There's More Than One Way to Skim the Fat
washingtonpost.com
Washington Post
Tuesday, February 20, 2001; Page HE09
It just wasn't working for Nathan Bayer. After two mild heart attacks and a total cholesterol level approaching the stratosphere, the Washington lawyer went on a low-fat, Type-A, establishment diet. Fat-free pretzels for snacks. Butterless pasta and meatless sauce. Exercise every day, plus cholesterol-lowering medication.
Months went by and Bayer still wasn't losing weight. His cholesterol levels were coming down, but not far enough. So he switched to a trendy, unorthodox, high-fat, anti-carbohydrate/pro-protein diet. His skeptical cardiologist agreed to his diet rebellion with the stipulation that Bayer be monitored every three months.
Overnight, he changed into a butter-and-egg man. A meat and no-potatoes kind of guy. Go for the lamb chop. Forget carrots and cookies. Declare the house a white-bread-free zone. Sip a glass of wine, preferably red. He found the diet easy to follow, he wasn't hungry, he didn't feel deprived or overwhelmed with record-keeping. Results: Bayer, who is 5-8, dropped about 30 pounds. His weight has now stabilized between 152 and 156 pounds. Meanwhile, his cholesterol levels plummeted from a high of 266 (200 is considered normal) to a current total level of 149. Nathan Bayer, 56, defies conventional wisdom. A high-fat diet to lower cholesterol levels as well as body fat? Scientists are quick to point out that one anecdote doesn't prove anything. Except that the diet works well for this particular mid-life Washington lawyer.
And that was enough to convince his cardiologist to give it a try. Ramin Oskoui, who practices in Northwest Washington and treats patients at Washington Hospital Center, and Sibley and Suburban hospitals, went on the unconventional diet a year ago. He lost 25 pounds. His cholesterol levels dropped from 235 to 135. |
