Disease Proof : Disease Proof : Health & Nutrition News & Commentary : Dr. Joel Fuhrman

Editor’s Note: Thomas Boeve, MD, an Otolaryngologist from Virginia, shares his story and talks about the good time he had at this year’s Health Getaway at Hawks Cay.

Dear Dr. Fuhrman, I would like to take a minute of your and Lisa’s time to thank you for incredible info-packed week at Hawks Cay this past week.

As you may recall, I am an Otolaryngologist in Virginia, but am scheduled to leave for Kenya with my wife, Jolene, and 4 children in January to begin a training program for African Surgeons. Unfortunately, I also have a terrible family history of heart disease as my mother died at age 56 from her first, and only, heart attack and my father and grandfather had open-heart surgery prior to age 65.

So, in March, I scheduled my physical exam and blood work. Unfortunately, the stark reality of the “Standard American Diet” was evident. I weighed 190 lbs, blood pressure 140/100 (on Lisinopril), Total Cholesterol was 204 (LDL 133). I was also on Allegra for environmental allergies, Prevacid for reflux disease, and a multivitamin.

I contacted a Cardiothoracic Surgeon friend-of-mine and he suggested stronger BP medicine and a Statin drug, as soon as possible. It was then that my wife introduced me to Eat To Live. She had found and read the book a few months prior, but knew I would not be interested. However, knowing how badly I wanted to be “medicine-free” in Kenya and did not want to follow in my family’s cardiac footsteps, she recognized the opportunity.

Without any additional medicine (3 months later), I now weigh 153 lbs, blood pressure is 107/72 (off medicine), total cholesterol is 133 (LDL 71). Furthermore, I am off my allergy and reflux medicine and feeling fantastic. My 12 year-old son was also able to quit his antihistamine and steroid nasal spray despite being plagued by debilitating springtime allergies for several years.

Thank you, again, for all your research, knowledge and desire to enhance our health through nutritional excellence.

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You hear a lot of LDL cholesterol, i.e. bad cholesterol, but HDL cholesterol—the good stuff—is just as important to heart health, especially when you’re losing weight. In this quick discussion from Dr. Fuhrman’s member center, he talks about LDL, HDL, weight-loss and fasting:

Question: My HDL went from 26 to 21. My cardiologist told me to eat more avocados to improve it. I did and my weight responded immediately. I gained weight. I think this was a bad idea. Am I right?

Also, I heard you say that the best treatment for heart disease is a combination of nutrition and fasting, but I read in your book it's not wise to fast if you're overweight. I went from 245 to 210 on Eat to Live in a few months, but I'm still overweight.

So I am confused. On the one hand, you say don't do fast when you're overweight, but on the other hand, you recommend fasting instead of do surgery.

Dr. Fuhrman: Listening to the nutritional advice of typical doctors is like asking your mailman for advice on your taxes. They typically have little knowledge or experience. Focusing on HDL and not your weight is a mistake.

A low HDL reading is of no practical consequence, just get rid of your plaque and keep LDL low. A high HDL can benefit a person with a higher LDL, but a low HDL does not hurt a person with a favorable, low LDL.

Weight loss is much more important than your lipid numbers because the plaque can be reduced most effectively once you have reached a lower body fat percentage, i.e. below 10%.

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