First Gaddafi, now Irene — CNN was right to re-schedule in both cases

Irene; someone in the news described her as being about the size of Europe.

With all of the distractions that go along with preparing for and riding out a major hurricane, I was almost relieved to hear that CNN had decided once again to re-schedule “The Last Heart Attack.” With some 85 million Americans directly affected by this massive storm, the show would simply not be able to attract the number of viewers it deserves if it were to air in prime time this evening.

Even if you’re not affected personally by the storm, you know many people who are. And you’re interested in monitoring their situation — and praying for their safety. Simply said, all of these distractions do not bode well for our nation’s people to be in the mood to carefully watch a serious documentary — one that can not only save their lives, but could also pave the way for a whole new way of looking at health care in this country and indeed the entire Western world.

"We know how to eliminate heart disease and we've known for a very long time how to do it."

As Dr. Sanjay Gupta said recently in a CNN article,

If we collectively ever want to get to the point where we have “The Last Heart Attack,” a good start would be to stop ignoring what we already know to be true.

Earlier in the same article, he said, Virtually eliminating heart disease – it can be done, and truth is, we have known for a very long time how to do it. People have said to me as I was preparing this documentary – “Sanjay, you are advocating a radical change to the way we eat.” Perhaps, but if you really think about it, the way we eat now is in fact more radical. And when we look back on this time, a couple of hundred years from now, I guarantee you that our diet of today will be considered one of the most radical in history.

Those words by Dr. Gupta should give you a pretty good idea about what you’re going to see on that CNN special — when we finally get a chance to see it. Hopefully, we’ll all survive Hurricane Irene, losses will be minimal and we’ll be ready to watch this ground-breaking documentary sometime next week.

Dean Ornish, M.D.

In the meantime, I have provided a few links below to CNN online articles about Dr. Dean Ornish and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, the two medical doctors who are most famous for reversing heart disease. In a fine “heart attack proof” article by David S. Martin, he also provides time for the non-believers — which include the vast majority of all health-care workers in the United States:

“Diet alone is not going to be the reason that heart attacks are eliminated,” says Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association….Other key factors include physical activity, cholesterol, blood pressure and weight, she says. The article also reports: The meat, dairy and egg industries defend the benefits of their protein-rich foods, all of which remain on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s MyPlate dietary guidelines for healthy eating.

My question to Ms. Nancy Brown is this: Do you not think that diet just might have something to do with 3 out of 4 of the other “key factors” you mentioned? Cholesterol, blood pressure and weight? In another CNN blog article by Dr. Dean Ornish, I was amused by a cartoon he uses in lectures to medical students. As he said, “When I lecture, I often begin by showing a slide of doctors busily mopping up the floor around an overflowing sink, but no one is turning off the faucet.”

Yale grad, Olympic gold winner -- a pattern of rare excellence throughout his entire life.

Regardless what the CEO of the American Heart Association says above, the dirty little secrets about our toxic Western diet are leaking out — in fact they are beginning to literally flood the airwaves and people everywhere are beginning to talk about it. Our Western diet as we know it is on its final legs — for many reasons.

Not only is it killing us, it has generated a cost of healthcare (disease-care) that is crippling our nation. It is also unsustainable for many other reasons: Too many people, not enough land, not enough energy, and not enough water. Our Western diet of meat and dairy three meals a day has only been around for about sixty years — and will not make it another forty. Speaking about what historians will say about our current way of eating two hundred years from now:

I guarantee you that our diet of today will be considered one of the most radical in history.—Sanjay Gupta, MD

Once again, let’s look on the bright side regarding the re-scheduling of “The Last Heart Attack.” Take a look at the terrific articles below (my signature) and help build the awareness of this “special” by sending this blog to everyone you know. Need another reason to share this blog? Scroll down for the photo of Gaddafi…on eBay. Hilarious.

****************

If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list. Also, for help in your own quest to take charge of your health, you might find some useful information at our 4-Leaf page. From the seaside village of Stonington, Connecticut – Be well and have a great day.

If you’d like to order our book on Amazon,  visit our BookStore now.

—J. Morris Hicks…blogging daily at HealthyEatingHealthyWorld.com

The ‘heart attack proof’ diet? – CNN.com.

Dr. Ornish on a CNN Blog — Asking the right questions

Don't you just love this image? Gaddafi on eBay. Question. Does anyone know how many different versions of spelling there are for this despicable beast's name? I chose the one from Wikipedia.

PS: Occasionally an unauthorized ad may appear beneath a blog post. It is controlled by WordPress (a totally free hosting service). I do not approve or personally benefit whatsoever from any ad that might ever appear on this site. I apologize and urge you to please disregard.