Monday, June 1, 2015

Knowing the Truth...

...about the real cause of Heart Disease.

I'm going to be honest from the get-go. This is not a post about crafting a beautiful floral heart, but it's something that I'm very familiar with, and something that I personally, have to take very seriously. And so should each of you. I wanted to post a pretty picture, so you would know where my intentions are coming from. I'm posting this because I care about you all, and it's important information that you should all be aware of. Not for yourself only, but for your husbands, parents, children and grandchildren.



souce unknown
found on Pinterest


This is an article that I just happened to read on Facebook yesterday. And I wanted to share it with you. You may have seen this before, and not read it, or thought, "that doesn't apply to me", but I can guarantee you that it does. This article is 3 years old and it's been around the Internet, but do yourself a big favor and take the few minutes time it takes to read it.

Twelve and a half years ago my life drastically and forever changed after having 3 massive heart attacks in one weekend. Although my heart problems are caused from a genetic and hereditary problem, these are things that I was only partially aware of at the time. Drs. give us the impression that if we will only take cholesterol medications that the majority of our heart risk problems will be solved. But there is so much more we need to know and do. There is a debate on types of oils and Omega Fatty acids, which are important, but my main focus that I want you to be aware of is that of the sugar in our diet and the role it plays in causing inflammation. I'm not trying to be a party poop, Hey, I love a piece of cake or a cookie as much as the next person. I just want you to know the part about "inflammation" and how our body tries to cope with it.

Please read this and there is a link at the end, so you can read it off of another site, and the many comments. Please take a minute, it can save your life...


A Heart Surgeon Speaks Out About Heart Disease


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 diet that is low in fat and high in polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrates, not knowing we were causing repeated injury to our blood vessels. This repeated injury creates chronic inflammation leading to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and obesity. 

Let me repeat that: The injury and inflammation in our blood vessels is caused by the low fat diet recommended for years by mainstream medicine. 

What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods. 

Take a moment to visualize rubbing a stiff brush repeatedly over soft skin until it becomes quite red and nearly bleeding. you kept this up several times a day, every day for five years. If you could tolerate this painful brushing, you would have a bleeding, swollen infected area that became worse with each repeated injury. This is a good way to visualize the inflammatory process that could be going on in your body right now. 

Regardless of where the inflammatory process occurs, externally or internally, it is the same. I have peered inside thousands upon thousands of arteries. A diseased artery looks as if someone took a brush and scrubbed repeatedly against its wall. Several times a day, every day, the foods we eat create small injuries compounding into more injuries, causing the body to respond continuously and appropriately with inflammation. 

While we savor the tantalizing taste of a sweet roll, our bodies respond alarmingly as if a foreign invader arrived declaring war. Foods loaded with sugars and simple carbohydrates, or processed with omega-6 oils for long shelf life have been the mainstay of the American diet for six decades. These foods have been slowly poisoning everyone. 

How does eating a simple sweet roll create a cascade of inflammation to make you sick? 

Imagine spilling syrup on your keyboard and you have a visual of what occurs inside the cell. When we consume simple carbohydrates such as sugar, blood sugar rises rapidly. In response, your pancreas secretes insulin whose primary purpose is to drive sugar into each cell where it is stored for energy. If the cell is full and does not need glucose, it is rejected to avoid extra sugar gumming up the works. 

When your full cells reject the extra glucose, blood sugar rises producing more insulin and the glucose converts to stored fat. 

What does all this have to do with inflammation? Blood sugar is controlled in a very narrow range. Extra sugar molecules attach to a variety of proteins that in turn injure the blood vessel wall. This repeated injury to the blood vessel wall sets off inflammation. When you spike your blood sugar level several times a day, every day, it is exactly like taking sandpaper to the inside of your delicate blood vessels. 

While you may not be able to see it, rest assured it is there. I saw it in over 5,000 surgical patients spanning 25 years who all shared one common denominator -- inflammation in their arteries. 

Let's get back to the sweet roll. That innocent looking goody not only contains sugars, it is baked in one of many omega-6 oils such as soybean. Chips and fries are soaked in soybean oil; processed foods are manufactured with omega-6 oils for longer shelf life. While omega-6's are essential -they are part of every cell membrane controlling what goes in and out of the cell -- they must be in the correct balance with omega-3's. 

If the balance shifts by consuming excessive omega-6, the cell membrane produces chemicals called cytokines that directly cause inflammation. 

Today's mainstream American diet has produced an extreme imbalance of these two fats. The ratio of imbalance ranges from 15:1 to as high as 30:1 in favor of omega-6. That's a tremendous amount of cytokines causing inflammation. In today's food environment, a 3:1 ratio would be optimal and healthy. 

To make matters worse, the excess weight you are carrying from eating these foods creates overloaded fat cells that pour out large quantities of pro-inflammatory chemicals that add to the injury caused by having high blood sugar. The process that began with a sweet roll turns into a vicious cycle over time that creates heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and finally, Alzheimer's disease, as the inflammatory process continues unabated. 

There is no escaping the fact that the more we consume prepared and processed foods, the more we trip the inflammation switch little by little each day. The human body cannot process, nor was it designed to consume, foods packed with sugars and soaked in omega-6 oils. 

There is but one answer to quieting inflammation, and that is returning to foods closer to their natural state. To build muscle, eat more protein. Choose carbohydrates that are very complex such as colorful fruits and vegetables. Cut down on or eliminate inflammation- causing omega-6 fats like corn and soybean oil and the processed foods that are made from them. 

One tablespoon of corn oil contains 7,280 mg of omega-6; soybean contains 6,940 mg. Instead, use olive oil or butter from grass-fed beef. 

Animal fats contain less than 20% omega-6 and are much less likely to cause inflammation than the supposedly healthy oils labelled polyunsaturated. Forget the "science" that has been drummed into your head for decades. The science that saturated fat alone causes heart disease is non-existent. The science that saturated fat raises blood cholesterol is also very weak. Since we now know that cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease, the concern about saturated fat is even more absurd today. 

The cholesterol theory led to the no-fat, low-fat recommendations that in turn created the very foods now causing an epidemic of inflammation. Mainstream medicine made a terrible mistake when it advised people to avoid saturated fat in favor of foods high in omega-6 fats. We now have an epidemic of arterial inflammation leading to heart disease and other silent killers. 

What you can do is choose whole foods your grandmother served and not those your mom turned to as grocery store aisles filled with manufactured foods. By eliminating inflammatory foods and adding essential nutrients from fresh unprocessed food, you will reverse years of damage in your arteries and throughout your body from consuming the typical American diet.


Heart surgeon speaks out on what really causes heart disease -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/article/242516-Heart-surgeon-speaks-out-on-what-really-causes-heart-disease

http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/ART02012/anti-inflammatory-diet

joining in here:

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Wow Us Wednesday at Savvy Southern Style


50 comments:

  1. Debra - thanks for sharing this as it has affected your life so seriously. We all need tobe so much more careful with what we put into our bodies including meds.

    Glad you are doing well!

    Judy

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    1. I've had to be self informed, Judy, I've found that most cardiologists just want to throw a bunch of pills at you hoping one will do the trick. I've been so overmedicated that I couldn't think straight or get out of bed. And I can't take the standard statins because they make me have horrible muscle pain.

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    2. The statin I was wrong made me so tired I thoght I had chronic fatigue syndrome until I read some comments about it. If taking a drug that makes me feel this way now so I can live a longer exhausted life is ludicrous.

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    3. Not wrong that should be on

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    4. Not wrong that should be on

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    5. The statin I was wrong made me so tired I thoght I had chronic fatigue syndrome until I read some comments about it. If taking a drug that makes me feel this way now so I can live a longer exhausted life is ludicrous.

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  2. Thank you for caring enough to share this information filled piece. What a scary mental image comes to mind when he speaks of the stiff brush being rubbed against an artery several times a day...I have always been really good about avoiding the bad fats and trash/convenience foods, but my downfall is the sweets. I was just contemplating having a brownie with my coffee. Maybe I'll just have the coffee...at least I drink it black.
    Glad to see you blogging consistently. You must be feeling better these days. You've always been one of my favorites.
    Judy

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    1. Judy, I haven't baked with sugar in years, if I fix brownies or some kind of fruit crisp witth oats I use stevia or splenda, which are a pretty good substitute, then I use applesauce instead of oil, or just a tiny bit. I think the packaged baked goods that have to have a long shelf life, like cookies or "twinkies" are the worst. A homemade brownie made from dry cocoa I think is not too bad. I have trouble stopping with just one, though, ha ha!

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  3. Well, I wonder why if so many people are on heart meds, so many more will die this year? I have problems getting information straight, so this was very confusing to me. I thought soybean stuff was good for you. Clearly I'm out of the loop. Well, I'm off all processed sugars due to my "female" problem I recently wrote about. And I can tell you this, by taking away the processed sugars, I haven't had as much of the pain and irritation there. Of course I can't wear clothes though! When he described brushing something till it's red and angry? Well, that's how that part of me feels with sugar. And I didn't know it until readers told me. I'm off caffeine too. Debra, I am so sorry this has occurred in your life. I know it must be terribly frightening. Thank you for posting this. I think by being "more real" we are helping FAR more readers!
    Brenda

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    1. Being off sugar will improve lots of issues, Brenda, good for you!! Sugar is addicting, if I get started, then I have to have something every day. I try to stay away from pasta and breads too. there's a lot of sugar in that too. And for soy, let me tell you, it's not safe for women after menopause. It messes with your estrogen levels and that was the cause of my blood clots a couple of years ago. I was doing a protein shake that was soy based twice a day. I lost almost 20 pounds but it raised my estrogen level and messed up my blood to where I had blood clots forming. Everyone used to say how good it was for you, now they're finding that too much can be really harmful. I drink "half caf", actually avout 1/3 caffeine and 2/3 decaf and maybe then only green tea during the daytime. too much caffeine messes me up and causes heart arrithymias.

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    2. I can't spell today...and that is "about" and "arrhythmia", where's my spell check for comments?

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  4. Thanks for sharing this information. It's quite scary to think what we do to our bodies. I feel I am living quite unhealthily at the moment and really need to change my ways. We only get one heart and need to take good care of it!

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    1. I'm a big believer in the fact that each day we have an opportunity to do better by making small changes. You're young, and knowing that you can get started on a more healthy lifestyle is a wonderful blessing!

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  5. Over the past year, I've cut out gluten and dairy from my diet, and drastically reduced my intake of sugar to help with my IBS. I've read numerous books including The Whole 30, The Wheat Belly, and the Grain Brain, which all tell the same story as the article you've posted today regarding the damage we're doing to our bodies and brains with our high sugar consumption. I'm happy to say that the symptoms I've suffered with for decades are no longer ruling my life! I have a family history (and some symptoms myself) of autoimmune disease which are also linked to those same foods, so I'm hopeful with the changes I've made I won't develop one of those diseases. I still have a piece or 2 of dark chocolate every day to satisfy my sweet tooth, and but overall, I'm happy with my progress. Thank you for posting this today Debra, because it's never too late to change the way we eat. I hope you're feeling well these days.

    Darling outdoor photo of you the other day!
    Vickie

    Vickie

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    1. Hey Vickie! I think many people suffer from auto-imune problems that they don't realize. I have Hashimoto's Disease which is a burnout of my thyroid and linked to Heart disease, which no doctor ever discussed or put together, I also think many women suffer from low thyroid that goes undiagnosed, so there is an underlying association or cause for many autoimmune issues. Thanks for sharing your health, you also have my vote for dark chocolate. Thankfully that doesn't trigger any sugar binges with me!

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    2. That is exactly how I have always described my reaction to eating gluten. I always said it is like my intestines are ravaged like sandpaper rubbing and then when you eat the next meal it causes all kinds of stomach problems. I too have Hashimoto's and also Pernicious Anemia. I am being tested now for another autoimmune. With a family history of many members being unable to tolerate gluten I now know that every time I ate that cake or cookie I was causing more inflammation in my body. As a result my immune system has gone crazy with autoimmune diseases. After recently being diagnosed with Prinzmetal angina I realize this also can be attributed to inflamation and immune problems. Many women experience chest pain, jaw pain etc. but ekg's and other tests are usually negative so women are being told it is anxiety. No, it is a spasm in your coronary arteries where the artery is closing and the blood cannot get through. I was fortunate that during a heart catherization I had a coronary spasm during the cath. They were able to see what was happening and I now have nitroglycerin. Many women never find out that they have autoimmune diseases and heart problems. We get told we are to anxious. It is very hard to stop eating in a way that we have done all of our lives but I know when I do eat more naturally I feel so much better. Your body and heart will thank you. Best wishes to you Debra and thank you for writing about these issues for women.

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  6. AWESOME POST, thank you - I needed this reminder.

    I need to make changes. this is the truth of the matter for sure.

    Thanks, Deb for caring enough about us to share this.

    Hugs and respect,

    Michele

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    1. Hey Michele, I have to remind myself each day. It's so easy for me to "get off the wagon", but I thought this was such a great article, and from a cardiologist no less. It really brings it home with his analogy of what our arteries look like.

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  7. Debra, Thanks for sharing this info. I have a long family history of heart disease , including two cousins that died from heart attacks in their 30's. My mother and her six siblings have all had heart attacks and by passes. Doctors have tried to put me on cholesterol medication but I have refused. I try to eat well but sometimes it is really hard.
    xx,
    Sherry

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    1. Family genetics and heredity are a real eye opener. my dad's family had the men dying in their 40's, my dad lived until 70, but he had had several heart attacks, open heart surgery and lot's of heart damage. My brother had the same and died at 44, his first major heart attack. I guess I'm the first woman in the family with all the wrong genes. They have a test now, Sherry, that shows all the genetic markers for heart disease from the Berkeley Heart Lab. Because you have a family history your insurance should cover most of the cost. I want my girls to get this, but they're dragging thier feet. Knowing what's going on gives us an advantage. xoxo

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  8. Thanks for sharing, Debra. Very enlightening.

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  9. This is good information. I have Celiac and Thyroidism. Although giving up all gluten my villi (the finger like thingies in your belly and digestive tract) have returned to normal by stomach is still inflamed. I really need to back off of sugar, I know I do. I have high cholesterol, family heart disease, and super high tri-glycerides. I can't take the cholesterol meds either. Terrible aching muscles. My doctor finally put me on a really low dose. Like 10 mg. vs. 40. I find that I take that and don't skip it like I always did before. My chol. isn't normal but it is lower. My tri-gs are really a lot better. I don't like being on them but since this is such a low dose it's ok. I am very low in Vit. D. and low in B12. That and my thyroid leave me on tired lady. I know if I eat better, I feel better. Thanks for all the info.

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    1. I really understand about the fatigue. Some days I feel exhausted by mid-afternoon. a couple of years ago I started on a newer med called Zetia, it works thru the gut instead of the liver to help cholesterol. Mine is abnormally high, and even though these meds aren't the complete answer my numbers are down. Along with exercise. that helps with the HDL, too. It takes lots of concentrated effort, working together to keep ourselves on track. thanks for checking in Debby

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    2. My endo doctor told me that the muscle pains from statins are because they deplete the body of COQ10. He told me to take COQ10 along with the medication. Since I started doing this I have no problem taking Crestor which I could not tolerate before because of muscle aches. I would much rather be off of any cholesterol medications but because of family history of heart disease they prefer I stay on this. My family doctor never mentioned that statins deplete this enzyme.

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  10. That was a very interesting article! Heart disease runs in my family so I do have to be mindful of it. I have heard that sugar is bad for you. I don't think a lot of people associate it with heart disease though. Thanks for sharing this informative article!

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    1. you're right Kelly, most people don't associate "sugar" with heart disease, or being a problem unless it's Diabetes. But it's such a combination of things. I know, for a long time, back in the 90's I was on this low fat diet, but we'd eat diet cookies and foods that were loaded with too much sugar and all kinds of preservatives. wish I knew then, what I know now.

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  11. Debra,

    I was amening this doctor all the way. Back in January, I began to deal with hoarseness. Finally in April I sought the advice of an ENT. She said I had a pea-size polyp on my vocal cord that should come out.

    I sought a second opinion. After examining my throat, he started saying "reflux" this and "reflux" that, to which I promptly responded, "I don't have acid reflux." He jerked his chair around from where he was working at the counter behind him, cocked his eye and at me and said, "You might think you don't..." I had it but was in denial. My husband and I would minister in churches, go out to eat afterward, and then go to bed on that. GERD.

    While in the second ENT's office, he recommended Dr. Pierre Cloutier's book about the physiology of optimal choices and living. This book changed my life! He addresses the identical things the article you shared today. I stopped eating potatoes, rice, flour, bread of any kind, sweets of any kind, dairy except grass-fed cow's butter, junky oils, and processed foods. I eat slow and low-cooked meats (high heat cooked meats all turn into transfats!), lots of fruits and veggies, eggs, nuts and nut oils and olive oil, drink only water and stop eating at 6 pm. I just got a Fitbit and I love it. We've taken vitamin supplements for years and wondered why we never sunburn at the beach. This is because we get all the Vitamin D3 we need, plus eight other vitamins, thus stretching our "sunburn window." Like you, I choose to be a well-informed patient. The doctor said God made our bodies to heal themselves, but it's impossible sometimes when we don't treat or feed them right.

    Another colleague of mine dealt with the hoarseness like mine. His ENT told him that all his professional speakers, vocalists and preachers deal with the craziness of performing late, eating late then going to bed on that food. He said to stop eating late at night and my colleague would be fine. He has obeyed and hadn't had a problem since.

    If I don't, who will? No one else is going to say no to the sweet roll for me. If it is to be, it is up to me.

    Keep informative articles FOR LIFE coming. Who knows. You may save someone's.

    Hugs,
    Kelley~

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    1. Hi Kelley, thank you for that great comment! we have to eat late and I really hate it, hubby gets home late, so I try to not eat much for dinner, otherwise I feel horrible. I'm going to have to check out the book you recommended. I'm like everyone else, I need positive reinforcement to help me stick with the plan. and for second opinions, I think we deserve to have another viewpoint. My old cardiologist wouldn't allow it. Thank goodness I left him and found someone who would listen to me. thanks so much for sharing with us!

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  12. thank you for this. I've been quite passionate about back-to-the-roots type eating for years. but a lot of people don't seem to know anymore what that consists of. take away their convenience food and they are lost. a whole generation needs to be re-educated. which is crazy when you think about it. eating is the most natural [and necessary] thing in the world, and yet here we are, at a total loss as to how to do it.

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  13. Great info Debra, thanks so much for sharing it! Many of us try to stay away from sugars, bad carbs, etc...but it is so confusing knowing what to do. I understand what to stay away from but wish there was more out there about how to cook while staying away from that stuff. Maybe you could share some of your recipies...with applesauce rather than oils, etc. Great info!!!
    Blessings,
    Cindy

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    1. I'm a pretty basic cook. nothing fancy here. I stay away from any boxed side dishes, and bake most meats, mostly chicken, lean beef on occasion. I should eat more fish, but it makes me gag to have to prepare it, so that's a nix. Lot's of veggies, and salad. Just substitue applesauce for the oil in cakes and brownies etc. If you google applesauce replacement, I think you'll come up with some sites. If I fix pasta for my husband I just use a little olive oil drizzle with garlic. pretty tasty without all the fattening sauce. I use frozen veggies, because they don't have salt added like canned. Boxed and packaged goods are the ones to stay away from, basically. I love a plain small baked potato or sweet potato with cinnamon occasionally, Organic marinara sauce is good too, usually the sodium content is much lower. I don't cook with much dairy, but I do use Lactaid for my morning protein shake. I'm pretty boring. ha ha

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  14. Thanks, Debra, for sharing this. I watched my Dad's demise with the complicated trifecta of diabetes, heart disease and kidney failure, primarily stemming from a dietary lifestyle. I try to stay informed, particularly when it's close to home. I have a sister with cardiomyopathy and several siblings with high BP. I appreciate this info!

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  15. Thanks so much Debra for this article!! My father passed of heart disease after 2 valve replacements, my mother was heavy set and diabetic. I myself got the bad heart genes, 3 major heart attacks in 1 year, every symptom in the book but did I go to the hospital, Nope, they were all from "something else". After many tests, I've had successful open heart surgery. And thank you for the comment on soy!!!!! That is so important, I also had blood clots from the Timoxifin, the cancer drug. I don't eat red meat, limit myself to 1 egg a week, walk like there's no tomorrow and enjoy the life I have!!!

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    1. Hi Polly, women's symptoms of heart attack are often very different from men. Not the pain in the chest, left arm pain. My pain was excruciating, but it was in my right arm and I thought I had a pinched nerve. By the time I finally made it to the ER, I had a lot of heart damage. I need to find a good article on women's heart attack symptoms to share. I've heard so many horror stories about women having heart attacks and men just telling them they are having anxiety attacks. I think things are getting better in the area of diagnosis, but it's still hard to be taken seriously by many doctors.

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  16. I have read this excellent article, Debra, and try to follow this lifestyle. I, like you, can't take statins...and I have underlying autoimmune diseases which make me at much higher risk for problems. I am definitely concerned about inflammation, which is a daily thing for me. Sugar is something I have really cut back on, and I am no longer pre-diabetic. I hope, coming from you, with your history...more people will learn about this problem and make changes. Thanks so much for sharing this.

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    1. thanks Linda, wow, so great that you could get your sugar levels down to get out of the Diabetes destination. Auto-immune conditions are such a huge link, especially in women. I don't know why doctors are not discovering the links in their patients? so frustrating!

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  17. Just a simple Thank You. Needed a reminder!!

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  18. Needed the reminder...

    Haven't been by in ages as I had no time to blog forever and ever. Too much hard life stuff going on to blog even though I've missed it so very much. I hope this finds you happy and doing well. Always love your blog.

    Steve (my Mr. AGPMan) are finally on the downhill slide of our kitchen remodel. So much work and I'm not afraid to say never again. Nevah Evah. Deaths in our family, job loss, kids home to save for a house, etc. So much busy-ness! Anyway...finally able to begin again and ANEW! God is good, always, and each new day is something to joy and pleasure in despite the challenges...right?

    Blessings to you, friend. I'm going to backtrack to catch up a big.

    Hugs~

    Rebecca (@A Gathering Place)

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    1. Hey Rebecca, so good to hear from you, I knew you'd been through so much these last few years. Life does throw so much at us, thank the Good Lord, He's there to pull us through! Big Hugs!

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  19. Thanks for the great article, lot of info there!!! I always said soy products are not good esp. for women..... Now, this is the truth.....I have never purchased boxed or prepared products......or canned soups, except when my kids were young and the occasional boxed cake mixes at that time. I come from an immigrant family who continued to cook as their ancestors. I eat red meat and pork, some chicken and fish....I too gag from preparing those!!! Always fresh produce, NO bagged lettuces, love rice and potatoes and heap on the salads. My downfall is the sweets......... So that's why I was surprised when diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. My dr. said i have to switch to a Mediterranean diet....what the heck??? That already IS my diet!!!

    How many people you know love spinach, brussel sprouts, cooked beets, sweet potatoes, and all manner of greens, squash and fruits??? Not many. I do have an allergy to eggs and cannot have many types of medications, and am lactose intolerant, so that leaves out milk products and cheeses. So what is left for me to eat??? Breakfast is the most difficult......oatmeal is about it!!! I do take a low dose statin and my cholesterol levels are low, my blood pressure has always been low, I take meds for diabetes so that is under control. My vit. B12 is low, and I don't understand that and take a supplement, vit. D is practically non existant and I also don't understand that and have a prescription in a high dose for that.

    I am not gluten resistant and eat bread for a sandwich for lunch. I am fatigued all the time and sleepy. Sugar is the culprit I think. My dr. said not to use sugar substitutes, the body reacts the same to those. And, I only drink water plus a cup of coffee in the morning. Only ever use olive oil. I have a good diet except for the sweets. By the way, I only have ever baked from scratch........I know, my friends laugh at me!!!

    And Deb, why can't you make tomato sauce for your hubby??? Using fresh tomatoes, olive oil and garlic.....takes 20 minutes!!! Add in some cooked bacon, or chic peas, or cannolini beans or a can of tuna packed in water, rinsed and drained......for some protein.... You are such a creative person......cooking is an art form........take your creativity to the kitchen!!

    And I just read an article about purchased salad dressings. Never buy one!!! Here's my recipe......... 3 parts olive oil, 1 part good vinegar, a dash of honey and 1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard......shake it up or stir it.......keep refrigerated and use as much or as little as you like......it is also my go to for a meat marinade.

    Here's to a healthier you!!! xoxoxo

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    1. oooh, thanks for all the great information. You sound like you're totally on the right track. I could make tomato sauce, but my organic is really pretty good and not unhealthy, plus I'm lazy that way. ha ha. thanks for your salad dressing recipe, I need to try it, I know there's all kinds of bad in condiments. this sounds really good and easy too. also, if you like having a little milk on your oatmeal, try the Lactaid. I can drink that without feeling like I'm ready to combust!

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  20. Finally, the truth! Thank you for sharing this. I was raised on my grandparents farm and we ate nothing that was processed. The grass fed beef, the chicken and eggs, the pork, all came from the farm, as well as vegetables and fruits from the garden. Grandpa died in his 60's from kidney failure because they had a water softener and the Dr. said the salts built up in his system. (another thing to be aware of!) but grandma lived to be 92 eating home made butter, eggs and bacon every morning and whole foods. Processed and GMO foods are the enemy, as well as the excessive sugar that is added to everything we buy. It's time we stopped the madness of leaving our health in the hands of companies who only care about profits and who will feed us things that will kill us and undermine our health. It's hard to change lifelong habits of eating, but we must do it. By the way, I just turned 57, my husband and I have always cooked from scratch, purchase almost nothing processed and have always eaten butter rather than margarine. All of our convenience food consuming friends, and our friends children (!) have health problems. We are on no medications and have no health problems and neither do our daughters. I have always felt this was due to eating "real" food.

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    1. wow, that's so scary about the water softener. so many things we live with every day and we don't know how they really may be harming us. Sounds like your longstanding lifestyle of eating healthy is paying off!!

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  21. Debra,
    Thank you for this fact filled article, dear friend!!!
    In the past two years, "Mr. Ed" and I have made 'drastic' changes to our diet and exercise program.
    Sometimes, I think our current America lifestyle aids in these conditions.
    Seems we have become "overly" involved in activities outside the home,
    leaving little time to properly prepare meals and the growth of fast food establishments is alarming!!!
    Perhaps in all . . .it's time to get back to the "Good 'ol Days"!!!
    Fondly,
    Pat

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    1. I really agree about the time factor in our lives, Pat. We're all so busy, that we don't have time to cook, or even set down to eat together. We know so many people that are constantly on the go with their children, we didn't let our girls overdo it, and I think they later realized how important this has been.

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  22. Thanks for another reminder about heart health. Why do you think all the farmers and their wives lived so long...they
    ate their food in the purest most simplist form. I do not buy anything out of the frozen food aisles. We have been
    eating cleaner and leaner for years. Love your blog and I continue to enjoy all your creations!

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  23. I needed to read this. sugar is my problem....bread, pasta, etc. sheila

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  24. God Bless you Deborah....thinking about how our grandparents ate eliminates 3/4 of the stuff in the grocery stores today!

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  25. I read this article awhile back too. Made good sense and so I stopped eating things with white flour which took care of most of my goodie problems. I stopped having sugar lows and have dropped a few pounds. Best of all I don't get cravings! Hope you're getting some summer weather! Happy weekend!

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