There is some hope. More and more
scientific evidence suggests that diet
and lifestyle have an impact on the
prevention and even reversal of many
chronic conditions, including heart
disease. Both research and outcomes
are helping to drive change. In 2010,
Medicare began offering reimburse-
ment for the first Lifestyle Medicine
program introduced by Dr. Dean
Ornish. His program—which focuses
on a whole food, plant-based diet,
low in saturated fats and refined
carbohydrates, teamed with exercise
and stress management—produces
outcomes that easily rival the top-
selling heart medications. Even better,
side effects are much more tolerable
and include weight loss, increased
energy, reduction of medication
doses, improved libido and reduction
in cancer risks.
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Many forward-thinking health centers
are taking the results to heart. Some
top medical centers are opening “food
farmacies” where patients can purchase
healthy foods and take integrated cook-
ing classes. While insurance companies
and most health centers appear to be
more talk than action when it comes
to prevention, patients can read books
from many of the top lifestyle physi-
cians and learn how to introduce
changes into their lives. This is not only
educational—it is empowering and
transformational. The only successful
change comes from the bottom up, from
thoughtful clinicians offering patients
the tools to take their health into their
own hands. In the words of Margaret
Meade, “Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world; indeed, it is the
only thing that ever has.” n