When Bill Clinton was scheduled for heart surgery, reporters spoke of how he had been a junk food addict, loving burgers, fries, and shakes, even eating a whole pie at one sitting.
After his quadruple bypass surgery, the major TV news shows talked about how Bill had stopped taking his statin drugs, and showed many of the pricey brands of pills.
Naughty, naughty, bad Bill.
Whoa! Stop! Time out!
Bad eating habits can clog arteries, despite any medications taken. Good eating habits can reduce blood cholesterol levels and the likelihood of plaque deposits. In fact, several medical studies have shown that lifestyle changes can even reverse heart disease, with or without drugs.
For example, do a web search on "Dean Ornish".
Dr. Ornish's "Life Choice Diet" http://www.fatfree.com/diets/ornish.html is a low-fat vegetarian way of eating with less than 10% of calories from fat. The focus is on beans, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, with processed foods and nonfat dairy products consumed in moderation. Simple sugars and alcohols, like fat, are to be avoided.
In my "Easy Health Diet", I don't insist on a totally vegetarian diet. I do, however, show that it is easy to curb fat fried foods and fatty sauces, and to replace a large portion of four legged meats with traditional soy foods. Of course, moderate exercise helps, as in my "Easy Exercise All Ages."
Tip: If you can't find your cheek bones and jaw bone in the mirror without using your fingers, you are FAT! If you are merely "pleasingly plump", you are still at elevated risk. You are inviting a whole host of possibly fatal diseases.
Take responsibility for your own health. And be very careful interpreting news. Statin pills and prayers do less for health than good diet and moderate exercise.
Dr. Donald A. Miller is author of "Easy Health Diet" http://easyhealthdiet.com/diet.htm, "Easy Exercise All Ages" http://easyhealthdiet.com/eeaa.htm, and numerous free articles on health http://easyhealthdiet.com/articles/. Seven of ten deaths are caused by preventable diseases.
