Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases by Dean Ornish, Anne Ornish

Undo It!: How Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Reverse Most Chronic Diseases is the latest book by Dean Ornish, M.D, who is a pioneer in the field of preventative medicine, with a special focus on reversing and preventing heart disease. Ornish, who is a professor of medicine at the University of California and a founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute in Sausalito, California, is revered for his research into how lifestyle changes can be the most powerful form of medicine when it comes to chronic illnesses.

In Undo It!, Ornish lays out a pragmatic approach to understanding the root causes of chronic diseases, as well as developing the tools to heal and reverse them. He demonstrates how simple changes in food, behavior, environment and even lifestyle can restore balance and unlock dormant healing capabilities.

The backbone of Ornish’s thesis is that chronic diseases are largely preventable and reversible. He highlights how conventional medicine often struggles to address chronic diseases from the inside-out, and how many treatments can merely suppress symptoms rather than address the root issue. He shows that a true cure is not found through drugs and surgery, but rather by undoing the damage that has contributed to the illness in the first place.

In the book, Ornish walks readers through his five-point program for healing chronic diseases. These five points are: diet, exercise, stress management, emotion and relationships. Ornish explains that each point has the potential to produce powerful rejuvenating changes, but to achieve lasting results, they must be implemented together, in a collaborative and symbiotic relationship.

Ornish’s venture into lifestyle medicine began in the early 1990s. His research contributed to the landmark paper published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which showed that his heart disease prevention program had significant effects beyond what drugs alone could achieve. These findings are remembered to this day, yet Ornish states that the scope of his work has gone far beyond this realized potential.

In Undo It!, Ornish continues to apply his worldview to many other chronic illnesses and conditions, as well as psychological issues. He provides case studies of patients who were cured from illnesses through lifestyle changes, along with methods for increasing self-efficacy in creating an optimal healing environment. He also addresses patient adherence and how to increase success in the healing process.

Overall, Undo It! is a clear, comprehensive, and accessible book that integrates Ornish’s medical expertise with a cutting-edge approach to healing. His goal is to empower people to take control of their own health and discover true wellness, rather than relying on pharmaceuticals or invasive procedures. He is a leader in the movement towards lifestyle medicine, and this book provides an essential guide for readers interested in exploring the healing potential of natural, preventive medicine.