Food is an integral part of any program of health care. The nature of the diet consumed is especially important in the maintenance of cardiovascular health. It is particularly relevant to those recovering from a major cardiac event such as a heart attack or coronary artery bypass surgery and also to those who are at risk of developing diseases such as atherosclerosis. While recognizing the benefits that accrue from procedures such as the placement of stents in the coronary arteries and the use of medications for the treatment of high blood pressure and elevated levels of cholesterol, the authors believe that these effects could be enhanced by instituting changes in lifestyle such as cessation of tobacco abuse, participation in a regular exercise program and the consumption of a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol. For a period of more than 20 years, the authors of this book have promoted a low fat plant-based diet for patients who have evidence of coronary atherosclerosis. This book is a collection of recipes that were recommended to patients who came under their care. The individual items were contributed by patients who adapted their favorite recipes so that they fell within the low fat vegetarian guidelines that were provided for them. The book is divided into three parts: Part One: Background information designed to guide readers through the basic concepts of nutrition. Part Two: Meals plans based on the low fat vegetarian concept. Part Three: Recipes arranged in convenient group followed by an index.
About the Author: C. Tissa Kappagoda obtained his medical education in Sri Lanka and in the United Kingdom. He obtained a Ph.D. from the University of Leeds, U.K. and is a Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London and Edinburgh and the American College of Cardiology. He was Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation and Professor of Medicine at the University of Alberta from 1978 to 1990. He joined the University of California, Davis in 1990 and was a Professor of Medicine and Director of Preventive Cardiology until 2011. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Medicine. Linda C. Paumer is an Exercise Physiologist who was associated with the Preventive Cardiology Program for more than two decades. Debbie Lucus and Jill Burns are Registered Dietitian Nutritionists who played a major role in developing the low fat vegetarian diets which are featured in this book. All the authors were an integral part of the Coronary Heart Disease Reversal Program at the University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento for extended periods of time.