By Suzanne ChenSpecial to CSMS MagazineFor anyone with heart disease—even for anyone at risk for heart disease—it may seem as if time is running out.But with thousands of heart patients being treated every year, it is clear that this fear is becoming more and more a myth, rather than the reality. Experts believe that there is time to recover cardiovascular health in nine out of 10 cases. “This can usually be accomplished without angioplasty or bypass surgery,” said Dr. De Angelo, a well-known cardiologist from Lavalle University. Anyone eager to prevent or cure heart disease must learn to avoid fatty foods and other dietary “poisons.” Many people often ask, “How often can I eat steak and eggs without hurting my heart?” It is also important to understand and even try to answer this pertinent question: How often can someone smoke without any ill effects on his body?” The only honest answer to both questions is stay away from both habits.Dramatic Changes are PossibleDr. De Angelo conducted a two-week program in which the participants were seriously ill. Many have already had a heart attack. Other takes medication for chest (angina) or high blood pressure. The program was designed to investigate if change of attitude toward the way we eat and live our lives can really affect our health.By the time the participants left the clinic, most had significantly lowered their cholesterol and blood pressure…and stopped taking medicine, according to Dr. De Angelo.The vast majority goes on to live full lives. The remarkable transformation involves three steps…
- Eliminate all excess fat from your diet, which means substituting fruits, vegetables and grains for red meat, chicken, dairy products, eggs, oils, cakes and candies and refined and processed foods.
- Get daily aerobic exercise. Patients in the program wee required to walk for at least 30 minutes a day.
- Learn to manage psychological stress without resorting to overeating or other self-destructive behavior. Massage, meditation and group discussion are all effective ways to do this.
The Skinny On FatThe typical American gets a whopping 40% of his daily calories in the foam of fat. It’s this fat that clogs the coronary arteries with the fatty streaks (plaques) that cause heart attack. Dietary fat endangers your heart by:a. Causing red blood cells to clump. That slows circulation, reduces oxygen in the blood and raises blood pressure.b. Creating new plaques and making them prone to rupture.c. Causing existing plaques to grow.d. Causing abnormally rapid clotting of the blood. That can lead to arterial occlusion if a new plaque bursts.So, be smart. Eat right.Also see Some tips about Craniosacral TherapyNote: Suzanne Chen is medical student from University of North Florida (UNF). She wrote this piece exclusively for CSMS Magazine.
