Eating Your Way to Heart Health
Did you know that what you eat plays a big role in determining your heart health? It's true, for many people what they eat plays a critical role in whether or not they get heart disease.
Studies from native cultures in Africa, Australia, and the Amazon, show that native people rarely get heart disease. In fact their cholesterol levels are significantly lower than Americans! While the typical American will have a bad cholesterol level (LDL) of 120 mg/dl, the LDL cholesterol levels of native people are much lower. (They often are in the 40-60 mg/dl range).
It is a misconception that as we age heart disease is "natural."
Yet, there is a fairly natural way to eat and be heart healthy. It's called the Mediterranean Diet. What is the Mediterranean Diet and how is it useful. The Mediterranean Diet is an eating style that is practiced by people who live around the Mediterranean Basin. It has been observed in numerous research studies that people who follow this diet have a very low incidence of heart disease. It's been shown that following a Mediterranean Diet can reduce your chances of getting heart disease by 75%.
The foods are tasty, and varied. The diet discourages the eating of saturated fat in the form of red meat. Participants are asked to eat fish 3-4 times a week, use olive oil for their fat source, and load up on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
If a person doesn't like fish, they can take a fish oil supplement.
Eating in this way can dramatically reduce your chances of having a heart attack and cal also reduce your chances of worsening of heart disease.
In the next month I'll be publishing a short pamphlet, "Improving Your Heart Health with the Mediterranean Diet" where you can find out how to start eating the Mediterranean Way. Look on my website at www.drlaman.com
I hope this is helpful.
take care,
Kirk Laman, D.O., F.A.C.C.
Studies from native cultures in Africa, Australia, and the Amazon, show that native people rarely get heart disease. In fact their cholesterol levels are significantly lower than Americans! While the typical American will have a bad cholesterol level (LDL) of 120 mg/dl, the LDL cholesterol levels of native people are much lower. (They often are in the 40-60 mg/dl range).
It is a misconception that as we age heart disease is "natural."
Yet, there is a fairly natural way to eat and be heart healthy. It's called the Mediterranean Diet. What is the Mediterranean Diet and how is it useful. The Mediterranean Diet is an eating style that is practiced by people who live around the Mediterranean Basin. It has been observed in numerous research studies that people who follow this diet have a very low incidence of heart disease. It's been shown that following a Mediterranean Diet can reduce your chances of getting heart disease by 75%.
The foods are tasty, and varied. The diet discourages the eating of saturated fat in the form of red meat. Participants are asked to eat fish 3-4 times a week, use olive oil for their fat source, and load up on plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
If a person doesn't like fish, they can take a fish oil supplement.
Eating in this way can dramatically reduce your chances of having a heart attack and cal also reduce your chances of worsening of heart disease.
In the next month I'll be publishing a short pamphlet, "Improving Your Heart Health with the Mediterranean Diet" where you can find out how to start eating the Mediterranean Way. Look on my website at www.drlaman.com
I hope this is helpful.
take care,
Kirk Laman, D.O., F.A.C.C.
posted by Dr. Kirk Laman at 1:54 PM
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