Heart Healthy Nutrition Tips



Heart Healthy Nutrition Tips

Source:

Edward Skillen, D.O.

Dr. Skillen is a clinical cardiologist affiliated with Bon Secours Hampton Roads, serving Maryview Medical Center, Mary Immaculate Hospital, DePaul Medical Center and more. For more information, please visit .

The Situation in America

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, claiming the lives of nearly 865,000 Americans annually. As Americans go about their day-to-day lives, many are at-risk, but they don’t even know it!

Heart Disease is largely a disease of diet. Studies have shown that people who follow the right diet have minimal risk of heart disease. Author John Robbins, in his book Healthy at 100, describes four cultures where people frequently live to over 100 years of age. These include Abkhazia in the Caucasus mountains of Georgia (formerly the Soviet Union), the Vilcabamba valley in Ecuador, the Hunza area of Pakistan, and Okinawa in Japan. According to Robbins, these four societies share three things in common:

      1. They exercise vigorously every day of their lives.

      2. They eat a whole foods plant based diet with only about 5 % animal protein and no processed foods.

      3. They don’t eat much!

America, by contrast, has easy access to a myriad of “yummy,” high-fat food options, many containing animal proteins and processed foods. America also eats big meals, increasing the intake of unhealthy foods and causing weight gain. In addition, America doesn’t exercise. According to Dr. Skillen, “This combination is a formula for disaster.”

Regular consumption of a high-fat diet that is rich in animal proteins and processed foods can lead to high cholesterol levels – and can ultimately result in vascular disease, blockage of arteries and heart disease.

Recommended Reading:

The China Study –

Healthy at 100 – John Robbins --

Younger Next Year – Chris Crowley & Dr. Harry Lodge –

– Caldwell B. Esselstyn, Jr., M.D.

What Americans Can Do

Dr. Skillen says that anyone with high cholesterol levels should modify their diet, such as moving to a whole foods plant-based diet. For many, a plant-based diet might prove a difficult option, because U.S. grocery stores, markets and restaurants don’t always offer many options or ingredients. “Start simple, one meal at a time,” says Dr. Skillen.

Dr. Skillen suggests:

• For breakfast, forego the eggs and bacon; instead, try old-fashioned oatmeal with water or almond milk, with fruit. Or try a whole-grain, cold cereal with almond milk; be sure the cereal contains no trans-fat.

• For lunch, try a salad containing no animal protein – this includes no cheese. Protein can be found in beans, fruit, broccoli, asparagus and/or spinach – so be sure to add these. Use minimal salad dressing, if any – about a teaspoon or less.

• For dinner, try a large salad containing no animal protein. Or use grains such as Red Beans & Rice. Fish on occasion is also a good option, with an occasional dessert or fruit.

Several resources offer heart-healthy nutrition tips and recipes, including:

• Dr. John McDougall –

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Ask Your Doctor about Your Cholesterol Levels

Modifications in diet can have an effect on reducing cholesterol levels; often people combine these modifications with a statin drug, such as Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor and others, which is prescribed by and monitored by the patient’s physician.

Dr. Skillen recommends first asking your doctor to check your cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol levels should be under 150, with LDL cholesterol – known as the “bad cholesterol” -- under 70. If your levels are higher than this, talk to your doctor about taking a statin drug.

Take these 3 Steps

For anyone, Dr. Skillen recommends simply modifying diet and exercise:

• Follow a plant-based diet as much as possible – with no animal proteins

• Exercise regularly: 45 minutes per day, five or six days per week. This should include weight training.

• Watch your weight – and how much you eat

If you can do this, your long-term heart & vascular prognosis will be good!

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