n/a
An Interesting Article About Heart Disease
We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries, today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.
I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.
The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.
I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled "opinion makers." Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.
The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.
Tags
Who is online
81 visitors
This article is exactly spot on. This is a topic i specifically research as part of my job, and as part of my personal life as well. Omega 6 vs Omega 3. The proper ratio is never greater than 6 to 1, and could even be 3 to 1. The customary diet in America, and increasingly throughout the McDonalds and KFC consuming world is closer to 120 to 1. An imbalance? I would definitely say so. The average diet should only include 10% meat or dairy, and should be balanced with an additional decrease in added sugars, no trans-fats, etc.....
Food for thought...actually the title of my hospital intranet series at work.
Since switching to an exclusive 75/25 plant-based/vegan diet with no oil and no added sugars, no bleached products (such as white rice and white sugar), and so on (around four weeks now), i have personally lost just at 24 pounds, but have also seen a spike in energy and general health...and i didnt even really eat much meat to begin with. Now, admittedly, my profession both as a chef, and within healthcare gave me an advantage in both knowledge of and planning for proper nutrition on said 'diet'. I already knew, for example, that simply replacing meats with nuts, a common practice with vegans, isnt actually a sound practice. Some foods are more nutritious when combined with fatty materials, and some are more nutritious cooked than raw.
Anyways, great article, and quite topical, especially as false nutrition comes under greater scrutiny, ala pink slime and its ilk.
Eat to Live is excellent. Dr Fuhrman's success rates are pretty astounding.
I have to say that since I have switched to more natural foods ( and I do cook meals), I feel much better. I am trying to get mycholesteroldown by natural means instead of statins. I'll know in the next two months, if it is working.
Hey Tina!
Thanks for the great link. I think that these types of articles are very informative and important, but often get overlooked.
Those are great links along with Peter's videos. I hope that more people will get to read and watch them.
To good health!
Indian is great. As i recall, you live in the DFW area? My friends Tinku and Jasdeep were the founders of 'The Clay Pit' restaurants, since sold to Chef Bali. Their flagship was in Austin, but i think their DFW one was in Addison. Cant remember. Worth checking out if it is still there (i know the Austin one is, but i cant remember if he kept the DFW one open). Premier Indian cuisine.
It is almost a lock, especially if you eliminate oils.
Tina,
I hope you post those recipes. Peter does that, too, and I have found them very helpful. Otherwise, I tend to eat the same food over and over.
If you can get yourcholesteroldown naturally, that is the way to go for sure. I'm in the middle of doing the same thing, expect, I can eat all the salt I want. My blood pressure is way too low. Ha! You'd think this place would have it sky high, LOL!
Mrs Dash is actually pretty good. 14 different spices including cayenne and orange peel.
Seriously, you should follow the book links Tina put up. I own Eat to live and it is a great read. You should consider buying it (just under $10). You can definitely solve your cholesterol and blood pressure issues through diet...and you can still eat meat...just has to be 10% or less of your daily intake.
Arent you supposed to have a man cave for that problem?
One healthy thing about Indian food are the spices. Many spices are anti-oxidant and anti-inflamatory.
Curry has Tumeric in it-- and Turmeric is a natural anti-inflamatory. (Another natural anti-inflammatory is Ginger). Turmeric may also help prevent Alzheimers and possibly Cancer.
The only negative about Indian food may be the Rice-- Basmati is a form of white rice and therefore not a whole grain. You can get Brown Basmati-- here's an interesting discussion about it).
Sounds good. But why no oil? I agree about importance of Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio. But obviously there are two ways to improve that-- one way is to eat less Omega 6's-- but the other is to eat more Omega 3's. Fish oil-- vegetarian forms such as Walnuts, Flax, pumpkin seeds, etc.
I've been reading a lot about how lifestyle-- particularly food-- effects blood chemistry, etc. As was mentioned-- there used to be a misconception that lowering total fat intake was the key. later the thinking moved toward realizing that carbs might be the answer.
it seems now that the informed consensus is that is not a question of how much carbs, protein, or fat you eat-- but the type of fat, and the type of carbs.
1. fats:
Eliminate red meat, skin of chicken and dark meat, etc. BUT: Its OK to consume healthy fats--Omega 3's (Cold water fish or fish oil caps-- Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax) and some mono-saturated (Olive oil, Avocados, Almonds, most other nuts and seeds).
Trans-fats are a killer-- even in small quantities.
2. Carbs;
-Totally eliminate High Fructose Corn Syrup. That's the worst.
-Eat whole foods. Whole wheat instead of processed wheat, etc.
-Lots of natural fiber (beans, fruits and veggies)-- and for lowering Cholesterol, especially soluble fiber-- grapefruit, apples, beans, some grains (oats, barley).
3. Organic as much as possible
4. Brightly coloured produce has more "good" phyto chemicals.
Whole wheat ? Ugh !
That's been my experience as well. I used to cook brown Basmati. (A simple recipe-- first browning Mustard and Cumin seeds in oil, then adding rice and water and cooking the regular way. Tasty-- but the rice flavour didn't dominate.)
I have been on NT much lately, but intend to spend more time here now. I just discovered these articles-- very interesting and informative.
It takes getting used to, but whole wheat pasta is much better for health.
Most of the breads in supermarklets are not good. One excellent line of bread are the "Ezekial" brand organic sprouted-grain breads.
The main things with grains is have them be only whole grain-- high fiber. Barley and Oats are amongst the best grains for lowering Cholesterol.