Research
The dietary principles of the Ornish Program are based on a large body of epidemiological research that indicates that diets high in cholesterol and saturated fat cause blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure to increase, thereby increasing the risk of heart disease. In addition, many research studies have demonstrated that diets low in fat and cholesterol cause blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure to decrease. Dr. Ornish has also published a series of clinical trials that document the effectiveness of his program for reversing heart disease.
In 1990, Dr. Ornish and his colleagues at the University of California at San Francisco School of Medicine published the results of a one-year study called The Lifestyle Heart Trial. This study was the first randomized, controlled clinical trial conducted to determine whether people with heart disease could be motivated to make and sustain comprehensive lifestyle changes and if so, whether regression of coronary atherosclersosis, which is the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, could result from these lifestyle changes alone.
In this study, 28 patients followed the Ornish program, while a control group of 20 patients followed conventional dietary guidelines for heart disease. This includes restriction of fat intake to 30% of calories and cholesterol intake to 200-300 mg per day. After one year, the patients in the Ornish program showed a significant overall regression of coronary atherosclerosis, as measured by quantitative coronary arteriography, while, in the control group, atherosclerosis progressed. Patients in the Ornish group reported near complete relief from angina (chest pain), a likely result of increased blood flow to the heart. In 1992 and 1995, which used different diagnostic procedures for measuring the progression and regression of atherosclerosis than those used in the original Lifestyle Heart Trial, also showed the effectiveness of the Ornish Program.
It is interesting to note that in each of the studies mentioned, the amount of regression of atherosclerosis experienced by patients in the Ornish group was associated with the extent of lifestyle change, indicating that although small changes in lifestyle may slow the progression of heart disease, a complete change in lifestyle is required to reverse or halt the disease process.
In a 1998 study involving 333 patients, 194 of whom followed the Ornish Program and 139 of whom served as the control group, Dr. Ornish attempted to determine if his lifestyle changes could reduce the number of angioplasties and coronary artery bypass surgeries performed during a three year period, thereby reducing medical expenditures among his cardiovascular patients.
In the Ornish group, only 31 angioplasties and 26 CABGs were performed, resulting in an average medical cost of $18,119.00 per patient, including the costs associated with participating in the Ornish program. On the other hand, 89 members of control group underwent angioplasty and 84 underwent bypass surgery, for an average cost per patient of $47,647.00.
Critics of the Ornish Program caution that low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets tend to lower HDL cholesterol, the so-called "good" cholesterol, and increase triglyceride levels. Low HDL cholesterol levels and high triglyceride levels are believed to increase the risk of heart disease. Critics are also concerned that the Ornish Diet limits fat intake too severely and underemphasizes the importance of essential fatty acids in the prevention of heart disease. In response to concerns about HDL levels, Dr. Ornish suggests that a low HDL level in a person consuming a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet may not confer the same risk for atherosclerosis as the presence of low HDL cholesterol levels in a person consuming a high fat diet.
Critics of the Ornish Program also argue that the dietary recommendations are unpalatable and too strict, and, as a result, most people, especially those accustomed to eating a typical American diet, find it extremely difficult to follow the diet for an extended period of time. However, the results of two small clinical trials indicate that people can successfully adopt the dietary changes recommended by Ornish.
In 1995, Franklin, et. al, conducted a 28-week observational study of ten patients following an Ornish-type program, which included social support, exercise, stress reduction, and a very low fat, vegetarian diet. At 28 weeks, eight patients were consuming less than 30% of calories as fat. Of these eight patients, three were consuming less than 10% of calories as fat. In addition, seven of eight patients reported adherence to the vegetarian diet. At 12 months, without the benefit of a structured program, one patient reported 100%, six reported 85%, and two reported 50% adherence to the dietary principles.
In 1998, Ornish et. al. published a five year follow-up report on the Lifestyle Heart Trial, in which he commented on the ability of the patients in the Lifestyle Heart Trial (a total of 35 patients completed the study) to maintain the dietary and lifestyle changes for five years. Among those participating in the Ornish Program, on average, fat intake decreased from 30% to 8.5%, cholesterol from 211 to 18.6 mg per day, calories from 1950 to 1846 per day, protein from 17% to 15%, and carbohydrate intake increased from 53% to 76.5% from the beginning of the trial to the five year follow up.
The Secrets of Joy Workshop - Nov 3 – 5, 20010 - Eagle Crest Resort - Bend, Oregon
Why is joy and happiness important?
Medicine today tends to focus primarily on: drugs, surgery, genes, germs, microbes, and molecules. However, there isn’t any other factor in medicine – not diet, not smoking, not exercise, not stress, not genetics, not drugs, not surgery – that has a greater impact on our quality of life, incidence of illness and premature death from all causes than loneliness and isolation. Most people do not know what to do about it, WE DO!
Numerous studies demonstrates that changes in lifestyle can change our health. There are four areas these studies are concern with:
1. Diet
2. Exercise
3. Stress Management
4. Love & Intimacy
Diet, Exercise, and Stress Management are things you can accomplish on you own.
Love & Intimacy involves OTHER PEOPLE.
You cannot do it alone.
You have to learn to work with other people.
There is very little information how to do this, how to have more Intimacy, how to be connected, how to be satisfied with life, how to have a meaning life,or a sense of well being that is not religious base.
This is why the divorce rate would not be over 50%.
We do not know how to have the things we want the most - Love & Intimacy.
Our workshop will demonstrate how to do it.
Our Workshop is not about Diet or Exerice, it is 6 days of understand how to have more Love and Intimacy in your life.
Any kind of intimacy can heal. It's a basic human need that often goes unfulfilled in our culture. It matters not only in the quality of life, but in the quantity. It's a need as basic as eating and breathing and sleeping. When we don't know that, there are serious consequences that threaten not only our well-being, but also our survival. Studies show that people who feel isolated are three to five times more likely to die prematurely and get sick than those who don't.
This web site is about on how to increase your Love & Intimacy and improve your life satisfaction.
Have you ever wondered from makes you tick?
Why are some people always happy and other always sad? Why are some people are very agreeable and other like to argue.
For sake of argument, we call the patterns people have –
Temperaments. You can call it what ever you want. Your life’s strategy, your style, your way, your nature or “just the way you are.”. It makes no difference what you call it, it exists and we can define nine
Temperaments Types.
Would it surprise you to learn that you were born that way? You were born with a fixed
Temperament Type. It is in your genes. You inherited your
Temperament Type from your ancestors. Yes, your
Temperament is fixed as you were conceived, before you even started your life’s process. It is nearly impossible to change your fixed
Temperament Type, but you can learn to “manage it.”
The research from
Positive Philosophy shows that 50% of your happiness is determined by your
Temperament Type. That means that 50% of being loved, having Intimacy, being connected, being satisfied with life, having a meaning life, and a sense of well being is a function of your genes you were born with. But:
1. The better you “manage” your
Temperament, the happier you can be.
2. The better you “manage” your
Temperament, the better you will understand yourself, your family, your friends, your customers, and the culture in you live.
3. The better you “manage” your
Temperament, the more successful you have with money, marriage, family, health and the society in which you.
Our genes may determine our
Temperament, but they do not control our Fate.
Connection is the root of sickness and health. It is what makes us well, what causes sadness and what brings happiness, what makes us suffer and what leads to healing. If a new drug had the same impact, virtually every doctor in the country would be recommending it for his or her patients. It would be malpractice not to prescribe it -- yet, with few exceptions, doctors do not learn much about the healing power of love, intimacy, and transformation in our medical training.
The question is how to have more connections? How do increase your love and intimacy? If you alreadyknew how, you would have already done it. Attendance at our Workshop will give you new methods and proven techinque to help you. The methods and techinques were developed from the research from Positive Philosophy.
The Secrets of Joy Workshop - Nov 3 – 5, 20010 - Eagle Crest Resort - Bend, Oregon
Just Wait Foundation, the organizer of this workshop is not affiliated with the Dr Dean Ornish or the Preventive Medicine Research Instute, nor is trained or certified by them.
