Doctors & patients are saying about 'A-Fib.com'...
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Dr. Douglas L. Packer, MD, FHRS, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
"Jill and I put you and your work in our prayers every night. What you do to help people through this [A-Fib] process is really incredible."
Jill and Steve Douglas, East Troy, WI
“I really appreciate all the information on your website as it allows me to be a better informed patient and to know what questions to ask my EP.
Faye Spencer, Boise, ID, April 2017
“I think your site has helped a lot of patients.”Dr. Hugh G. Calkins, MD Johns Hopkins,
Baltimore, MD
FAQs Natural Therapies: Whole Food or Organic Diet?
Complementary & Natural Therapies
“Is a whole food or organic diet helpful for patients with Atrial Fibrillation? Is there any research recommending one or the other?”
Many health experts believe that eating more whole foods is our best bet for improving health and preventing disease. Numerous studies have found that a diet high in healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and type 2 diabetes (also closely associated with Atrial Fibrillation).
A Whole-Food Organic Diet
In an editorial in the ‘Naturopathic Doctor News & Review’, naturopathic doctor Dan Carter writes about treatment for Atrial Fibrillation. He states that a whole-food organic diet (as much as is possible and practical) is preferred for A-Fib patients. Dr. Carter suggests:
• Eat a sufficient amount of complete protein (½ g of protein per 1 lb of body weight). Include meats, eggs, and low-mercury seafood (cold-water fish, such as salmon, is especially beneficial). Raw dairy is recommended for those who tolerate it; whey protein is useful for smoothies.
• Eat lots of raw and cooked vegetables and salad greens.
• Choose as carbohydrate sources sweet potatoes, yams, white potatoes, and white rice. Unless the patient is an athlete, the daily intake should be limited to 150 g.
• Cook foods with chemically stable oils, such as coconut (best), butter, and palm kernel, and use olive oil on salads and foods after cooking.
• Avoid simple sugars and seed-derived edible oils (soy, corn, safflower, sunflower, and canola).
Are Whole Food and Organic Foods the Same?
The terms whole food and organic food are often confused. But whole foods are not necessarily organic, nor are organic foods necessarily whole.
Whole foods are unprocessed and unrefined, or processed and refined as little as possible.
Organic foods come from animals free of antibiotics and growth hormones; fruits and vegetables are free of pesticides, ionizing radiation and bioengineering.
Keep in mind, research has not found a diet that will cure your A-Fib. The best you can do is eat a heart healthy diet, limit alcoholic drinks, don’t smoke. Be active and exercise. And control the 4 lifestyle factors associated with A-Fib: high-blood pressure, diabetes, sleep apnea and obesity.
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Last updated: Monday, June 18, 2018
