Reversing Heart Disease: The Nonsurgical Approach

Rating:
Summary: Excellent reading for every adult!
Review: Dr. Whitaker has done an excellent job of explaining how and why we can live longer and healthier lives by taking care of our circulatory system. His frank and sincere approach comes across wonderfully and he includes many and delicious, healthy recipes that will assist you in reversing many of the symptoms of old age. Everyone who wants to live to have their grandchildren (and maybe great-grandchildren) on their laps someday should read this.

Rating:
Summary: Well Written
Review: Early heart disease runs in my family, and last year I got a calcium score done and scored rather high for my age. I instantly became one of the "worried well" as Dr. Whitaker puts it. In any case, it became my mission not to end up dying of heart disease at a young age, so I started to buy and read every book I could find on the subject. The most compelling and accessable program to date was that created by Dr. Dean Ornish. With his help I lost 65 pounds and got my lipid profile and blood pressure under control; however, I was still hungry for more information about how this disease progresses and how I can prevent it, along with how I can reverse what has already started. Dr. Whitaker's book was ideal in that regard. I found Dr. Whitaker's book to be easy to read, easy to understand, and filled with data and advice I could implement into my life. I really enjoyed the section wherein he discussed the various diagnostic tests and their respective predictibility. This information was somewhat different than that which had been communicated to me by the various Cardiologists I have seen; however, Dr. Whitaker's information just "sounded right." Rather than using scare tactics like some of the other books I have read, Dr. Whitaker takes an objective approach. When comparing Whitaker's book to Ornish's, the major difference I see is that Ornish has you limit fat intake to 10% a day, whereas Whitaker recommends 20%. Unfortunately, and this is only one of a few issues I have with the book, Dr. Whitaker does not back up his case for fat intake to the extent that Ornish does. So, I came away somewhat torn about how much fat I should be consuming. Overall, this is a fantastic book that I would recommend to anyone who already has heart disease or to those who are at risk for heart disease. I have already bought copies for my three brothers.