The Last Heart Attack

On the weekend in the US, CNN aired this show - "The Last Heart Attack". It features more footage of Bill Clinton talking about his dietary change and discussion with a number of doctors who advocate plant-based whole foods diet to prevent and reverse heart disease, including Dr Caldwell Esselstyn, who I posted on previously. Check it out, and please pass on to anyone you know who has heart disease and could benefit from learning about how they can make themselves heart attack proof no matter what their genes or prior medical history.

Chocolate brownies

The first recipe that sparked my interest at Happy Herbivore was the black bean brownies; I am not alone - apparently this is her most popular recipe. The prospect of making a chocolate brownie with no added oil, low GI and high in fibre is probably quite appealing. Plus, the novelty factor of using beans as the base and being completely free of animal products! This is the second time that I have baked them. I decided to make a couple of minor changes, including the addition of some walnuts to add a little more texture.
 

Make yourself heart attack proof

One of the most enjoyable aspects of my line of work is the opportunity to regularly hear other scientists talk about their research - although this is normally in chemistry, I often get inspired by scientific talks in other areas. The video above shows the author of Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease, Dr Caldwell Esselstyn - a medical doctor, or physician as they say in the states - giving a talk at a healthy lifestyle expo, so the science jargon is largely absent. I found his book remarkable and if you can in any way find the ~ 1 hr it takes to watch this video, it gives a great summary of the book's contents. With heart disease the number one killer in Australia, I urge you to watch this video and take heed of Dr Esselstyn's words. If you want to know more about him or his book, he has a website here; I can lend the book to anyone who is interested - if you live in SEQ, Redcliffe library also has a copy, however Brisbane City Council Library does not.

Take the pressure down, Pt. 2

Courtesy Walking Melbourne.

In my previous blood pressure post, I put forward what I believe to be the best way of addressing the problem through diet, and a link to an inspiring talk by Dr Dean Ornish. The main reasons why high blood pressure is a concern are the dramatically increased risk of stroke, heart attack and kidney failure. So, what causes high blood pressure (hypertension)?

Name change?

No, not me! I was thinking about how it is a shame that I would like to spread the word about how good health can be achieved through what you eat, but to do so inevitably boils down to lots of posts about chronic diseases and how to avoid them. It would be nice to focus on the positives - I'll share more about my personal experience of transitioning to a whole-foods plant based diet some time soon, but for now, I got to wondering about this whole chronic thing.

Animal protein and cancer

His book, The China Study, goes into so much more detail, but if you haven't read it yet, the video above, featuring the author - Emeritus Professor T. Colin Campbell, is a good primer. This is focused on cancer, but the book covers a host of other chronic diseases.

Hugh Jackman - the Vegan Wolverine?

Well, almost..

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/big-buff-and-vegan-packing-on-muscle-in-a-healthier-way/article1709172/