Here are 3 diets that Americans face, that people, in general consider healthy. Obviously, if you are in the Keto camp, it would be a very different story. I am not making judgement calls but simply looking at who says what is good, less bad, and bad.
The First on on the list is the diet recommended by the American Heart Association. I would like to refer to this diet as the Standard American Diet (SAD). Then there is the Mediterranean Diet, which many people like following because it feels healthy. Then there is Dr. Esselstyn’s Heart Disease Reversal Diet or the Whole Food Plant Based diet on steroids because it asks to watch the intake of all types of oils including nuts, advocados and coconut.
| Foods to… | American Heart Association Diet | Mediterranean Diet | Esselstyn Heart Disease Reversal Diet |
| EMPHASIZE | Fruits, Vegetables, Whole grains, Fish, Poultry, Nuts, Low-fat dairy products. | Fruits, Vegetables, Whole grains, Fish, “Healthy fats” like olive oil, Nuts, Avocados | Fruits, Vegetables, Whole grains, Legumes, Healthy starches (potatoes, roots, etc.) |
| LIMIT | Red meat, Sugary foods & beverages, Saturated fat, Highly Processed food, Sodium, Alcohol. | Slightly limit: Yogurt, Cheese, Poultry, Eggs, Wine, Significantly limit: Red meat Sweets | Sweets, Soy foods, Alcohol, Caffeine |
| AVOID | Partially hydrogenated oil, Tropical oil, Excessive calories. | Nothing | Added oils, Meats (including fish & poultry), Eggs, Nuts, Avocados, Coconut, Dairy (all cow’s milk and cheese), Fruit juices |
| OTHER | N/A | Include vitamin B12 supplement |
*Dr. Esselstyn addresses the question about nuts, avocado, and coconut:
“As nuts are a rich source of saturated fats, my preference is no nuts for heart disease patients. That also eliminates peanuts and peanut butter, even though peanuts are officially a legume. For those with established heart disease to add more saturated fat is inappropriate. For people with no heart disease who want to eat nuts, avocado, and coconut and are able to achieve a cholesterol of 150 and LDL of 80 or under without cholesterol lowering drugs, some nuts, avocado, and coconut are acceptable.”
