Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a board-certified interventional cardiologist and certified functional medicine doctor, has dedicated over 20 years to treating heart disease and educating the public on the importance of heart health. As a national educator for the Institute for Functional Medicine, he has witnessed firsthand the detrimental effects of poor dietary choices on cardiovascular health. Dr. Bhojraj takes his future family’s commitment to well being very seriously. He’s laser-focused on what they can’t eat now, for his wife and three daughters—all of whom are high school-aged themselves.
Dr. Bhojraj’s years and years of experience treating heart attacks have given him a real view into the impact of nutrition. He’s passionate about raising awareness that food choices have the power to affect people’s hearts in a miraculous or harmful way. “I’ve seen the damage that certain foods can do,” he stated, underscoring the need for families to be more mindful of their dietary habits. His unique approach combines conventional cardiology with functional medicine to take an integrative, whole person approach to health that emphasizes prevention.
As a practicing cardiologist, Dr. Bhojraj has seen firsthand the incredible connection between diet and heart disease. He adds that the typical American diet is the biggest driver of inflammation and other risk factors that lead to serious cardiovascular complications. So, he has focused on raising awareness and educating patients and communities about healthier options.
To illustrate his point, Dr. Bhojraj names five particular foods he will never give to his kids, as the harmful long-term effects outweigh the argument that inclusion is necessary. These foods are those loaded with sugar, trans fats, artificial additives, too much sodium, and ultra-processed foods. Each of these categories present different, specific threats to both cardiopulmonary and general health and quality of life.
We know that sugary foods lead to insulin resistance and obesity. Both conditions are major risk factors for heart disease. Dr. Bhojraj strongly supports measures to cut down sugar consumption as much as possible, particularly for children and teens. He recommends parents stock up on healthier snack options such as fruit and nuts rather than dessert items that may be sugar-laden or sugar sweetened beverages.
Trans fats — frequently used in fried and baked goods — is another key achievement. Dr Bhojraj elucidates the reason these fats elevate levels of bad cholesterol. Yet at the same time, they lower your good cholesterol, throwing things out of whack and increasing your risk of heart disease. He urges families to read the food label and look for foods with zero trans fats.
Artificial additives are equally dangerous. Artificial additives can be just as damaging to health. Additives like preservatives and colorings used in many highly processed foods can cause negative reactions including hyperactivity in some children. Dr. Bhojraj urges parents to choose whole foods to reduce these risks whenever possible.
Since most processed foods have too much sodium already, this could be a prevalent issue. Such high sodium consumption leads to the development of hypertension, greatly raising the risk of heart disease. Dr. Bhojraj advocates for home-cooking. He’s convinced that with fresh ingredients you can keep sodium out of your meals and the ambition in your hands.
Finally, many ultra-processed items are poor sources of crucial nutrients and dubious in their caloric density. This combination makes it easy for children and adolescents to eat unhealthy foods. Instead, they put themselves at risk of becoming overweight and having heart disease in adulthood. To help patients stay healthy, Dr. Bhojraj encourages a diet full of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins.
As a father of three daughters, Dr. Bhojraj’s commitment to healthy eating goes beyond his professional life. He engages his family in planning and making meals, educating them on the importance of making healthy food decisions. By steering children to make healthier choices with this interactive method, families begin to form stronger connections while developing healthier lifestyles.