As a dietitian on the internet, it’s not lost on me that there is a MAJOR difference in what people want to see versus what will actually make the biggest difference in their health.

Case in point: the enormous amount of content debating the “dangers” of oats or the “benefits” of colostrum and how so very few people actually talk about heart health. So, since it’s February and it’s Heart Month…let’s go there. Because heart disease is still the number one killer of adults in the USA and the number two leading cause of death in Canada. 

And this conversation is fraught with WAY more trendy controversies than you might expect. Like all the carnivore/blood sugar bros who try and tell you that saturated fat isn’t a problem. Or not to worry about your LDL cholesterol levels.

So I wanted to bring in a master myth-buster, Dr Adrian Chavez PhD to break down the science of heart health, what the risk factors are as well as what research says about how to eat for a healthier heart. It was important to me that I talk to an omnivore for this one as I feel like a lot of the plant-based discourse around heart disease makes it sound like anyone who eats animal foods is going to have an instant heart attack…which just isn’t true.

We cover different diets for heart health, whether you need omega 3 fatty acids and other supplements and just a ton of BS-free, practical advice on how to eat to keep your body strong and healthy.

About Dr Adrian:

Dr. Adrian Chavez PhD has a Master’s Degree in Exercise Science and PhD in Nutrition and Health Promotion who has quickly grown a following on Instagram for his no-nonsense, evidence-based nutrition advice. Dr Chavez is host of The Science of Nutrition Podcast and runs a virtual nutrition course called the Nutrition Mastery Blueprint.

On this episode we chat about:

• Dr Adrian’s journey from athletics to a PhD in nutrition
• What does it actually mean to have a healthy heart?
• Why are people saying LDL cholesterol isn’t a problem?
• How dietary cholesterol and saturated fat impacts blood cholesterol
• The role of fibre in regulating blood fats
• What to eat and what to minimize for better cholesterol
• An easy hack to increase fiber + decrease saturated fat
• Omega 3: diet vs supplements
• Salt and blood pressure

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