CW Heart Disease Diet- Need some advice! page

[Fatty68]

I had a pretty rough end of week and weekend, given that my mother in law had a heart attack on thursday. Thank GOD she is ok and just came home from the hospital.

My in-laws are probably the most unhealthy people that I know (not being mean, I love them very much!). They are both obese, are on a carb disgusting diet, and even diabetic. My mother-in-law lost about a hundred pounds back when my wife and I get married 10 years ago, but has since gained it all back, and then some.

I am now scared for what the results of her "healthy" way of life is. My wife knows how passionate I am about eating primally, and she made the comment to me yesterday that "your diet is not for her, she had a heart attack", after I made the comment to her- "oh god, don't let her hear Margarine, that shit is horrible!". I quickly bit my lip, because tensions are going to rise really quick in these discussions I think.

I am really struggling with how I am going to handle the conversations coming up soon. Everyone is already saying turkey burgers, no red meat, very little pork, whole grains, no saturated fat or cholesterol, chronic cardio discussions, etc, etc.

I know that this will overall be better for her than the processed food mainline injections that she has had her whole life, and the 6 cans of soda a day, but overall what do you guys think? It is worth even bringing up the saturated fats arguments, or the butter disccusions? She is going to eat a lot of salads with olive oil, etc, but I am still worried that she will be stuck on Statins, etc, when she could probably do without.

This is a touchy subject, because it is her life we are talking about, and the risk of another heart attack. IS it even adviseable for someone with a previous heart attack ( 100% blockage with stent installed, and some heart muscle damage), to go Primal, or is the CW heart disease prevention diet the better route?

I am scared of what the results are going to be, and how I am going to keep my mouth shut! Also, there is going to be nothing good to eat at their house anymore. THere always used to be eggs, all kinds of meat, etc to eat!

Any advice is appreciated!

By the way, I am down 65 pounds Primally since October as of this Morning. Kind of hit a plateau, but I am gaining some muscle again, so I am doing great!

[sbhikes]

I would think that if she is more 100lbs overweight then losing weight will do much more for her than simply worrying about margarine. Probably the biggest problem I see really fat people doing is they end up buying stuff that says "heart healthy whole grains" or "reduced fat" on the box and then they pig out because it's okay. If someone can start eating tasty real food, even if some of it isn't as real as ideal, that's a good start. The good progress itself might lead someone toward a more open mind toward real fats and red meat eventually.

[primalhorsewoman]

Probably the biggest problem I see really fat people doing is they end up buying stuff that says "heart healthy whole grains" or "reduced fat" on the box and then they pig out because it's okay.

I have thought about the "reduced fat" conundrum where people overeat on "low-fat" products to the point that they are consuming far more calories and sugar (and perhaps as much fat) than had they eaten the "real" product.

I had not, however, until just now considered that people might be inclined to overeat on the "heart healthy whole grains" on the "if it's good for you, more must be better" reasoning. Really scary when you consider that Froot Loops are now being advertised on TV as "heart-healthy" due to General Mill's use of "heart healthy whole grains"!

[emmie]

Since she is diabetic, I would recommend you try to get her to revise her diet by following Dr. Richard Bernstein's Diabetes Solution. He not only prescribes low carb eating not dissimilar to Primal but he explains the science behind this approach for diabetics--i.e., how it controls blood sugar.

Cardiac problems are common among diabetics, especially those that rely on the SAD.

Check our Dr. Bernstein's website. You might even want to give his book to your MIL as a 'gift.'

[cantare]

Having the right information is one thing; getting people to internalize it is another, especially when their culture, habits, and existing medical authority figures are giving them contrary messages. Bernstein book is a good idea... Mary Vernon (bariatrician & professor w/ expertise treating diabetics) and William Davis (cardiologist & Wheat Belly author) are two more MDs who might be able to speak to your MIL with the necessary authority. Tone-wise, Vernon is probably best; Davis can come off a bit alarmist & narrowly focused, but his focus on heart disease reversal is on-point.

[Knifegill]

Wow. I'm sure eating real food is such a dangerous proposition. Much to consider.

[noodletoy]

we have a friend who had a quadruple bypass about 18 months ago. he was 51 at the time, but active, slim and fit. blood pressure and cholesterol were normal. if his wife, a nurse, hadn't been home at the time, he would have died.

by cw standards, his diet previously was pretty healthy, with lean protein and whole grains. he is now eating lots of soy and low-fat processed foods. he is terrified of any kind of animal protein. he is hungry 2 hours after a meal. yesterday i gently suggested he do some reading about the long-term consequences of consuming lots of soy. that's as far as i will go. he says he feels better, he has lost weight. he needs to choose the path that works for him. his cholesterol reads now are staggeringly, dangerously low, but his doctor is of a mind it can never be too low.

have you had success with this woe? can you point to yourself as a positive result? it can be very difficult, if not impossible, for some people to defy their doctor's advice. offer suggestions out of kindness and love but do not make this a battleground. that will alienate her.

good luck.