Joel Fuhrman - Eat To Live

148 Joel Fuhrman, M.D.

important, it should be called a low-nutrient-density diet — one

with a dangerously low level of plant-derived nutrients. As a result

of following this almost worthless advice, heart disease patients usu-

ally eat a diet that derives over 80 percent of its calories from

processed foods and animal products.

No matter how poor patients' diet, most claim that they are al-

ready on a low-fat diet. They believe that eating a chicken-and-

pasta-based diet is in some way healthy merely because they eat less

red meat. Yet chicken is almost as dangerous for the heart as red

meat; switching from red meat to white meat does not lower choles-

terol.^8 Such conventional diets simply do not lower cholesterol suffi-

ciently and do not contain adequate heart-protective factors such as

fiber, antioxidants, folate, bioflavonoids, and other phytochemicals.

Another real problem with these so-called low-fat diets is that

they are often low in fiber and phytochemical-rich vegetation and

may not be carefully designed to include enough of the cardiopro-

tective fats. For example, multiple studies have shown the protective

effects of consuming walnuts, which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

A study of 34,192 Californian Seventh-Day Adventists showed a 31

percent reduction in the lifetime risk of ischemic heart disease in

those who consumed raw nuts frequently.^9 The ideal diet for heart

disease reversal, then, is free of saturated fat, trans fat, and choles-

terol; rich in nutrients and fiber; and low in calories, to achieve thin-

ness. However, it should contain sufficient essential fatty acids, so it

is important to add a small amount of nuts and seeds, such as wal-

nuts and flaxseed.

Dramatically Lower Your "Bad" Cholesterol Without Drugs

Some studies published in the past few years have concluded that di-

etary changes alone are insufficient to alter plasma lipid levels.^10 The

message reported in both the lay and medical media is that low-fat

diets don't work. This reinforces the concept that there is not much

we can do to alter our genetics, except maybe take drugs. Sadly, the

diets offered by nutritional authorities are not aggressive enough to

offer true protection or to expect predictable recovery in patients

with heart disease. These so-called heart-healthy diets are not any-

thing like my diets.

The concern that some medical authorities have regarding "low-

fat" diets is that these diets may lower your HDL and raise triglyc-

erides." This is true. Lowering fat intake is not the principal step