A whole foods, plant-based diet is the heart-healthiest diet
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the world, even though three-quarters of the humans on this planet have no heart disease. Women’s death rate from heart disease is eight times higher than their death rate from breast cancer. The incidence rate (not death rate) for heart disease is about the same as it was in the early 1970s. According to USDA figures, we consume significantly more meat and added fat than we did 30 years ago. Dr. T. Colin Campbell concludes:“The American public is not being given the most up-to-date scientific information. Health institutions in America such as the American Heart Association are intentionally misleading the pubic about heart disease by recommending a diet for heart disease that favors moderation rather than scientific truth. The layperson must be aware that a whole foods, plant-based diet is far and away the healthiest diet, whether scientists, doctors and policy makers think the public will change or not.”
Heart Disease Proved to Be Both Preventable and Reversible
A whole foods, plant-based diet is ultimately more effective and far cheaper than medical intervention because it reduces coronary risk factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure and weight. Beyond prevention, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn. Jr. and then Dr. Dean Ornish proved that heart disease is reversible with a very low-fat, plant-based diet. Dr. William Castelli, director of the Framingham Heart Study, the nation’s oldest and largest cardiovascular research project, also participated in research on vegetarian and macrobiotic people at Harvard Medical School. He noted they have healthier hearts and circulatory systems than conditioned athletes.
Sources: American Journal of Cardiology; The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, Ph.D., 2005; William Castelli, “Summary of Lessons from the Framingham Heart Study,” Sept. 1983
A defibrillator implant is a tiny device that’s placed in a person’s heart to detect abnormal heartbeats. When a person’s heart beats too quickly or starts to beat erratically, this electronic device sends a power boost to the heart. The energy gives the heart muscle enough strength to get back on track.
Of course we’re not born with a defibrillator. To get a defibrillator implant you have to undergo a two-to-five hour surgery. Generally those who get defibrillator implants have also had heart attacks. For example, Vice President Dick Cheney had a defibrillator placed in his chest after he had a heart attack.
How Does It Work?
A defibrillator implant works like a tiny little computer. Instead of storing articles and financial programs, a defibrillator implant records heartbeats. When it detects and abnormal heartbeat, it kicks in.
Defibrillator implants are made up of two parts, the lead and the generator. The lead checks the heart rhythms and carries energy to the heart when fast or irregular rhythms are detected. The generator is the brains behind the lead. It decides what to do with the rhythms. When it detects irregular beats, it sends the energy through the leads. The “energy” is a battery that’s housed in the generator.
Preparing for a Defibrillator
During your lifetime, you or someone you love might have to get a defibrillator. Getting a defibrillator implant is serious. It’s a surgical procedure that requires a patient to be put under. Many of these surgeries are successful and many defibrillator recipients go on to lead long, healthy lives, but you should discuss this decision with your doctor and family.
If you decide to go ahead with the surgery, prepare yourself to stay in the hospital for a few days. The length of your stay will depend on how well your surgery went, what type of surgery you had and your overall health. After the surgery, you’ll be given a series of tests including blood tests and an EKG. The device itself will also be tested and programmed and your doctor will give you a chest x-ray to make sure the defibrillator is in correctly.
Even though defibrillator implant patients have to stay in the hospital for a few days, they can return to their normal lives fairly quickly after they’re released. It’s recommended that these patients don’t lift anything that’s more than 20 pounds until they’re fully recovered. They’re also not supposed to take a shower for five days. This is a precautionary measure to protect the chest wound.
Staying on Your Toes
Defibrillator implants aren’t perfect and they can malfunction. Unfortunately, there isn’t a 100 percent guarantee that a defibrillator implant is going to work. However, there are some things defibrillator recipients can do to minimize the chance of a malfunction.
Those with defibrillator implants should stay away from electrical devices that have large magnetic fields. This includes certain industrial equipment, power plants and magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs). Though you’ll be OK around a microwave, you should keep cell phones at least six inches away from the device.
Make sure to take care of your defibrillator implant. After all, the whole point of having a defibrillator implant is to increase the quality and longevity of your life.
