CARBOHYDRATES

The Carbohydrate Addict's Healthy Heart Program by Dr. Richard F. Heller & Dr. Rachael F. Heller

There is no doubt that I'm a carbohydrate addict. I'm on the DASH diet now and I'm very gradually losing weight -- will I keep it off? -- only if I stay on this diet. The DASH diet is not strict with regard to carbohydrates like the CAHHP is.

The purpose of CAHHP is to lower insulin resistance by eating carbohydrates at only one meal per day. Snacks and other meals come from low carbo foods such as lean meat/fowl/fish, dairy and a very limited list of vegetables. No breads, grains, cereals, fruit and juices, legumes, seeds, nut butters, pasta, rice, carrots, peas, or tomatoes except at one meal per day. This diet may suit some people but I believe that if I didn't get some fructose from apples, oranges and bananas throughout the day, I wouldn't be able to maintain the low cholesterol DASH diet.

The doctors share some informative details about foods and how they affect the human body. Most of it is about insulin but since my main concern at the moment is cholesterol, I'll share some cholesterol-related things I learned.

LDL, low-density lipoprotein, is not cholesterol at all. It is a carrier that transports cholesterol between blood and the liver. LDL picks up cholesterol from the liver and carries it in the blood. It is a sign that the liver is in a fat-making mode, producing cholesterol.

The "good" HDL, high-density lipoprotein, transports cholesterol in the blood to the liver. High levels of HDL mean that the liver is in a fat-burning mode.

Consumable fats

Trans fatty acids appear to be the most health-damaging of all fats. They may be listed as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats. I am avoiding them as much as possible. Sources: vegetable shortening, hydrogenated fats, margarine.

Sources high in saturated fats: butterfat, beef fat, lard, milk fat, coconut oil, chicken fat, palm oil, cocoa butter (uh oh!)

Sources high in polyunsaturated fats (a better kind of fat): safflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sesame oil, cottonseed oil, omega-3 oils.

Sources of monounsaturated fats (best for heart health): olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil. I have purchased virgin olive oil for making oil & vinegar dressings for my salads.

I should mention that the program is not just about diet. It includes exercise, nutrition supplements, and stress-reducing changes.