Robert A. Vogel - The Pritikin Edge: 10 Essential Ingredients for a Long and Delicious Life

WE WISH TO thank Debra Goldstein, who helped us capture the essence of the Pritikin Program.

And, of course, special thanks to all of the 100,000 plus people who have attended the residential programs at the Pritikin Longevity Center and Spa, and the 10 million readers who have followed our advice and helped us learn and grow and allowed us to continue Pritikins mission to wipe obesity, heart disease, and other lifestyle diseases from the face of the earth.

SOMETHING MADE YOU buy this book. What was it? A medical scare? A stern warning from your doctor about your high cholesterol or blood pressure? Excess weight? Chest painbetter known as your bodys final announcement that you should lay off the double cheeseburgers?

Ultimately, it doesnt really matter. What matters is that by picking up this book, youre already on your way to a better life, one in which health of body and mind are not only possible, but absolutely achievable.

We Americans may reside in the greatest nation on Earth, but we actually live a third-world lifestyle. One-quarter of us still smoke, two-thirds of us are fat, three-quarters of us dont exercise, and stress and depression are ubiquitous. We wolf down humongous portions of fast food in minutes, boast of not taking a vacation in years, and have the communal longevity of a banana republic. On the surface, we are strong and productive. Underneath, our lifestyle is killing us, lead primarily by an epidemic of heart disease. Heart disease claims as many lives in America every day as the 9/11 disaster did once. Its time for us to wake up and start making changes: not just in what we eat, but in how we live.

The Pritikin Program was the first comprehensive lifestyle program in America. After 50 years on the cutting edge of lifestyle science, Pritikin is still the longest-running, most successful program for reversing many of modern societys diseases, including obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. What sets Pritikin apart from the myriad of Johnny-come-lately diets is that its program is based on real science. It employs the three-step scientific process of observation, theories, and proof: observations on how thin, healthy people live; theories about why healthy practices work; and confirmation in scientific trials that our recommendations actually work. We dont make random claims or base our advice on half-truths or fads; we base our knowledge on research that has, over the past three decades, been confirmed in more than 110 scientific studies.

My first trip to the Pritikin Longevity Center was eye-opening for me. In the world of medicine, I am known as the lifestyle cardiologist. Like Nathan Pritikin, I believe in making changes from the inside out, rather than relying on medications or passing trends. In treating my patients, I focus on the whole person: what and how much they eat, how much exercise they get, and how they manage stress and other emotional issues. When I experienced the program at Pritikin, I was thrilled: here was an entire program whose practices and principles were nearly identical to mine! I felt right at home, from the healthy food they offer to their fascinating curriculum of lifestyle lectures on everything from stress reduction to nutrition to how to decipher the ridiculously confusing language on food labels. Their nutritional philosophy was smartno glycemic index nonsense, no olive oil is healthy rhetoric (it isnt, but Ill get to that later on). I arrived there thinking I knew everything there was to know about lifestyle health, but, boy, was I mistaken! It turns out there was still plenty for this cardiologist to learn. I became more and more involved with the Pritikin Center, and in 2007, I was appointed their chief medical director.

In this book, you will learn the real truth about heart disease, obesity, weight loss, and why lifestyle changes are the key to living a healthy, happy life. We will share with you the 10 essential ingredients of the Pritikin Program, which deal with diet, exercise, and overall emotional wellness. The 10 essentials are the foundation of the Pritikin philosophy, and have changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people worldwide.

Altering just one aspect of your lifestyle might make a small dent, but if youre looking for sustainable health practices that will give back to you seven years of happy, healthy living, its time for a sweeping systemic change. I promise, once you get started living these principles, youll wonder how or why you ever lived any other way. Youll lose weight without feeling hungry, regain your vitality, and look and feel healthier, stronger, and more vibrantmore alive. The days of excess weight and potential heart disease will be behind you. Nows your chance.