As my (probably only one) reader knows (hi sis!), I follow (or try to) the heart-healthy program designed by Dr. McDougall. It prevents and reverses heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and MS, and now there is more and more evidence that it also increases your chances of preventing cancer, among other good things. Dr. McDougall has designed a curriculum so that long time "McDougallers" can teach his program to others via DVDs, presentations, and live Skype one-on-one and email with the Doctor himself.
I was interested in teaching his program right when I first heard of this opportunity in one of his free newsletters, however, I just don't have the room, the kitchen space, a large enough TV, etc. So I kept it in the back of my mind for a while but couldn't really see a way to make it happen.
Then last week I went to a physical therapy appointment. It was for a back class and I got there early. I sat next to a man who was very friendly and had had a stroke. He was paralyzed on the right hand side, blind in one eye, and could only say 1 or 2 words at the time. He was very interested in me and he and his companion chatted with me. I suspected his stroke was due to heart disease, and that was verified by the lady with him. (Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America, and most strokes are caused by heart disease, so my assumption was not off base.) I showed him the book I had with me -- Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn, and the lady told me their whole family had made drastic changes. I wish those changes had come prior to his stroke. He was in such good spirits but everything was a struggle and I really felt for him. The encounter really nailed it home to me, because I feel priviledged to really understand what a person needs to do to be healthy and prevent these kinds of chronic diseases whose effects are so devastating. It is one thing to read about statistics, but it is another to see a live human being in front of you suffering.
Spurred to start moving with my plan, first things first, and that means I need a classroom. I put an add on craigslist, and just to give you an idea of what I'm up to and need, here's the ad for your perusal:
Health Teacher Looking for a Classroom (SF)
Reply to: hous-683755435@craigslist.org
Date: 2008-05-16, 6:35PM PDT
Hi,
I'd like to run a program created by Dr. McDougall which teaches people how to change their diets to lose weight and reverse heart disease, among other health issues his program helps. However, I live with 3 roommates and my kitchen is so small it's barely there, so I need to find a suitable location with these amenities:
- A kitchen large enough to do a cooking demonstration for 4-20 people
- Comfortable chairs for 4-20 people set up as in a classroom
- DVD player
- TV large enough for 4-20 people
- Computer with high speed internet connection and good speakers
- The computer monitor should be the proper size for the audience (or newer TVs take computer connections) or a projector connected to the computer
The curriculum will be four classes that can be presented over 8 hours. I can thus present the class over 8 hours on a weekend day, or over 4 evenings. Another possibility might be 2 weekday evenings and 1 weekend day.
I would like to do this for free, but Dr. McDougall understandably will charge a reasonable fee in the future for using his name and for his time in answering questions and providing direct, personal assistance via email and Skype. I will thus have to charge a fee to the participants, but as I don't know how successful I can be gathering a group willing to pay for this information regularly, I thought I'd post here to see if there is anyone who'd like to make a long-term arrangement with me.
For instance, if you travel regularly and would like your home and pets well taken care of in your absence, I can do that in exchange for using the home to conduct these classes regularly. You are, of course, welcome to go through the class for free.
More information about the program I want to teach can be found at Dr. McDougall's website, http://www.drmcdougall.com
About me:
I have an office job and adopted this healthier lifestyle about 2 years ago, after becoming intrigued in the subject and reading many books about health and nutrition. As I have family members and friends who suffer from and have died from heart disease, I'd like to do what I can to help people understand what they can do to reverse heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related health conditions.
If you have any questions, suggestions, or ideas, please feel free to email me.
Thanks,
Carolyn
(No point linking to craigslist because once the posting expires, that's it.)
I got one response from a nice guy who offered some suggestions, such as checking out the Recreation Department.
I checked a little online, but I think the rent might choke the program. However, after work today I drove to the SF County Building in Golden Gate Park and found info about renting one of their rooms. Also not very feasible, although they did have a big kitchen. And last I went to the Western Addition library which is on Geary, which I've never been to. I just happened to see it driving by occasionally and thought it might be a school or library and perhaps something like that could work. I went in tonight and the guy at the counter had good news. They have a room! I could probably use it for what I'm doing! It's free! It comes with a DVD and TV player! I don't know about the rest of its amenities, but so far, so good. He gave me the name and number of the head librarian, who'll be in tomorrow until 6pm, so I'll drop by after work tomorrow and see what else I can find out. I'm glad things seem to be going in the right direction. I'm hoping that whatever food prep I'll need to do for the program I can do with portable appliances, such as my rice cooker, stir-fry wok (once it's repaired), or a hot plate or microwave.
Prior to starting this program though, I will be paying off my car. Enough's enough. Once the car is paid off, I'll invest in the DVDs and find out more about the curriculum and what Dr. McDougall will charge for his Skype and email assistance. I hope this all works out well and helps people get healthier.
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