Cardiologist Prescribes Vegan Diet, ‘Forks Over Knives’

Cardiologist Prescribes Vegan Diet, ‘Forks Over Knives’

by China DeSpain Freeman Aug 23, 2012 Michigan-based cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn is fit and healthy — he works out 6 to 7 days a week, tackles 18-hour shifts and has maintained his weight for the past 20 years. His secret? He’s a vegan. “I work typically 18-hour days, day after day after day, and I have the energy to get it done, and I feel in part that’s due to a lack of chemicals and processed foods,” he says. Kahn, a cardiologist who is the director of Corporate Wellness and Preventive Cardiology at the Detroit Medical Center, not only opts to go animal-free in his personal life, but he also prescribes it to his patients. An advocate of whole, plant foods, Kahn eschews soda in favor of coconut water and advises against the Standard American Diet (SAD). According to Kahn, those who follow the SAD get 70% of their calories from oil, sugar and fat, which is bad news, healthwise. While that’s a distressing statistic, he says that the tide is slowly turning, thanks to the rise of raw and vegan restaurants, as well as “the farm-to-table trend, the Eastern Market, Michelle Obama (fitness), and the enormous rise of farmers markets around the country.”

In his opinion, there are several “popular” diets that are far better than the SAD one. They include flexitarianism (vegetarian with occasional fish and dairy), paleo (no processed foods) and the anti-inflammation/Mediterranean diet (produce, fish, and reduced gluten). “Everything has to be based against the fact that most Americans aren’t eating any of the diets we’re talking about. These are all wonderful transitions on the spectrum. They’re good places for people to move to,” he says. However, he also believes the gold standard is veganism. He credits the research done by doctors Dean Ornish and Caldwell Essylstyn (of “Forks Over Knives” fame) for proving the health benefits of a plant-based diet. “[Cornish] did vegan [but] he did allow egg whites and low-fat yogurt. It was vegetarian, almost vegan, biofeedback, group discussion, and yoga, and he actually saw they had less blockage, less blood-flow problems.

“[Essylstyn studied] patients who were too sick for surgery to him for dietary therapy. He instituted the ultimate vegan low-fat, 100-percent plant-based, no oil, no nuts, no seeds, no fish. He followed these people and published his data [now a book], Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease. “He’s got follow-up of over 20 years with these people. Many have done unbelievably well. You have to be careful and it has to be a comprehensive program of diet and exercise. But physically, a vegan diet is an option along with other proven measures, and it can be recommended to a large group of patients,” Kahn explains.

Kahn has plenty of tips on how to transition to a healthier lifestyle. They include: Give up sweetened drinks in favor of water Replace processed/cured meats with vegetables Take baby steps, such as trying Meatless Mondays Reduce intake of barbecue, as burned meat contains carcinogens Watch the documentary “Forks Over Knives” Need even more motivation? Consider this. According to Kahn, going vegan does more than just improve one’s health — it’s also better for the planet. “There are really three reasons people do this: health, animal rights, and environmental (to reduce your carbon footprint). The data on energy used in our country on raising cattle and chickens, raising grain to feed the cattle, is unbelievable,” he says. Although he makes a compelling argument, Kahn thinks the fight against the SAD is still an uphill battle — for now.

“You have big industry that’s feeding the vast majority of America in the army, prisons, schools, colleges, and it’s a very uphill battle to combat multi-billion dollar companies with deep pockets that do research to make food look and smell good and be modestly priced and yet be so devoid of health benefits — until it’s occupy McDonald’s or occupy Starbucks.

“The 99% is being fed low-nutrition food labeled as natural or as healthy; these are meaningless terms. The only term out there that means anything is USDA organic. Until people speak up, I don’t think we’re turning the corner on obesity and turning the corner on diabetes and heart disease anytime soon.

“It’s time for a national chain of truly healthy fresh food,” he says. For more tips and info from Dr. Kahn, head to HourDetroit.com.

More US mothers dying despite expensive care Released: Aug. 24, 2012 Health Care ?

We (USA) sink to 50th in maternal mortality The United States spends $98 billion annually on hospitalization for pregnancy and childbirth, but the US maternal mortality rate has doubled in the past 25 years. The U.S. ranks 50th in the world for maternal mortality, meaning 49 countries were better at keeping new mothers alive. See who’s number one – and who’s last – in today’s infographic, then discuss below. Why the decline despite the high investment? How do we know? Check the original sources behind the fact: • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Pregnancy-related Mortality in the United States” • World Health Organization: “Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2008” See All Sources What do others say? Here are stories and opinion relating to this fact. We didn’t base the fact on them. Some argue a point of view. That’s them talking, not us. To suggest an addition, use the comment thread. • Association of Reproductive Health Professionals: “Maternal mortality in the United States: A human rights failure” • Time: “Too many women dying in US while having babies” • RELATED VIDEO ABC News video: “Maternal mortality: Dangers of childbirth” ABC News May 05, 2011 o -------------------------------------------------- • More US mothers dying despite expensive care

The Medical Ind is on the same page as the Taliban when it comes to the reproductive rights of women.

Seven toxic foods, drinks, and additives to cut out of your diet for good

Seven toxic foods, drinks, and additives to cut out of your diet for good Aug 07, 2012 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer NaturalNews) With so much conflicting information out there about which foods are healthy and which foods are not, it can be difficult for many people to determine how best to approach a healthy lifestyle that includes eating well. But a good place to start is to avoid these seven toxic foods, beverages, and additives that are quite common in the American diet. Diet sodas and beverages sweetened with artificial chemicals. One of the more common dietary misconceptions in mainstream society today is the idea that "diet" beverages are somehow healthier than their sugar-sweetened beverages. Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal) saccharin (Sweet'N Low), and sucralose (Splenda) are among the more popular artificial sweeteners used in many diet sodas, juices, chewing gums, and other foods (http://www.naturalnews.com). Not only are artificial sweeteners bad for your health (http://www.naturalnews.com), but they also tend to promote obesity (http://www.naturalnews.com/022785.html). If you want to protect yourself against chronic illness and toxicity -- aspartame literally converts to formaldehyde in the body and causes metabolic acidosis -- it is best to stick with either raw sugars or natural sugar substitutes like pure stevia extract. High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), the silent killer. It is not really much of a secret anymore that HFCS, despite all the corn industry shilling, is a toxic sweetener that should be avoided (http://www.naturalnews.com/hfcs.html). Since it is linked to obesity, brain damage, low IQ, and even mercury poisoning, avoiding all foods that contain HFCS -- this can include breads, cereals, and other seemingly innocuous foods -- will do wonders for your health.

Most vegetable oils, including hydrogenated and 'trans' fat varieties. The misdirected war on saturated fats has convinced millions of people that unsaturated vegetable oils are a healthy alternative. Not only do many vegetables oils turn rancid quickly, which means they are toxic (http://healthwyze.org), but many of them also contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which, apart from omega-3 fatty acids, can cause severe health problems like heart disease and cancer. (http://www.naturalnews.com/022860.html) Many vegetable oils are also derived from genetically-modified organisms (GMOs), including canola, soy, and corn oils. These same oils are often hydrogenated as well, a process that turns them into heart-destroying solid oils. Avoiding these and sticking instead to healthy fats like grass-fed butter, coconut oil, olive oil, and hemp oil will greatly improve your health and lower your risk of disease.

White bread, pasta, and other refined flour foods. They are cheap, plentiful, and come in hundreds of varieties. But white breads, pastas, and other foods made from refined flour are among the top health destroyers in America today. Not only are most white flour products carcinogenic because they are bleached and bromated, but they also lack vital nutrients that are stripped away during processing. Avoid them, and all processed wheat products if possible, to optimize your health. Monosodium glutamate (MSG), carrageenan, and refined salt. Often hidden in foods under deceptive names (http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html), MSG is a pervasive salt chemical you will want to avoid that is linked to causing headaches, heart problems, brain damage, and other problems. Carrageenan, another chemical additive often hidden in "natural" and organic foods like nut milks and lunch meats, is similarly worth avoiding, as it can cause gastrointestinal upset and colon cancer. (http://www.cornucopia.org)

And processed salt, which is added to just about everything these days, lacks the trace minerals normally present in sea and earth salts, which means it ends up robbing your body of these vital nutrients (http://www.naturalnews.com/028724_Himalayan_salt_sea.html). Hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and stroke are just a few of the many conditions that can result from refined salt intake, so your best bet is to stick with unrefined sea salts and other full-spectrum salts.

Sources: http://www.naturalnews.com http://www.naturalnews.com/022785.html http://www.naturalnews.com/hfcs.html http://healthwyze.org http://www.naturalnews.com/022860.html http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html http://www.cornucopia.org http://www.naturalnews.com/028724_Himalayan_salt_sea.html Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/036724_toxic_foods_additives_avoid.html#ixzz2482BRT7m