The Heartview Global Foundation: Heart Healthy & Plant-Based

We all know that terrible tragedy can be the impetus for change—in individuals, in communities, in nations, in the world. When we recognize a ray of hope blossoming from sorrow, we say, thank goodness something positive came out of something tragic.  But it’s very challenging to make lasting changes in one’s personal life or in the community, even when one has been deeply affected by a tragic experience, even when one has strong motivation and determination.  Our close family friend, Jonathan Schwartz, experienced a sudden and unexpected loss when a dear friend passed away in his 40’s from a heart attack.  The heartbreaking story of his friend’s passing became intertwined with Jonathan’s own story and, consequently, changed his future and the future of his family—it became his call to action, as he recounts:

“In 2011, my childhood friend, Lawrence Krutman passed away of a heart attack at age 42. I decided to share his passing with my physician, who practices preventative medicine. I’m an avid fitness enthusiast, and I’ve never had any health problems. Since I have a family history of early heart disease, my doctor suggested I take the coronary CT angiogram. This is a non-invasive virtual image of your coronary arteries, and this test is not covered by health insurance. I decided to pay the $800 for “peace of mind”. The results of this test revealed that I had nearly a 100% blockage in a large coronary artery. I was told that I needed a stent to prevent a heart attack and possible death. This shock made me reflect on my eating habits, fitness routine, and overall lifestyle. I read countless books and consulted many experts in plant-based nutrition. I needed to reverse and arrest my coronary disease. I now consider myself a miracle life survivor and I want to live a long and healthy life with my loving wife and three beautiful sons. My friend’s passing saved my life, and now I want to help improve and possibly save the lives of thousands of people. This is why I started a non-profit called HeartView Global Foundation.”

This Saturday night, February 16th, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, California, we will be attending the 2nd Annual Heartview Global Foundation Dinner and Auction Event which celebrates Jonathan and Meridith’s personal and altruistic mission:  raising and donating funds to ensure coverage of coronary CT angiograms for asymptomatic high risk individuals who cannot afford the examination and to develop a patient-specific approach to identify individuals at risk of heart attacks.  It was thrilling for us to be part of the success of the first event last year– the speakers, the performances and the auction all came together seamlessly for a wonderful cohesive purpose and strong message.  It will be a night when everyone will say thank goodness something great sprung from tragedy.

One of Jonathan’s life changing decisions was his commitment to incorporating a plant-based diet into his healthier lifestyle.  His mission statement for the foundation includes “encouraging a plant-based nutrition diet founded in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, along with some nuts and seeds. Essentially, it is eating as close to nature as possible. Populations that follow a plant-based diet have been found to be leaner and have far lower incidence of chronic disease, including heart disease and stroke.”

A team of doctors and medical advisors on the Heartview Global board support Jonathan’s goals in the hopes that people can live healthier lives freer of disease and illness.  Please take a look at the website and learn how you can also take the necessary precautions to pinpoint asymptomatic heart disease and how you can make healthy changes in your lifestyle—starting with espousing a plant-based diet!

Look forward to my full report on all the exciting presentations at this year’s events!  Pioneering cardiologist, Asher Kimchi, MD, Clinical Chief of the Division of Cardiology and Medical Director of the Preventive and Consultative Heart Center of Excellence at the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute in Los Angeles, and Diane Brinson, an insurance entrepreneur who founded a brokerage to serve high net worth individuals and businesses, have been named as honorees. Comedian Greg Fitzsimmons, who hosts a daily program on Sirius satellite radio, will emcee and new countrypop artist Joel Crouse will open the entertainment portion of the evening, culminating with singer-songwriter-musician Richard Marx, whose hits include “Endless Summer Nights,” “Right Here Waiting” and “Don’t Mean Nothing” is slated to perform.

It’s a wonderful cause and there’s no doubt that there will be lots of delicious and healthy vegan food served along with a side dish of inspiration!  If you do nothing else after reading this article, click on Heartview Global Foundation and read about the non-invasive tests  that might save your life!

xox Ellen

Leaning Into Veganism