The Engine 2 Diet

A wonderful letter from a plant-strong sheriff’s deputy

The Engine 2 Diet — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:17:35 +0000

Hi Rip,

Just wanted to say a personal thank you for your book and your father’s book ‘Prevent and Reverse heart disease’

Here’s the ’scoop’. I am a Deputy Sheriff. I was fit (ran the Bolder Boulder 3 times), healthy, skinny, ideal weight and on a Mediterranean diet. The only ‘clue’ was that I had a 35″ waist. No family history/risk factors. My cholesterol etc. was OK for someone without cardiac history.

April 2009 I had a heart attack and a stent fitted in my ramus artery. I was 38 and on duty at the time, no one believed this was happening to me! It was a calcified blockage and had a tear in it. Things could have been a lot lot worse….

October 2009 the stent restenosed and I had a second stent fitted. I was crushed. I was upset and angry. I had done everything ‘right’ by conventional medicine’s standards and felt that the new ‘diet’ of pills was wrong but did not know what to do.

My husband could see my spirits failing and that I was concerned that my job was at risk. He began reading. He found your father’s book. I read it and it was like a ‘eureka’ moment. Finally I had some control, some choice.

For two weeks I cooked the recipes in your father’s book. Some were good but I liked more flavorful food. I found your book online. Burritos! Hooray! Now we had some ‘fun’ food too and some good exercise advise.

Because of the restenosis I have quit running (too much impact) and now swim/power sculpt/yoga.

My cholesterol/lipids still need some work/medication but I have LOST 18 LBS IN 3 MONTHS! My waist is now 31″. I figure I have 2″ to go. I expect the cholesterol/lipids will improve once the weight loss stabilizes. I am off the beta blockers/calcium channel inhibitors. The statins are next on my list.

Thank you for showing me that a ‘cop’ can do this too. Ours is a tough job and I have had my colleagues say they would rather die than eat what I eat. I have too much to live for!

You and your dad are great people. One day I would like to shake you both by the hand.

Best wishes,

Jeanette K., Colorado

In Obesity Epidemic, What’s One Cookie?

The Engine 2 Diet — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:19:29 +0000

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/01/in-obesity-epidemic-whats-one-cookie/?em

Talking to Whole Foods Market team members in Evanston, IL – rocking store!

The Engine 2 Diet — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:26:08 +0000

TEDx Austin

The Engine 2 Diet — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Rip kicked off the Inaugural TEDX Austin speaker event on Saturday to a packed Austin City Limit’s auditorium. Check out this video to see a post-it-note pictorial of his remarks.

This is why Engine 2 exists – read this powerful testimonial….

The Engine 2 Diet — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:55:24 +0000

Subject: Heart attack

Today is a great day.
I have 33 years in the fire service. The last 2 years I have been a Capt. on a Truck Company (a Tower) at Station 74 on the **** ****** City Fire Dept.
Two months ago I started to have some serious angina. I denied it, thought it was gallbladder or acid reflux. One day when I was in pain I had Paramedic Firefighter Berry do a 12 lead EKG on me, it didn’t show a MI. I went to my Doctor Feb 14, I was 256 lbs., cholesterol of 263. I had never had cholesterol that high, but I hadn’t had it checked for 4 years. The Doc. gave me a prescription of Staton and a acid inhabitant. He told me to eat half the portions of food and set me up for a 12 lead EKG stress test on Jan. 26, 2010.
The morning of Jan 25th I was off duty, woke up felt OK. Laying there I started to have pains in my neck, the pain then went across my clavicles, down my chest and left arm. This pain did not go away like the angina, I could not rationalize it.
I was to go to a funeral that morning, didn’t know I was headed to my own. I though of calling for an ambulance, but waited for my wife to come home from work to go to the funeral with me. When she got home, I told her I could not wait for the stress test tomorrow, I had to know the cause of the pain now and the hospital was where we were going. At the ER I told them I was having chest pain, but I thought it was acid reflux. They did a 12 lead EKG and it showed as big as day, a tombstone EKG. Anteroseptal infarct. within 5 to 10 minutes I was in the Cath Lab.
I received 5 stent’s. The Widow maker was opened up first. Then Doctor ******** saw that my Right Coronary Artery was occluded but receiving blood flow, The blood it was getting was coming from other artery’s, backwards. I had had a heart attack years before. This was the reason that when hiking I always had to stop and catch my breath when everyone else kept going. It was why I cold not run stairs and had to walk them. I thought that it was because I was out of shape. I was out of shape, it was so hard to get into shape. My RCA got four stents. Wow the pain went away. My heart arteries were opened up.
The next day in intensive care, , I had the lunch tray at my bed. On the tray was a sandwich, a big slab of cheese, a slice of turkey, wheat bread, mayo, Sun chips, choc pudding, and a note that said Cardiac diet. I was suspicious, of the cheese, chips and pudding. decided not to eat but half of the chips and pudding. Then Doctor ******** came to visit. I got a stern lecture on the oils in the chips and to never have chips again. He then told me that I have Metabolic syndrome and that I was to cut out the meats, dairy products, and eat Whole Grains.
I told the nurse about the change in diet, she had a dietitian come to the room to help my wife an I, with the American Heart Assos. Diet. Up to now I had done pretty good with the A. H. A. diet.
What my Doctor told me and what the dietitian was telling me was conflicting. I instructed her that I was to have no meat or dairy. I thanked her and took the book.
My oldest son has a Degree in Bioinformatics, he researched all night about my condition and told me the same thing that I could not have any animal products.
That evening I got the cardiac meal again. Lasagna covered with cheese. I ate half the meal. The next morning I got the Cardiac diet again, eggs and ham. Finally I pushed the tray away and decided I to go hungry then told the nurse that I can not eat what they are serving. She went and got the kitchen staff and I told them that I want Vegetables and Fruit for lunch and I got Vegetables and fruit for lunch but, they still had to put Cottage Cheese on the plate.
Before leaving the hospital Doctor ******** showed me the angiogram of my heart. It was sobering to see that I had had two heart attacks, one years ago and one the 25th.
I did not realize how much I loved life, loved to be with my family and loved my job as a firefighter until something came along and tried to take it all away.
My wife and I left the hospital and went home. The first meal at home my wife just cried. I asked what was wrong, She said ” I cant make anything that you will eat”. Wow I felt bad. I didn’t know what to say. She did good, she came up with some beans salsa and whole wheat tortilla shells and we had bean burritos.
The next day I went shopping at a Club membership warehouse. I was intimidated by the food stacked to the ceiling, foods that I could not eat.
Sunday my wife tried to bake some muffins with apple sauce and substitutes, they burned, not a good day, the tears came again.
I had to do something to help in the kitchen. I would go to the rehab center to work out. After wards I would go to the health food stores. Searching for the things I could eat. It was like going to school reading the ingredients. When the store clerks would ask if they could help I would just tell them that I was studying the store.
I sent an E-mail to some of my friends on other Fire Depts. that I had had a heart attack. Steve O**** from ***** *City Fire on Tower 83 sent one back with the Engine 2 Diet site on it. I watched your fathers Y-Tub video. This had the same affect on me as watching my angiograms. It Made my resolve to eat healthy stronger. I watched it over and over. I then looked for more info on heart attack proofing my heart. Watched the “Make yourself heart attack proof” video. Steve got me your dads book and on to more Y-Tubes by Popper and Ornish. I tried to read The Engine 2 Diet on line but couldn’t so, I ordered it. I have read it now. I ordered six more of “the Engine 2 Diet” and five of “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease”. These are for all the firefighters and friends that have so many questions.
The recipes in the books have helped greatly, the tears are gone. I even help in the kitchen now. It’s kind of fun cutting up the veggies, being in the kitchen with the little bride and trying new things.
I feel great I have lost another 10 lbs. When I walk (that’s all I can do now) I have to hold back and not over do it. There is no shortness of breath, I really want to give my new heart a test. In one month I get to do a EKG stress test. I am going to blow it away. I can’t wait to see what my cholesterol is. It is amazing the feeling the Diet gives, I feel lighter, positive and energetic. It’s awesome.
Thanks to my Cardiologist Dr. ******** for the Life saving Procedures and getting me started on the right trail.
Thanks to my son who was looking out for me.
Thanks goes to Steve O**** of Tower 83 for getting me the info I needed. He wanted me to tell you hello.
Thanks to you and your father for putting the books and information together and sharing that with me. Thanks for The Engine 2 Diet. Without this knowledge I think I would have had another heart attack within two years.
And thanks to my wife, to who I have given my heart, with full trust and confidence.
NOW WHY IS TODAY A GREAT DAY? I HAVE BEEN ON THE ENGINE 2 DIET FOR THREE WEEKS NOW AND MY HEART IS HEART ATTACK PROOF!!!

Healthcare savings could start in the cafeteria

The Engine 2 Diet — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:51:15 +0000

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/health/policy/29diet.html

Check out Rip on the Dr. Oz show!

The Engine 2 Diet — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:33:19 +0000

Click here to view the embedded video.

Jane Brody on Michael Pollan’s new book

Rip Esselstyn — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 21:06:42 +0000

Rules Worth Following, for Everyone’s Sake

By JANE E. BRODY

Published: February 1, 2010

In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science, I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow than the 64 principles outlined in a slender, easy-to-digest new book called “Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual,” by Michael Pollan.

More Personal Health Columns

Mr. Pollan is not a biochemist or a nutritionist but rather a professor of science journalism at the University of California, Berkeley. You may recognize his name as the author of two highly praised books on food and nutrition, “In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma.” (All three books are from Penguin.)

If you don’t have the time and inclination to read the first two, you can do yourself and your family no better service than to invest $11 and one hour to whip through the 139 pages of “Food Rules” and adapt its guidance to your shopping and eating habits.

Chances are you’ve heard any number of the rules before. I, for one, have been writing and speaking about them for decades. And chances are you’ve yet to put most of them into practice. But I suspect that this little book, which is based on research but not annotated, can do more than the most authoritative text to get you motivated to make some important, lasting, health-promoting and planet-saving changes in what and how you eat.

Reasons to Change

Click her for the whole article: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/02/health/02brod.html?emc=eta1