{"id":445433,"date":"2026-02-25T20:54:14","date_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/445433\/"},"modified":"2026-02-25T20:54:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-25T20:54:14","slug":"im-a-cardiologist-and-there-are-three-things-i-would-never-eat-or-drink","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/445433\/","title":{"rendered":"‘I’m a cardiologist and there are three things I would never eat or drink’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr Francesco Lo Monaco has explained the dangerous foods that will damage your heart healthNeil Shaw<\/a> Assistant Editor (Money and Lifestyle)<\/p>\n

08:34, 25 Feb 2026Updated 10:39, 25 Feb 2026<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Dr Francesco Lo Monaco is a cardiologist<\/p>\n

A cardiologist has listed the foods he refuses to eat – and the ones he prioritises to keep his heart in tip-top condition. Dr Francesco Lo Monaco<\/a> is a preventative cardiologist and founder of The National Heart Clinic on London\u2019s Harley Street.<\/p>\n

He is also author of Heart Saviour, a new book designed to show how small, consistent changes can make life-changing differences to health and longevity. Dr Lo Monaco said: \u201cHeart disease is often preventable but too many people only start caring about it when something goes wrong.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery week I see patients who are surprised when I tell them the foods they eat daily are damaging their arteries.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Avoid<\/p>\n

Avoid red meat and processed meat<\/p>\n

Processed meats and excessive amounts of red, \u2018fatty\u2019 meat<\/p>\n

Bacon, sausages and deli meats are full of salt, which raises blood pressure<\/a>, and saturated fats, which raise levels of low-density lipoprotein, or \u2018bad\u2019 cholesterol. Both of these are linked to a higher risk of coronary heart disease. Meanwhile, excessive amounts of red meat in the diet, particularly fatty cuts, can also raise the risk of coronary heart disease.<\/p>\n

Dr Lo Monaco said: \u201cI tell patients that red meat should be occasional, not daily, and that the quality of the meat matters. Go for a lean cut and really try to limit any processed meat in your diet, as there\u2019s strong evidence they do harm, and replace the protein with eggs, fish and nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ready-made meals and processed snacks<\/p>\n

Convenience foods can be loaded with sodium, saturated fats and processed meats – which are all bad for heart health. Dr Lo Monaco said: \u201cPreparing healthy meals does take time and for people with busy lives this can be hard. That\u2019s a fact, not an excuse.<\/p>\n

\u201cDespite this, I think most people can make meaningful dietary improvements that dramatically reduce cardiovascular risk by aiming to eat well most of the time. Look at the list of ingredients on any ready-made meals or snacks and if it\u2019s long and there\u2019s things on there you can\u2019t pronounce, put it back.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Sugary<\/p>\n

Sugary drinks are also on the ‘banned’ list<\/p>\n

Sugary drinks<\/p>\n

Too much sugar increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and Dr Lo Monaco says the sugar content in drinks can be easy to forget. He said: \u201cWe often look at calories in the foods we eat but forget about liquid calories. Sugar-sweetened beverages should be cut out entirely.\u201d<\/p>\n

What to eat instead<\/p>\n

Dr Lo Monaco said: \u201cThe Mediterranean diet is the one I was raised on in Sicily and this is what I always recommend to patients. It prioritises whole foods and healthy fats and doesn\u2019t mean restriction, so it\u2019s easy to stick to.<\/p>\n

\u201cUse vegetables such as tomatoes, leafy greens, onions and carrots as the foundation for all meals. The goal is to have multiple servings a day and with variety. Enjoy fresh fruits such as berries, citrus and stone fruits every day. Lentils, chickpeas and white beans are a great source of fibre and protein. Healthy fats are key, with extra virgin olive oil being the primary fat source in Mediterranean diets.<\/p>\n

\u201cA handful of nuts or seeds such as almonds or sunflower seeds should be consumed daily, despite the calorie content. Avocados and olives are also good for additional healthy fats. Great protein sources include Omega 3-rich fish especially salmon and sardines, and poultry over red meat. Eggs are great too, and not the cholesterol villain we once thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo enhance flavour in your foods, use herbs and spices such as garlic, basil and oregano over salt, as they also provide antioxidant effects. The important thing to remember is you don\u2019t have to change everything overnight. Start small and make gradual changes for a long-term approach to prioritising your heart health.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Dr Francesco Lo Monaco has explained the dangerous foods that will damage your heart healthNeil Shaw Assistant Editor…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445434,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[6612,16591,1991,59,102,2750,11721,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-445433","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-blood-pressure","tag-cholesterol","tag-food","tag-gb","tag-health","tag-heart-disease","tag-olive-oil","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445433","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=445433"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/445433\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/445434"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=445433"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=445433"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=445433"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}