“Stay Away from ‘White’ If You Want a Healthy Heart”: Dr. Stone

Food is not just a source of nutrition; it is a fundamental part of our overall well-being. Both traditional wisdom and modern medical science echo this insight, reminding us: “Eat healthy to stay healthy” (Anon) or “The food you eat can be either the most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison” (Ann Wigmore). The most famous adage of all, attributed to the ‘father of modern medicine,’ Hippocrates, cautions, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

These statements carry weight, based on long experience and careful study of human digestion dating back to the 3rd century BCE.

Prominent figures like Ibn Sina (Latin: Avicenna), a 10th-century Persian intellectual and court physician during the ‘Golden Age of Islam,’ further refined these studies. He emphasized the connections between heart health and other major organs, such as the stomach, intestines, brain, and liver.

The conclusion has always been clear: our food holds the key to our health. Yet, we often forget this truth, caught in a whirlwind of unhealthy food choices and the fast pace of modern life.

So, what is the best way to eat to prevent heart disease?

Dr. James Stone, a cardiologist at the South Heart Clinic in Harlingen, Texas, believes that traditional dieting is not the answer. He argues that eating low-calorie, low-fat meals that lack satisfaction is unsustainable and eventually boring.

According to Dr. Stone, heart health is less about fats and calories and more about one specific food group: High-Starch White Foods.

This category includes foods with added sugars, excess salt, white bread, white rice, white flour, and white pasta.

“I have one rule: I don’t touch white foods,” he says. However, he clarifies that this doesn’t apply to all white-colored foods like eggs and cauliflower—he specifically refers to ‘white starchy foods.’

What does he recommend instead? Whole foods. This category includes natural, unprocessed, or minimally processed foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, meats, eggs, whole grains, beans, dairy, and seafood. These foods are nutrient-dense and rich in fiber, including soluble fiber, which can help lower LDL cholesterol.

He also suggests paying attention to color when choosing foods. For instance, opt for a vibrant orange sweet potato over a white potato. The pigments in fruits and vegetables signal plant compounds that offer powerful antioxidant benefits. This advice also applies to non-starchy whole foods that are white, such as cauliflower, onions, fennel, and garlic.

Two diets that are particularly helpful for heart health are:   

1. Mediterranean Diet: This diet emphasizes whole, minimally processed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and healthy fats like extra virgin olive oil. It includes moderate amounts of fish, poultry, and eggs, recommends less red meat, and advises against processed meats, added sugars, and refined grains. This diet is rich in monounsaturated fats, fiber, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds, which help reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, and inflammation and support cardiovascular health.

2. DASH Diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension): Designed to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease, the DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy, while limiting sodium, saturated fats, added sugars, and processed foods. High in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, the DASH diet helps maintain healthy blood pressure and supports overall heart function.

Happy healthy eating, and we wish you the best of health. Insha’Allah.

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