 grams to a total of 4.1 grams.
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Whole Soy Milk and Fat Free Parmesan Cheese Topping
Total calories = 267; Fat calories = 37; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 12% (4.1 g), Protein = 20% (15 g); Carbohydrates = 68% (52 g)
If 3 medium shrimp per serving are added to the basic whole soy milk recipe, it adds 0.26 grams fat per serving and raises the cholesterol from 5 mg to 25 mg.
Millennium Pasta Carbonara
With Whole Soy Milk and 3 Medium Shrimp per Serving
Total calories = 264; Fat calories = 37; Fiber = 7.2 grams
Fat = 12% (4.1 g), Protein = 20% (15 g); Carbohydrates = 67% (50 g)
_________________________________________________
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Carrot Cream Soup with Basil Mint Swirl
This easy to prepare, very delicious and healthy recipe is available in Dr. John McDougall’s February 2008 newsletter (www.drmcdougall.com).
Carrot Cream with Basil-Mint Swirl with Carrot Cream with Basil-Mint Swirl Carrot Cream with Basil-Mint Swirl Basil Mint Swirl
This recipe is low in calories and total fat content, high in fiber, and high in vitamins and minerals.
Total calories = 202; Fat calories = 44; Fiber = 12 grams
Fat = 19% (4.9 g), Protein = 13% (7.5 g); Carbohydrates = 68% (39 g)
With more than 20% of the RDA, it is an excellent source of Vitamin A, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, and Niacin; and with between 10% and 20% of the RDA, it is a good source of Riboflavin, Vitamin B12, Panthothenic Acid, and Phosporous.
There is an additional 5 grams of fat added when a tofu sour cream topping is included.
It fits the nutrition guidelines recommended for a low fat, whole foods, mostly plant based diet strategy, which are included in the “Nutrition Analysis - by the numbers ... ” post on the Foodie and Friends blog (www.FoodieandFriends.com).
The goal of a low fat diet is to keep fat content below 20% and preferably closer to 10% of total daily calories. For a 2000 calorie diet, a Fat content of 33 grams to 44 grams, represents 15% to 20% of total calories. With 4.9 grams of total fat, this is a suitable recipe to be included in a daily low fat menu.
This recipe can be made with no animal protein. Its ingredients are high in nutrient density and fiber and are in Dr. Dean Ornish’s Group 1 classification of healthiest ingredients, which can be found in his books, including ‘The Spectrum”.
A preparation demonstration and additional nutrition data are included after the jump.
More...
Carrot Cream Soup
Assemble the ingredients:
2 large cloves garlic, sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced
4 or 5 carrots
1 sweet potato (1/2 pound)
1 red bell pepper
2 cups water
¾ tsp sea salt
¼ tsp white pepper
1 cup soymilk
Slice and chop the
sweet potato,
carrots,
red bell pepper, and
garlic.
These very colorful ingredients are high in nutrient density with lots of vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants.
Add the vegetables with water, salt and pepper to a pot. Bring to boil and cook for about 15 minutes in the pot.
Puree the ingredients with an immersion or regular blender until they are smooth.
Add the soymilk.
And heat through.
Basil Mint Swirl
Assemble the ingredients for the basil mint swirl:
4 oz basil leaves
2 oz mint leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice
½ tsp sea salt
½ tsp soy sauce
1 tbsp water
mint sprigs for garnish
and tofu sour cream for a topping
Puree the ingredients
and prepare for plating.
Plating Options
The basic soup without any toppings is a delicious and healthy recipe.
The basic sweet and creamy soup is made from very colorful vegetables which are nutrient dense and provide lots of vitamins, minerals, beta-carotene and anti-oxidants.
The recipe calls for swirling the basil mint puree in the center of the carrot soup.
My attempts at swirling did not produce an attractive plate. So, I just placed a dollop of the Basil-Mint puree in the center of the bowl, and added sprigs of mint.
When adding a sour cream topping, I simply placed a dollop of sour cream next to a dollop of the basil mint puree, and placed a mint sprig on top.
This combination produces a very interesting mix of tastes and textures with the sweetness of the soup, the tangy basil mint swirl and the creamy sour cream.
________________________________________________
Nutrition Analysis
By keeping the ingredients completely vegan, the fat content is slightly higher than if dairy products are used, particularly when the optional sour cream topping is included.
There is only a 0.9 gram (8 calories) difference in Fat content in the basic soup recipe between including soy milk or skim milk. However, there is a larger difference of 5 grams of Fat when 2 tablespoons per serving (my estimate for a dollop) of tofu sour cream is used instead of non-fat dairy sour cream.
Would you prefer a lower fat content or a non-dairy recipe?
You can see the complete nutrition analyses on www.FoodieandFriends.com.
Here are the summaries for each alternative:
Carrot Cream Soup with Basil Mint Swirl
With Soy Milk
Total calories = 202; Fat calories = 44; Fiber = 12 grams
Fat = 19% (4.9 g), Protein = 13% (7.5 g); Carbohydrates = 68% (39 g)
Carrot Cream Soup with Basil Mint Swirl
With Soy Milk and a Tofu Sour Cream Topping
Total calories = 287; Fat calories = 89; Fiber = 12 grams
Fat = 28% (9.9 g), Protein = 11% (8.5 g); Carbohydrates = 61% (48 g)
Carrot Cream Soup with Basil Mint Swirl
With Skim Milk
Total calories = 198; Fat calories = 36; Fiber = 12 grams
Fat = 16% (4 g), Protein = 13% (7.6 g); Carbohydrates = 71% (40 g)
Carrot Cream Soup with Basil Mint Swirl
With Skim Milk and a Non Fat Dairy Sour Cream Topping
Total calories = 223; Fat calories = 36; Fiber = 12 grams
Fat = 15% (4 g), Protein = 16% (9.6 g); Carbohydrates = 70% (43 g)
_____________________________________________
This recipe produces 4 cups of soup. If you would like 4 bowls of soup, you’ll have to increase the recipe.
This is very healthy and delicious recipe that can easily be part of an elegant dinner.
_____________________________________________
Carrot Cream with Basil-Mint Swirl
with Soy Milk
Soy Milk and Tofu Sour Cream
with Skim Milk
with Skim Milk and Non-Fat Sour Cream
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
The Experts Speak – A Lecture Series
I’m including links to videos of lectures by Nutrition and Medical Experts covering topics appropriate for answering questions related to a low fat, whole food, mostly plant based diet; including why it is a very healthy diet, perhaps the healthiest diet strategy in the world.
After the jump, there is a topic index. Sometimes the links go to posts I’ve made on this blog. Sometimes they go directly to videos on the net that cover topics I will include in future posts. The posts on this blog include a brief description of the lecture, and, frequently, a timeline for different topics within the lecture.
Learn from these Nutrition and Medical Experts in their own words.
The data are overwhelming!
More...
Epedimiologic, Migration, Intervention, and Laboratory Research Studies
The China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Dr Fuhrman -- Eat To Live
Marketing Milk and Disease -- John McDougall, MD
Coronary Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes
Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof – by Caldwell Esselstyn MD
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
Mark Hyman MD Talks About Dean Ornish's The Spectrum
Eating Right for Cancer Survival -- Neal Barnard, MD
Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing and other natural wonders
Obesity and Diabetes
Cause and Treatment of Diabetes Mellitus - lecture by Jerold Olefsky, M.D.
Effectiveness of Vegan vs ADA Diet for Controlling Diabetes – Study by Neal Barnard, MD
Joel Fuhrman MD – Diabetes and Drug Companies
Dr Ornish - On the Dangers of the Atkins Diet
Olive Oil and the Mediterranean Diet
Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof – by Caldwell Esselstyn MD
Olive Oil is Not Good for Your Heart - Jeff Novick RD
Value of High Fat Foods -- Joel Fuhrman MD
Good Genes vs Bad Genes
Dean Ornish, MD - Your Genes Are Not Your Fate
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
The New Science of Nutrigenomics -- Mark Hyman, MD
The China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Implementing The Diet Strategy
What's the Healthiest Diet? -- Dr Fuhrman and Dr McDougall
Physically Addictive Foods (chocolate, cheese, meat, and sugar) - by Neal Barnard, MD
Cooking Up Great Health - Joel Fuhrman MD
Eating Right for Cancer Survival -- Neal Barnard, MD
Dr. Dean Ornish: Healing and other natural wonders
Diets, Medical, Pharmaceutical, Insurance and Food Industries
ACLM Presentation - John McDougall, MD
Dr. Fuhrman Cures Diabetes - But Drug Companies Object
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
The China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof – by Caldwell Esselstyn MD
Monday, October 13, 2008
Contact Me
If you wish to contact me, please send me an email at
FoodieandFriendsMail@gmail.com
Thanks,
Gary
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof – by Caldwell Esselstyn MD
This is a lecture presented by Dr. Caldwell, a prominent surgeon and medical researcher from the Cleveland Clinic, one of the leading coronary care institutions in the world. Dr. Caldwell describes the mechanism for a heart attack and the results of a long term research study he conducted with patients with severe coronary disease. His study participants had 49 coronary events in the 8 years preceding his intervention program, and none in the nearly 20 subsequent years when they adhered to his program. He has shown his program actually reverses coronary disease, and therefore reduces or eliminates the risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Dr. T Colin Campbell speaks briefly about Dr. Esselstyn and his study at timeline 15:10 in the second part of The China Study lecture included on this blog here.
Dr. Dean Ornish also has shown coronary disease can be reversed. You can hear a discussion of his program and results in his interview with Charlie Rose on this blog here.
You can buy Dr. Caldwell’s book, Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, here.
After the jump, I’ve included approximate timelines for discussion topics in Dr. Caldwell’s lecture. His description of how a heart attack develops is near 11:45. He discusses his study and results near 44:53. And he discusses strokes, heart attacks of the brain, around 45:09, and neurological side effects of conventional coronary surgical intervention around 48:00. He explains why improvement happens so rapidly around 53:21.
More...
1:30 – 50% of men and 33% of women are affected by coronary heart disease
more recent data show females are catching up to males
3:00 – autopsy results show even adolescents in the US have signs of coronary heart disease.
4:00 – coronary heart disease is not disease of elderly
autopsy results on young soldiers – average age of 20 years – show 80% have signs of coronary heart disease
civilian population shows same statistics
Type 2 diabetes in adolescents suggest the current generation may not outlive their parents
5:58 – when meat and dairy was restricted during war years—cardiovascular disease decreased
When consumption of meat and dairy resumed after war years, coronary heart disease resumed
7:10 – absence of coronary heart disease in different population groups
Papua Highlanders how high mortality rates to lung disease because of smoking
autopsy results of people over 60 show arteries are clean
they have a vegetarian diet
9:00 – pictures showing clogged arteries
10:28 – clear coronary angiogram does not imply healthy arteries
11:45 --- discussion of how a heart attack occurs
15:42 – how you can make yourself heart attack proof
moderation; statin in drug studies
coronary heart disease is not like cancer – it is a benign disease – why do you have to die from it
17:20 – conventional treatments for coronary heart disease and risks
benefits erode with passage of time
treatment moderation does not work
20:05 – blood flow measurements show even a single meal can damage cells
this little bit won’t hurt; really?
Must want to actually reverse the disease
22:10 – studies of three diets; 34% fat, 20% fat, 11%-12% fat – only 11%-12% fat diet lost craving for fat
22:51 – Study to Arrest and Reverse Coronary Heart Disease
breast cancer and migration effects
prostate cancer
coronary disease had similar epidemilogic statistics
participants had triple vessel disease
25:46 – patient compliance
27:45 – study goals
eat plant based diet with about 11% fat
get blood cholesterol levels below 150
exercise was not part of study
30:15 – Diet includes – NO OIL!!!
olive oil studies
good results short term in blood cholesterol levels
longer term results are negative for actual progression of disease
32:48 – heart healthy oils? No oil!
34:00 – compliance
patient and spouse
physician leader participation
35:12 - cholesterol results of study participants
35:42 – angiograms in program participants show actual improvements – not just improvement in blood test risk factors
40:25 – how did study participants do?
Of 6 in group who chose not to participate in study
4 had by passes
1 had angioplasty
1 died
Of 18 who participated in study
In 8 years prior to beginning study, they had 49 coronary events
17 of them followed diet guideline had no further coronary events
1 participant started eating “Fat-Free” foods and suffered problems. (He subsequently returned to the diet guidelines and had no further problems.)
“Fat Free” labels are misleading.
Need to learn to read actual ingredient list on food labels – not just nutrition summary
44:53 – Arrest and Reversal Diet Study Results
no mortality from diet
no morbidity from diet
benefits improved with time
added benefit for patient and family – remove fear of another heart attack
45:09 – coronary disease and problems in other organ systems
dementia
small strokes cause memory loss; then cognition goes
MRI and other studies show damage to brain
48:00 – a side effect of coronary bypass is brain damage; reduced cognition
49:20 – improvement in circulation in limbs with cholesterol reduction
50:16 – why chest pain improves –
actual measurements of blood flow in heart muscle in 10 –14 days
effect of lowering cholesterol significantly in 10 –14 days
continued improvement in blood flow with time
53:21 – Explanation of why it is happening
heal yourself in 3 weeks
make yourself heart attack proof
cardiac CT slides show coronary arteries and can show coronary disease
56:12 – emphasizes "No Oil" again! -- shows mortality rates for heart disease by country -- UK, US, Greece, Italy, and China.
Look at how low the coronary heart disease rates are in China compared to the Mediterranean region. The diets in these regions are very similar except the Mediterranean diet consumes more olive oil than the China diet.
American Heart Association and National Cholesterol Education Program recommendations of 30% fat in diet guarantee millions of Americans will perish
57:27 - Compliance is the problem – that’s why they recommend 30% fat content – it is more likely to be adopted by the public
Tell the public the truth; let them decide what to do
58:47 – studies “Blow Away” Bad Gene Myth
disease is cured by lifestyle changes
1:01:15 – just being a vegan is not the solution; need to also be careful of fat content
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
This 22 minute Charlie Rose interview gives an opportunity to hear Dr. Ornish in his own words talking about his work, successes, strategy and goals.
As I watched the interview, the primary messages that came through for me were:
1) the Ornish program works; it has documented success in controlling and actually reversing chronic diseases, like diabetes, heart disease and cancer,
2) the medical community recognizes it works,
3) additional confirmation that it works is -- it is being used in hospitals and is paid for by insurance companies and Medicare,
4) the program has a wide range of flexibility – a “Spectrum” of choices,
5) lifestyle changes including exercise, stress reduction and social support seem to be as important as dietary changes,
6) there is considerable skepticism about whether people can actually follow the program; Ornish and his colleges have shown people can actually do it,
7) the strict Ornish Reversal Diet, which has proven heart disease and cancer can be reversed, is not recommended for everyone,
8) the more people are willing to adopt the program and its recommended changes the more improvement they will see in their lives, and
9) Ornish and others present the facts: – the changes required for good health are simple; the recommended changes are powerful; it’s up to individuals to do something about changing their own lifestyles for better health.
After the jump, I’m including links to a brief review of Dr Ornish's book, The Spectrum, where to buy it, and approximate timelines for different topics discussed in the interview.
Gary
More...
A brief review of Dr. Ornish’s program, The Spectrum, is on the WebMD web site. This is the last paragraph in that WebMD article – “This plan is based on years of research and is also very doable. If you cut through the clutter of diet books on the market and give this flexible lifestyle approach a chance, it may be the last "diet" plan you'll ever need.”
Dr. Ornish has published several books. His book, “The Spectrum, a scientifically proven program to feel better, live longer, lose weight, gain health”, includes recommendations for diets as well as exercise, stress management, and meditation. It has separate chapters explaining how his program affects and improves weight loss, blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, prostate and breast cancer. It lists foods in 5 different groups ranging from the healthiest to unhealthy, and includes recipes and techniques showing how to prepare meals following his recommended diet strategy. Among other places, Dr Ornish’s books can be purchased here.
Discussion Topics Timeline
0:00 – Introduction – Charlie Rose mentions Dr. Ornish has shown they can reverse heart disease. Ornish’s program is in use by dozens of hospitals and is being paid for by insurance companies and Medicare. More recently, he is studying the effects of lifestyle changes, and prostate cancer.
1:14 – Ornish reviews his work for past 25 years
he and his colleges have actually reversed serious illnesses like heart disease.
His work is designed to treat the causes of the disease, not just the symptoms of disease.
High tech measures prove the effectiveness of his program.
importance of exercise and personal and social relationships
3:05 – studies show they could reverse heart disease and now cancer
current criticism is it works, but no body can follow the program. Ornish group is showing people actually can do it.
over 40 insurance companies and now Medicare pay for program – classified as alternative treatment program and not just a prevention program. They found they are saving lots of money with this treatment program
insurance companies were skeptical - didn’t think people could do the program. Ornish has shown people actually can do it.
6:25 – medical community accepts the Ornish program works.
But problem is educating how it works.
7:32 – how do you know what is best for an individual
Atkins program doesn’t work.
Ornish program is documented – it works.
likely outcomes with Ornish changes
Ornish doesn’t tell people what to do. Just tells them the facts, and let’s them decide what they want to do.
presents range of options
Moderate changes don’t do much.
Bigger changes probably work.
10:15 - Ornish gives people full range of options
tells scientific facts
doesn’t try to get people to do anything
American Heart Association diet doesn’t work.
conventional medical treatment knows ADA diet doesn’t work, and suggests you might as well take drugs.
Moderate changes don’t so much.
lifestyle changes work well when people are willing to make big changes
drugs have side effects and are expensive
12:50 – what are big changes?
genetic variations in different people affect how their body works – it’s a bell curve with people on different ends of the bell curve. However, Ornish program works even for people on the inefficient end of the genetic bell curve if they are willing to make big changes
Reversal Diet is not recommended for everyone
15:09 – discusses parameters of Reversal Diet
16:53 – prostate cancer
animal studies show prostate cancer can be turned off with a low fat diet
anecdotal reports suggested same for humans
18:49 – watchful waiting and side effects of conventional prostate cancer treatment – impotence and incontinence.
Ornish study with men in watchful waiting group
19:13 – prostate cancer recurs within 5 years in 30% of patients who had successful radical prostatectomy
why? – microscopic spread of disease throughout body
20:09 – diet and lifestyle – preliminary data is finding support groups, etc. has as much an effect as diet changes on prostate cancer
20:22 – would like to address causes of illness
it’s not all or nothing
would like a full range of options presented to patients
would like people to know how powerful these changes can be
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Cancer and Nutrition
_______________
The China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
Eating Right for Cancer Survival -- Neal Barnard, MD
More...
(This index is still under construction. More data will be posted.)
Heart Disease and Nutrition
By following the links in this index, you will be guided to lectures and excepts from published books and articles discussing diets and Coronary Heart Disease by recognized Nutrition and Medical experts.
(This index is still under construction. More data will be posted.)
The China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
Dean Ornish, MD Interview With Charlie Rose
Make Yourself Heart Attack Proof – by Caldwell Esselstyn MDThe China Study -- Lecture by T Colin Campbell, Ph.D.
T Colin Campbell, PhD was the project leader for a research study known as The China Project. It is the largest nutrition study ever conducted. It was funded by United States and Chinese government, and was joint research project among Cornell University, Oxford University and the Chinese Academy of Preventative Medicine. Dr. Campbell reports The China Project produced more than 8,000 statistically significant associations between various dietary factors and disease.
Here are videos of a 2 part lecture presented by Dr. Campbell describing his research and data published in The China Study.
The China Study -- Part 1
The China Study - Part 2
The China Study is a book written by T Colin Campbell, PhD and his son Thomas M Campbell II, which includes data from The China Project as well as other researchers. Dr. Campbell does not simply ask you to believe his opinions based on his personal observations. He supports his opinions with scientific data. The China Study includes over 750 references, with data from primary sources of information, including hundreds of scientific publications from other researchers that point the way to less cancer, less heart disease, fewer strokes, less obesity, less diabetes, less autoimmune disease, less osteoporosis, less Alzheimer’s, less kidney stones and less blindness.
These data demonstrate that a good diet is the most powerful weapon against disease and sickness.
It is your right to eat bacon and eggs for breakfast and then take cholesterol lowering drugs. But, if you want good health, the data is overwhelming and consistent, change your diet!
You can buy this book here. In my opinion, you should read it over and over, and keep it for reference data. You can also benefit by watching videos of lectures Dr Campbell presented in different venues.
After the jump, I’ve included a list of Discussion Topics and Timelines in the videos.
More...
Timelines -- Discussion Topics
The China Study – Part 1
0:00 – introduction and biography of Dr. Campbell
4:55 – groundwork and diet recommendations in lecture
6:20 – high carb vs low carb; concern with low carb diet.
8:28 – came from dairy farm family background with initial interest in how to improve cattle production for human consumption
9:50 – animal protein is emphasized in our western diets
10:25 – casein is toxic
11:18 – had preconceived ideas coming to animal studies
12:13 – trying to solve malnutrition in Philippines; trying to make sure children got enough milk
13:18 – found higher protein intake was associated with more liver cancer
13:35 – experimental animal study; comparing the % of dietary protein and cancer activity
14:56 – animal studies and human studies showed the same thing
15:40 – summary of % of protein and cancer activity in animals
16:07 – could turn tumor growth on and off with % of animal protein in the normal range that humans consume
17:55 – no other chemical comes close to showing this kind of effect
18:20 – turn on – turn off tumors
18:50 – genes, hepatitis B virus and cancer in animals
21:10 – everything starts with genes; the effects of bad genes can be controlled with nutrition
23:55 – relationship between dietary total fat and breast cancer in different countries
25:17 – focus on fat was because of this data
25:50 – focus on fat is too narrowly focused
26:19 – threshold showing no ill effects from dietary fat is about 30 g per day from multi country data
26:25 – multi-country data show no relationship between plant fat and cancer
26:49 – animal fat and breast cancer data
27:23 – made mistake with too much focus on fat. The problem is really animal based foods.
28:19 – introduces “The China Study”
28:50 – the Chinese government collected data in the 1970s that showed different rates of cancer in different geographical regions in China.
29:53 – color coded map showing colon cancer in woman in different regions in China
30:18 – data showed cancer is geographically localized with people with the same ethnic origin. Why?
31:13 – The China Project is a joint project with the United States and Chinese government funding
31:30 – mortality rates for different kinds of cancers by geographical regions
32:40 – joint project among Cornell (US), Oxford (England) and Chinese Academies (China)
33:16 – study included 65 counties; 130 villages; and 6500 residents
33:36 – experimental parameters of study
35:29 – Question – Is animal food a problem because of its fat content, or something else?
36:13 – 99% of studies done comparing fat intake was done with western subjects – implying not much of dietary variation
38:01 – VERY IMPORTANT DATA! – comparison of key nutrition statistics between rural China diet and US diet
38:47 – fat intake comparison – 36% vs 14%; Chinese are eating low fat diets
39:30 – western diet is 10 times more concentrated with animal protein
39:45 – blood cholesterol levels in China compared to US; 90 – 170 vs 170 - 290
40:40 – no obese people in rural china while consuming more calories – but they did exercise more
41:39 – even Chinese office workers consume more calories; they still probably get more exercise than US population
42:00 – consuming a plant based diet is best; Atkins diet provides short term benefit with long term problems
43:10 -- loose weight and reduce risks for diabetes, heart disease, etc.
43:36 – breast cancer data
43:47 – estrogen levels lower
44:04 – age of achieving menstrual period with resulting of hormone activity
44:25 – relationship of surging female hormones and time for cancer to develop; time of hormonal activity and cancer rates correlate in many studies
45:41 – animal based foods make people grow faster
46:15 – prostate cancer – same kind of story
46:47 – big story! – every statistical relationship shows the closer to plant based foods correlates with lower risks of disease
48:07 – Summary Observations: Lower animal protein = lower risk of disease
48:48 – data is overwhelming – closer to plant based diet, the closer to good health
The China Study – Part 2
Timelines -- Discussion Topics
3:43 – obesity is indicator of unpleasant things to come!
5:59 – incidence of adverse drug reactions, physician error and resulting costs
8:55 – number 1 cause of death is ignoring nutrition
10:20 – does nutrition work well for other diseases?
11:15 – casein and artherosclerosis
13:32 – low fat vs low animal protein; not saturated fat- but chief cause is animal based foods
15:10 – Caldwell Esselstyn, MD – his biography and his heart disease study
20:20 – osteoporosis and diet; hip fractures vs animal protein intake – higher protein intake tends to turn on hormones which stimulates cancer
21:34 – skim milk and prostate cancer
22:45 – cows milk and cataracts
23:50 – animal protein and kidney stones
24:49 – diet and multiple sclerosis
27:55 – lupus
27:58 – macular degeneration
28:04 – cognitive dysfunction and Alzheimer’s disease
28:31 – summary list of disease and diet – plant based diet is protective
29:54 – what about anomalies? Exceptions?
30:36 – Nurses Health Study – problems interpreting data that showed no relationship between fat and breast cancer with fat concentrations between 29% and 49% -- incorrect interpretation of data
35:07 – animal protein intake correlates 90% with animal fat intake
35:40 – policy committee structure and importance; Dietary Guideline Committee and Food and Nutrition Board
37:11 – now recommending up to 35% in protein; welcome Atkins. Now recommending up to 25% of calories can come from sugars and starches.
Data previously discussed show health problems with protein in concentrations in 11% to 22% range
38:44 - Why did they change dietary guidelines?
39:57 -- 49% of funding for studies is now allowed by industry groups, with special self serving interests to promote
40:24 – looking at entire data is like looking at a symphony interacting together. Data are overwhelming!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Can “Creamy” Recipes Be Low Fat Recipes?
Is it possible for “creamy” recipes to conform to a low fat diet strategy?
Yes!
I looked at 5 different “creamy” stroganoff recipes published by Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Neal Barnard, Whole Foods Market, and Rachal Ray and Paula Dean on the Food Network web site. Both recipes by Drs. Ornish and Barnard fit the healthy Reversal Diet guidelines published by Dean Ornish. The others have a fat content that matches or exceeds the diet statistics of the typical American diet, which seems to be an unhealthy diet considering the obesity epidemic and increasing incidence of diabetes, heart disease and cancer in the United States.
However, it is possible to modify these fatty recipes by reducing, eliminating or replacing added oils and animal protein including dairy products, so they become close to the healthy side of Dr. Dean Ornish’s Spectrum nutrition guidelines. So, YES, it IS possible to enjoy “creamy” recipes that fit the low fat, whole food, mostly plant based diet guidelines recommended by our Nutrition and Medical Experts.
There are low fat “creamy” recipes in books and on web sites authored by our Nutrition and Medical Experts that don’t need any modification. Or you can use the suggestions for modifying higher fat recipes to make them over into low fat “creamy” recipes.
Click on the links for each recipe to see the nutrition analysis and possible modifications of these 5 “creamy” stroganoff recipes.
Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff by Dean Ornish, MD
Mushroom Stroganoff by NutritionMD – Neal Barnard, MD
Beef Stroganoff by Whole Foods Market
Beef Stroganoff by Rachal Ray - Food Network
Beef Stroganoff by Paula Dean – Food Network
Brief comparisons of the pre and post modification nutrition statistics for these recipes are shown after the jump.
More...
Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff by Dean Ornish
Original Recipe: Total calories = 654;
Fat = 6% (4 g), Protein = 25% (40 g); Carbohydrates = 70% (113 g)
There is no need to modify this recipe. Its fat content conforms to Dr. Ornish’s Reversal Diet guidelines.
Mushroom Stroganoff by NutritionMD – Neal Barnard, MD
Original Recipe: Total calories = 465;
Fat = 6% (3.5 g), Protein = 17% (21 g); Carbohydrates = 76% (93 g)
This fat content of this original recipe also conforms to the Dr. Ornish’s Reversal Diet guidelines. There is no need to modify it.
Beef Stroganoff by Whole Foods Market
Original recipe: Total calories = 658;
Fat = 36% (26 g), Protein = 31% (50 g); Carbohydrates = 34% (55 g)
This original recipe resembles the typical American diet statistics. Its fat content is too high to be a Prevention Diet. By modifying it, the fat can be greatly reduced bringing it much closer to the healthy end of Dr. Ornish’s nutrition Spectrum.
Modified recipe: Total calories = 417;
Fat = 13% (5.9 g), Protein = 33% (33 g); Carbohydrates = 54% (54 g)
Beef Stroganoff by Rachal Ray - Food Network
Original recipe; Total calories = 467;
Fat = 56% (52 g), Protein = 21% (43 g); Carbohydrates = 23% (49 g)
This original recipe exceeds the typical American diet statistics of 30% - 40% Fat. With Total Fat = 52 grams or 56% of total calories, its fat content is very high. But, it can be modified, reducing Fat content to 6 grams of 11% of Total Calories, bringing it to the healthy end of Ornish’s nutrition Spectrum, in the Reversal Diet range.
Modified recipe: Total calories = 459;
Fat = 11% (6 g), Protein = 37% (41 g); Carbohydrates = 51% (56 g)
Beef Stroganoff by Paula Dean – Food Network
Original recipe: Total calories = 989;
Fat = 55% (61 g), Protein = 24% (61 g); Carbohydrates = 21% (52 g)
This original recipe had the highest calorie content of all 5 recipes. The fat content is very high at 55% of calories. By modifying it, the fat can be greatly reduced into the Prevention Diet range.
Modified recipe: Total calories = 462;
Fat = 16% (8 g), Protein = 38% (42 g); Carbohydrates = 46% (52 g)
For a 2000 calorie diet, the target number of grams for daily fat intake is;
Reversal Diet guidelines; very close to or below 10% at 22 grams.
Prevention Diet Guidelines; below 20% at 44 grams
The average daily fat intake for the Asian diet is about 15%, or about 33 grams.
For a 2500 calorie diet, the target number of grams for daily fat intake is;
Reversal Diet guidelines; very close to or below 10% at 28 grams.
Prevention Diet Guidelines; below 20% at 56 grams
The average daily fat intake for the Asian diet is about 15%, or about 42 grams.
For daily meal planning for a 2000 calorie diet, a target of about 30 – 45 grams of daily fat intake would conform to the Prevention Diet guidelines. Closer to 30 grams of daily fat intake would conform to Asian diet guidelines. See the Nutrition by the Numbers post. These diet nutrition guidelines have been shown by numerous epidemiologic and scientific studies to be very healthy diet guidelines. See the Nutrition and Health section.
Beef Stroganoff by Paula Dean – Food Network
This recipe is published by Paual Dean on the Food Network web site.
This original recipe had the highest calorie content of all 5 recipes, and exceeds the typical American diet statistics of 30% - 40% Fat. With Total Fat = 61 grams or 55% of total calories, its fat content is very high. But, it can be modified, reducing Fat content to 8 grams or 16% of Total Calories, bringing it to the healthy end of Ornish’s nutrition Spectrum, in the Asian diet nutrition range. Modifications are listed after the jump.
A comparison of the fat content in this recipe to 4 other “creamy” stroganoff recipes is here. A more detailed nutrition analysis for this recipe is after the jump.
More...
Unmodified Recipe Analysis
Modified Recipe Analysis
This recipe was modified by replacing the steak with a soy protein meat substitute – in this case Boca Burger. Flour for dusting the steak was deleted. The olive oil and butter were replaced with vegetable broth. The beef broth was replaced with vegetable broth. The full fat sour cream was replaced with fat free sour cream. Cornstarch and water were added for thickening after replacing the full fat sour cream.
These modifications reduced the fat content from 61 grams to 8 grams, a very substantial reduction, which brings this recipe into the healthy diet nutrition guidelines recommended by our Nutrition and Medical Experts.
You can find suggestions for modifying recipes here: Adapting Recipes - Dean Ornish MD, and Tips, Techniques and Tutorials.
Beef Stroganoff by Rachal Ray – Food Network
This recipe is published by Rachal Ray on the Food Network web site.
This original recipe exceeds the typical American diet statistics of 30% - 40% Fat. With total Fat = 52 grams or 56% of total calories, its fat content is very high. But, it can be modified, reducing Total Fat to 6 grams, or 11% of Total Calories, bringing it to the healthy end of Dr. Ornish’s nutrition Spectrum, in the Reversal Diet range. Modifications are listed after the jump.
A comparison of the fat content in this recipe to 4 other “creamy” stroganoff recipes is here. A more detailed nutrition analysis for this recipe is after the jump.
More...
Unmodified Recipe Analysis
Modified Recipe Analysis
This recipe was modified by replacing the steak with a soy protein meat substitute – in this case Boca Burger. The olive oil and butter were replaced with vegetable broth. The beef broth was replaced with vegetable broth. Full fat sour cream was replaced with fat free sour cream. Cornstarch and water were added for thickening after replacing the full fat sour cream.
These modifications reduced the fat content from 52 grams to 6 grams, a very substantial reduction, which brings this recipe into the healthy diet nutrition guidelines recommended by our Nutrition and Medical Experts.
You can find suggestions for modifying recipes here: Adapting Recipes - Dean Ornish MD, and Tips, Techniques and Tutorials.
Beef Stroganoff by Whole Foods Market
This recipe is published by Whole Foods Market on their web site.
This original recipe resembles the typical American diet statistics. With total Fat = 26 grams or 36% of total calories, its fat content is too high to conform to the nutrition guidelines recommended by our Nutrition and Medical Experts. But, it can be modified, bringing it much closer to the healthy end of Dr. Ornish’s nutrition Spectrum. The modifications tested in our nutrition analysis are listed after the jump.
A comparison of the fat content in this recipe to 4 other “creamy” stroganoff recipes is here. A more detailed nutrition analysis for this recipe is after the jump.
More...
Unmodified Recipe Analysis
Modified Recipe Analysis
This recipe was modified by replacing the steak with a soy protein meat substitute – in this case Boca Burger. The canola oil and butter was replaced with vegetable broth for sauteeing. The flour was eliminated. And the beef broth was replaced with vegetable broth.
These modifications reduced the fat content from 26 grams to 5.9 grams, a very substantial reduction, which brings this recipe into the healthy diet nutrition diet guidelines recommended by our Nutrition and Medical Experts.
You can find suggestions for modifying recipes here: Adapting Recipes - Dean Ornish MD, and Tips, Techniques and Tutorials.
Posts
