Heart Surgeon Speaks Out on What Really Causes Heart Disease

I've been doing a lot of reading lately on health. I came across this article. Dr. Dwight Lundell, a heart surgeon for over 25 years and 5,000 surgeries under his belt, makes a definitive statement that heart disease is caused by inflammation in the artery walls, not by elevated blood cholesterol. And the inflammation is caused by the low-fat, high carbohydrate diet recommended to us by the medical profession and USDA for the last decades, and the overuse of Omega-6 oils.

Read the article here. It's very digestible by the layman.

I've been low-carb for 6 months (fat is the predominant calories, followed by protein), and my body fat is much lower, my weight lower, and my cholesterol also better. I don't suffer from "low" blood sugar sensations, and my muscular recovery from hard exercise is also mild.

I'm down 40 pounds and feel 10 years younger. I can't see inside my arteries to measure the degree of inflammation though!

Weight Loss leads to Cardiac Health!

My recent PCP and Cardiologist visits went very well. In fact, they have taken me off of my Triglyceride medication, dropped my Beta Blocker by half (my heart rate was going too low), and have indicated they may take me off of Plavix this fall. When I told my cardiologist that I used Atkins for the weight loss, he indicated that he was in support of that plan - that it was sensible.

My weight is stable at just over 35 lbs total loss. I'm aiming for 10 more pounds, which will put me right at the "normal/overweight" border for BMI calculation, and will be my lowest healthy weight since High School!

One benefit of my diet and exercise plan is that I am running faster than ever in the past, including a recent 23:26 5k time trial. I'm hoping that with a few more pounds off and some speed work, I can clock a 7 minute mile for 5k. That would be 21:42!

Incidentally, Plavix just came off of patent protection, so I'll be switching to a lower-cost generic with my next refill. That and the Tricor elimination will save me hundreds of dollars per year. 

So if you are looking to lose some weight, give Atkins a try. It has worked for me, and you can see by the last couple of posts, that my health has dramatically increased on this diet.