By: Missy Wilkinson
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Cardiologists! They think they're so great, with their anatomical heart models and ascetic dietary advice. But come on. Under those white coats, they're people, too, just like you and me, right? Which means they enjoy cold hot dogs dipped in cans of chocolate frosting, washed down with rum & Coke.
Just kidding. That's not most people's idea of a good time -- which is a good thing, because eating too much of the wrong stuff can actually kill you. Since cardiologists try to keep that from happening to their patients -- and presumably themselves -- what foods do they consider unhealthy enough to ban from their homes? Six cardiologists spill the beans (which, by the way, you should definitely eat, because beans are super heart-healthy).
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Red meat
"I usually avoid red meat as much as feasibly possible -- the burgers and buns and heavily salted red meat stuff. In Western civilization, a lot of stuff we're trained to eat increases heart attacks and obesity and diabetes. You have to find a little bit of an in between, but yeah, I basically stay away from red meat." - Dr. Ronald J. Scheib, cardiologist and Medical Director of Pritikin Longevity Center & Spa
"I try to avoid fatty red meats, [such as] very fatty steaks. [But] you can cut the fat off." - Dr. Robert Kloner, Director of the Cardiovascular Research Institute at Huntington Medical Research Institutes
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Soda, both diet and regular versions
"Drinking soda has serious consequences. Regular soda promotes an insulin spike, which leads to weight gain and can cause a host of metabolic disorders. Beyond sugar, soda has phosphoric acid, which can promote osteoporosis and may be a cancer-causing agent. As for diet soda, it can lead to the same spike and risk of metabolic disease; a recent study indicated that excessive drinking can counterintuitively lead to weight gain." - Dr. Adam Splaver, board certified in cardiology and internal medicine
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Processed meats
"I definitely stay away from highly processed meat, bacon, hot dogs, things that have a lot of sodium or preservatives." - Dr. Jennifer Haythe, cardiologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia-Presbyterian in NYC
"[Processed meats] are all pretty bad -- bacon is very high in fat and the lunch meats are all the same, even the turkey. If you want a turkey sandwich, I'd get fresh-cut turkey." - Dr. Nieca Goldberg, cardiologist and Director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health Center at NYU Langone Medical Center
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