HAMPTON, Va. — Making dietary and lifestyle changes is part of many people's New Year's resolutions, but for others, it can be a matter of life and death.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. I had the chance to spend time with participants in a relatively new program working to change that.
It’s called the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Program through Sentara Healthcare. It began just a year ago at their Hampton CarePlex Hospitaland this is the pilot program for the entire company.
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The goal of Pritikin is for participants to improve their health and wellness to reduce the progression or recurrence of their cardiovascular issues that got them in rehab to begin with.
Tom Morehouse was a participant in the program. Last year, right around this time, he knew something was wrong.
“I went to the doctor, and he said, 'You have severe aortic stenosis and we’re going to have to replace your aortic valve,'" said Morehouse. "So, they did on Jan. 6, 2023, and immediately following that, I was enrolled in the rehab program.”
The Hampton resident is one of the first to take part in the local Pritikin Program, and his health has improved as a result. As a matter of fact, after his interview with me, he was heading out to play a round of golf.
While the Pritikin approach is an overall beneficial lifestyle for everyone, the program does have qualifying conditions such as cardiac bypass surgery, stenting or angioplasty, angina and heart failure. One of the main components is diet.
Dr. Petra Lynch is a cardiologist with Sentara Medical Group, and she regularly sends patients to this rehab.
"Pritikin especially is so important because we realized in the 70s that diet is one of the most crucial causes for heart disease," said Dr. Lynch. "It’s the high fat intake that leads to the development of the blockages in your heart.”
One of the three pillars of the Pritikin program is heart-healthy nutrition. Participants learn to prepare meals, read food labels and make balanced choices.
Denise Keller is a registered dietitian and teaches classes in the rehab.
“[One] of the key components of the Pritikin Diet [is] its emphasis on whole foods and plant-based foods that are minimally processed," she explained. "So, lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, legumes, low added sugar, complex carbohydrates.”
It’s not a completely vegetarian diet, but the preferred source of animal protein is fish for its Omega-3 fatty acids. Chicken is also a go, but red meat should be kept to a minimum. As you might imagine, a few more things should be off the menu.
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“There are foods that we call 'stop foods' that we would, ideally, like as little as possible," Keller explained. "So we never say there’s a hard no, but for example, things like processed meats like bacon or sausage, heavily saturated items like coconut, those types of foods we’d like to limit as much as possible."
The Pritikin diet and exercise program has been around since 1979. It was created by Nathan Pritikin, an engineer, inventor and nutritionist.
Pritikin has been studied in more than 100 peer-reviewed medical journals, but are there any downsides – like costs?
“I do get that question a lot and so that’s something I’d love to talk about because I think that could be a misconception with some healthy eating," Keller told me. "Beans and lentils and using canned foods is fine. We talk about using the no salt added canned foods, and all of those are very economical choices, as well as very healthy choices.”
In addition to the dietary pillar, regular exercise and a healthy mindset round out the three pillars.
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The Sentara program is 12 weeks long with participants showing up three times a week for cooking and nutrition classes, workout sessions and time with nurses and therapists who listen. It’s all about progress - not perfection.
Dr. Lynch’s patients who have taken part finish strong.
“You wouldn’t understand how many patients just thank me for getting them into the program," Dr. Lynch told me. "Pritikin sees the patient as a whole and once you realize you are not a number in the system anymore, a statistic in the American Heart Association, it makes the world of difference to a patient.”
With the Pritikin plan sounding so great, I wondered more about the cost of the program and brought that up to Donna Gagnon, a registered nurse and the cardiac rehabilitation manager.
“Most insurance companies cover cardiac rehab," Gagnon explained. "Before the patient even starts, we go through and make sure every element that their insurance company would require is completed so that we’re able to communicate to the patient exactly what their insurance covers and what their co-payment would be, if any."
Major cardiovascular events bring most people into the Pritikin program, but if you have had issues with your heart, asking your primary care physician or cardiologist about it is always an option.
A major event was the impetus for Jewel Bass from Newport News to start Pritikin. While she had to be talked into going at first, she’s sure grateful she went.
Jewel had a very positive experience saying, “[It was] the best 12 weeks of my life because it was life-changing... We can be alive, but the way that I feel better is due to the Pritikin Program. I love the principles of it. I finished the program and I’m continuing because my life changed.”
Jewel told me she's 65 years old, and her goal is to make it to 100. We are betting she will do just that.
Jewel was also kind enough to share one of her favorite Pritikin Diet recipes with us: chocolate mousse. Give it a try!
While Pritikin is the basis of the cardiac rehab program at Sentara in Hampton, it is also a healthy lifestyle plan for anyone, especially if you have heart disease in your family history. All the information and details you need about the Pritikin Intensive Cardiac Rehabilitation Program through Sentara Healthcare can be found here.
