Remember that I am never giving medical advice so don’t stop taking your meds based on anything I’ve said. Do your own research and talk to your doctors before doing anything that may not seem “normal”.
Vince found this article that lists 21 foods that naturally unclog arteries.
Except for coffee and green tea, I’m good on just about all the things on that list. I think Vince will start eating more of them too. If you read the article that are some excellent links in there to other sites with great info.
Linda in NE says
I guess my cup of coffee in the morning isn’t going to kill me. As far as tea goes, I like my Raspberry Zinger with a little added hibiscus flower. It’s supposed to be good for keeping cholesterol under control as are brazil nuts. The fruits & orange juice on the list would be no-nos for me since fruit sends my blood sugar soaring & puts on weight quicker than anything else. Other than that it looks like a pretty good list. This may just be my opinion, but I think the most important thing for staying healthy is to avoid as much commercially processed stuff as possible. I know you and Vince will be researching all of this and I’m eager to see what you find. P.S. Doctors will try to push you onto the lowest fat diet possible and that is not good for your brain. Poor old brain also needs a decent amount of cholesterol to function properly. Again, my opinion.
Donna in KS says
We have already incorporated quite a number of these foods, or increased the intake of them. A few others we learned the benefits of at the first cardio nutrition class we finally are getting. I expect the remaining weeks’ classes to be even more beneficial. In our case, husband seems to need to hear things from someone besides me! It hasn’t really all “clicked” for him yet, IMHO, because he never ever had any pain or the usual symptoms. The physical rehab continues though. I doubly appreciate all that both of you are sharing!
Carolyn says
Thanks for the list. I already consume half of the items on it and the others are easy enough to do along the way. I start back to walking Monday and am already targeting those smaller jeans in the closet. Nurse Judy…you’re a keeper!
Liz says
I also eat most of the foods on that list, though eating oranges is much better than drinking OJ.
I noticed that some of the foods mention vitamin K. If someone is on warfarin (Coumadin) to reduce the risk of blood clots, then they may need to watch the levels of Vit K or else you reduce the effectiveness of the medicine. Likewise, there are some items which may increase the bleeding problem. Fortunately, most doctors/pharmacists will give you a list of the foods to avoid. I was on the drug for about a year after getting a blood clot and I bruised like crazy.
In case people are wondering about the condition of their heart, check your local heart hospital to see if they offer a calcium scoring or heart scan CT. The scan looks for calcified plaque in your coronary arteries. In OKC, I can get one without a physician order, it is non-invasive, it costs $50, and they give you your score immediately. The scan is also reviewed by a cardiologist and info can be sent to your doctor. If your score is really bad, the techs send for a cardiologist ASAP and suggest that you stay in the hospital for further tests.
DonnainKS says
Were you at retreat in Brownwood? Wondered, if you’re that Liz, I’d love to see a pic of the blocks you worked on.
Nelle Coursey says
Having been in your situation, I knew most of these but there were some new ones I didn’t know. My problem is I have a husband who is bullheaded and says he is going to eat what he wants. He was real good for a while, but then he decided he knew better than the doctors and you know the end of the story. He does not eat a lot and does not use salt so we are ok there. The only things I buy are low sodium and he is ok with that. You can even get chips with sea salt on them. Like they say, you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink it. Stubborn is the word for it! I just live with it and pray to God it will be ok.
Sandy says
Just because you read it on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true. The food article has no author or sources of information. As to what foods one should eat or not eat should be recommended by the physician who is treating Vince for his heart problems.
Judy Laquidara says
I asked the two doctors treating Vince about diet and one said “lose weight” and the other said “hmmm, probably something like the Mediterranean Diet”. I think, in this day with so much information at our fingertips, relying on good information from the doctors is important but it’s also important for us to do our own research. Here’s another article (http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20720182,00.html#heart-healthy-foods) from Health.com that lists almost the exact same foods. The more research we do, the more the same foods show up. You’re right, because it’s on the internet doesn’t mean it’s true but we’ve learned a lot more from the internet than we have from a 5 minute conversation with a cardiologist who’s in a big hurry.