Thursday, January 03, 2008

Why Is Nobody Asking "Why"?


It was widely reported today that music legend (and my all-time favorite) Paul McCartney recently underwent a coronary angioplasty after complaining of "not feeling well". In case you don't know, a coronary angioplasty is a surgical procedure that opens up clogged arteries. It's well known that Sir Paul is a staunch vegan and has been vegetarian for many years. This begs the question...why were his arteries clogged? Maybe there's a history of heart disease in his family. Maybe the rock & roll lifestyle he lived in the 60s finally caught up to him. Or maybe the vegetarian way of eating - which is void of animal protein and animal fats - but doesn't limit sugar, processed food, or carbohydrates - actually contributes to heart disease!

More and more research is showing that diets high in carbohydrates (like Sir Paul's may have been) tend to result in low HDL (good cholesterol), small LDL particles (which is very bad) and high triglycerides - all very bad signs that increase the possiblilty for clogged arteries. What's the best way to RAISE your HDL? Eating animal fat! What's the best way to change your LDL particle size from the small dangerous kind to the big fluffy kind? Eating less carbohydrates! What's the best way to lower your triglycerides? Eating less carbohydrates!

Sir Paul is reportedly recovering nicely from his procedure - and even performed live on New Years Eve!