Heart disease is to blame for 25% of deaths in the U.S. each year, over 600,000 last year alone.

Despite a great amount of research, technology, and spending on drugs, procedures, and tests, this is a bold statement that our diet and lifestyle is not working. Further evidence comes from other countries in Asia, South America, Africa, even parts of Europe, where processed foods, sugar, salt, fat and animal protein are consumed less.

Are you headed towards a similar fate?

Take this test, and find out: (my answers in parenthesis)

Are You Likely to Die From Heart Disease?

1. Do you smoke? (N)
2. Are you 20 pounds overweight or more? (N)
3. Do you eat beef, chicken, pork, shellfish or cheese at least six out of seven days? (N)
4. Do you eat restaurant food on average 3 or more times per week? (N)
5. Do you use conventional (vs. Organic) animal foods and/or produce most of the time? (N)
6. Do you use pesticides on your lawn, or use a gas mower and/or snowblower? (N)
7. Do you do yoga, meditation, tai chi or other stress reducing techniques regularly? (Y)
8. Do you use sea salt at home, and eat brown rice at least twice per week? (Y)
9. Do you have sea vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, radishes, and miso weekly more more? (Y)
10. Do you get to sleep by 11pm at least three days per week? (Y)
11. Do you skip dessert a couple of times per week, and have whole fruits sometimes? (Y)
12. Do you do a daily body rub before showering? (Y)

Scoring:

• For questions 1-6, YES answers add 2 points. For questions 6-12, NO answers add 1 point.
• If you have 12-18 points, you are on the road to ruin, and need to make positive changes
• If you have 8-11 points, you are average. Do not panic, just make gradual improvements
• If you have 7 or fewer points, you are golden. Keep up the good work. (I have zero points)

Please note that making changes takes effort at the beginning, but is no less fun. Also note that we ignored red wine in this study—we don’t believe that alcohol helps. Also, we ignored family history. We believe that family history and diet are linked.

My job is to help people with motivation, ideas and support to improve their diet and lifestyle, so they can live longer and happier lives. Contact me at david@kagan.co