Changing our diets can prevent heart disease

"Out of the top six causes of death... four are preventable by dietary changes." - Dr. Marc Katz

In this video, Dr. Marc Katz, Cardiac Surgeon and Chief Medical Officer for the Bon Secours Heart and Vascular Institute, talks about his decision to adopt a no fat, vegan lifestyle.

Cardiovascular diseases kill more people each year, worldwide, than all other illnesses combined. More than half of those deaths are preventable by dietary changes alone.

Blockages occur over time, as poor diet causes fatty deposits to develop in the arteries. When those blockages, in arteries that feed the heart, rupture a massive heart attack occurs.

One of the best ways to combat the risk of blockage is to eat a diet rich in whole foods. Rather than subscribing to what Dr. Katz refers to as "fad diets" - those that stress the avoidance of things like carbs or inclusion of things like grapefruit - we should focus on eating a mostly plant based diet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXG5rdaHqhg

As first steps that can have a significant impact, Dr. Katz recommends: * Whole grains - whole grain breads, brown rices, cooked grains such a quinoa or bulgur * Whole foods - avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread and white rice. Avoid processed foods * Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables - a challenge due to convenience factor, but a critical part of a healthy diet

In addition to increasing the consumption of whole foods, Dr. Katz suggests reducing the consumption of red meat and carefully considering other meats which may also be high in fat.

Learning how to read labels is an important tool in developing a healthy diet. According to Dr. Katz, "everything on the front of the packet is false." In processed foods, sugar may not be listed as a primary ingredient itself, although it may be broken into its many forms and listed separately. When added up, they become a primary ingredient. Look for foods with 10-30% or less of calories from fat.

Following a heart healthy diet is not hard, but does require some change. Dr. Katz acknowledges that finding foods we enjoy eating and enjoy cooking go a long way to helping us stay consistent. Dr. Caldwell B. Esselstyn's Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease is packed with tips and recipes. http://www.heartattackproof.com/

In the end, making subtle changes to our diet will have a dramatic effect on protecting the delicate cell walls that line our arteries and will certainly help prevent heart attacks.

For an appointment with Dr. Katz, call 804-359-WELL
To learn more about Bon Secours and a healthy lifestyle, visit our blog, www.bonsecoursgoodsharing.org
To learn more about Dr. Katz, visit his website, www.roboticheartsurgery.info

Category:

Education

Tags:

• heart
• cardio
• health
• wellness
• vegan
• diet
• food
• vascular
• nutrition
• food labels
• heart disease

[bonsecoursrichmond]

ChaosKids512 - thank you for the insightful reply. It sounds like you have found some healthy tactics that work for you.

[prandtl002]

My grandfather smoked 20-40 cig a day since the age of 16, ate lots of everything, drank every single day and lived till the age of 77. my father smoked max 2 cig A WEEK, normal weight prison officer, and died the age of 35...and a question remains in my head...WTF???

[ChaosKids512]

You should also cut out all processed oils. That's the hardest to achieve IMO. Seems everything has oil in it. I started eating this way after finding Dr. Esselstyn and then reading his book. I think the hardest to get use to for me was having to eat smaller meals more frequently. I tend to eat when I'm hungry now and do not make myself stick to a 3 meal a day routine.

[gadionson1]

more proofs to this pls...