Healthy Eating – and Associated Weight Loss – Improves Cardiac Risk Factors

Cardiologist Philip Ades, M.D., not only counsels his cardiac rehabilitation patients to eat healthier food, he shows them how. The author of the "EatingWell for a Healthy Heart Cookbook" (Countryman Press, 2008), Ades’ research focuses on cardiac rehabilitation, treatment of obesity, hypertension, and management of high cholesterol.

The director of cardiac rehabilitation and preventive cardiology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine, Ades published a study in the May 2009 issue of the journal Circulation that showed weight loss achieved through regular exercise and mild caloric restriction improves insulin resistance and improves a host of other cardiac risk factors, such as blood pressure, cholesterol level, clotting measures and measures of inflammation.

The recipient of numerous awards and honors for his research, work with patients, and teaching of medical students, Ades serves on the editorial boards of several clinical journals and as a medical advisor for EatingWell magazine.

Ades offers the following heart-healthy eating and living tips:

• Eat "real food" — maximize the number of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish and healthy oils in your diet and omit trans fats and minimize animal and dairy fats, processed flour and sugar

• Eat like an American-Mediterranean. According to EatingWell magazine, “Key components of Mediterranean cuisine include heart-healthy olive oil, protein-rich legumes, fish and whole grains with moderate amounts of wine and red meat.”

• Maintain a normal weight

• Make daily exercise a part of your diet. Exercise is like a pill you need to take every day. This pill controls your weight, lowers your blood pressure, prevents diabetes and heart disease, raises your (good) HDL cholesterol, improves your fitness and makes you feel happy

• Check your blood pressure and cholesterol profile (determine schedule with your primary care provider)

Source: University of Vermont