30-Day Heart Tune-Up: A Breakthrough Medical Plan to Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease

Thanks

Dr. Masley's premise that with exercise, diet, and de-stressing a person can avoid using drugs and surgery to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease caught my attention. The culprit is arterial plaque. Avoiding and/or reversing cardiovascular risk is covered in 5 areas: diet, exercise, stress, supplements, and sex/romance.Tests that access the health of one's heart are explained. Some tests can be done in a fitness center by a trainer and some tests are done by a physician. Information in the chapter, How Young is Your Heart? has raised my awareness of my lack of heart health to a high alert level. That has motivated me to make changes to my lifestyle, for life.Diet information explains why sugar is toxic and why even whole wheat flour products are not healthy for some people. He identifies the foods in the 5 heart-friendly food groups. A chart would have been helpful for meal planning so I made my own chart gleaned from this chapter. Recipes are included at the end of the book.The exercise section contains: 1. Aerobic Workout Plan in 3 Phases allows the reader to develop an exercise routine at his level of current fitness. When fitness has improved he can move up a phase. 2. Thirteen strength exercises are explained and pictured. 3. Four flexibility stretches are presented. This information motivated me to get more serious about exercise and to work harder instead of thinking a little walk in the park was sufficient.Six questions assess the reader's stress level. Six areas for optimal stress management are explained.One of the take aways from the chapter on vitamins and supplements is that some fish oil pills can be rancid which can cause cancer. He explains a simple check to know if they are rancid. A chart shows the recommended multivitamin ingredients.In Sexier You the author explains that erectile dysfunction in men under 60 years of age is an early sign of cardiovascular disease. He explains how to regain erectile function without medications. A list of activities for people without a sexual partner is provided so that they, too, can enjoy emotional well-being.The information in this book is based on years of research conducted at The Masley Optimal Health Center in St. Petersburg, Florida.The best use of this book is as a reference book. There is too much information to absorb at one sitting. Where the book is very detailed and maybe too detailed for the reader that part can be skipped, then revisited later. The reader will be able to obtain the necessary information to improve one's heart health so as apply that to his life. Every time I reread a section I become aware of some new-to-me information.

This book should be a gift for anyone over 40! It tells you how to eat and why, the importance of exercise, how to measure your fitness level, how to identify worthwhile food supplements/vitamins, and more.Several years ago I had a physical and my doctor gave me a script to get lab work done. Three weeks later a bottle of Lipitor shows up in the mail. No call from the doctors office, no advice on eating. I did not take the medicine until after I saw the doctor who told me that I had high cholesterol and need to take the meds. Lipitor did a lot of damage. I stopped the Lipitor after 6 weeks. 2 years later I still don't have my energy back, my strength back, nor my ability to focus. My doctor kept telling me that I needed to take the Lipitor. I tried eating lots of fruit to get my cholesterol down and ended up with diabetes.I went on a special 800 calorie a day diet while walking 6-9 miles per day and lost 30 pounds before hitting a plateau. I wanted to focus on eating right but found a lot of conflicting information on the internet. I saw Dr. Masley on an infomercial and purchased the book.My cholesterol is greatly improved (without meds) my A1C is at 5.8 without meds - still diabetic and I started metformin now but it is well controlled. My fitness is 11.5 mets which is good for my age (55) but my goal is 15+ and now have a way to measure and monitor it. I now know that my max working HR is 165 so I need to keep my heart rate above 120 for 20 minutes, as well as working interval cardio on a bike. Wearing a heart monitor while working out tells me that I can keep my HR above 100 while working out.In a nutshell, when I went back to my doctor I told him that he should have every patient over 40 buy this book BEFORE they have problems with cholesterol, Blood pressure, diabetes, etc.

This is the other book that YOU MUST HAVE (the Forever Young-Dr.Perricone also reviewed as one of the two must have.)I have watch his PBS lecture every time I know they are showing it. I don't have heart trouble, but, I read it because I don't want to have one!His style is simple and direct. He is "entertaining" and will let you see what you have been hiding from yourself, either intentionally or un-intentionally. I don't have plaques but heart walls are stiff. My heart seems to take "beating" brakes. So, this is what I put together between Dr. Masley's book, Dr. Perricone's-Forever Young and Breathe IN Breath OUT-Dr.Loehr/Dr.Migdow: I became aware that I was not breathing at times, yes, awake, going to intersections and holding my breath! (Excellent driver and experienced but..) With the explanation/description of what happens in your body when you breath, then Dr.Perricone's talk about Pycnogenol for blood flow among other things and the ton of information and encouragement from Dr.Masley, including exercise, I figured, no wonder the walls of my heart are dry and stiff! (also the desert in Arizona!).So, I engaged to learn to breath, at the beginning even half hour daily. I made the determination that I will bike (stationary) every day and pick up the speed, then, from Dr.Perricone, started taking the Pycnogenol. I'm doing much better. I yet have to integrate Tai Chi as part of at least weekly routine while I continue trying to follow all of Dr. Masley's advice. (Please read my reviews for Tai-Chi by David Dorian Ross which soon I'll make a second review stating the benefits; Please also read my review for Forever Young and let the readers know if they were helpful.) Dr. Masley's simple, direct and pleasant way is very motivating as well as informative.

Very good information in this book. Explains thoroughly how different oils and foods react in the body to create or heal your heart and goes into detail on the newest knowledge of how cholesterol really works and why some people can have very high cholesterol with super clean arteries and why others on cholesterol lowering drugs and with low to normal cholesterol can be heart attacks waiting to happen. Some really great recipes, as well, for those who cannot wrap their heads around eating a lot of plant-based foods, as well as meals with meat for those who are on that side. I am on my 4th reading of this book and gather more information to store in my head with each re-read. Excellent book for those who truly want to improve cardiovascular function, blood vessel function, blood pressure, etc.

Excellent book. Will now buy the soft cover to use as a reference guide. I truly believe he is onto something that will work for recovering heart attack patients and anyone worried about heart disease. I had a massive heart attack at 50 in the USA and am extremely lucky to be alive. Mall security guard knew CPR. I was what you would consider in OK good health at the time. Now in excellent shape and working on what I eat. Hoping he has a follow up with actual products he recommends and products he is OK with.

I thought that the book was a bit over my head in that many of his food recommendations were either not available ( some I had never even heard of) or I dislike (I hate tea) or could not eat because of my digestive problems. I was hoping I could follow his recommendations but they were not realistic for me.

The information within this book is excellent. It doesn't over complicate the process and it's very easy to understand. Dr. Masley explains the concepts in a non-doctor like fashion. It really hit home as to how important it is to eat properly and exercise. The recipes are great too - we've tried a few and really enjoy them.

Didn't read all the book already cause it's kinda big but it's seem to be just a regular method to get in shape with tricks to help you to achieve your goals and be in better shape. Nothing new to save you life and avoid heart diseases.