After stent, should Bush embrace Clinton's plant-based diet?
 

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Former President George W. Bush is expected to leave the hospital tomorrow (Aug. 7) after undergoing a stent procedure to open up a blocked artery in his heart today. Doctors discovered the potentially life-threatening condition during a routine physical through a procedure called a stress test. After the surgery, the 67-year-old was "in high spirits, eager to return home tomorrow and resume his normal schedule on Thursday," spokesman Freddy Ford said.

While several factors can influence heart disease, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, stress and family history, Bush's stent is still surprising considering his active lifestyle. Known as a "fitness nut" during his two terms in the White House, he's since participated three times in the 100-kilometer (62-mile) Warrior 100K charity bike ride. As Reuters notes, he was also named by the website AskTheTrainer.com the most physically fit president in U.S. history.

"His physicians classified him in the top 2% of men his age for cardiovascular fitness," the site reported in 2008. "He went 26 minutes on a treadmill test (protocol unnamed), attaining a heart rate of 178 beats per minute. Bush's resting heart rate was 43 beats/minute, and his blood pressure 118/74 mmHg. His total cholesterol level was 170 mg/dl."

All this and he still had a blocked artery? What gives? According to famed heart surgeon Caldwell Esselstyn Jr., Bush's problem may not be so much his lifestyle as it is his diet.

"They say risk factors are diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking and maybe too much saturated fat. But when you really come down to it, food trumps them all," he told the Chicago Tribune earlier this year.

Esselstyn goes on to explain that the endothelial cells, which line the interior suraface of our blood and lymphatic vessels, pump out "marvelous amounts" of the free radical nitric oxide. Calling it "the absolute guardian and life jacket of our vessels," nitric oxide keeps the cell walls flowing smoothly and helps prevent infallmation, stiffness, and other factors that lead to blockages or plaque.

"Every time we ingest certain foods, it compromises and injures the endothelial cell's capacity to make nitric oxide. As we are constantly getting less and less nitric oxide, we are less able to prevent coronary artery disease."

Esselstyn counts animal and processed foods -"anything with a mother or face" - as well as sugar and coffee with caffeine as those "certain foods" that restrict our ability to create nitric oxide. The replacement food is all leafy greens and whole grains - and no oils.

"The last thing you need is oil. You never need it. It injures the endothelial lining," he adds.

While such a diet may seem tough to immediately shift to, Bush can at least take solace in knowing that another former president has managed just fine - and with amazing results.

Back in 2010, following a stent procedure to unclog a blocked artery (he had previously undergone a quadruple-bypass in 2004), Bill Clinton decided to pursue a plant-based diet. Along with Dr. Esselstyn's book "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease," Clinton also educated himself with Dr. Dean Ornish's "Program for Reversing Heart Disease" and biochemist T. Colin Campbell's "The China Study."

"I'm trying to be one of those experimenters," Clinton said after making his new diet public. "Since 1986, several hundred people who have tried essentially a plant-based diet, not ingesting any cholesterol from any source, has seen their bodies start to heal themselves — break up the arterial blockage, break up the calcium deposits around the heart. 82 percent of the people who have done this have had this result, so I want to see if I can be one of them."

In the three years since making the switch, Clinton has lost more than 30 pounds and increased his exercise - walking two-three miles a day and enjoying sports such as golf.

The AARP recently highlighted Clinton's typical daily menu saying, "For Bill Clinton, breakfast is almost always an almond-milk smoothie, blended with fresh berries, nondairy protein powder and a chunk of ice. Lunch is usually some combo of green salad and beans. He snacks on nuts — "those are good fats" — or hummus with raw vegetables, while dinner often includes quinoa, the Incan super-grain, or sometimes a veggie burger."

Whether Bush decides to embrace a plant-based eating plan or not - it's clear that some changes independent of his fitness routine will have to be made.

"Lifestyle choices, such as diet and exercise, will be a part of this regimen as well as medications," Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, spokeswoman for the American Heart Association and a cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City told US News. "The stent allows for blood flow through the artery, but is not a cure for atherosclerosis. Although a relatively simple procedure, it is more like a Band-Aid then an overall solution. The next phase is prevention through healthy lifestyle choices, through diet, managing stress and continued exercise."

Source mnn.com

No.

:agree:

:agree: :agree:

Bill :wave:

What Bill said.

ditto all the above!

Maybe he should look at the South Beach diet which has been proven to help people lose weight and also reduce heart disease.

Why not try a change of diet ? He already exercises and seems relatively healthy but still had a blockage and required a stent. Clinton went from stopping at every McDonald's he passed, had quadruple bypass, changed to a plant based diet, and looks great. Bush should try the same.

I think Bush already looks great - at least on the outside!!!

67 and change diet. Really??? leave it alone. This stint should work for 20 + years. That will be 97 or 100 years old. Leave the guy to his steaks and French fries. If you took me off my high fat diet, I would prefer death to living longer. Please. If you are going to live a healthy life style, start at 20 not 67. I even use salt water for mouth wash. Enjoy your life and stop with the health food BS.

I have always loved you, but never more than now. ;)

Back at ya girlfriend.

:)

Let's get the naysayers to post a copy of their blood work and jump on a scale & post that number.

No.

I prefer quality of life far more than quantity. I never fear death, but do fear not living.

Euell Gibbons - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Read about the guy that died younger than I am now.

I cannot answer for former President Bush. I suspect he has access to some pretty sharp doctors and will be listening to their advice ;).

That said what really blew me away was his numbers! Resting HR of 47!! On treadmill HR of 178. Holy MOLY!!! I do treadmill work and push my HR to 145 and that is enough for me. I think at 178 it may explode!!!

PS. I for one follow your posts (and a few others) on this subject with great interest. I cannot say I have converted to a plant based lifestyle, but I have taken a serious look at how I eat and made some significant changes to the better due to a few posters on TOTV and my followup reading.

But you don't understand. Euell Gibbons ate meat. According to Carl Esselstyn we're all supposed to live on lettuce and celery. If you follow his program and you are not losing weight, he'll tell you that you're eating too many carbs. If it's still not working, you're eating to many calories. Then maybe you're eating processed foods.

Dean Ornish who has written books prescribing almost the same program that Esselstyn has, has admitted that their diets are very difficult to stick with.

Also there are hundreds of nutritionists and cardiologists who disagree with their premise. Arthur Agatston, a cardiologist is Miami is one who feels that sugar is more of a problem than fat. Sugar is in almost everything we eat and the amount of it and, more importantly, how quickly it is absorbed into our blood stream may have a more deleterious effect than eating healthy fats. To Esselstyn, there is no such thing as healthy fats.

Esselstyn has some anecdotal evidence where his program has been successful, (as does every other nutritionist and doctor with a diet book out there) but there have been no long term studies have been conducted to show that people who adopt this style of eating will, number one, stay on the diet If they do manage to follow this very difficult program there is no hard evidence that they will lose weight and improve their cardiovascular health.

Some doctors also have concerns about the detrimental effects of a completely plant based diet. Not only is it unnatural for humans but the lack of certain nutrients may cause other problems in the long run.

This has worked very well for President Clinton but that doesn't mean that it will work for everyone.

And as someone else pointed out what is the point of living a few extra years if you can't enjoy some of the finer things in life?

Thanks AJ, aside from the wisecrackers, folks here really do read it, I always get the email or PM or two saying positive things.

You know that isn't true vegans eat a lot more than lettuce and celery, I guess when you tried it, it just wasn't for you. Too bad it could have help your condition I think, those R the choices we make.

:icon_hungry: plant based is easier than waking up after open heart surgery or rehabbing after a stroke or heart attack .

Not TRUE at all totally mis stated :sad:

Such as? care to specify?

It will work for almost everyone, but only about 6 million so far have the will power & desire to stop taking meds with their known side effects :undecided:

How about the quality of life in a nursing home for the rest of your life, is that one of those finer things to look forward to?

From 08/02/13 "inspection" at the docs office:

Height 6'1"
Weight 205
Heart rate at rest - 58
BP - 116/72

Cholesterol - 140
Triglyceride - 101
HDL - 50
LDL - 70
VLDL - 20
Sodium - 141
Potassium - 4.1
Glucose - 92
Calcium - 9.3

etc., etc., etc.

Every number from every test was within accepted range.


I jog 3 times a week, 2 miles each time.

I take a mild dosage of cholesterol and blood pressure meds once a day as those had tested high initially about 10 years ago. By watching some of what I choose to eat - along with the medications - the numbers have improved to their current levels.

My diet is horrible by textbook standards. I'd describe it as mirroring "Selective Eating Disorder" without the social stigma part - people we know well joke with me about my eating habits all the time :D :

Selective eating disorder - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I have real issues with the consistency of many foods and thus won't eat them. Not much of a person to want to try new foods so what I eat is pretty much what I've eaten my entire life.

There are many, many foods I've never eaten and can guarantee you I'll never eat - salads (never had one in my life), most fruits and vegetables, and so on. I love junk food, crave sweets, and pretty much eat what I like. Give me a cheeseburger or a pizza and I'm a happy guy. But I eat lots of things like chicken, too. It's just the way I am - no apologies for it.

I feel fine, never missed work or school back in the day - - - and I enjoy life and what I eat.

Until something changes with how I feel or with the feedback the doctor gives me, I plan to continue along the same path. I really don't see any reason not to.

And at the end of the day, I could step off the curb this afternoon and get whacked by a bus or something. I want to be happy with my daily life.....just in case something drastic like the bus thing should ever transpire. Radically changing something like my diet would put a big damper on the "happy life" thing for me.

Not putting this up for debate - just offering the info as requested. Thanks!

Bill :)

Sure, with the meds you take, surprised you don't see that.

You can eat even more bad food, just takes more meds, ya think?

:agree:

My medical "mantra" is: everything in moderation. The problem that gets people in trouble is the defination of "moderation". I prefer to refer people to "the zone" diet. Its easy to keep. Not necessarily a losing weight diet, but a good solid diet to keep yourself healthy in the long run. Very few people eat enough fruits and vegs and consume too much starch/grains/carbo's. I would suggest that GW might have genetic heart disease. Doesn't have to be his parents.....could be farther back in his family tree. Generally speaking, from his numbers, he appears fit.

[QUOTE=Some doctors also have concerns about the detrimental effects of a completely plant based diet. Not only is it unnatural for humans but the lack of certain nutrients may cause other problems in the long run.

[/QUOTE]

Actually there is nothing natural about humans consuming meats. It has been explained that man isn't even a match for a 40 lb dog let alone running down game and killing it by bitting into it's neck as other wild animals. We haven't the teeth of a carnivore, rather we have the grinding teeth of plant and nut eating animals. Our intestinal tracks are very long as other plant eating animals as compared to the very short tracks of carnivores which also have very strong digestive juices as compared to us. Meat eating animals digest and get rid of it very fast due to it's short track and strong digestive juices. When humans eat meat it sets very long in us getting rancid.
There is lots to be said for a vegetarian diet.

It is not a SIN or even an imperfection to take medication to improve your general health and to make the quality of life better. That is the reason we have brains to figure stuff out. What you just said is not logical reasoning to me at all. That is like ...You have legs, don't use a golf cart. You would be healthier if you walked everywhere.

My husband was born with Pete Marravich syndrome, he was born with one coronary artery instead of three. Although he has no problems the cardiologist prescribed statins to keep that one open.

Our daughter was born with Williams Syndrome where all vessels great and small are stenosed so she takes both statins and blood pressure medication to ease the load on her narrowed vessels.

Bill just said he was born with a selective eating disorder. He is doing pretty good, I'd say with no lettuce.

I have a genetic blessing that keeps my cholesterol down in the 120's.



I think this is a waste of typing. If you believe one way, no one will convince you of another as we get older it gets worse. And I include myself in that statement.

Gracie, I'm speaking to meds for related ailments that can be eliminated thru diet.
(to say nothing of the known and unknown side effects)

You can correct plaque in arteries

High cholesterol tri's etc

Also BP

Type II diabetes eliminated.

The list goes on 6 million vegans and counting

Not speaking to the types of ailments that can't be changed other wise.

Sure, why not!!

Doctors can't always catch clogged arteries in time. A local cardiologist was talking about the death of actor Gandolfini on the radio the other day. He said a person could have an artery 75% clogged and still pass a stress test.

great example.

Oh just in on red meat

There will always be people who promote vegan or raw food or plant based diets. And who are deservedly proud of their healthy lifestyles, fit bodies and "numbers" on their medical tests.

There will always be people who believe in moderation, and in living life to the fullest with good friends, good food and good wine.

I don't understand why people in the vegan camp seem to want to change the lifestyles of others and make them feel guilty. Each to his own.

I was 65 when I completely changed my diet. Not because of weight or any health issue I had, I just wanted to be proactive. My goal is to try to prevent prostate cancer or any other cancer for that matter. (I know people will school me now and tell me that I could still get cancer.) Of course there are no guarantees. The best you can do is reduce your risk for disease.


If he improves his diet, whatever it is, he could possibly reverse his artery disease. But to continue, "his steaks and French fries", it's more likely he would need to add an extra stint about every 3 to 4 years. After about 3 stints, it's likely his doctor would tell him he needs a bypass. And, at any time along the way, he could be in danger of a major cardiovascular event, such as a stroke. So it's not something to take lightly.

Some people, like Clinton and others, prefer life and health. And often they can still find enjoyment in eating. It's just a matter of relearning how to eat. Why not wish them the best for a good life and health?

If you saw someone getting ready to jump off the Golden Gate bridge, wouldn't you try to stop them? Or would you say, "if I stop him, he will take his life at some later time anyway. Might as well let him have what he wants. It's his life. Go ahead, JUMP!" I know, I'm comparing apples and oranges. If someone falls apart slowly, it's much more acceptable.

Feeling guilty seems to imply that you know you're doing wrong. I can't help you with that. But there's no requirement that you follow these threads.

Some people, like myself, appreciate the help. I first learned about the benefits of a vegan diet by reading The China Study. The book was recommended to me on a message board, on another website. And it wasn't a health board. It didn't make me feel guilty; it made me feel as though I got my life back.

sooo true, but you notice there are many repeat naysayers in these diet threads that really have a keen interest.

I heard that vegetarian was just Latin for poor hunter.

Eskimos live on meat. What about other hunter gatherers? They seem to do just fine until they start eating a Western diet with sugar and refined carbohydrates.

I know a Frenchman who is 98 years old. He eats ham, cheese, butter, white bread and daily drinks red wine both at lunch and dinner. He used to smoke.

I don't think Clinton looks that great. I think he looks haggard and skeletal, almost frail. Bush, on the other hand, looks healthy and robust, always has. And walking three miles a day? Pfft... That's nothing. Bush could ride circles around him in the fitness routine area.

Clinton does look gaunt and done in whereas President Bush looks terrific!

I must be too old fashioned because the type of food I eat or do not eat does not enter into the "decision" as to whether it is worth living or dying. My need to be with those I lovehas far too high a priority.

Quality of life is a very personal state, unique to each individual. And up until one is ACTUALLY confronted with the decision to either live or die one has no idea what they would do until then and there. Without being confronted with a real, bonifide, choice of death over life, facing the actual prospect of real death, throwing down the gauntlet of choosing death because of a food choice amounts to nothing more than machismo bragadoccio bravado.

btk

Why would anyone post their confidential medical information on a web site because some stranger asked them too? I think that's nuts. If good or bad health was only a matter of what you eat life would be easy! You have food, genetics, environment, stress, amount of or lack of exercise and the list goes on and on. It always cracks me up when someone tries to put all of the ills of life in one nice basket, good luck with your grazing!

You missed the point by several decades. Yes any sensible person would chose life over a cheeseburger, but I would take 70 years of cheeseburgers before 90 years of lettuce. :spoken: