Subject: high cholesterol, triglycerides, and stress

Submitted by: Brita Nemadi, Los Angeles, CA

 

My husband was given your book by a friend who is an avid follower of yours. Bruce is 43 years old, 40 pounds overweight with very high LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, under alot of stress at work and in the 80th percentile of men his age in terms of poor health.  In short, if he continues at this pace, his doctor says he's pretty much guaranteed a heart attack within the next five years.

Bruce has attempted to read your book several times but as English is not his first language, finds it too technical.  He is very interested in your approach from all that he's heard about it but can't grasp exactly what it is he's supposed to do in terms of diet. 

He's tried many "diets" but has not been able to stick to any because of his poor eating habits and deep love for food.  Your regimen appeals to him because he feels that it can be a manageable lifestyle change without feeling deprived. 

I know you probably get bombarded with e-mails, so I'll get to the point: Do you have any kind of outline that describes briefly but exactly what he should eat and not eat on a daily basis as well as a workout routine for a sedentary person? As your approach is really the only one that seems to appeal to him after so many unsuccessful attempts, I really am hoping that you have a version of your philosophy in laymen's terms. Thanks a million for reading this e-mail..

 

From your letter it appears Bruce needs to make fundamental lifestyle changes. Lifting weights is highly recommended, but if he won’t walk for twenty minutes, he won’t lift either. As I explain in both books, you needn’t and shouldn’t train intensely at the start – but he needs to make a start. Provided his doctor approves, tell Bruce I said walk briskly for 60 minutes per week – divided up any way he likes. The goal is this: 120 minutes of walking over the next two weeks.

A “deep love for food” can be problematic for someone heading toward a heart attack. Bruce needs to reduce his intake of carbohydrate and processed foods as explained in NHE. If you prepare his meals, see to it that bread is served only occasionally. Don’t serve dessert, but if dessert is demanded serve fruit. Serve vegetables at every meal and find ways to make them tasty (like sautéing in olive oil) without adding sugar or starch. Serve fish at least twice per week. Serve a large salad at least every other day - and add 2-3 tablespoons of flaxseed oil to each salad.

Without more information from you, it’s difficult to be helpful but I believe that by implementing these basic suggestions Bruce will be taking a step in the right direction – toward better health.