I was intrigued by the title of the book, The Paleo Cardiologist and was anxious to read what he had to say! I was not surprised by most of his words – actually I felt like I was basking in his hard line against the conventional medicine approach!
Dr. Wolfson practiced conventional cardiology for years. And then he meet a chiropractor who changed the way he thought about health and disease.
Yes!
As a chiropractor myself, I love this part of the story… the cool part? – the chiropractor eventually became his wife and they are now a team! I love it!
In the book, Dr. Wolfson explains the Paleo diet and why it is the best diet for health, including cardiovascular health.
I love his detailed explanation about cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, LDL and small dense particles versus large fluffy particles. He explains that the HDL and the LDL are not cholesterol themselves, but simply carriers of cholesterol.
He explains that trying to lower cholesterol is detrimental to health because it is a necessary part of the metabolic functions of the body and should be honored, not shunned as we have been brainwashed into thinking. He is truly on board with breaking the cholesterol myth.
He takes on Big Pharma with a vengeance – stating that many medicines are unnecessary and harmful.
I love hearing this from a trained cardiologist!
This is all very much in line with the teaching of the Weston Price Foundation on cholesterol and another reason why both approaches are valid.
Appropriate Testing
As a clinician, I found the chapter called Top Twenty Blood Tests to be very enlightening. Dr. Wolfson is not in favor of ordering unnecessary, costly tests just to CYA (cover your ass). However, he is at the cutting edge of testing – using the newest functional tests that are available to assess cardiac function and overall good health.
For instance, he recommends testing for various inflammatory markers such as, hs-CRP, PLA2, IL1b, TNF and IL-6. You may not have heard about some of these instructive tests.
He recommends testing for heavy metals by blood, urine or hair to find out your heavy metal burden as this can affect your health.
He mentions genetic testing, diabetes panel, thyroid tests, vitamin D, adrenal function tests, and many other functional medicine tests that can really open a window to your truth state of health.
Appropriate Supplementation
While I like to get my nutrients from food, there are many reasons for supplementation. Dr. Wolfson has another chapter called Top Twenty Supplements where he recommends specific supplements for specific reasons.
Some of the supplements are the usual ones for cardiac health such as magnesium, hawthorne and COQ10, but he also recommends other supplements that are more specific for certain conditions.
This chapter is very instructive and can give you some direction. All the information is referenced from the scientific literature.
While he does have his own store, you can get these supplements from any reputable company. He is clearly not here just to sell supplements.
I recommend the book to anyone who is searching for health or knows someone with a health problem.
Dr. Wolfson take a hard line about being on a strict Paleo diet. But contrary to most medical doctors, he practices what he preaches. He is in favor of organic, homegrown foods, filtered air and water in the home and basically chemical free living.
These days, that is hard to do and this lifestyle is something to work towards as you make changes in your diet and lifestyle.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Paleo Cardiologist and if I had a cardiac health issue I would see Dr. Wolfson over a conventional cardiologist if I could.
Get The Paleo Cardiologist here.
