Heart (Gods Path to Healing) - Softcover

Cherry, Reginald B.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0764228145 ISBN 13: 9780764228148

Publisher: Bethany House Pub, 2003

Synopsis

A Healthy Heart explains common cardiovascular conditions and reviews recent breakthroughs in their treatment and prevention. Includes foods and herbs that improve cardiovascular health.

About this title

About the Author

Reginald B. Cherry, M.D., did his premed at Baylor University and graduated from the University of Texas Medical School. He practiced diagnostic and preventive medicine in Houston, Texas, for 25 years. Dr. Cherry and his wife host the popular nationwide television program The Doctor and the Word.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Introduction In the last century or so, heart disease has gone from being a relatively minor occurrence to the number one killer in the Western nations. More people die of heart disease than of the next five leading causes of death combined. Between 40 and 50 percent in these countries—that is, nearly one of every two people—will die from some form of cardiovascular disease. The Bible tells us, "The life of the flesh is in the blood" (Leviticus 17:11). When we begin to cut off the flow of that blood, life starts dwindling. The end result is always death, unless we can reverse this trend by strengthening our heart and keeping our blood flowing without hindrance.

Cardiovascular disease has been called the "silent killer" because it can have few signs or symptoms until it strikes and then can erupt in a heart attack, often causing death within four or five minutes. Heart attacks cause more fatalities in the United States and Western Europe than any other illness, though heart attacks rarely happen without some other form of cardiovascular disease—such as hardening or clogging of the arteries or high blood pressure—having been present for a period of time beforehand. This is one reason why regular checkups with a health professional are so important—early detection of cardiovascular problems is vital to preventing coronary heart disease events. Recent studies are finding that signs of heart disease are showing up much earlier than mid-life—which is when most begin to look for them—and, in fact, are even present in preteen children and adolescents. Cardiovascular disease is actually the number two killer (behind accidents) of children under the age of fifteen. Heart disease is also an equal-opportunity killer, being the leading cause of death for men and women alike as well as for every race living in the industrialized nations. Because of these facts, we each need to know what cardiovascular disease is and how to prevent it.

The study of cardiovascular disease has become an area of major focus in recent decades. Though there is now a better understanding of what causes certain cardiovascular diseases and how they can be treated with natural compounds, ranging from grape-seed extract to CoQ10 and policosanol, the bulk of the research still points to controlling what we consume as the best means of prevention. Overcoming the habit of smoking in addition to eliminating excessive fat and cholesterol from our diet are the main keys. Because heart disease can strike suddenly and kill quickly, it is important to take the necessary steps to prevent it rather than try to cure it once it has developed. However, if you have suffered a coronary heart disease event, research now points to some things that can prevent your having another event and even reversing some of the damage that caused it in the first place.

Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV) instructs us: "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Heart and cardiovascular disease are not only deadly but also affect all other areas of our physical well-being. The poor blood flow caused by a weak heart or hardening and clogging of the arteries is linked to everything from memory loss and poor concentration to pain in the legs and joints to sexual performance to the proper functioning of the immune system. Just as the Bible speaks of the heart as the center of our spiritual lives, so it is the center of a healthy mind and body.

The problems we are speaking of are not part of God’s plan for our lives. He said He would keep sickness from the midst of us by blessing our food and water. (See Exodus 23:25–26.) He also said He would satisfy us with long life (see Psalm 91:16) and that Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly (see John 10:10). The good news is that God has a pathway to a healthy heart for you and your loved ones. I pray that the following chapters will help you to find it and to follow it.

—Reginald B. Cherry, M.D.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bethany House Pub
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 0764228145
• ISBN 13: 9780764228148
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 159