Embracing Wellness: The Importance of a Healthy Lifestyle Even When You’re Unwell

You can do everything right—keep your LDL cholesterol low, eat a healthy diet, and take your medications as prescribed. You would think that means you’re safe from heart issues. Yet, one afternoon, I found myself in an ambulance with severe chest pain, just two weeks before Passover. Soon, I was getting emergency stents. What went wrong? How can I prevent this from happening again?

Surprisingly, I felt better afterward than I had in a long time. I resumed moderate exercise and only needed to regain some endurance. But I still wondered about the future.

People often have two contrasting views when a seemingly healthy person suffers a health crisis. One perspective praises healthy habits, suggesting they helped avoid a worse outcome. The other, which I disagree with, claims that all the effort was pointless. This mindset misses the bigger picture. Yes, genetics plays a role; both my father and grandfather faced heart problems. But studies show lifestyle choices significantly impact heart health.

I was frustrated. After all my efforts to be “heart-attack proof,” this happened. I spoke with a seasoned cardiologist who confirmed that factors like genetics exist alongside lifestyle choices. My heart may have been damaged, but the situation could have been much worse.

A colleague of mine in the U.S. runs a program called “Food is Medicine,” which helps patients improve their health simply by changing their diet. He was shocked to hear my story and reached out to ask me questions. Another expert, a professor, reminded me that there’s still much we don’t know about heart disease. This helped ease my worries.

Then, a research study presented at a cardiology conference caught my attention. It revealed that sticking to a plant-based diet significantly improves longevity in individuals with heart-related conditions. Zhangling Chen, a lead researcher, stated that higher adherence to a healthy plant-based diet reduced the risk of death from various causes, including heart disease and cancer, by up to 24%. In contrast, an unhealthy diet increased that risk by as much as 36%.

Consider this: a 2022 meta-analysis in JAMA Internal Medicine found that statins, commonly prescribed for heart disease, only reduce overall mortality risk by about 9%. This highlights how impactful a dietary change can be.

It’s easy to fall into despair and assume that genes dictate everything. But every choice we make matters. Many people can halt or even reverse heart disease through better lifestyle choices. Food, exercise, sleep, and stress management all play crucial roles. Dr. Dean Ornish, known for his groundbreaking work on reversing heart disease, emphasizes that multiple factors are often overlooked in assessing heart health.

For me, quitting isn’t an option. I’ve resolved to improve my diet with more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes instead of returning to unhealthy habits. Hydration will come from water, green tea, and occasional black coffee.

I’m grateful to the first responders, the medical staff, and even to a higher power for their support during this ordeal. Even though I have unfavorable genetics, there are also healthy genes in my family, with relatives living well into their nineties. This motivates me to prioritize my health for the long run.

My story serves as a reminder to consider all aspects of wellness. As a wellness coach, I aim to instill these principles in my clients so they, too, can lead healthier lives. Let’s not just add time to our lives, but quality as well.

The writer is a wellness coach with over 25 years of experience, a member of the International Council of True Health Initiative, and the director of The Wellness Clinic. You can reach him at alan@alanfitness.com.

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