Dr. Lofton Misick

It is extremely important to understand the causality of chronic disease in our society. Our bodies are resilient, but over time with repetitive insult, symptoms will begin to emerge. We see these ailments in our aged loved ones and perhaps others not beyond there middle years. There are many etiologies of chronic health conditions, but whether it be a genetic predisposition , stress induced, bad lifestyle choices, exposure to toxins or over consumption of the standard american diet, we do have the power to protect ourselves and choose the future of our health.

In this interview, we discuss the whole food plant based diet with a local vascular surgeon, Dr. Lofton Misick. Dr. Misick has been providing care for the people of the coastal bend since 2015 and has been practicing medicine for over 30 years.  

Dr. Misick is a board-certified, general and cardiovascular surgeon in Corpus Christi.  He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, and the Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Dr. Misick  is a compassionate and highly skilled surgeon and is well known among the Coastal Bend medical community .

Please share your thoughts about the following statement: A whole food, plant-based (WFPB) nutrition has the power to prevent, treat and in some cases actually reverse disease.

Plant-based diet is a lifestyle. Good advocates eat more fruits and veggies then animal products. One can look at it as a continuum. At one end of the continuum is a meat-based diet and the other end is a vegan diet . Because of the complexity of the plant based diet, particularly the whole foods, complex carbohydrate, nuts, and berries, it promotes less insulin production and as a result, reduces the incidence of diabetes. It also results in a reduction in blood pressure which results in less incidence of strokes, heart attacks, kidney failure, and other atherosclerotic vascular disease.

The plant-based diet is also anti-inflammatory. All diseases are caused by inflammation. As a result, the plant based diet can result in prevention of chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease and other chronic ailments. In some diseases, it should be an important adjunct to traditional medical treatment.

A plant-based diet provides high levels of micro nutrients that cannot be found in the Standard American diet. These micro nutrient are an integral part of disease prevention and treatment. Studies have shown that patients eating a plant based diet have experienced a reversal of their diseases including malignancies.

How often do you talk to your patient’s about the role of food causing and curing their current conditions?

Probably not enough. The practice is based on traditional treatment. The options of plant-based therapy is not often brought up.

What would you say to people who think that eating meat is essential to health and a more natural part of a “paleo” diet.

Studies have shown that animal protein is probably inflammatory and that it is a carcinogenic. These Studies have also proven that meat base diets result in more incidence of cancers.

Studies have also proven that plant base diet will result in reversal of cancer. So what we’re talking about here, is a lifestyle that results in a healthy, long life.

Are you concerned about Protein consumption in WFPB?

Studies have shown that patients who are vegan and vegetarian have always met and exceeded their protein requirements. All foods have protein in them such as: peanut butter, quinoa, oatmeal, nuts, beans, and whole foods.

Do you feel it is your role to provide patient’s with nutritional information?

To educate my patients in a plant-based diet can result in great disease prevention along with reversals of some of the current diseases.

How would you describe your diet?

Plant-based.

How would you recommend raising general awareness about the important relationship between food causing, preventing and curing disease?

This is best done by having a general conversation about the impact of a diet on the current health status in the country. It is important to realize that the Standard American Diet which is full of refined foods, sugars and preservatives, promotes insulin production and inflammation. These two things results in a myriad of health issues and chronic diseases, obesity and short life.

It is important to educate the patient that by switching from a standard diet to a plant-based diet can result in a reversal of all of the detrimental effects from years of poor diet. Ultimately, it’s up to the individual.

Dr. Lofton Misick

Do you think the impact of the Covid 19 and Standard American Diet affected the current health of our nation during this pandemic ?

I believe, that the issue here, is most of the world’s diet is an animal based diet. Had the world’s food been more focused on eating plant-based foods, it would probably be unlikely that COVID-19 would’ve existed.

Are you aware of any physician groups or individual physicians advocating for WFPB in the Coastal Bend?

No, I am not.

Dr. Misick has committed his life to reducing the pain and suffering of patients with advanced cardiovascular disease. His skills provide the “mechanical solution to a biological problem”(Caldewell Esselstyn, MD). Dr. Misick was trained to use surgical intervention, the last course of treatment and maybe the only course of treatment, for critically ill patients. As he mentioned, his practice is based on “traditional treatment”. Because the patients he evaluates need immediate care, “The options of plant-based therapy is not often brought up”.

Over our lifetime, the development of cardiovascular disease is not quite obvious. It may require decades of self injury from poor food and lifestyle choices before clinical symptoms develop. We as a community must recognize the connection between nutrition and vascular disease or any chronic disease. Dr. Misick is a seasoned physician with a hopeful message. By understanding the impact of our diet and nutrition on our health, we have the power to prevent and reverse chronic disease. Be proactive and transition to well balanced WFPB diet. Guidance from experts in the field of medicine and nutrition and support from like minded people will empower us with the tools to take control of our health.