To Jomil,

Please accept my apologies for such a long delay in returning your request. I have only just read your letter.

Here is an update on my condition, as of June 28th, 2001.

I have lost 57 lbs.
My pant size is now a loose 36, heading for my goal of size 34 ( my Son's size ! )
My cholesterol is at 5.3
My Tri-glyceride level has been stable at 1.12
Blood pressure is 125/70 and my blood pressure medication has been halved.
Heart rate at 67 still ( at rest )
High energy levels have remained.
I have not had a headache since last August (hunger-low sugar headache)
I still take an aspirin a day, and with all the knowledge we now have, I will continue to take aspirin every day for the rest of my life.
All signs of my Angina are gone, and I hope and pray they are gone forever.

My quality of life has dramatically improved, which makes adhering to my new eating pattern much easier.
I have consumed no RED MEAT, knowingly. (The no red meat decision was a personal one and is not based on any medical criteria.)

The WEB MD has never replied.

I empathize with your lethargy. This is a silent symptom of angina even without medication adding to it.

Your friend at the party has an additional problem that you don't have. He is taking a diuretic. Diuretics alleviate water retention problems and therefore allow the heart to work easier (Sometimes and not all the time). They also flush out the water soluble minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium, all essential for proper heart rythym, heart beat pressure and to some extent, cholesterol levels.

A low carbohydrate diet at first acts as a diuretic and that is why you may experience a big weight loss initially. Oddly enough, the best thing you can do is to increase your water intake to at least 8 to 12 8oz glasses of water per day. Hard at first, but well worth the effort. We as a nation do not drink enough water and most Canadians and Americans are in a state of dehydration. Your body does many "funny" things when it is dehydrated, as a defense. Stores water and fat when it gets it, and changes the metabolism rates at which these nutrients are used just to name a couple. Supplementation of these important minerals is certainly not out of line when on diuretic medication and when on any diet that may reduce or restrict these elements.

As a suggestion, if you have not already, read Dr Atkin's Diet Revolution book very carefully, and read ALL of it.

Also, please note that I have reduced my medication dramatically but only with close medical supervision. I still have my blood tested every month ( at least for 2 more months to make it a full year ) and I have a digital blood pressure machine at home to take my own blood pressure readings as often as I desire.

You should keep notes on everything you eat for awhile and monitor your blood pressure as often as you can. You may be surprised what you learn. Some people, for example, learn that caffeine in any form ( tea, coffee, chocolate, colas etc. ) dramatically increases heart rate and blood pressure just moments after consuming. Some people react to red food colouring. (Did you know that white flour as used in white bread, has red food colouring ?!) Some people have a dramatic drop in blood pressure when they consume garlic!

Bottom line, everyone is distinctly different in the way we react to specific things. Get to know yourself as well as you can and never ever dismiss the care and advice from your family doctor until you can prove to him/her that you know more about you than they do, and that will take some "doing".

I hope I have not babbled too much and I wish you success in your quest for good health. Contact me if you wish an even more detailed account. It may take me awhile, but I will get back to you. I would be interested in hearing your situation and what you have accomplished so far.

Ken T.