We watched a special put on by CNN’s Dr Sanjay Gupta about how following a specific diet pretty much ensured that you would avoid having a heart attack. The message in the interview with a variety of people who are following this particular diet is
- Eat vegetables
- Avoid oils
- Avoid Dairy
- Avoid meat
The people in Papua New Guinea highlanders, rural Chinese, central Africans and the Tarahumara Indians of Mexico all follow this diet and heart attacks are virtually unknown in these cultures. There has to be something to this diet, however it is very difficult to change historical eating habits of North America were everyone eats some kind of meat and dairy everyday!
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. who is and was a surgeon is trying to get the message out that if we reduce or eliminate dairy and meat based products, we will suffer many less heart attacks and be able to lead a more healthy lifestyle well into our old age.
One study of 17 people who had had 40 cardiac events before going on the diet, had no events at all after being on the diet over a 12 year period. Pretty impressive. Is this for real, who knows, but it is worth checking out. Also from a common sense perspective, just consider that the oil and fat that you drain off even lean meat is going into your body and in small amounts and apparently it ends up in your arteries as plac that builds up and prevents the blood flow.
Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. has written a book on the subject and sure this sounds like a money grab, however if CNN is promoting it, surely it cannot be all bad. If you have purchased the book or downloaded the CD , we would be really interest in your comments on the diet and whether it is for real or not?
