Eat your greens
 

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When the Historic Lewes Farmers Market opened this weekend, I made a dash for fresh greens keeping in mind new information from Caldwell Esselstyn, M.D., author of PREVENT AND REVERSE HEART DISEASE. His life-saving program of PLANT-BASED EATING WITH NO ADDED OIL has given me and thousands of others, “the locus of control to halt and control this disease.” Esselstyn is now advising heart patients to consume dark green leafy vegetables 6 times daily! Yes, SIX! That’s in addition to all those delicious beans, whole grains, starchy and colorful vegetables and fruit that comprise our healing diet of whole foods.

What’s so special about greens? They have high ORAC VALUE (Oxygen Radical Absorptive Capacity). In other words, dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, collards, swiss chard, turnip and mustard greens, bok choy, arugula, Brussels sprouts and spinach are powerful natural antioxidants that accelerate resolution of heart disease.

Dr. Esselstyn explains that eating a portion the size of one’s fist (after cooking 5 minutes and seasoning with a splash of balsamic vinegar) 6 times throughout the day literally bathes the delicate endothelial lining of the blood vessels in antioxidants. These antioxidant-rich greens break down the “cauldron of oxidated inflammation” which makes up the blood vessel plaque all of us have from years of consuming THE STANDARD AMERICAN DIET of meat, dairy and refined foods.

So—Mother was right—“Eat your greens. They’re good for what ails you!”

Where is the Lewes Farmers Market? Ocala?

Fresh greens only seem to keep a few days. Is this market open just one day, or on the weekend?

Do you cook your greens all at once, enough for one day? If so, what size pan do you use? In the past I have used a 3 quart pan and filled it to the top. But when it's cooked it shrinks way down and doesn't look like much. It might make one or two meals for me. I flavor it with onions, garlic and one teaspoon of olive oil.

Olive oil defeats the purpose of the entire article, Dr E has proven the artery clogging effect of all oils.

The above statement makes a lot of assumptions. It assumes that everyone has "a cauldron of oxidated inflammation". I don't. It assumes that everyone consumes "the standard American diet". I don't. I don't eat meat, dairy and refined foods. Your opening post suggests that everyone needs to reverse some arterial buildup of plaque. I don't.

My father ate the standard American diet of meat, dairy and refined foods. In his late seventies (79?) he had an MRI to determine whether or not he had hardening of the arteries. And his doctors were surprised that he had no buildup of plaque whatsoever.

I'm not recommending the standard American diet, I'm just illustrating the fact that it doesn't always lead to coronary artery disease. And, certainly, one teaspoon of olive oil, by itself, is not going to bring it on.

However, I can understand if someone has heart disease, or a family history of heart disease, they might want to restrict added fats in their diet. I don't object to that.

Can Esselstyn explain why some people, like my father, can eat the standard American diet for 79 years and have no arterial plaque?

How do you know that for certain?

Again how do you know that?

one teaspoon in life time is not what happens in reality is it?

Look simple fact all oils inflame the endothelial lining,
I really don't believe your father was without plaque, upon someones autopsy they are not analyzing the plaques or percentage within the blood vessels.

The way folks eat dictates the amount of buildup the get, the good news which Dr E is stating here is the soft plaque buildup can be eliminated on oil free plant based diet. :coolsmiley:

To clarify hard calcified plaque is another issue.

As one begins to have plaque build-up, blood pressure gradually rises with age. I'm 73 and every time I go to the doctor for a checkup, the nurse usually records my blood pressure as 100/50, give or take a few points. And that's without taking any blood pressure medication. Once it was a few points lower and sometimes it's a few points higher. Most often it's 100/50 or very close to it.



I know that my father's MRI did not show any plaque buildup because I spoke to the two doctors who reviewed his MRI. I was my father's caregiver. They showed me the results (they looked like X-rays). His arteries were totally clean. If that's not enough proof, his blood pressure would back it up. His blood pressure (without any medication) was typically 120/80.



I didn't suggest that; did you think I did?



How do you know that all oils inflame the endothelial lining of all people? My father's diagnosis was not based on an autopsy. Where did you get that information from? Perhaps you don't believe me because you don't acknowledge the fact that some people may have more cholesterol receptors than average and some may have less than average. It makes me think that Dr. E doesn't know it either.

That's true in general but not true for everyone. I have a book written by a prominent heart specialist and he offers a diet plan to reverse coronary artery disease that includes limited portions of lean meat. So a plant based diet is not the only way to reverse heart disease. Although, I prefer the plant based diet for reasons other than preventing heart disease. A plant based diet is the best all around diet for preventing most degenerative diseases.

BTW: The book is: "The Cardiovascular Cure" by John P. Cooke MD, PhD.