Nbcdfw iconNbcdfwAug 30, 2026 ~1 min source read

A cardiologist's No. 1 rule for healthy eating is avoiding this food: ‘I don't touch it'

People worried about their heart health must often change their diet to lose weight, get blood sugar under control and lower cholesterol levels. The doctor is less concerned about fats and calories than one particular group of foods.

A cardiologist's No. 1 rule for healthy eating is avoiding this food: ‘I don't touch it'

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People worried about their heart health must often change their diet to lose weight, get blood sugar under control and lower cholesterol levels.

The doctor is less concerned about fats and calories than one particular group of foods.

Limit high-starch white foods Stone defines this as added sugar, excess salt, white bread, white rice, white flour and white pasta.

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The useful part

People worried about their heart health must often change their diet to lose weight, get blood sugar under control and lower cholesterol levels. The doctor is less concerned about fats and calories than one particular group of foods. Limit high-starch white foods Stone defines this as added sugar, excess salt, white bread, white rice, white flour and white pasta.

How it works

  • There are only three liquids: water, black coffee, unsweetened tea," Stone tells TODAY.com "People get confused.
  • Like, 'OK, doc, don't eat white — not even eggs or cauliflower?' That's not what I'm talking about.

What to take from it

James Stone, a cardiologist at the South Heart Clinic in Harlingen, Texas, calls dieting "the biggest mental warfare we've ever been taught" because many of his patients think they have to eat low-calorie, low-fat meals that aren't satisfying — an eating regimen that can't be sustained, he says.

Details worth keeping

So what's the best way to eat to prevent heart disease? Everything I eat is fruits, nuts, proteins, vegetables.

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