Daily Express

Ditching carbs and drugs put stop to misery

- By Giles Sheldrick

FORMER Virgin Atlantic pilot Tony Royle says his life was transforme­d by ditching carbohydra­tes and ending a reliance on drugs.

In 2014 the then 55-year-old was a heart attack waiting to happen. He was overweight with a 38-inch waist.

The father-of-four, from Malmesbury, Wiltshire, would gorge on bread, pasta and other starchy carbohydra­tes, like cereal and toast.

Eventually he did suffer a heart attack and had a stent fitted. He was put on a daily cocktail of drugs including aspirin (75mg), clopidogre­l (75mg), bisoprolol (2.5mg), ramipril (2.5mg) and atorvastat­in (80mg).

After a year of taking the drugs he became ill and was hit with extreme fatigue, muscle aches and memory disturbanc­e. He decided to see if the drugs were the cause of his misery.

He said: “After much research I arrived at the conclusion that it was indeed the drugs so I stopped them.

“Further research revealed it was most likely the over-consumptio­n of certain carbohydra­tes was primarily responsibl­e for both my belly and visceral fat and my heart disease.

“The official advice to steer clear of saturated fats and replace them with certain carbohydra­tes was a shocking error of judgment.”

Public Health England’s Eatwell Guide says a third of a dinner plate should be starchy carbohydra­tes like bread, pasta and potatoes.

His diet is now 65 per cent healthy fats, 25 per cent protein and 10 per cent carbohydra­tes. In five months he lost three stones. Mr Royle, who is competing in an Ironman triathlon next month, said: “My body, at last, seems to be in perfect balance.”

 ??  ?? Tony Royle, left, in a half marathon and how he looked 18 months before, right
Tony Royle, left, in a half marathon and how he looked 18 months before, right

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