Getting to the Heart of the Matter
I want to tackle the single most important and most obvious question anyone who reads my
The question is this: "Chris, you've had five heart attacks. How can you possibly be on a high-fat diet? Isn't that just pouring gasoline on a fire?"
It’s a valid, logical, and vital question. For 50 years, we’ve been taught that a "high-fat diet" is a one-way ticket to heart disease. And if I were following the standard, "dirty keto" version of this diet, I believe my critics might be correct.
But I'm not.
The lifestyle I'm building is not just a "high-fat" diet; it's a strategic, anti-inflammatory protocol. My research and my journey have convinced me that the "fire" that led to my cardiac events wasn't just fat—it was a raging inferno of chronic inflammation and insulin resistance caused by a lifetime of processed foods, inflammatory oils, and sugar.
My clean keto lifestyle isn't the gasoline. It's the fire extinguisher.
Part 1: The Real Arsonists: Inflammation and Insulin Resistance
The old, simplified model was:
Eat Saturated Fat -> Raise Cholesterol -> Clog Arteries
This model is dangerously incomplete. It misses the cause of the problem. Arteries don't just "clog" passively. They are damaged. They are injured, inflamed, and trying to heal.
Chronic Inflammation (The "Fire"): As I covered in my
post on inflammation Insulin Resistance (The "Driver"): A lifetime of high-carb, high-sugar, and processed-starch foods sends our insulin levels on a rollercoaster. Over time, our cells stop listening to insulin. This "insulin resistance" is a pro-inflammatory state all on its own. Chronically high insulin is a hormone that tells your body to store fat and damages blood vessels.
Oxidized LDL (The "Spark"): We're told "LDL is bad cholesterol." The truth is more nuanced. LDL (a lipoprotein) is just the "boat" that transports cholesterol. The real problem starts when that boat is damaged—or "oxidized"—by this high-sugar, high-inflammation, high-stress environment. Once oxidized, the LDL boat can "crash" and stick to the damaged, inflamed artery walls, starting the plaque-building process.
My "clean keto" protocol is designed to stop this entire cascade.
Part 2: Differentiating the "Fats"
This is the most critical distinction. My "high-fat diet" looks nothing like the "dirty keto" version that (rightfully) worries doctors.
The "Dirty Keto" Fats (The Gasoline I AVOID)
These are the fats that promote inflammation and cellular damage.
Inflammatory Seed Oils: (Hard No) Canola oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil. These are high in unstable Omega-6 fats, which are pro-inflammatory.
Artificial Trans Fats: (Hard No) Partially hydrogenated oils. Universally recognized as toxic.
Processed Meats (Dirty): (Hard No) Pepperoni, deli meats, and sausages that are loaded with sugar, dextrose, maltodextrin, and nitrates.
Processed Snacks: (Hard No) "Keto" bars and snacks built with the oils above, plus processed starches and gut-irritating fillers.
My "Clean Keto" Fats (The Fire Extinguishers)
These are the fats that are either neutral or actively anti-inflammatory.
Monounsaturated Fats (My Foundation): (Hard Yes) This is my primary fat source.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Used cold (on salads, drizzled on food). It's an anti-inflammatory powerhouse containing oleocanthal.
Avocado Oil: My go-to for high-heat cooking (searing, stir-frying). It's stable and clean.
Avocados: The whole food itself.
Anti-Inflammatory Omega-3s: (Hard Yes)
Fatty Fish: Salmon, mackerel, sardines. This is my "damage control" meal, actively fighting inflammation.
Stable, Clean Saturated Fats: (Hard Yes)
Ghee & Grass-Fed Butter: My go-to for medium-heat cooking (sautéing).
Coconut Oil & MCT Oil: Clean, stable fats for energy.
Whole-Food Animal Fats: The natural fat in my grass-fed steak or chicken thighs.
My diet is not just "high-fat." It's a diet that has aggressively eliminated inflammatory fats and replaced them with anti-inflammatory fats.
Part 3: How My Full Protocol Fights for My Heart
This lifestyle change is a multi-pronged attack on the root causes of heart disease:
Clean Keto removes the single biggest driver of inflammation: sugar and refined starches. This stabilizes my blood sugar and dramatically lowers my insulin.
Clean Keto replaces the pro-inflammatory seed oils (Omega-6) with anti-inflammatory whole-food fats (Omega-3s, MUFAs - Monounsaturated Fatty Acids).
Intermittent Fasting (22:2) amplifies these benefits. My 22-hour fast provides a massive daily window for autophagy, or cellular repair, allowing my body to heal damaged tissues, including my blood vessels. It also maximizes my insulin sensitivity, reversing the damage of insulin resistance.
Gut Health Focus (probiotics, clean foods) supports my "second brain," which is the command center for my body's entire inflammatory response.
Part 4: My Data (The "Proof in the...er...Pudding?")
This isn't just theory. I'm on a comprehensive medication plan (Lipitor, Ezetimibe, etc.) to manage my heart health, and this diet is the lifestyle component. My doctors and I monitor my blood work closely.
I'm comfortable sharing my most recent lipid panel. This is what my blood work looks like while living this high-fat, clean-keto lifestyle.
Total Cholesterol: 2.84 mmol/L (Very low, thanks to my meds)
Triglycerides: 0.88 mmol/L (This is the big one!)
Why this is EXCELLENT: Triglycerides are a measure of the fat in your blood, and they are primarily driven by carbohydrate and sugar intake. A high-triglyceride number is a major risk factor for heart disease. My number of 0.88 is in the optimal range (under 1.0). This is the #1 sign that my ketogenic diet is working and my metabolism is healthy.
HDL Cholesterol ("Good"): 0.91 mmol/L
Why this is a "Hole": This is my "work-in-progress." This number is low (optimal is >1.3).
My Plan: The two most powerful ways to raise "good" HDL are: 1) Consuming clean, healthy fats (which I'm doing) and 2) Consistent exercise (which I am now re-integrating with my daily walks and bodyweight routines). This low number is my biggest motivator to get moving.
Non-HDL Cholesterol ("Bad"): 1.93 mmol/L (Very low, again thanks to meds)
The most powerful number on that panel, in my opinion, is the Triglyceride/HDL Ratio. Many experts believe this is a far more accurate predictor of heart disease than just "Total Cholesterol."
My Ratio: 0.88 (Trigs) / 0.91 (HDL) = 0.96
Why this is OPTIMAL: An ideal ratio is below 2.0. An optimal ratio is below 1.0. My ratio of 0.96 is fantastic and suggests that, despite my low HDL, my metabolic health is in a very good place.
Conclusion: Rewriting My Own Rulebook
Clean keto is not a reckless, "high-fat" fad. It is a calculated, anti-inflammatory, low-insulin, whole-food protocol designed to reverse the very conditions that led to my five heart attacks.
It's about taking control, trusting the new science, and focusing on ingredient quality, not just macros. I'm not pouring gasoline on a fire; I'm starving it of fuel and rebuilding the house from the foundation up.
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