Overcome bad family history for heart disease….

Today's Post:  Thursday, 4-24-2014

As you know, I’ve long posted that one of the most effective ways to prevent heart disease is to completely STOP the several foods and drinks that are or contain effective heart attack starters.

Hydrogenated oils; excessive real sugar; high fructose corn syrup; refined grains; more than sparing intake of even 100% whole grains other than wheat; oils from GMO grains that are high in omega 6; and fats from animals fed those grains -- each are effective heart attack starters.  This includes all soft drinks and virtually all packaged snacks, packaged desserts, commercial baked goods, and most fast food and packaged dinners too.

Artificial sweeteners test as belonging to that group and have their own health risks besides.

More recently, I’ve found some very exciting news about what you should eat instead.

One article I saved and somehow lost had the information that eating a LOT of vegetables on a regular basis changed the expression of genes in such a way that doing so ELIMINATED the extra risk of heart disease in people who had genes to start with that predisposed them to heart disease.  Such people had a family history of heart disease as my own Dad’s family has.

Mercifully, our family history did NOT have early heart disease.  And, I’ve made changes that test as unusually protective which I may have started in time.

But, though I’ve added more vegetables every day to what I was eating, I’ve still got a ways to go to get to the optimum that might have that effect.  That looks to be 6 or more servings of vegetables and one or two of mostly low glycemic whole, fresh fruit each day.

But doing this is even more health protective!

Another article in Medical News today had a study that found this!:

“Seven portions of fruit or (vegetables) a day led to 42% lower risk of death from all causes.

The seven-a-day group specifically also had a 31% lower risk of death caused by heart disease and stroke, and a 25% lower risk of death from cancer.

Vegetables seem to offer more protective benefits than fruit. Eating 2-3 portions of vegetables a day was linked with 19% lower risk of death, while an equivalent intake of fruit only provided a 10% lower risk of death.”

Since taking statins has NOT been shown to lower the risk of death in people taking them at all despite some small reduction in heart attacks, I was tempted to title this piece, “Vegetables 31 statins 0!”

As you know, I’m still working to lose my belly fat.  And increasing the amount of greens and nonstarchy vegetables you eat ALSO works best for both fat loss overall and reducing belly fat in particular.  So I’m now working to add more vegetables. I added one at lunch today and will again at dinner.  And, I’ll do the same tomorrow and most days after that.

I eat an average of two or three servings a day of such vegetables now.  So to get to six to seven or more I have a ways to go.  Adding just this first two most days will get me to the two to five range with more like four being typical instead of just two.

NOW, this added incentive to cut my inherited risk of heart disease even more will help!