Heart & Health are Number One!

Never has your diet been more important than during this current Covid-19 Era!  This is not the time to be going to the hospital for heart surgery.  As we now know, one of the most dangerous aspects of Covid-19 is its unpredictability as to which body organs it chooses to attack!

The United States has one of the highest costs of healthcare in the world!  In 2020, U.S. healthcare spending reached $4.1 trillion, which averages to over $12,500 per person.  This was over $4,000 more expensive per person than any other high-income nation. 

My friend Don recently had a heart attack at age 49 and had stents put in.  He had an artery blockage, and the doctor said a better diet could have avoided it.  Don’s medical and hospital bills exceeded $160,000 by a large margin.  Before his heart attack, he estimated that he ate red meat 5-6x/week and had at least 2 alcoholic drinks every day except Sundays.  He was lucky to survive!  He was also fortunate that we implemented a strong group health insurance policy for his 12-employee law firm.  Don paid less than $8,000, out of his pocket, less than 5% of the total cost.

We can all significantly reduce the occurrence of heart disease (regardless of family history) by making modest lifestyle changes.  According to the CDC, (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) more than 800,000 first heart attacks occur annually, with more than half followed by a 2^nd heart attack.

I have always maintained that your diet starts at the supermarket.  I understand, due to inflation it can cost significantly more money to eat healthy organic foods; however, the cost of not doing so can be much greater!

My top 4 tips to improve your diet (in addition to reducing sugar and alcohol intake) and drastically reducing the odds of heart disease include but are not limited to:

1. Eat a Minimum of 1 or 2 Squares of Dark Chocolate Several Times Weekly: Evidence in the British Medical Journal shows that 1-2 pieces of dark chocolate several times per week may decrease the risk of a heart attack by 37%, compared to those who consume less.  Who says prevention must be boring and painful?
2. Include More Fiber in Your Diet: Fiber has what is called a “dose-response” to reducing risk.  In other words, the more fiber you ingest, the greater your reduction of risk.  The average American consumes roughly 15 grams of fiber per day.  The American Dietetic Association recommends 25-38 grams of fiber per day.  Studies show for every increase of 10 grams of fiber consumed per day, there was a corresponding 14% reduction in the risk of a cardiovascular event and a 27% reduction in the risk of heart disease.  Good fiber sources include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, cereals, and beans.
3. Eat More Legumes: In a survey by (NHEFS) the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey conducted using over 9500 men and women, found that those who consumed more than 4 servings of legumes per week (compared to those who ate less than 1 serving per week) reduced the risk of coronary heart disease by 22 percent!  Common sources of legumes are beans (great northern, kidney, lima, navy, green, and pinto), peanuts, lentils, chickpeas, and snow peas in their pods to name many.
4. Eat More Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Eating both plant-based and seafood-based Omega 3s will reduce your risks and extend your life.  Good sources of plant-based Omega 3’s include nuts and ground flaxseed.

The more significant the lifestyle modifications one makes, the odds are better to live a long and healthy lifestyle!  Even modest changes in your diet will result in significant reductions in risk!  The goal should be to become “heart-attack proof,” a term used by Dr. Sanjay Gupta!

In a nutshell, you can pay a little more for healthy food now to prevent paying a lot more later! 

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