A True Aha Moment
By Tracie Feldhaus of Whole Food Medicine
As many of you may know, I had my aortic valve replaced on May 6, 2015. The vascular surgeon at Sutter used a new (to this country) technique called transcathater aortic valve replacement—TAVR.
While at the hospital, I was treated to a “heart-healthy” diet. Not! Yes, it served me the American Heart Association (AHA) diet—no salt, lots of carbohydrates, no fat. I even got margarine!
Now I’m participating in cardiac rehab locally. Once again, the “standard of care guidelines” require teaching the AHA diet.
While it is focusing on cholesterol as the cause of heart disease, the truth is that this diet causes systemic inflammation. It raises blood sugar and is deplete of vitamins and minerals. This means that not only are you looking at mineral deficiency, you aren’t able to metabolize your fat-soluble vitamins. The fat-soluble vitamins are A, D, E, and K.
To top it off, when we cut out cholesterol—the very substance that is the precursor for all our hormones, and the bandage for arterial wounds, in fact any wound, we can’t heal. The reason that cholesterol is in our arteries is that the garbage prepared foods, the deep-fried trans fats, the cakes, cookies, pancakes, waffles all literally abrade the inside of your artery, much like skinning your knee. Cholesterol comes in, forms a scab, and lo and behold, you eat the same poor-quality food choices for lunch. This is the equivalent of picking the scab off that wound. So cholesterol (carried on small-particle LDL) once again scabs over the wound. This effect is actually inflammation.
This is what forms plaque—small LDL, that is. Large-particle LDL just floats by, taking fats and triglycerides to your organs and endocrine glands so that you can function.
Why are we being taught to eat poorly? Our government, our FDA, and our pharmaceutical industry are dependent on people needing “sick care.” They have developed “standards” that our hospitals have to adhere to, or the hospital loses its ability to treat Medicare patients. Hello—Medicare is the insurance of those older than 65 or disabled—the ones who need the most medical care! $$$$$. Follow the money!
I’ve also been told that the majority of you want to “just take a pill.” You are smarter than that! You are following what you’re being taught, and you’re sick!
Want to make the change? Are you willing to eat a healthy diet consisting of good fats, moderate protein, and low carbohydrates? Yes, I had a TAVR, but my “pipes” were as clean as the surgeon (in his 20 years of vascular surgery) had ever seen! My heart disease was caused by 13 prescription drugs and the multitude of side effects from these prescription drugs. It was not from a “poor” diet!
Let’s stop settling for “standard.” Let’s demand excellence!
Tracie Feldhaus, certified technician in Whole Food Nutrition, 530-566-6116
P.S.: There are no essential carbohydrates! There are essential fatty acids and essential proteins!