Amy's Journey on the Dean Ornish Program

My Everyday Choices

2009-01-27T21:29:00.004-05:00

Life Choices
by Patrick L. Burns

What choice before me I conspire
to bind old habits to my heart
and fear the shedding of desires
that long control my tempted state.

I see the brightness near the crest
the bright lit star that leads my soul
with eyes upward I choose the best
and let new habits guard my gate.

This excerpt from Mr. Burns' poem resonates with me as, like him, I am embracing new habits as I begin the Ornish program. I am hoping that it will be easy.

Today was Day One. Unfortunately adverse weather conditions meant the formal program at CAMC was canceled. That gave me some unexpected free time to make a grocery shopping trip.

My purchases filled our pantry and refrigerator with all kinds of healthy, delicious foods. I now have the fixings for an entire week of Ornish meals which are very low fat and vegetarian. Tonight's stir fry with tofu and brown rice was a hit with the family. They cleaned their plates and the "planned overs" (versus "left overs") will make a nice lunch for me tomorrow.

So far, so good.

What is the Ornish Program?

2009-01-25T15:38:00.000-05:00

The Dean Ornish Program is the first program scientifically proven to reverse heart disease. For more than twenty-five years, Dr. Ornish and his colleagues have conducted research demonstrating that comprehensive changes in diet and lifestyle can slow, stop and even reverse heart disease.

The Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease is a unique and innovative program that treats coronary artery disease, providing an alternative to conventional treatments that use invasive procedures such as arterial bypasses or angioplasty. The Ornish Program has four components:

Improved physical conditioning through low impact aerobic exercise and strength training

Relaxation techniques to help cope with and reduce stress

A low-fat, whole foods nutrition plan (less than 10 percent of daily calories from fat)

Group support to enable participants to deal with the emotional issues that contribute to, or result from, heart disease.

Participants in the Ornish Program must commit to a lifestyle change for a full year, which includes: a vegetarian diet, regular exercise, stress management and group support. Participants learn to use these tools during an intensive 12-week program. Following the initial three-month period, participants are assigned a program schedule based on the extent of their risk for significant cardiac events and their 12-week outcomes. Following completion of the 12-month program, ongoing support is available as needed.

-- Excerpted from the CAMC Dean Ornish Program website:
http://www.camc.org/cardiacservices/deanornish.htm

Getting Oriented: Deprivation or Emancipation?

2009-01-25T14:21:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I begin a new chapter in my life -- one with a strong focus on health and wellness as a part of my day-to-day existence. This will be a huge shift for me.

Since getting married, I have been much more invested in building a marriage and a family and a good community than I have on making health-centered decisions about how to spend my time or what to eat.

I have spent little time exercising and when I have it has been a sporadic, short-lived attempt to lose some weight. Although nearly all my friends are avid runners or yogis, I have never been inclined to join in their activities, even when they nicely beg. I have eaten what was easy and tasty -- often ordered from a menu. I have spent no time intentionally quieting my mind from the turbo pace of my life.

As a result, I have set myself up as a candidate for heart disease. With a strong family history of cardiac arrest and surgery (my father and both grandfathers had open heart surgery in their early 50s), compulsive bad eating habits, a sedentary lifestyle, and a stressful job, my heart doesn't really stand a chance unless something changes.

I was seriously ill this past autumn, spending 10 days in the hospital with complications with a pulmonary embolism after leg surgery. Although not related to my heart, my sickness gave me a big taste of what it's like to be at the mercy of modern medicine, depend on others to perform basic human functions, and feel terrible. It wasn't pretty.

Together with my husband and parents, I determined, right there in my hospital room, that I could start a new way of healthful living, with their support. My parents offered to pay for any program that I felt would help. I was, by luck, housed on the Cardiac Recovery floor of the Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC). Across from the foot of my bed, tacked to a wall was a promotional poster for the Dr. Dean Ornish Program for Reversing Heart Disease.

I'd heard about the Ornish Program before, first seeing a "60 Minutes" segment on it years ago. In 2003, I had even called our local Ornish Program at CAMC, only to find its fees were not covered by my health insurance and were too expensive for our family budget. This time, however, my parents were scared for me and were happy to cover the costs. They saw that I was highly motivated.

The folks I've met who have been through Ornish talk consistently about the quick benefits they realized: calmer outlook, healthier bodies, new friends, and a support network that includes highly trained medical professionals. They never complain about having to expel butter, caffeine, and meat from their lives. Instead they brag about the new plant-based recipes they've learned to make. They do speak honestly about how hard it is to make time for the stress-reduction components of their new lifestyle, but all recognize the importance and benefits of it.

As worried as I am about how I will get through that first week deprived of coffee and without the ability to carelessly order take-out, I am incredibly eager to get started. I look forward to being free of days filled only with stress and a body that I no longer trust to run up a flight of stairs or look presentable in a bathing suit. More importantly, I look forward to a longer life with my husband where I will have a better chance to meet our grandchildren ... and maybe great grandchildren.

Journaling is part of the Program and it makes sense for me to do it on-line as that is a format that I find more natural than a private diary. Ultimately, I hope these reflections on my experiences will be helpful to others who are comtemplating a similar journey.