As a Cardiologist, I see too many people suffering from heart disease, atherosclerosis (clogging of the arteries), high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. In December 2004, I have been asked by the Canadian Heart and Stroke Association to participate in a symposium on improving our diet, and better strategies to improve our health. I need your help to demonstrate life changes work, and to help individuals already stricken with blocked arteries improve their health. I am asking all my patients, friends, students, families and groups of individuals and of course yourself to take steps to improve your health for 30 days.

By participating in this healthy lifestyle, you will help prove lifestyle changes can work for you, your community and your family. In our current society, it is becoming increasingly challenging to be healthy. It is time to fight back! Being healthier can help members of your family such as your parents, from suffering a heart attack or stroke and even prevent cancer. Eating properly is the key to good health.

Lifestyle changes can lower your weight and improve the quality of your life. Being healthy in our society is often very difficult. One way that each one of us can improve our health is by taking charge and following the High Road to Health Challenge.

I must stress that no one is perfect and relapse will occur. What determines success is how well you will learn from previous experiences. Lifestyle changes are like learning to ride a bike. When you fell off your bike, you got back on and tried to ride again. Similarly, you will need to take multiple 30-Day Health Challenges to gain insight and knowledge to a healthier you.

My suggestion is, first try and improve your diet by following the food health prescription. (If you feel overwhelmed, start slow and pick one or two changes).

Apply the rule of “8”:

• Increase the consumption of 4 food groups
• Decrease of 4 others every day