Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease – by Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn
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This is not a book of moderation. Indeed, it has a chapter entitled “moderation kills”. So, what does it advise? The dietary requirements are simple:
- No animal products
- No oils
- No oily plants (e.g. nuts, avocados)
You may be wondering: aren’t nuts and avocados healthy? What about olive oil? And the answer is that yes, for most people they are indeed healthy, but Dr. Esselstyn makes a compelling argument for their elimination in the case of someone needing to take drastic actions to prevent or reverse heart disease.
The single most important deciding factor, he says, is whether our total cholesterol is above or below 150mg/dL. Below that, he considers we need not worry. Above that, time for serious action.
So, if (like this reviewer!) you’re enjoying a Mediterranean diet with cholesterol well under that level, this book might not be for you.
For those with total cholesterol above 150mg/dL, however, Dr. Esselstyn presents a wealth of evidence for his approach working. On the one hand, this is mostly based on case studies rather than randomized controlled trials, but on the other hand, he’s accumulated so many of them that unless he’s hiding a lot of evidence to present only the successes, it’s safe to assume this way of eating really does prevent and reverse heart disease.
If you can’t imagine cooking without oil, and especially if you’re not vegan so that’d be several big changes at once, fear not, he provides recipes, with an emphasis on flavor and enjoyment; indeed, part two of the book (which is full of these recipes) is entitled “the joy of eating”.
The style is quite narrative; this is a man with a story to tell and he will tell it at length. But, there’s a lot of information therein that comes thick and fast, and it’s all well-referenced.
Bottom line: if you’re very sure you’re not in the danger zone for heart disease, this one’s probably not for you. If it’s a risk for you, however (or perhaps a known reality already), then this book presents a fix that seems somewhat drastic, but has a good record of working.
Click here to check out Prevent & Reverse Heart Disease, and prevent or reverse heart disease!
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Waist Size Worries: Age-Appropriate Solutions
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It’s Q&A Day at 10almonds!
Have a question or a request? You can always hit “reply” to any of our emails, or use the feedback widget at the bottom!
In cases where we’ve already covered something, we might link to what we wrote before, but will always be happy to revisit any of our topics again in the future too—there’s always more to say!
As ever: if the question/request can be answered briefly, we’ll do it here in our Q&A Thursday edition. If not, we’ll make a main feature of it shortly afterwards!
So, no question/request too big or small
❝My BMI is fine, but my waist is too big. What do I do about that? I am 5′ 5″ tall and 128 pounds and 72 years old.❞
It’s hard to say without knowing about your lifestyle (and hormones, for that matter)! But, extra weight around the middle in particular is often correlated with high levels of cortisol, so you might find this of benefit:
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Figs vs Pineapple – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing figs to pineapple, we picked the figs.
Why?
Both have their merits! But…
In terms of macros, figs have 2x the fiber as well as more carbs and protein, making them the nutritionally denser option in the macros category.
In the category of vitamins, figs have more of vitamins A, B2, B5, E, and K, while pineapple has more of vitamins B1, B3, B9, C, and choline—so, a tie in this round.
Looking at minerals, figs have more calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, while pineapple has more copper and manganese; a clear win for figs here.
When it comes to phytochemicals, figs have slightly more polyphenols, but pineapple has bromelain—we’ll call this round a tie, though an argument could be made for a subjective win for pineapple, given bromelain’s potency (see link below).
Either way, adding up the sections makes for an overall win for figs, but by all means enjoy either or both, as they both have great things to offer!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Bromelain vs Inflammation & Much More
Enjoy!
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Three Ways To Reduce Your Cancer Risk
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From this week’s health news, we have:
Skip the meat, skip the cancer
Researchers (Dr. Fayth Butler et al.) followed the health of 79,468 participants (all initially free of cancer) for an average of just under 8 years (as with most longitudinal studies, the period of time will not be uniform as some people die or otherwise drop out of the study).
They found at baseline, that of those nearly 80,000 people, vegetarians were generally older, more educated, breastfed longer (where applicable), and had lower BMI than non-vegetarians.
As the study progressed, they found that all vegetarian diets combined were linked to reduced total cancer risk (12% lower) and reduced medium-frequency cancer risk (18% lower), and in particular, lower risk of lymphoproliferative cancers (25% lower) and stomach cancer (45% lower).
Breaking things down by non-omnivorous groups of interest:
- pescatarians: lower risk of colorectal cancer (21% lower) and breast cancer in older women than omnivores
- lacto-ovo-vegetarians: lower risk of lymphoproliferative cancers and stomach cancer than omnivores
- vegans: lowest risk of breast and prostate cancers
In short, all of the above are improvements on an omnivorous diet.
Read in full: Study finds vegetarians less likely to develop several common and rare cancers
Related: The Whys and Hows of Cutting Meats Out Of Your Diet
Another reason to avoid respiratory viruses
Common respiratory infections, including COVID and flu, can awaken dormant disseminated cancer cells in the lungs, and breast cancer survivors testing positive for COVID have higher all-cause, non-COVID, and cancer mortality.
In particular, in the study we’re referencing here, women with breast cancer who later had COVID showed a consistent trend toward increased lung metastasis risk (i.e. it spreads, which is what makes it most dangerous and most likely to be deadly).
The greatest risk is in the first 6 months after infection:
Read in full: Respiratory viruses awaken dormant breast cancer cells and raise relapse risk
Related: Why Some People Get Sick More (And How To Not Be One Of Them)
Almonds to the rescue
We love almonds, and so it seems do researchers (Dr. Samira Movahed et al.), who found that enjoying more than 60 g/day of almonds significantly reduced lipid damage and DNA damage markers, fighting aging and making cells less likely to turn cancerous.
Notably, raw almonds were found to be best for this, as roasting reduces polyphenols and blanching removes most of them. For that matter, the almond fiber (so, mostly in the skins that blanching would remove) also supports beneficial bacteria that help lower systemic oxidative stress, compounding the benefits.
There was also a small but significant decrease in uric acid levels (that’s a good thing to decrease), which the researchers hypothesize was due to reduced xanthine oxidase activity.
The benefits were dose-dependent, and enjoying under 60g per day showed smaller (or no) associations. 60g is just over 2 oz, by the way!
Read in full: Eating over 60g of almonds a day may protect DNA and cut oxidative damage
Related: What 47 Almonds Can Do For your Gut, Heart, Skin, & more
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Cranberries vs Redcurrants – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing cranberries to redcurrants, we picked the redcurrants.
Why?
It’s that time of year!
First know: here we’re comparing raw cranberries to raw redcurrants, with no additives in either case. If you buy jelly made from either, or if you buy dried fruits but the ingredients list has a lot of added sugar and often some vegetable oil, then that’s going to be very different.
But for now… Let’s look at just the fruits:
In terms of macros, redcurrants are higher in carbs, but also higher in fiber, and have the lower glycemic index as cranberries have nearly 2x the GI. Thus, a first round win for redcurrants.
In the category of vitamins, cranberries have more of vitamins A, B5, and E, while redcurrants have more of vitamins B1, B2, B6, B9, C, and K, In other words, a clear win for redcurrants.
Looking at minerals, cranberries boast a little more manganese; they also have about 2x the sodium. Meanwhile, redcurrants sweep even more convincingly with a lot more calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, and zinc, meaning redcurrants win their third round in a row.
In other considerations, both berries have generous amounts of assorted phytochemicals (especially polyphenols, including flavonoids and others), and/but nothing to set one ahead of the other. So, a tie in this round. Unless…
- if you have a tendency to UTIs, the cranberries win as they are very effective at reducing those
- if you have kidney problems, then redcurrants win as cranberries can increase the risk of kidney stones
…however, since we are adding things up for the readership as a whole, we’ll say those two things cancel each other out, and this declare a fourth-round tie.
Adding up the sections shows a clear overall win for redcurrants, but as for pretty much any berries that aren’t poisonous, both of these are great choices for most people most of the time.
Want to learn more?
You might like to read:
Health Benefits Of Cranberries (But: You’d Better Watch Out)
Take care!
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Brazil Nuts vs Hazelnuts – Which is Healthier?
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Our Verdict
When comparing Brazil nuts to hazelnuts, we picked the hazelnuts.
Why?
In terms of macros, Brazil nuts have more fats (including more omega-3, and/but also including more saturated fat) while hazelnuts have more fiber, carbs, and protein. So, which one wins this round is a little subjective; we’d say it’s the fiber for hazelnuts that cinch it, but we could also reasonably declare this round a tie.
In the category of vitamins, Brazil nuts are not higher in any vitamins, while hazelnuts are higher in vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, C, E, K, and choline. And the margins of difference are large in most cases. An easy win for hazelnuts here.
When it comes to minerals, things get interesting: Brazil nuts have more calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium, while hazelnuts have more iron, manganese, and potassium, but!
Before we crown Brazil nuts with a 4:3 win in this category, though, let’s take a closer look at those selenium levels:
- A cup of hazelnuts contains 13% of the RDA of selenium. Your hair will be luscious and shiny.
- A cup of Brazil nuts contains 10,456% of the RDA of selenium. This is way past the point of selenium toxicity, and your (luscious, shiny) hair will fall out.
For this reason, it’s recommended to eat no more than 3–4 Brazil nuts per day.
We consider that a point against Brazil nuts.
Adding up the sections makes for an overall win for hazelnuts, but by all means enjoy either or both, we just recommend to practise moderation when it comes to the Brazil nuts!
Want to learn more?
You might like:
Why You Should Diversify Your Nuts
Enjoy!
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This Simple Test Predicts How Long You’ll Live
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People aged 46–75 who score perfectly have an 11x lower death rate than those who failed:
Sit to rise
The reason this works is because it measures key aging indicators like mobility, balance, strength, and coordination.
Here’s how to do it:
- Stand with your feet straight
- Cross one foot over the other
- Lower yourself to a cross-legged sitting position without using your hands, knees, or other support
- Return to standing the same way
Here’s how to score it:
- Give yourself a total of 10 points to start with: 5 for sitting down, 5 for standing up
- Subtract 1 point for each hand, knee, or other support used
Here’s how to interpret the score:
- High scores (8–10) correlate with lower risk of early death
- Low scores (0–3) correlate with much higher risk of early death
Here’s how to improve your score if it wasn’t perfect, according to the weak point(s) highlighted by your attempt:
- Tight hips: deep squat holds, 90/90 transitions, hip mobility drills
- Weak core: slow roll-ups, floor transitions, sit-to-stand drills, all hands-free
- Poor balance: barefoot training, single-leg holds, controlled step-ups
For more on all of this plus visual demonstrations, enjoy:
Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!
Want to learn more?
You might also like:
How To Stand Up From The Floor Without Kneeling (3 Simple Methods)
Take care!
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