How 40,000 People Reverse Heart Disease
Written by the Editors at Weight Loss Buddy Press in colaboration with
Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, FACN, CNS
It is well known that about two-thirds of the U.S. population is either overweight or obese. The U.S. Surgeon General has stated that approximately 75% of Western diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, hypertension, diabetes, gout, arthritis, excess weight gain, hypertension, diabetes, some cancers, impotence, diverticular disease, constipation, heartburn, and gallbladder disease, are “lifestyle-related.” They are directly correlated with our high fat diet, inadequate amounts of exercise, smoking, high intake of caffeine, and high amounts of stress coupled with insufficient support.
Hoping to address this alarming situation, more than 20 years ago, cardiovascular epidemiologist Hans A. Diehl, DrHSc, MPH, created the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). Since then, this 40-hour community-based lifestyle intervention program has helped more than 40,000 people rediscover their health by preventing, arresting and reversing their diseases. It has been conducted in more than 150 North American cities as well as in Bangalore, India, Australia and Switzerland. Depending upon the needs of the group, the meetings are held either “live” with Dr. Diehl delivering the program personally (usually meeting four times per week for four weeks) or as a “video-based” program with certified CHIP facilitators (normally two times per week for eight weeks). In addition, Dr. Diehl is a best-selling author – To Your Health, Dynamic Living, and Health Power (co-authored with Aileen Ludington, M.D.) -- as well as the executive editor of a 24-page quarterly Lifeline Health Letter; he has produced scores of health videos. CHIP empowers people through its scientifically-documented, educational and inspirational program that addresses common western diseases -- those that used to be seen primarily later in life. Today, these diseases increasingly appear at far younger ages. CHIP may make all the difference in one’s life -- even the difference between life and death.
In 1999, CHIP launched a “community health transformation template” in Rockford, Illinois, a city with a population of 130,000. The intention was to transform Rockford into the healthiest city in American, thereby enabling it to serve as a model and template for cultural transformation on a community-wide level. Recently, CHIP was recognized as just such a model by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson and was “approved” under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as a “STEPS to a HealthierUS” applicant. In addition to “live” CHIP, a series of CHIP videos are offered through schools, churches, corporations, and hospitals. In Rockford, CHIP is sponsored by the Swedish American Health System’s Center for Complementary Medicine.
Who is the typical CHIP participant? Generally, CHIP participants are over the age of 40. Most are between the ages of 50 and 59. There are twice as many women as men, and almost 90% are married. Clinical research, published in peer review journals, has found that they have the following lifestyle diseases:
10% report having heart disease
27% have elevated blood sugar
42% are overweight
49% show evidence of hypertension
60% are obese
89% are cholesterol above 160mg%
Over the course of the program, strict adherents are likely to experience
significant clinical improvements such as the following:
Serum cholesterol reduction average 15 – 20%
Average weight loss of six pounds
In about half of the participants with type 11 diabetes, a dramatic reduction in need for insulin and hypoglycemic agents
Lowering of high blood pressure levels
Diminishing of angina
Reduced levels of depression and increase in self-esteem
Class & Video Lecture Schedule
Week 1
Modern Medicine: Miracles, Medicines, & Mirages
The limitations of high-tech medical approaches in dealing with lifestyle related diseases
Portrait of a Killer: Onslaught from Within
Atherosclerosis, the culprit in many lifestyle diseases
Stalking the Killer
Reviewing the risk factors for coronary heart disease
Eat More and Weigh Less
Basic guidelines for healthy, sustained weight loss
Week 2
Going Up in Smoke
Smoking – the most controllable risk factor for coronary heart disease
The Magic of Fiber
The role of fiber in preventing and reversing lifestyle diseases
Reversing Hypertension
Changing the major risk factors for high blood pressure
Disarming Diabetes
Lifestyle factors that can arrest or reverse diabetes
Effective Cholesterol Control
Dietary factors that prominently affect blood levels of cholesterol
Fats in the Fire
The role of excessive fat intake in lifestyle diseases
Week 3
Fit at Any Age
Benefits of regular exercise in preventing and arresting disease
Boning Up on Osteoporosis
Cause and prevention of this so-called “disease of aging”
Lifestyle and Health
Clinical studies that demonstrate how lifestyle choices are related to health
The Optimal Diet
Positive dietary guidelines for the prevention and reversal of Western diseases
Week 4
Diet and Cancer
Dietary factors in the development and prevention of common cancers
Atherosclerosis of the Mind
The importance of adaptability in achieving and maintaining optimal health
The Gift of Forgiveness
How a spirit of forgiveness enhances emotional and overall health
Building Self-Worth
The development, preservation and role of self worth in a healthy person
Sidebar
Connie Thebarge’s Story
At the age of 59, Connie Thebarge, a patient at the Ottawa Heart Institute in British Columbia, Canada, was told that her doctors could no longer help her. After all, in addition to suffering from hypertension, she had diabetes and painful diabetic neuropathy. She had two heart attacks followed by a triple coronary bypass surgery and an unsuccessful angioplasty. Every day, she had to take 27 pills. Not surprisingly, she was also depressed.
Yet, today, more than a decade later, Thebarge walks three miles a day, swims twice a week, dances, and travels to Florida and Europe. No longer depressed, she also requires far fewer pills. How was this accomplished? Thebarge participated in CHIP and transformed her life.
You should always keep in mind that whatever actions you do today can
either help to prevent, delay or minimize the effect of heart disease or
worsen it. The key is to control risk factors. Granted that you cannot
control every risk factor for heart disease such as family history but you
can definitely do something about your behavior. Age and gender also
influence your risk of heart disease.
Major Risk Factors of Heart Disease
Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol is a type of a lipid, a soft, fatlike substance that serves
as a source of fuel. Excessive cholesterol can cause buildup of
atherosclerotic plaque. Accumulation of plaque in arteries can block blood
flow and lead to a heart attack. LDL cholesterol, the so-called "bad"
cholesterol, is transported to sites throughout the body, where it's used
to repair cell membranes or to make hormones. LDL cholesterol can
accumulate in the walls of your arteries. HDL cholesterol, the so-called
"good" cholesterol, transports cholesterol to the liver, where it's
altered and removed from the body.
Blood Pressure
Normal blood pressure level is defined as less than 130 millimeters of
mercury (mm Hg) for systolic blood pressure and less than 85 mm Hg for
diastolic blood pressure. The higher the blood pressure, the more likely
it is to take a toll on the heart and on the brain. Blood pressure should
be checked whether or not your levels are high. For normal, check once
every two years. For high-normal, check once a year. If extremely high,
you should get immediate care. Then get multiple measurements to know if a
high level is sustained over time.
Diabetes
Another risk factor for heart disease is diabetes, a chronic disease of
insulin deficiency or resistance. Type 2 diabetes, the most common type,
is associated with obesity and may be prevented by maintaining ideal body
weight through exercise and balanced nutrition.
Tips For Controlling Risk of Heart Disease
Stop Smoking
The effect of smoking on your lungs can cause almost every other
medical condition.
Get Active
Routine physical activity is highly recommended and helpful in
controlling obesity. Try to perform 30 minutes of moderate physical
activity every day. Fast walking is one of the best way to prevent heart
disease. If you can lose even a small amount of weight, five pounds for
example, it may have a positive effect on lipid levels and blood pressure
preventing heart disease.
Limit Alcohol Consumption
Limit daily alcohol intake to three ounces or fewer to prevent heart
disease. People who drink large amounts of alcohol (six to eight ounces a
day) tend to have higher blood pressure.
Watch What You Eat
Eat five helpings of fruits and vegetables daily to prevent heart
disease.
Maintain adequate dietary potassium, calcium and magnesium intake.
Reduce saturated fats and cholesterol to stay away from heart disease.
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