Ann: A Surprise Connection That Changed Her Life
Ann, the newest nurse on my team, came to work one day bursting with excitement. She smiled as she told me her story. As I listened, I smiled too.
Ann began to tell how her family struggled with health issues, including obesity, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
“I fight my weight constantly, but it continues to go up,” she said. “I’m now firmly in the overweight category, but I’m the thinnest of my siblings and parents.”
The previous night, Ann had called her sister Nancy in New York. Nancy suffered with high blood pressure, obesity, and low energy. Ann was surprised when Nancy answered the phone sounding full of energy. “Nancy, you sound great!” she said. “How are you doing?”
“I feel great,” replied Nancy. “A few weeks ago, I got a new book, and it’s been a lifesaver. It inspired me to make changes. I’ve tried so many different diets over the years, but none of them really worked for me long-term, but this one’s different. It’s a lifestyle, not a diet. It made sense to me, so I tried it. Now I’m losing weight, I have more energy, and my blood pressure is even going down. It’s amazing!”
“It sounds great!” said Ann. “Maybe I should give it a shot. What’s the name of the book?”
“Eat Plants Feel Whole, by George E. Guthrie, MD.”
“George Guthrie?” Ann exclaimed. “I just started working in his office!”
She told me how they had talked for hours about Nancy’s new lifestyle and Ann’s surprising connection. Before they hung up, Ann promised, “I’m going to talk to Dr. Guthrie tomorrow morning. Maybe he can give me some tips so I can do the program with you, Nancy.”
After finishing her story, we shared a good laugh. Then I gave her a copy of my book. “Ann, would you be willing to read it, try it, and let me know how it goes?”
“Absolutely!” she said.
Ann dove into the book and began following the Eat Plants Feel Whole Plan. After only a few weeks, she lost some weight, started sleeping better, and felt full of energy, just like her sister Nancy. But that wasn’t the end of her story.
Not long after completing the first “Therapeutic Cycle” of the Eat Plants Feel Whole 18-Day QuickStart Plan (link to article), she had her annual visit with her cardiologist. Her cholesterol numbers had been high at her last visit and, although she was relatively young, she had been placed on one of the stronger cholesterol-lowering statins. She knew she was losing weight but was thrilled to learn that her blood pressure was going down, too.
But the biggest surprise was what happened to her bad LDL cholesterol. When she started the statin medication, it dropped from 237 to 175 mg/dl. While this was good, it was still way above the recommended <100 mg/dl. Now, after incorporating Eat Plants Feel Whole into her lifestyle, Ann was excited to discover that her LDL cholesterol was within the recommended range at 88 mg/dl, and her total cholesterol was 143 mg/dl, low enough to be within what some experts refer to as the “heart attack-proof” zone. The cardiologist told Ann she could cut her statin pill in half immediately and that she might be able to stop the medication altogether at her next visit if her numbers remained stable. When Ann told the cardiologist her story, the doctor said she had never seen LDL drop so much, so fast.
Ann called Nancy to tell her the good news. But there was still one final surprise. Shortly after her cardiology appointment, Ann received a check in the mail from her insurance company. Because of her weight loss, lower cholesterol, and dropping blood pressure, her insurance company refunded $400 of her insurance premium.
Today, Ann continues to wholeheartedly embrace the Eat Plants Feel Whole lifestyle and reap the benefits. Her life and health have truly been transformed, thanks to a surprising connection!