Fascinating conversation with Dr. Ajay Joseph, an interventional cardiologist from Tulsa who's doing something remarkable.
He spends 4 days a week putting stents in patients' hearts, and 1 day a week teaching them how to cook healthy meals so they never need stents in the first place.
Here's what stopped me in my tracks:
→ 90% of heart attacks are preventable
→ Researchers have actually proven you can REVERSE plaque buildup through lifestyle changes
→ It's the soft plaque (not the hard calcified stuff) that causes most heart attacks and strokes
His perspective really hit home: "Putting in stents is like mopping the floor while the faucet is still running. Someone's gotta mop, but we should also turn off that faucet."
The story that got me was about his patient who needed stent procedures every 6 months for years. After changing his diet and starting to exercise, he hasn't needed a single procedure in 4 years!
Now this patient drives an hour to Dr. Joseph's cooking classes just to share his story with other patients!
Dr. Joseph runs programs where patients learn to cook, manage stress, and understand how their daily choices connect to their health outcomes. It's not about perfection - it's about sustainable progress over time.
What struck me most: every medical specialty has patients they can't fully help with traditional treatments. Fatty liver, early-stage Alzheimer's, diabetes complications - these are the conditions where lifestyle medicine can make the biggest difference.
Worth listening to the full conversation on the Move Eat Give podcast if you're interested in how we might prevent rather than just treat chronic disease.
LinkedIn: Ajay Joseph, MD
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