Science-based nutrition to prevent a heart attack | Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD

The Proof with Simon Hill

Simon Hill

Nutrition, Education, Self-improvement, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 22 December 2025

⏱️ 137 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, I’m joined by cardiac dietitian Michelle Routhenstein to unpack why heart disease prevention is still so misunderstood. We explore cholesterol confusion, blood pressure, saturated fat, carbs, supplements, and why personalised nutrition matters far more than rigid dietary rules. Michelle explains how food choices influence plaque progression, inflammation, gut health, and heart rhythm, and why sustainable habits, not extremes, are key for long-term cardiovascular health. What We Cover Why heart disease is still largely preventable yet so common Cholesterol, ApoB, and the biggest nutrition myths patients face Blood pressure as the most powerful but ignored risk factor Soluble fibre, unsaturated fats, and gut health for heart protection Menopause, metabolic changes, and shifting cardiovascular risk Supplements vs food, and when medication still matters A practical, evidence-based conversation on how to protect your heart for the long term. You can learn more from Michelle Routhenstein by following her on Instagram, connecting with her on LinkedIn, or visiting her website for resources and ways to work with her. Intro (00:00:00) Nutrition Is Central to Heart Health (00:01:23) Prevention vs Treatment: Where Cardiology Gets It Wrong (00:04:20) Becoming a Cardiac Dietitian (00:09:47) Preventing Cardiovascular Disease Before It Starts (00:12:39) What a Truly Heart-Healthy Diet Looks Like (00:18:53) Carbohydrates & Heart Health Explained (00:23:40) Personalized Nutrition, Biomarkers & Omega-3s (00:30:35) Cholesterol, Fats & Fiber Explained Simply (00:46:32) Saturated vs Unsaturated Fats (00:48:17) Adjusting Diets Based on Cholesterol Response (00:53:20) Seed Oil Myths & Online Nutrition Controversies (01:13:28) Sodium, Visceral Fat & Cardiometabolic Risk (01:24:56) GLP-1s, Menopause & Individualized Heart Care (01:32:27) Real Patient Transformations & The Future of Cardiac Care (01:42:43) Supplements Can Support But Not Replace Nutrition (01:49:59) Dietitians & Cardiologists Working Together (02:05:39) This episode is brought to you by: 38TERA Consider 38TERA's DMN prebiotic supplement a daily multivitamin for your gut. Formulated by yours truly and gastroenterologist Dr Will Bulsiewicz. Use code THEPROOF for a discount at checkout. Function Health Take charge of your health with advanced blood testing and personalised insights. Function Health offers a practical way to track key health markers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, and more. Learn more and join at functionhealth.com/simonhill for a $25 credit toward your membership. Only available to those living in the United States. Eight Sleep Upgrade your sleep with the Pod 5 Ultra by Eight Sleep. Clinically validated to deliver up to 1 extra hour of quality sleep per night through temperature control and biometric tracking. Use code THEPROOF for $400 off at eightsleep.com/theproof. Try it risk-free for 30 days, with worldwide shipping. IM8 With 92 nutrients, including Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium and Vitamin D, in highly absorbable forms, IM8 Daily Essentials is the perfect all-in-one daily multi-vitamin to ensure you meet your daily micronutrient needs. IM8 is offering an exclusive 10% off your first order with a free welcome kit when you enter the promo code SIMON at checkout on im8health.com AirBnB Right in the heart of the city, I’ve been hosting a hands-on Airbnb Experience at Little City Farm that’s all about plant diversity, gut health, and delicious food. For more information, or to find other experiences on your next trip, check out airbnb.com/experiences. Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons) Creator of theproof.com Host of The Proof with Simon Hill Author of The Proof is in the Plants Subscribe & Connect: YouTube Apple Podcasts Spotify Instagram: @simonhill Twitter: @theproof Facebook: The Proof with Simon Hill

Transcript

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0:00.0	Today we're talking about something that affects just about every single one of us, heart disease,
0:07.8	the leading cause of death worldwide, but also something that is very preventable. I'm joined
0:13.8	by preventive cardiology dietitian Michelle Ruthenstein. Michelle works on the front lines with
0:20.1	people who have elevated ABOB, concerning CT scans,
0:24.3	a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, or just overwhelming confusion about what
0:29.1	they should be eating, and helps them lower their risk of having a cardiac event, heart attack, stroke,
0:34.3	etc. using evidence-based nutrition. In this episode, we break down the
0:39.6	foods and food groups that genuinely lower cardiovascular risk, what stabilizing plaque really means,
0:46.9	the truth about seed oils, dairy, and omega-6 fats, the biggest nutrition myths that Michelle
0:52.7	faces daily in her clinical work, and the simple,
0:56.6	high-impact changes that deliver the greatest return. If you want clarity, if you're trying
1:02.5	to improve your APOB or blood pressure, or if heart disease runs in your family like it does in
1:07.2	mine, this conversation will give you a roadmap. So with that, please enjoy this
1:12.4	evidence-based masterclass on cardiovascular nutrition with the brilliant Michelle Ruthenstein.
1:22.6	I must admit, I have listened to the National Libid Association podcast, probably one of the few out there that kind of has.
1:31.0	I guess it's more, it's more for doctors and medical students, probably, that sort of audience, rather than a kind of general public audience who is just looking for information on how to eat in a heart-healthy way
1:46.2	and make sense of confusing information online. How would you say that at these conferences,
1:51.1	how would you say your views differ, I guess, to the average cardiologists?
1:57.5	I don't think that it differs. I think that the big problem is that cardiologists don't have
2:03.4	the time to talk about nutrition and they frankly don't know about nutrition. People came to me
2:08.1	finding that I was a dietitian or when I spoke like when I asked a question on the mic and
2:12.1	introduce myself, people come up to me like, so what should I eat? They don't even know what to eat.
	...

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