I did nutritional counseling with a man after his heart attack. Here is his story based on his meetings with me and the additional research and reading he did:
As many of you know on January 3, 2006 I suffered atherosclerosis…the medical term for a heart attack. About 50% of people die from this condition when it occurs. I was one of the lucky ones.
Looking for answers
I began to believe that nutrition has a huge influence on heart disease, but who and what do you believe? About a year ago I wanted to lose a couple of pounds so I went on the Nutri-Systems Diet. It worked. I lost the weight in a month. Then I began to research foods cooked in a micro-wave, processed foods, refined foods and how they can harm your body. WHAT? I lost the weight.
- Do I need more fiber?
- More fruit?
- More vegetables?
- Do carbs make me fat?
- Is organic really better?
- I heard bagels are good…I heard they aren’t. Too much starch? I was frustrated.
Finding a nutrition professional
I didn’t know where to turn so I researched it further and found the best nutritionist/dietician I could find. Someone I could ask anything about food and nutrition. I had a lot of questions. Still do. She [Trulie] has worked with the Physicians Committee for Research Medicine in Washington, DC and was research coordinator for a revolutionary program for reversing diabetes. The first thing she told me was that heart disease can be reversed. I was sold.
I asked her why she chose this line of work and she said she was overweight (hard to believe now) and didn’t feel good—so she did something about it. In our meetings she broke down
- macro-nutrients (protein, carbs and fat) and
- micro-nutrients (vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals).
Optimal health comes from a diet loaded with 14 different vitamins, 25 minerals and 10,000 phytochemicals. The phytochemicals have a profound influence on humans cell function. Our body cells can only heal, repair and detoxify with foods rich in micro-nutrients. We hear a lot these days about free radicals which attack our cells and cause disease. I believe now through my limited research, reading and questions that chronic diseases are largely the result of infinitely complex assaults on our bodies resulting from bad food.
Protect health with a powerful diet
I know the last sentence in the above paragraph is hard to comprehend, but I am beginning to believe that certain foods are just a lot better for us than others. My new encyclopedia of health then gave me a reading assignment. She handed me a book called The China Study (I highly recommend you read it) and told me to read the chapter (Broken Hearts) on heart disease. I liked that information so much that I bought my own book and read it cover to cover. It was fascinating. The writer, Dr. T. Colin Campbell questions the status quo. Many years ago as a scientist and nutrition expert he worked for the government and later became involved in a study to understand why people in parts of China and other countries did not get heart disease and cancer. Most believed it must be genetics, but when they moved to America and ate the western diet they got just as sick as us. The study found that the Chinese ate
- less animal-based foods and
- more plant-based foods. More fruits, vegetables and grains! Foods high in micro-nutrients with great anti-oxidant power.
My dietician provided me with beneficial information to share. It became obvious that the best foods for me are a heavy dose of many fruits and vegetables. The more the variety the better. I knew I wouldn’t eat 5 or 6 fruits a day, but my nutritionist showed me how to blend a great tasting smoothie with 6-8 fruits, flaxseed and other high anti-oxidant nutrients. I am eating many more vegetables and better grains. My cholesterol is extremely low and I am feeling great.
Our health is a choice
In closing I believe we can do better than pills and surgery. We can go directly to the bottom line. We can reduce our cholesterol and when that is done you cannot deposit fat and cholesterol into your arteries. PERIOD. It happens through nutrition. My research has of course concentrated on heart disease, but every year that passes, there is more proof that a plant-based diet has similar effects on chronic diseases. It is now believed that at least half of all senile mental impairment is caused by vascular injury to the brain. Eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
