During these past years, the inspiration to pass on to others what I have been experiencing and learning started with my friend Beatriz from Cozumel, Mexico, who underwent quadruple bypass surgery in 2011. Although she survived the operation, she began suffering from recurring pain in her arm a year later. After an examination and tests, the doctors told her that a stent would be required to open up the newly clogged artery. Unfortunately, the stent didn’t fit, so the surgeon said that there was nothing more to do. Just go home and try not to exert yourself or climb stairs.
For Beatriz to accept this prognosis would mean to agree that her life was pretty much over at age 72. What they didn’t tell her but told my wife and her son was that she had approximately 6 months to live. Looking back now, I believe it was probably fortunate that she didn’t know. When doctors tell a patient how long they have left, more often than not, depression sets in, all hope evaporates, and they die as predicted.
Aware of the gravity of the situation, I spoke to her about Whole Food Vegan Nutrition and the positive effects it was having on my health. Also, by that time, some doctors were having success reversing cardiovascular diseases with plant-based diets. After concluding that there were not many alternatives available, Beatriz decided to give it a try. I gave her a copy of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn’s book “Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.” It was the book that motivated Bill Clinton to change his diet to improve his health after heart surgery and avoid the need for future stents.
To the surprise of her doctors, within weeks, her health began to improve noticeably, and as the months and years passed, her doctors were astounded by her recovery. Instead of 6 months, Beatriz lived for seven fruitful years. Although the doctors had given up hope, for me, her recovery was simply a result of her changing her diet. As soon as she stopped eating the artery-clogging foods that contributed to her heart disease, her body started to heal itself. Although Beatriz passed away in 2018, the cause was unrelated to her heart problem.
This experience had a significant impact on me. I had read about the curative power of plant-based foods, but it became so much more personal when I had the opportunity to help a close friend in need. I couldn’t understand why doctors didn’t offer their patients a non-invasive nutrition option before insisting on bypass surgery. I also thought, “if plant-based nutrition is capable of reversing cardiovascular disease, are there other diseases it can also reverse?” It was then that I understood my purpose. I want to help people by informing and teaching them about nutrition and lifestyle choices as the go-to way to prevent and reverse chronic diseases.
