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Dr. Scherwitz describes why high-fat foods are a problem for women.
Dr. Scherwitz:
Eating a high-fat food has multiple ways that can damage the heart, for example, a high-fat meal can increase the viscosity of the blood or slow down the ability of the blood to go through the little capillaries, so it can call what’s called sludging. So that’s how one fat, high-fat meal can cause chest pain in a woman who has heart disease.
It can add to the levels of cholesterol in the blood and that cholesterol, when it gets oxidized, can attack the coronary artery lining. It can add to weight because fat has 9 calories/gram of calories so it can add to the weight and weight control is important to reducing the risk of further heart disease.
So there are many mechanisms, but there are good fats too. Omega-3 and omega-6, they are essential fats and it is important to get a balanced ratio of good fats and reduce the saturated fat, the trans-fatty acids and excessive amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids.
About Dr. Scherwitz, Ph.D.:
Larry W. Scherwitz, PhD, is a leader in the field of behavioral medicine research with 25 years experience in developing and testing approaches to managing chronic disease with lifestyle changes. Dr. Scherwitz has been on the faculty of various medical institutions including Baylor College of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, California Pacific Medical Center, and the Preventive Medicine Research Institute. He worked at the research director with Dr. Dean Ornish to demonstrate that it is possible to reverse coronary heart disease with lifestyle changes including diet, exercise, stress management and social support. Dr. Scherwitz’ is often a keynote speaker at conferences and has published his research discoveries in an array of prestigious medical journals, including the Journal of the American Medical Association, The Lancet, and Psychosomatic Medicine. Presently, Larry and his wife Deborah Kesten, MPH have a coaching practice to help clients lose weight as well as prevent, halt, and reverse heart disease. Larry also consults with clients to help them design studies to evaluate the efficacy of complementary and alternative practices.
Visit Dr. Scherwitz at his website