[.ca] Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease (ISBN 0804110387)

worth careful consideration:
I have not read this book, however I have read most of these reviews. I am an RN and would just like to point out that each individual is bound to have his or her own unique experience with this diet. To any who adamantly state this should never be tried, for whatever your reasons (selling your own book, or solely considering your own health concerns) shame on you. To attempt to black list this book for people it MAY help is well, despicable. I am personally buying this book both for family members and myself who are having atherosclerotic problems. The key is, if there are potential problems, to insist on getting those things checked regularly with your doctor, which we will do and post more in the future with our personal results.

Is Ornish Regimen a Religious Diet?:
Why does one have to be a strict veggan on Ornish? Why can't one have a low-fat diet without abstaining from fish and poultry? Is there any proof that Yoga, Meditation, and "Breathing Exercises" are really necessary for Ornish program to work? Few know this. But Dean Ornish is a longtime disciple of Swami Satchidananda. And the Ornish Regimen is an exact replica of his guru's Integral Yoga. Which emphasizes breathing, meditation, and of course yoga. In his book "Eat More, Weigh Less," Ornish admitted "Much of what is in this book is a direct outgrowth of twenty years of study with Swami Satchidananda...for whom I have the deepest respect and appreciation." So if you want to adopt a Hindu "Integral Yoga" lifestyle hatched by Ornish's Swami, fine. But if you just want what works without the Hinduism, then I recommend The Elixxir Progam. This is based on the best way to slash your risk for dying from heart disease, cancer, stroke, and diabetes. It can dramatically lower your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar. The body of scientific research supporting the basis of The Elixxir Program stretches all the way back to the thirties. Much better documented than Ornish's regimen. And you won't have to be a veggan and abstainer from alcohol for life. Get a copy of "The ImmorTalist Manifesto: Stay Young & Save the World." (Available on Amazon) At back, in excerpt, you will read about The Elixxir Program. Then go search for the website of Elixxir and The Elixxir Program. P.s. If you main goal is weight loss, Ornish is not exactly slim. As the New York Times, I believe, and others have noted. But Elixxir is fabulously slim.

I Bought The Book When it First Came Out About 1990.:
Please do not be offended but only a fool would disregard what is in this book. Most people spend more time looking after their car than their health. I bought this book more than ten years ago. I am just an average Amazon.com reader (bought pre-Amazon). I thought then and I do now that the book was just outstanding. I am a scientist and I guess one can be fairly certain that the book is not 100% correct. Also it is virtually impossible to follow all the recommendations in the book. Having said that I think that any intelligent person after reading this book would change their lifestyle. To be honest, I have re-read the book once but is impossible to remember every detail. But it did cause me to (permanently) stop smoking about 14 years ago. When I am in a stressful situation I do remember (suprisingly) some of the passages in the book and I think that in dealing with any potential stress in a positive way to reduce the stress it helps health and the heart. Finally, I still eat my share of McDonald's Big Macs but overall I did change my diet. So I would recommend this book highly. It is a cheap investment in your health and life. Jack in Toronto

Great Information that helps. He includes stress reduction:
Dr. Ornish is great. His book(s) have lots of information to help improve heart conditions and overall health in the process. He was on Oprah talking about meditation the other day and did a nice job, but I want to tell everyone that the BEST book I have ever used to reduce stress and learn what is called meditation (though this book is very non-mystical) is EFFORTLESS WELLBEING by Evan Finer. Not only does it cover how to calm your mind and relax your body and breathe properly, but also tells other profound and super simple exercises to do while performing "meditation"! Simply the best and a SUPER compliment to any and all of Dr. Ornish's books. Don't miss this one! A Gem!

A change in the way of thinking about things:
Dean Ornish's (1995) clinical medical research, for example, shows that heart disease, the biggest cause of death presently in the United States and in many developed countries, and potentially many other conditions - e.g. he's doing clinical trials presently on prostate cancer with positive results so far - are reversible through lifestyle changes, especially a nutritionally-sound, low-fat, grain-, vegetable-, bean- (including soy bean products) and fruit-centered diet; exercise, e.g. 30 minutes of walking per day; relaxation; and community. His work originates from a yoga perspective. People in the U.S. consume 30% of their calories in the form of fat, which contributes to putting a significant part of the population at risk for heart disease. By contrast, a heart disease-reversing diet involves consuming about 10% of one's daily calories in the form of fat, - aim for very, very little fat intake using the very useful Food and Drug Administration labels on all U.S. food (labels in the UK are not nearly as informative), get exercise and have fun with friends. In general, try to eat less than 3 grams of fat per serving.