Dean Ornish and Bill Clinton; from burgers to whole plants

Posted on 04/03/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

One of six mainstream pioneers providing foundation for our 4-Leaf Program

During my quest to learn the truth about nutrition, I was always on the lookout for superb credentials and  unquestioned authenticity. I found just that with Dr. Dean Ornish, T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Esselstyn and others. So did Bill Clinton; and he quoted these three brave pioneers on CNN as collectively influencing him to adopt a near optimal, plant-based diet to reverse his heart disease.

Dean Ornish, M.D. -- founder and president of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute

Like the other four M.D.’s featured in our book, Dean Ornish has superb training; earning his M.D. at the Baylor College School of Medicine; and continuing his education at the Harvard Medical School and the Massachusetts General Hospital. Also, like the other four M.D.’s, he learned about the power of plant-based nutrition long after medical school and used that knowledge to push the envelope with regards to the limitations of modern medicine.

Specifically, he was one of the first to document the findings of a formal study that proved that reversal of heart disease was entirely possible with diet and lifestyle changes alone. And, as such, his program has received widespread recognition. In August 2010, for the first time ever, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that Medicare will pay for his intensive diet and exercise program for reducing cardiovascular event risk.

Dr. T. Colin Campbell and J. Morris Hicks review the manuscript of "Healthy Eating - Healthy World" after eating a "4-Leaf" meal next to the Cornell campus in December of 2010

In The China Study, Dr. T.  Colin Campbell sums up the efforts of Doctors Ornish, Esselstyn and others before them: “Their dietary treatments not only relieve the symptoms of chest pain, but they also treat the cause of heart disease and can eliminate future coronary events.  There are no surgical or chemical heart disease treatments, at the Cleveland Clinic or anywhere else, that can compare to these impressive results.”

For more information about Dr. Ornish, his work, books and programs, visit the website of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute,which he founded. If you like what you see here, you may wish to join our periodic mailing list.

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

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. 

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Vitamin D…the sunshine nutrient. What if we don’t get enough?

Posted on 04/02/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

Our government seems to be recommending a long list of harmful animal foods so that we can all get enough Vitamin D

J. Morris Hicks, the "big picture guy" getting his Vitamin D naturally from sunlight and taking a supplement in the New England winter

In the USA Today on Thursday of this week, there was an article based on a recent government report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The thrust of the article was that one-third of Americans are deficient in Vitamin D.

This is a classic example of how our extended “system” of health care, government, big pharma and food companies work together to keep the public confused and continue to reinforce our “need” for animal foods in our diet. From the article by Mary Brody Marcus on March 31:

Numerous health problems have been linked to low vitamin D levels, including bone fractures, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes and certain cardiovascular outcomes, cancers and autoimmune conditions, Evatt says….Foods rich in vitamin D include fortified orange juice, cereals and milk, as well as salmon and eggs, says Holly Clegg, author of the Trim & Terrific cookbook series. Also, exposure to sunlight triggers the body’s production of vitamin D, Evatt says.

While Dr. Campbell and all of our “common ground” MD experts would tell you that our primary source of Vitamin D should be from the sun, this article implies that we should be getting most of our D from our food. The article mentioned sunlight only once — shown above in the quotes.

Here is our National Institutes of Health (N.I.H.) recommending lots of harmful animal products so that we can get enough Vitamin D

Take a look at this chart from the article that came from the NIH Office of Dietary Nutrition. Every single item on the list came from an animal; and has cholesterol, fat and animal protein — all of which are associated with heart disease and all forms of cancer.

So how is a consumer supposed to know what to do? In The China Study, Dr. Colin Campbell had some simple advice about Vitamin D. First of all, he never recommended any animal foods as a good source of any nutrient. For D, since most of us in the North don’t get much sunlight in the winter, he said that a daily supplement might be your best bet.

So now we have a former president of the United States (Clinton) following Dr. Campbell’s, Esseltyn’s and Ornish’s advice and avoiding all animal foods (except for a rare piece of fish), yet our NIH is telling us that animal foods are a good source for D. But, at what expense? Cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, stroke? Herein lies the root of our health care dilemma in this country — confusion, conflict of interest and lack of financial incentive within our health care “system” for us to be healthy. Do you think that our health insurance companies really want us to be healthy? Think again — and see recent post on this topic.

Here’s how we get our Vitamin D in New England

This just in! More great, well-documented, information on Vitamin D just arrived in my Dr. John McDougall Newsletter yesterday. Take a look at his article that basically suggests that there’s a lot of disease mongering going on out there — and all this Vitamin D hoopla is part of it.

Could it be that animal food lobbies are driving this kind of “free” publicity in the press? At the expense of our own health? Click here for the USA Today article.

No matter what is driving this kind of confusing information; the answer for consumers is to educate themselves (like Bill Clinton did) and learn how to take charge of their own health. Then, as a key part of this grassroots movement, tell all of your friends and family what you have learned.

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

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. 

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50-Day Report…let’s hear from our readers

Posted on 04/01/2011 by J. Morris Hicks

The creators of the "4-Leaf Program" authors J. Morris Hicks and J. Stanfield Hicks hiking to Tuckerman Ravine in New Hampshire

Day 50. After starting this blog on February 10, 2011, my son (book co-writer) and I are simply thrilled with the great feeling of actually making a positive difference in some of our readers’ lives.

The response has been exhilarating for us and adds to our resolve to continue what we are doing. My commitment to you remains the same — to provide new content every single day focused on the “big picture” of this very complex topic. We will continue to stress that although the problem with our current western diet-style is huge and extremely complex — the solution is refreshingly simple. Just start eating as close as you can to the natural diet for our species — maybe our 4-Leaf Program can help as you accept that challenge.

Also some of the recent comments from our readers and clients may help you in some way. For us, it’s these kinds of notes of encouragement that make this adventure so very rewarding…

***** “Thanks for the update, Jim.  I follow your blog daily, and really enjoy the clear, concise writing style, not to mention, the excellent material covered. The more people hear the message, hopefully, the more they will take it to heart — and put into practice. As I said in a comment to one of your recent postings, having your blog as an additional resource to pass on to the inquisitive, the novices and the uninitiated is great. Not everyone is ready for The China Study.  Telling the story in a simple manner, providing direction and instruction will do much to help open eyes.” — from a reader in Florida

***** “I want to thank you for the terrific influence you have had on Scott and on me! Scott is now starting each day with “Sailors Daily Oatmeal” — and enjoying it! And we are trying to keep effecting positive changes in our habit.” — from a local friend in Stonington, CT.

**** “I’ve been reading your newsletter for a month or so now, and look forward to reading your book when it comes out.  Your ‘big picture’ is right on target.  I’ve forwarded it to many friends and family to at the very least get them to question their food choices. For the past 2 years I’ve been following my own version of “plant based”, but I do enjoy your simple 4-Leaf program.  I believe it is true that if something is not simple to understand and simple to follow, the majority of people will not do it.” — from a reader in Delaware

***** “I have had 4-leaf days, everyday, since you were here. I need to check a few things to make sure the fat calories are what I think they are. I read the blog everyday – I have lost 13 lbs. in last 3 weeks. I am feeling better all the time — no issues that my doctors were worried about.” — from a good friend in Houston, Texas

***** “Thanksgiving of 2010, while visiting my family for the holiday, I decided enough was enough. At that moment, I had to do something to change the direction I seemed to be going over the course of the past couple of years. I had topped the scale at my heaviest weight in 10 years, my cholesterol was high, I was tired all the time, and had absolutely no energy. Fortunately, I joined a local gym and J. Stanfield (Jason) Hicks, my personal trainer, introduced me to the 4-Leaf Program. To put it simply, it has changed my life and continues to be the eating portion of my permanent healthy lifestyle. To date, I have lost 33 pounds (lowest weight since I was 15 years old) and my cholesterol is back in the “normal” range though I would like to achieve the heart healthy level of less than 150. For those of you committed to getting healthy, look NO further.” — from one of my son’s 4-Leaf clients in the Boston area.

**** “Have been following your daily posts for awhile…thought I should offer my kudos for telling this important story so well.
 While it’s preaching to the choir, as far as I’m concerned, I have found your messages to be a great resource to send to friends and family.
 Hearing the message from a different voice often makes a difference. 
Thanks for your consistent encouragement.” — from a reader in Florida.

**** “Your blog is terrific!  I look forward to having it in my life.” — from a neighbor and a recent subscriber to my blog.

April 9 marks the beginning of our first racing series of the year in Stonington, CT

**** ” One of the first things I noticed about your blog was that you have a professional background and an impressive career in business, which is something I am also striving for. Almost all businesspeople I encounter eat the rich American diet that you speak of, so it was refreshing to find your blog. I will continue spreading the word — as you write about every reason I have chosen to move towards more whole plant foods. I usually find myself debating with friends and colleagues over why we shouldn’t eat animals, and your blog will be a great place to send them for quality information.” — from a young man in Illinois and a recent subscriber.

“Just thought I’d drop you a quick note, just so you know there are people out there that are reading your work and support you all the way.” — from a blog subscriber in Delaware.

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

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. 

Posted in Testimonials | Leave a comment