In January 2008, Ruth and I were listening to public radio in Long Beach when we heard an interview with author Mike Anderson. He referenced Dr. Joel Fuhrman and his book Eat to Live. We went out and picked it up at a bookstore and never looked back. Two years later, we are still enthusiastic followers of his advice on diet and lifestyle. The change was by all means huge. Even though we thought we were eating a good diet at the time, we soon discovered some important clues that would tell us otherwise.I have always been thin. Since I was a kid I've hardly carried a pound of excess weight. On the contrary, I always had to work hard to put on even a few pounds of muscle through exercise and weight training. I ate whatever I wanted, absolutely anything, without ever putting on weight. Some people said I was lucky, but for me it was just my reality.
I was alway an athlete too. From the age of 6, my life was a balance of homework, practice, sports camps and summer leagues. I played college baseball and rowed crew at Long Beach. I was active and thought myself a model of health. But as I mentioned, there were subtle signs that I had been ignoring all along.
From at least the age of 18, my first year of college sports, my blood pressure had always been in the 135/85 range. Although I had no idea at the time, this was not only well above the recommended reading of 120/80, it was on the border of certified hypertension, which is defined as anything above 140/90. Doctors would sometimes ask if I had any history of hypertension in my family, but I had no idea and none of them pushed the issue.
It was only after reading Eat to Live in 2008 that I realized just how serious a threat my high blood pressure was to my overall health and longevity. It turns out they don't call it the "silent killer" for nothing:
"Truly "normal" blood pressure readings should remain below 115 over 75. A recently published meta-analysis pooling the results of 61 studies demonstrated that for every incremental increase of 20 mg of systolic blood pressure above 115, heart attack death rates doubled. High blood pressure is also associated with an increased risk of heart failure, kidney failure and strokes (CVA – cerebral vascular accidents). It also predisposes to dementia and heart arrhythmias."
In other words, my healthy waist-line measurement was just a cover for what was a serious long-term health risk. One that if left untreated would have doubled my chances of suffering a fatal heart attack or other cerebral vascular accident. I also can't help but think that at its root, my so-called "luck" at being able to eat rich, high-fat foods without fear of weight gain was almost certainly a factor in helping promote my dangerously high blood pressure:
"Over 90 percent of adult Americans who die in car accidents show atherosclerosis in their coronary arteries on autopsy. The unfortunate reality is that if you eat the Standard American Diet you will have a 90 percent chance of developing high blood pressure when you get older. You cannot escape from the biological law of cause and effect. The Standard American Diet is simply heart attack and stroke causing."
I consider myself lucky to have stumbled across a doctor like Joel Fuhrman. Because of the numerous doctors I'd seen for sports physicals throughout my late teens and twenties, not one raised more than a slight concern at what should have been seen as a dangerously high blood pressure reading. But this is not abnormal as it turns out:"You may have been told in the past that, if your blood pressure is below 140/90, it is normal. Unfortunately, this is not true. It is average for those above the age of 60, but certainly not normal. Being average in America means you are heavily diseased...The only reason the 140 over 90 figures had been used in the past is that it represents the midpoint of blood pressure readings of Americans older than sixty. The risk for strokes and heart attacks starts climbing at 115/75."
So to paraphrase, I had a normal blood pressure reading for a diseased American senior citizen. And this since the age of 18. How's that for a wake-up call? Needless to say, it was more than sufficient motivation for both Ruth and I to completely revolutionize our diet.
And now more than two years later, I can say that not only has my blood pressure returned to a truly healthy level (around 110/70), but I live a richer and fuller life in every way because of it. Our food is truly more delicious and nourishing than it ever was before. The lack of a future heart attack or stroke is simply one component of a new, happier and more vital life with my best friend Ruth.
Current readers of our blog will know that we've been blessed to spend the last year and a half living in the Normandy region of France. One of just a long list of dreams we plan to realize before this wonderful adventure we're sharing is over. All the more reason to stay strong and vital each step of the way. That's why we said no to heart disease and stroke.
"In the United States, about 400,000 people a year suffer from strokes. Forty percent of these strokes may be fatal, but the 60 percent that live are often doomed to a life of suffering and disability. The cost of strokes is not just measured in the billions of dollars lost in work, hospitalization and the care of survivors in nursing homes, but the major cost or impact of a stroke is the loss of an independent lifestyle that occurs in 30% of the survivors. After a stroke, a self-sustaining and enjoyable lifestyle may lose most of its quality as the person can no longer walk, feed, or express him/her self normally. The family members find themselves in a new role as caregivers; it is a true tragedy. What makes these events even more heartbreaking is that they never had to happen in the first place."
Just remember, it never has to happen for you either. Because there's a big, wide world out there that awaits you. So until next time, be well little cell.
Matthew and Ruth
