Outside of on-the-job hazards the biggest threat to the health of employees is their own lifestyle. Studies have convincingly demonstrated that a rich diet, sedentary living, drinking, and smoking largely determine the risk for developing heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver, and cancer of the lungs, breast, colon, and prostate. What is needed is Intelligent Self-Care. Killer on the Loose We are born with clean, flexible arteries, but excessive fat and cholesterol in the diet can clog them. Eventually, this chokes off the oxygen supply to vital organs. The highly respected independent intervention studies by Drs. Dean Ornish and Caldwell Esselstyn established the concept that plaque-filled arteries in patients who changed to a very-low-fat plant-based whole food diet actually began to open up. This allowed more blood and oxygen to the heart and other vital organs, and drastically reduced their angina pain. Take a look at this: Getting Down to Brass Tasks Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in North America—and too much fat is the leading cause of heart attacks. This is especially true for the saturated fat coming mostly from animal sources and oriental oils, such as palm and coconut oil. Isn’t it time, you reduced the amount you are eating? Getting the Fat Out Here are four general strategies you can use to reduce the fat in your diet. Substitute: If you use milk, then drink skim milk instead of whole milk. Or, better yet, use a non-dairy substitute. Try a bowl of chilled fruit instead of ice cream for dessert. Look for healthful substitutes for the high-fat items in your diet, such as cheeses, meats, dressings, and oils. Reduce: Instead of ordering an eight-ounce steak, try a smaller portion with pasta or a vegetarian lasagna. Instead of a whole piece of pie, take just a sliver. Eat smaller portions of your favorite high-fat foods. This allows you to savor a few decadent bites while still cutting fat from your diet. Eliminate: Eliminate as many temptations as possible. If you don’t bring it into the house, you won’t eat it. Eliminate high-fat foods. It can work wonders. In the headline-making studies of Drs. Ornish and Esselstyn, the subjects who reversed the narrowing in their arteries were those who had reduced milk or eliminated meat and dairy products entirely. Construct: Processed foods are stuffed with added fat. If you want to regain control over what goes into your body, cook for yourself. Get a good low-fat cookbook for educational resources and learn how to prepare delicious new dishes. It’s the surest way to protect yourself from the deadly effects of too much fat. Check out https://www.hansdiehl.com/shop Get Started! List some specific ways you can apply the principles of substitution, reduction, elimination, and construction to your diet: Substitute: _____________________________________________________ Reduce: _____________________________________________________ Eliminate: _____________________________________________________ Construct: _____________________________________________________

Lifestyle Medicine Solutions Reversing Heart Disease Eat Your Way Out 3 of 3