I had to share

[dpittsmd1985]

I just wanted to share this article from a prominent Cardiovascular Surgeon.  For those who may not have as yet read the Hartwig's book..(please get it ASAP)....here is something to re-inforce your resolve to make this a lifestyle.

 

 

We physicians with all our training, knowledge and authority often acquire a rather large ego that tends to make it difficult to admit we are wrong. So, here it is. I freely admit to being wrong.. As a heart surgeon with 25 years experience, having performed over 5,000 open-heart surgeries,today is my day to right the wrong with medical and scientific fact.

I trained for many years with other prominent physicians labelled “opinion makers.† Bombarded with scientific literature, continually attending education seminars, we opinion makers insisted heart disease resulted from the simple fact of elevated blood cholesterol.

The only accepted therapy was prescribing medications to lower cholesterol and a diet that severely restricted fat intake. The latter of course we insisted would lower cholesterol and heart disease. Deviations from these recommendations were considered heresy and could quite possibly result in malpractice.


It Is Not Working!

These recommendations are no longer scientifically or morally defensible. The discovery a few years ago that inflammation in the artery wall is the real cause of heart disease is slowly leading to a paradigm shift in how heart disease and other chronic ailments will be treated.

The long-established dietary recommendations have created epidemics of obesity and diabetes, the consequences of which dwarf any historical plague in terms of mortality, human suffering and dire economic consequences.

Despite the fact that 25% of the population takes expensive statin medications and despite the fact we have reduced the fat content of our diets, more Americans will die this year of heart disease than ever before.

Statistics from the American Heart Association show that 75 million Americans currently suffer from heart disease, 20 million have diabetes and 57 million have pre-diabetes. These disorders are affecting younger and younger people in greater numbers every year.

Simply stated, without inflammation being present in the body, there is no way that cholesterol would accumulate in the wall of the blood vessel and cause heart disease and strokes. Without inflammation, cholesterol would move freely throughout the body as nature intended. It is inflammation that causes cholesterol to become trapped.

Inflammation is not complicated — it is quite simply your body's natural defence to a foreign invader such as a bacteria, toxin or virus. The cycle of inflammation is perfect in how it protects your body from these bacterial and viral invaders. However, if we chronically expose the body to injury by toxins or foods the human body was never designed to process,a condition occurs called chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is just as harmful as acute inflammation is beneficial.

What thoughtful person would willfully expose himself repeatedly to foods or other substances that are known to cause injury to the body?  Well,smokers perhaps, but at least they made that choice willfully.

The rest of us have simply followed the recommended mainstream dietthat is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. Thisrepeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity.

 

 

The remainder of the article can be read here:

 

http://myscienceacademy.org/2012/08/19/world-renown-heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease/

 

 

Dr. Dwight Lundell is the past Chief of Staff and Chief of Surgery at Banner Heart Hospital , Mesa , AZ. His private practice, Cardiac Care Center was in Mesa, AZ. Recently Dr. Lundell left surgery to focus on the nutritional treatment of heart disease. He is the founder of Healthy Humans Foundation that promotes human health with a focus on helping large corporations promote wellness. He is also the author of The Cure for Heart Disease and The Great Cholesterol Lie.

[LDean]

This is great!  My dad did the Whole 30 with me in August, but never read "It Starts with Food" and didn't fully understand the reasons for participating in the Whole 30.  He had a heart attack 2 weeks ago and his Cardiologist has told him that he needs to be on a vegetarian diet.  He's gone back to eating beans and rice as an alternative to cutting out meat.  It will be hard to convince him that the Whole 30 would actually be better for him, but the more information I can send his way the better.  Any other resources you have would be fantastic!

[GFChris]

This is great!  My dad did the Whole 30 with me in August, but never read "It Starts with Food" and didn't fully understand the reasons for participating in the Whole 30.  He had a heart attack 2 weeks ago and his Cardiologist has told him that he needs to be on a vegetarian diet.  He's gone back to eating beans and rice as an alternative to cutting out meat.  It will be hard to convince him that the Whole 30 would actually be better for him, but the more information I can send his way the better.  Any other resources you have would be fantastic!

 

What's the cardiologist's rationale for recommending vegetarian for your dad?

 

There is a vegetarian Whole30, if you wanted to steer your dad in that direction. Here is the shopping list: http://whole9life.com/book/ISWF-Vegetarian-Shopping-List.pdf