Last week you went to your doctor for your annual physical and you found out that you have cholesterol problems, specifically small density LDL, which your doctor told you is a death sentence if you don’t address it. It seems that these small density particles have an incredible propensity for sneaking into your arteries. Pretty soon your arteries start to look like the bottom of a grease trap in a French fry machine and eventually all that ‘goop’ turns into plaques. Plaque isn’t good for your teeth and it isn’t good for your arteries ... Read More »]]>

by Dr. Cochran with Dr. Waggoner M.D.

Last week you went to your doctor for your annual physical and you found out that you have cholesterol problems, specifically small density LDL, which your doctor told you is a death sentence if you don’t address it. It seems that these small density particles have an incredible propensity for sneaking into your arteries. Pretty soon your arteries start to look like the bottom of a grease trap in a French fry machine and eventually all that ‘goop’ turns into plaques. Plaque isn’t good for your teeth and it isn’t good for your arteries either. So, best case scenario you’re looking at heart attacks, stroke and an early death and worst case scenario you’re looking at surviving the stroke and heart attack and spending the rest of your albeit shortened life as a debilitated shell of your former self and a burden to your family. Neither of those options seem particularly appealing however, your physician said that there is a class of medications called statins specifically designed to address this problem, and she has recommended one called Crestor™.

So all was well until you went to the pharmacy. The pharmacist told you that you don’t need Crestor, that a generic statin would do just fine and it would save you money. So you decided to read up on the subject. And, what you found was truly appalling. First, the pharmacist makes money by recommending that you purchase generic medications and in many cases they’ll just make the switch without even telling you. Next, you discovered that generic drugs and brand name drugs are not exactly equivalent. In fact, the FDA in its infinite wisdom has allowed the pharmaceutical industry to have a 20-25% variance in their generic interpretation of medications. This means that they use ‘fillers’ to make up the difference. Now the problem with fillers is that a) you may be allergic to them and b) they lower the efficacy and strength of the medicine you are buying. So, 300mg of a generic medication does not necessarily equal 300mg of a brand medication. Now, your physician will have to prescribe more of the generic medication to get the same effect as the brand and your insurance company doesn’t like that, so they deny it. The ‘Catch-22’ is that your insurance company rewards the pharmacist for dispensing generics because they are making lots of money by doing so. However, when the medicines don’t work as well, they will either charge you an outrageous copay for the brand, deny it altogether or, if your physician goes with the generic medication and has to prescribe a greater milligram strength, the insurance company will say your doctor is overmedicating you and will refuse that too.

But we’re not done yet. You’re at the gym discussing this issue with your trainer and he says the answer lies in supplements. Now of course he’s 25 and hasn’t been to medical school but it sure is tempting to consider an option that you can control. Then you tell your best friend at work who goes to a naturopath that she just loves and ‘swears by’. Oh, and then there’s the guy on your board who has a fabulous chiropractor and the maintenance guy said he knows an amazing nutritionist. So what is the right answer?

Welcome to modern healthcare! The good news is that it is replete with options, and the bad news is that it is replete with options. At Saratoga Family Health Center we know that taking care of people requires that they be intellectually informed, and emotionally invested in what they are doing to best take care of their heath. Excellent treatment is not about trying to fit patients into preconceived, standardized regimens. What it is about, is a unique partnership between patient and caregiver in which an individual formula for that patient is created that may involve many different kinds of treatment modalities and disciplines.

For example, in the case we’ve been discussing we would review the patient’s diet and not only tell them what not to eat, but what to eat, and where they can go for menu planning for themselves and their family. We would encourage regular exercise, omega-3 fatty acids, an aspirin a day and a statin, although if the patient wanted to try another route we would fully support that. However, it is not in the best interests of anyone, for a treatment provider or a patient to simply ‘believe’ in their treatment plan, so it is imperative that regular laboratory measurements be taken to determine whether or not what you are doing is working. And, you’ve got to have a treatment team that is prepared to argue with your insurer even to the point of contacting the medical director of your plan to make sure you get what you need.

Please take good care of yourselves, you and your family are a precious commodity and we are all made better when you are well.

Wishing You The Best Of Health!

Join Dr. Cochran on November 5th, 2011 in Los Angeles  from 9:30-3:30pm for A JOURNEY THOUGH ROMANTIC LOVE: What it is, What it isn’t, How to get it and How to keep it! During this workshop Dr. Cochran will teach techniques for how to manage, and what to expect from one of the most challenging developmental tasks of adulthood: the many faces of romantic love. Dr. Cochran will help you find your perfect partner and/or assist you in increasing the intimacy level in your current relationship, through great insights and understanding. Call 818-848-3213 to register or visit www.drcochran.org

David J. Waggoner, MD, a board certified family physician and his partner transpersonal psychologist, Dr. Margaret Cochran, make up Saratoga Family Health Center where they take a whole person, whole brain approach to health. Dr. Cochran and Dr. Waggoner focus on treating individuals, not just their symptoms, diagnosis or healthcare coverage limitations; they practice medicine and psychotherapy, not insurance. Working together they have extraordinary success in helping patients become, and stay, well in both body and mind. www.sfhc.com

Photo credit: © Alexander Raths | Dreamstime.com

If your child has braces, tender yet tasty recipes are a must. How can you make them feel better on a tender-teeth day and satisfy their craving for “forbidden food?” Here are a few tips and a recipe for a special twist on easy-to-eat pizza:

1. Drink or eat something very cold, such as a fruit smoothie or frozen yogurt  – this delays the movement of today’s heat-responsive wires. 2. Try microwaving a frozen item instead ... Read More »]]>

I’ll bet you know at least one kid or teen in braces. What can they eat when their teeth hurt? And how can parents prepare meals that help avoid breaking off a bracket?

If your child has braces, tender yet tasty recipes are a must. How can you make them feel better on a tender-teeth day and satisfy their craving for “forbidden food?” Here are a few tips and a recipe for a special twist on easy-to-eat pizza:

1. Drink or eat something very cold, such as a fruit smoothie or frozen yogurt  – this delays the movement of today’s heat-responsive wires.
2. Try microwaving a frozen item instead of popping it in the toaster or oven. For example, frozen waffles come out tender instead of crunchy.
3. Eat leftovers! Many crispy items soften up overnight, especially in the refrigerator.

What about a pizza you can eat with a spoon? Served in squares, this dish is so different and yet so satisfying you’ll love it when just the thought of dealing with a traditional pizza crust gives you pause. Stock your kitchen with pouches of grated cheese and boxes of cornbread mix, and you’ll be ready to add whatever toppings strike your imagination.

Cornbread Pizza

By Pamela Waterman

INGREDIENTS

2 (8 ½-ounce) boxes dry cornbread mix

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 jar or can (about 26 ounces) spaghetti sauce, any flavor

1 teaspoon oregano

1 cup grated Mozzarella cheese

Toppings of your choice, such as chopped green peppers, sliced mushrooms, olives and onions

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, stir together the 2 boxes of dry cornbread mix, 2 eggs, milk and Parmesan cheese. Grease a 9”x13” pan, and also grease 6 muffin-pan cups (or line them with cupcake papers). Spoon batter into the 6 muffin cups, about half-way, as this is extra batter. (You’ll have muffins for another meal – they’re great with chili.) Then spread the remaining batter into the 9”x13” pan and spread the spaghetti sauce over the top. Sprinkle with oregano. Bake the pizza and the muffins at 375 degrees for 15 minutes and remove both from oven. Sprinkle the pizza with the Mozzarella cheese and any other toppings, then bake it an additional 10 to 15 minutes. Cut into squares.

Pamela Waterman is the author of The Braces Cookbook series of comfort-food recipes for tender teeth, along with books and articles about hands-on projects for children and teens. She had adult braces just a few years ago, and shares her experiences at www.BracesCookbook.com.

As bland and boring as you might think fiber is, it actually performs miracles inside your system that will help you look, feel and honestly be healthy. I recently had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD, a nutritionist and author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss and came away with a greater knowledge and understanding about the why’s and how’s of fiber in ... Read More »]]>

You need fiber. And while I know it doesn’t sound particularly fun or sexy, it’s a fact and you know the reality about facts: we have to face them.

As bland and boring as you might think fiber is, it actually performs miracles inside your system that will help you look, feel and honestly be healthy. I recently had the pleasure of sharing lunch with Tanya Zuckerbrot MS RD, a nutritionist and author of The F-Factor Diet: Discover the Secret to Permanent Weight Loss and came away with a greater knowledge and understanding about the why’s and how’s of fiber in our daily diet. I really like Tanya because she is a fun person and very smart, yet when you are talking with her she shares her information in a way that is more like girl talk as opposed to a scientist speaking to a room full of students.

I know you are curious about the ‘look, feel and be healthy’ fiber related promise I made in the previous paragraph, so now, like the good journalist I am, I’m going to make good on that for you.

As for how fiber makes you look better, Tanya tells me The F-Factor diet is high in fiber, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and good fats that help you keep your hair, skin and nails looking their very best. Switching from a refined diet to a high fiber diet results in a clearer, suppler complexion, shiny, fortified locks and strong flexible nails. F-Factor also helps banish bloat, so you will look and feel better in your more form fitting fashions. When you eat according to Tanya’s recommendations, by consuming fiber and protein at every meal, your stomach feels full for a good long time. Because you feel satiated, and you are eating whole foods that are slow to digest, you feel energetic and robust. The health benefits of fiber are also major and many. For one thing, fiber keeps you regular and we’ve all heard about the vital importance of colon health. Eating a fiber rich diet can also help lower cholesterol and, here’s the big one people, help you lose weight and keep it off.

Because she believes that we can ‘eat any food ~ it’s the quantity and frequency that is key’, Tanya’s plan works for everyone. If you cook, great, her book offers 75 of her original recipes and you’ll have a great time whipping up her delicious fare. Not a fan of riding the range? No problem, you can follow the F-Factor diet without ever cooking one thing. Vegan or vegetarian? This eating plan works for you, too.

Remember to think of this is a way of life, folks, because as Tanya told me, ‘for long term results you can’t do anything temporarily.’ She suggests we all adopt, if we haven’t already, a heightened sense of awareness and accountability’ about what we are eating each and every day. To help us accomplish the goal of 25-30 grams of fiber per day for women and 38 per day for men, Tanya has come out with her own products under the F-Factor heading. Her cereals and meal bars are both satisfying and great tasting, proving once again the fiber doesn’t have to taste like a cardboard box!

Visit http://www.ffactordiet.com for more information.

Laura Carson Miller is a freelance lifestyle writer in Atlanta. Find her website and blog here: www.lauracarsonmiller.com

Book, cereal and cereal bars were provided courtesy of Tanya Zuckerbrot.

Each year, roughly 1.5 million Americans have a heart attack — and most of them survive. But research shows that just one year after their diagnosis, the vast majority fail to adhere to the dietary changes that could prevent a second heart attack. After losing her father to his second heart attack and fearing that her husband would suffer the same fate after his first, Dr. Janet Bond Brill was inspired to write Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease (Three Rivers Press, $15.00, February 1, 2011). Packed with every tool someone needs — ... Read More »]]>

Each year, roughly 1.5 million Americans have a heart attack — and most of them survive. But research shows that just one year after their diagnosis, the vast majority fail to adhere to the dietary changes that could prevent a second heart attack. After losing her father to his second heart attack and fearing that her husband would suffer the same fate after his first, Dr. Janet Bond Brill was inspired to write Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease (Three Rivers Press, $15.00, February 1, 2011). Packed with every tool someone needs — including daily checklists, nutrition information, a complete two-week eating plan, and dozens of mouth-watering recipes to suit every meal, taste, and budget — the delicious and foolproof program ensures that heart attack survivors and their loved ones will be satisfied, rather than deprived, as they eat their way to better heart health.

Q: Why did you write the book Prevent a Second Heart Attack?

A: I saw a need among heart attack survivors that was not being filled. Currently, more than 13 million Americans have either survived a heart attack or been diagnosed with heart disease. As a registered dietitian specializing in cardiovascular disease prevention, I have found that heart attack survivors simply are not following a lifestyle plan that would help them to prevent a second attack. What many of these “survivors” need to know is that a healthy lifestyle and carefully following doctor’s orders can prevent another heart attack. The problem is that many of these individuals find the “cardiac diet” too restrictive or complicated, and some receive no lifestyle counseling. What’s more, if the heart attack survivor decides to go it alone and purchase a self-help book, he or she may reach for one of the best-selling heart disease reversal books that promote a punishing, “extreme” fringe diet. Most of these books feature Spartan, vegan-style eating plans that are simply too difficult to follow and frankly are just not livable. Why should heart attack survivors be punished further with the burden of tasteless, low-fat plans when there is a better way? My book gives these people good news – - that they can prevent new plaque buildup and even reverse or stabilize dangerous, vulnerable plaque in their coronary arteries with a delightfully palatable lifestyle strategy where they can still enjoy the good things in life.

Q: But what exactly are the best lifestyle changes – - alongside drugs – - for preventing a second heart attack and even reversing heart disease?

A: That is the very question this book answers. A tremendous amount of scientific research has investigated the application of various diet and exercise plans in preventing further coronary events. I have found that the bulk of the scientific evidence overwhelmingly supports the notion that post–heart attack patients should be advised to eat a Mediterranean-style diet, be physically active at least thirty minutes a day, and not smoke. In fact, the famed Lyon Heart Study that tested a Cretan Mediterranean diet in cardiac patients reported a phenomenal reduction of recurrence rate of 70 percent compared to the control diet (a typical low-fat Western-style diet). Thus, the bulk of the scientific research is crystal clear: a Mediterranean style of eating combined with physical activity is the optimal lifestyle plan for preventing a second heart attack and is far superior to the low-fat vegetarian diet regimens typically prescribed to heart patients in the fat-phobic ’90s (and that continue to line bookstore shelves today). I propose that a Mediterranean-style diet, as outlined in Prevent a Second Heart Attack and backed by powerful evidence, can be even more effective than the eating plans currently recommended by many cardiologists – - simply because it tastes good and makes life more enjoyable. Following vegan-style plans can also reverse heart disease but only if adhered to – - an extremely difficult chore for most Americans.

Q: Did you have a personal reason for writing this book?

A: All the men I love have either died of heart disease or are currently living with the disease. My father had his first heart attack at age forty-five and died from his second attack several years later. He was never given any lifestyle advice that could have helped him prevent or reverse his disease. My father-in-law, Harry, had his first heart attack at forty-eight years old and had his second bypass operation two years ago at age seventy-eight. He has tried many of the low-fat vegetarian diets over the years but has found them too difficult to adhere to on a consistent basis. My husband, Sam, had his first heart attack two years ago at age fifty-one. So I wrote this book with the hope that Sam, Harry, and the 13 million other American heart attack survivors will follow the advice set forth in these pages: a livable lifestyle that will show them the way to a long, happy, and healthy life by teaching them how to prevent that second lethal attack and even reverse the actual disease process.

Q: Hindsight is 20/20, but is there anything you would have suggested your husband, Sam, do to prevent his first heart attack?

A: Looking back, I would say I underestimated the power of three risk factors to promote a heart attack: severe emotional duress, family history, and a low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Fearful that he would follow in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps (his grandfather died of a heart attack at age thirty-five), Sam underwent an invasive medical test (an angiogram) at age forty-five to reassure him that he was free of his family scourge. The results came back negative for any trace of cardiovascular disease. His blood values were excellent except for a low HDL value of 32 (under 40 mg/dL is considered a risk factor). He didn’t smoke, had normal blood pressure, and was not overweight. He continued under the care of his cardiologist – - and had passed his exercise stress tests with flying colors. Then came the economic tsunami that hit the Florida real estate market (my husband is a general contractor) . . . combined with the stress of his father’s second bypass operation . . . and he had a heart attack on July 31, 2009 – - and thankfully survived with minor heart muscle damage. So obviously, looking back, he should have been taking much more aggressive preventive measures given his family history – - such as medications, HDL-boosting lifestyle measures, and practicing more stress management techniques.

Q: Is heart disease really reversible?

A: Yes. Studies published in leading medical journals have shown that following a lifestyle similar to the one outlined in my book – - and combined with physician-prescribed medications – - can stabilize and even reverse vulnerable plaque.

Q: Can I eat red meat?

A: The Prevent a Second Heart Attack plan consists of removing the plaque- building foods (red meat, cream, butter, eggs, and cheese) that cause blood vessel damage and replacing them with delicious anti-inflammatory foods that facilitate the body’s natural healing processes to reverse existing heart disease and restore quality of life. To combat the confusion issue, the Prevent a Second Heart Attack Plan offers powerful lifesaving advice, translating the complex clinical findings into a simple, easy-to-follow set of guidelines, “The Eight Dietary Commandments”: (1) no more butter and cream, to be replaced by extra virgin olive oil; (2) no day without greens and other vegetables; (3) no day without figs or other fruit; (4 & 5) no meat (beef, lamb, pork), and replaced by fish and legumes; (6) no day without walnuts and flaxseeds; (7) no day without whole grains and cereals; (8) and moderate alcohol consumption, mainly in the form of red wine, recommended at dinner. (Plus a bonus food – - deep, dark, sinfully rich chocolate!)

Q: What is the best exercise for my heart?

A: The scientific consensus is that walking is the best exercise prescription for fighting off heart disease. How much, how often, and how fast (plus a discussion of the latest scientific research on exercise for heart disease) is detailed in the chapter on exercise. The best medicine for healing the arteries and reversing heart disease is moderate exercise, and the best exercise for you is the one you will do on a daily basis!

Q: What makes your plan so different and easier to follow than some of the other heart disease reversal plans on the market?

A: Many of the best-selling plans advise avoiding fish; any and all kinds of oil; avocado; nuts; seeds, and chocolate–delightfully tasty foods–all advocated in my plan.

Q: Can I really begin to heal my arteries in just 8 weeks?

A: Clinical research has shown a significant reduction in the rate of secondary events in post-heart attack subjects switching to a Mediterranean-style diet–in as little as 6 weeks.

Q: What about protein–where do I get my protein from?

A: The Prevent a Second heart Attack plan urges you to become a “vegaquarium.” By getting your protein from the earth and the sea, you will also be fueling your body with numerous additional nutrients that fortify your daily heart disease defense system–artery healing components not found in a Western-style diet high in animal protein.

Q: Can I drink coffee and tea?

A: The Prevent a Second heart Attack plan is a plant-based diet. Both coffee and tea are made from plants–and plants contain plaque-fighting phytonutrients. So yes, you can have coffee and tea.

Q: What about supplements?

A: Not all supplements are created equally when it comes to treating and reversing plaque buildup. Three stand out among the crowd and should be in every heart attack survivor’s medicine chest: Niacin; Vitamin D3; Fish oil.

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease, is a diet, nutrition, and fitness expert who has appeared on national television. She is the author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol In 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs, and specializes in cardiovascular disease prevention. Dr. Brill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.

For more information please visit http://preventasecondheartattack.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter