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 Bob admits he doesn’t just like food, he LOVES food! Learn how simple dietary tips he uses daily allows you to enjoy all your
Here's The Path I Take To Heart HealthFollowing a heart-healthy lifestyle is a whole lot easier today than it was when I began my own quest for heart health back in 1984 following my second bypass surgery. Back then, the medical consensus was to eat as little fat as possible. Research developments over the years have shown us that while some fats and oils are, indeed, bad for the heart, others do no harm at all, and some actually protect the heart. Let's get the "bad guys" out of the way first. Saturated fat, found in animal foods, definitely raise levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, leading to clogging of the arteries. But that doesn't mean we have to give up those foods. Simply choose lean cuts of beef and pork and nonfat or lowfat dairy products. Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon, for example. Now to the other "bad guy," trans fat. That's the kind of fat you get from products containing "partially hydrogenated" oils. Food manufacturers start off with perfectly healthy oils such as canola and soybean, then chemically harden them to make products including margarines, cookies, crackers, and hundreds of others. The trans fats are worse than saturated fats, since they not only raise LDL but also lower HDL. Starting in 2006, all foods list the amount of trans fats right on the nutrition label, as mandated by the FDA. Read the ingredients list of foods and avoid those containing those hydrogenated fats as much as you can. Choosing Smart Balance margarine is one example of alternatives on supermarket shelves. OK, so much for the bad fats. Those are the only ones you really need to limit. But that leaves a whole world of perfectly healthy fats that have a distinct place in my own diet, and should be in yours as well. For example, the omega-3 fatty acids found in fatty fish such as salmon, herring, mackerel, and others. Some plant foods, notably walnuts, contain the omega-3 fats, but they're not as well absorbed by the body compared to those coming from fish. I'm lucky in that I really love fish. But if you hate it, consider taking supplements. Shoot for one gram daily of the omega-3s DHA and EPA. I remember back in the '80s everyone including myself believed that because nuts are so high in fat, they should be avoided or at least greatly limited. Turns out we were all wrong. Research has shown that those who regularly snack on nuts, about an ounce to an ounce and a half, daily are actually protected against heart disease, as compared with those who don't eat nuts. Walnuts and almonds and peanuts are particularly good choices, but all nuts are good for you. Limit consumption of Brazil nuts (those big olive shaped ones) since they're very rich in the antioxidant selenium. A couple a day are terrific, but too much selenium can be harmful, causing hair loss and other adverse reactions. Research done at Penn State University has proven definitively that those who eat quite a lot of nuts, peanut butter, olives, and olive oil are actually less likely to have heart problems than those who avoid those foods, even if the total fat content of their diet is higher. Just limit your consumption based on calories and weight control. The same goes for cooking oils. (My favorites, by the way, are canola and olive oils, but I also use a variety of others for special cooking needs.) Over the years, I've greatly increased the amount of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain foods that I eat and enjoy. We've all heard that those foods are healthy in general, but research articles in, literally, the hundreds prove they protect us against heart disease. I start most days with a big bowl of oat bran cereal, sliced banana, berries, and skim milk along with a glass of carrot juice. OK, I'll admit that not everyone likes carrot juice, but there are many others to choose from. Anyway, breakfast alone gives me three fruit/vegetable servings and one grain serving. Lunch is, for me, a light meal. Typically a sandwich, often peanut butter and preserves with some berries sprinkled in or a sliced banana, on whole-wheat bread and a cup of vegetable soup of some sort. Personally, I'm not a salad lover, but I adore soup and never get tired of it in its many varieties. Look for my daughter Jenny's recipe for butternut squash soup on this website. When eating dinner in a restaurant, I usually order fish, frequently salmon. But that's because I really, really enjoy it. (It's a bonus that it's so good for me.) Most meals start with a bowl of soup for the appetizer course. But I avoid steaks and most red meat in restaurants, with the exception of pork tenderloin, which is very low in fat: in fact, comparable to skinless chicken breast. I do my red meat at home, where I can grill a lowfat steak. In my book I detail lots of ways to get lowfat red meat, including sources of Piedmontese and Belgian Blue beef that are bred to be low in fat but as tender as prime. At home, I get to enjoy all-American foods including meatloaf, burritos, spaghetti and meatsauce, you name it. But I make my recipes with lowfat ingredients when it comes to meats, and use Smart Balance margarine and Land-0-Lakes fat free half-and-half instead of butter and cream. It's all in the book. ˆ top Kowalski's Heart-Healthy SupplementsEven the Journal of the American Medical Association published an article stating that everyone should take a multivitamin/mineral tablet daily to assure consumption of all the nutrients needed. And scientific research has demonstrated in literally hundreds of published papers that certain nutrients, taken in larger doses than could be achieved in the diet, can have tremendous protective benefits for the heart. The major example is niacin. Also known as vitamin B3, this nutrient was shown to lower cholesterol way back in 1955. Most doctors didn't read about that. Fortunately I found the research when I was looking for answers to saving my own life. Today niacin is widely recognized in the medical community as being essential in cholesterol control. It not only lowers LDL and triglycerides, but also raises HDL and works in many other ways to protect the arteries of the heart, as I've spelled out in the book. Simply enough, I credit niacin for saving my life. It works in the liver, where cholesterol is made, so people with liver problems such as hepatitis should not take it. There are other contraindications for certain people. Talk with your physician. He or she will want to monitor your liver to make sure you're tolerating niacin properly, as the vast majority of people do. Then there are the B vitamins, folic acid, B6, and B12, that help to control homocysteine, an amino acid that, in excess in the bloodstream, can be as much a risk factor as cholesterol itself. And the antioxidants that can keep the lining of the arteries, the endothelium, from becoming stiff and hardened, as too often happens as we age. So here's the breakdown of what I take, three times a day, each and every day. Frankly, I never miss a dose. OK, I may be compulsive, but I really believe that, along with my heart-healthy diet, and a "secret" ingredient I'll get to later, this regimen has saved my life and has allowed me to live an unlimited lifestyle free of fear of heart disease. Morning 1 Endur-VM Multivitamin/Mineral Tablet* 1 Endur-B B-complex Tablet* 1 Endur-C 500-mg Vitamin-C Tablet* 3 350-mg sustained - release arginine tablets for blood pressure* 1 Pantesin 300-mg Pantethenic Acid Tablet" (clinically proven to improve cholesterol profiles) 1 Endur-acin 500-mg Sustained-Release Niacin Tablet* 1 Plain 500-mg Immediate-Release Niacin Tablet* 1 Cal-Mag (300-mg Calcium 150-mg Magnesium) Tablet* Afternoon 1 Cal-Mag (300-mg Calcium 150-mg Magnesium) Tablet* 1 Beta-Cal-E Antioxidant Tablet(with 200 iu vitamin E)* 1 Endur-C 500-mg Vitamin C Tablet* 1 300-mg Grapeseed Extract Tablets (MegaNaturalBP by Polyphenolics proven to lower blood pressure) 1 60mg Tocomin Tocotrienol Complex 1 Plain 500-mg Immediate-Release Niacin Tablet* Evening 1 Endur-acin 500-mg Sustained-Release Niacin Tablet* 1 300-mg CoQ10 Capsule 1 Tocotrienol Tablet (potent antioxidant in the vitamin E family) 3 350mg Sustained - Release Arginine tablets* 1 2-mg Melatonin Tablet (lowers night-time blood pressure) 1 325-mg Aspirin Tablet (uncoated tablets work better than coated types) 1 15-mg Softgel Lyc-O-mato In addition to the supplements above, I take two 450-mg Phytosterol Tablets* with lunch and dinner, as well as with breakfast if I'm having eggs. Phytosterols are plant sterols that block the absorption of dietary cholesterol and the recycling of bile, which is made of cholesterol, resulting in no cholesterol entering the bloodstream and a documented total cholesterol-reduction of 10 percent and a lowering of LDL in the range of 12 to 14 percent. Read more about phytsterols, how they work, and research studies documenting safety and effectiveness on this website. * These products are made by Endurance Products Company (www.endur.com). I've been using them since the very beginning, because I've determined their quality to be the very best you or I can buy. Their patented sustained-release formulations keep nutrients in the bloodstream longer, making them more effective. What you see on the labels is what you get in the tablets; other brands are often lacking. I don't own part of the company, and am not a paid spokesperson. I simply believe that these products are the best I can buy. I strongly recommend them for you as well. I take a combination of sustained-release (SR) and immediate-release (I-R) niacin tablets. The reason is that research has shown us that SR works better at lowering LDL while IR is superior for raising HDL and lowering triglycerides. And, again, Endurance Products Company makes the best I know of; Endur-acin has been extensively studied at the University of Minnesota and found to be both safe and effective, with virtually no flushing or adverse reactions. Moreover, after the Health Ministry of Russia studied various approaches to control cholesterol in their own population, which has a very high rate of heart disease, medical authorities there decided that Endur-acin would be recommended for the Russian population. I've mentioned that I take Pantesin. This is the name for a derivitive of pantothenic acid made by the Daiichi Fine Chemicals company in Tokyo, where it has been used for years by prescription only. Here in the U.S. it is available as a dietary supplement. But does it work here? University of Minnesota researchers wanted to know. Following an exhaustive and elaborate study, they found that 600 mg daily dropped triglycerides by 19 percent, LDL by 9 percent, with HDL up 2 percent. Those taking 900 mg daily saw triglycerides fall by 33 percent, with 14 percent drops in LDL, and 4 percent increases in HDL, on average. No side effects were noted. A sustained-release formulation, the one I take, made only by Endurance Products Company, is thought to improve the efficacy of Pantesin. ˆ top The "Secret" IngredientWe'd all like the "silver bullet" or the "magic pill" to make us healthier, protect us against heart disease, help control weight, allow us to sleep better, and even to be more productive. Well, that isn't in a bottle. The "secret" ingredient is not so secret. It's simply increased physical activity. There's nothing like it, and nothing to replace it. Let's face it: Americans and others are increasingly sedentary. That brings along with it an array of degenerative health problems. You've heard it all before. But this time make a resolution to begin today. Start by just taking a walk around the block. Then shoot for walking two miles a day at a brisk pace. Walk as though you're late for an appointment. That's all you need. No gym fees, no special equipment needed. And, if you'd prefer, or for variety, try other activities, and regularly schedule them into your life. Things like biking, hiking, swimming, gardening, dancing, and anything you enjoy that will get your heart rate up. Promise yourself you'll do it for three months. If you can honestly say that, after that "trial period" you don't feel 100 percent better, quit. But you will feel better, and you won't quit. I started my own program of physical activity in 1984, right after recovering from the bypass surgery. And I've never quit. I'm active almost every day of the week, walking or doing the equivalent of 15 miles a week. Even if that magic pill were invented to protect against heart disase that would eliminate the need for exercise, I wouldn't quit because being active, again, makes me feel so good. Try it, you'll like it! I promise. ˆ top A Final Thought From Bob KowalskiSo there it is. Now you know the daily regimen I follow and recommend for not only my readers but for my family as well. Like many Americans, we have a family history of heart disease, and I want to protect those I love, and this is the best way I know to do it. How do I know? Virtually any cardiologist will tell you that, based on studies done in this country and elsewhere, after about five to six years following bypass surgery, patients start having chest pains (angina) again, and by 10 to 12 years post-bypass, they're ready for another operation. Following the regimen that I've outlined in quite a bit of detail above, it's now been 20 years for me. It was in July, 1984, that I had that second bypass. Without the protection of that regimen, it was a mere six years that I needed the second one, following the first surgery in 1978 at the age of 35. I wish I knew back then what I know today. I'm extremely grateful, however, that I made the discoveries I did, developed my program, stuck with it for all these years since 1984, and now live a rich and wonderful healthy life. My original motivation was to save my own life, to be a father for my two children. Those kids, in pre-school at the time, are now graduated from college. Now I'm sticking with my program to be around to see and love my grandchildren, something my Dad, who died of a heart attack at age 57 in 1969, never got to do. I want to bounce those grandkids on my knee. And I want to continue to spend wonderful years with my wife, to golf and hike and fish and scuba dive with my friends, and to live life to its fullest. I did it, and I know you can too. You've got the information you need. Go for it! ˆ top How do I remember to take all those tablets and capsules?
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favorites and have your heart thank you for it. See the daily regimen of dietary supplements Kowalski takes to keep both his cholesterol and blood pressure levels perfect.