Dr. Columbus Batiste: Why Moderation Kills and What to Do Instead | NHA Today

Most people use moderation as a reason to keep doing what they are doing. Dr. Columbus Batiste says that is exactly the mindset that can have lasting health implications.

 

In this episode of NHA Today, Dr. Stephan Esser sits down with Dr. Columbus Batiste, board-certified interventional cardiologist, author, and co-founder of Healthy Heart Nation. Known as the Healthy Heart Doc, Dr. Batiste has spent his career doing what most cardiologists do not: asking patients not just what they eat, but what they eat for their health - and then building a plan around what they actually want.

 

His personal story is the backbone of this conversation. His father was health-conscious, ran a health food store, and juiced long before it was fashionable - but also loved sodas

and sweets in moderation. He died from the effects of diabetes. Reading Caldwell Esselstyn's chapter titled Moderation Kills changed the course of Dr. Batiste's career.

 

In this conversation you will learn:

• Why moderation is a justification we only apply to things we know we should not be doing

• The three most heart-protective food groups and why they work at the cellular level

• How to talk to patients (or yourself) about food in a way that actually creates change

• The SELFISH acronym: seven pillars of heart health from spirituality to humor

• Why 80% of health outcomes happen outside the doctor's office

• The role of stress, presence, and relationships in cardiovascular disease

• Dr. Batiste's take on AI in medicine and what an elderly patient said that stopped him cold

• What he is bringing to the NHA Annual Conference this June

 

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ABOUT DR. COLUMBUS BATISTE

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Columbus Batiste, MD is a board-certified interventional cardiologist, co-founder of Healthy Heart Nation, and author of Selfish: A Cardiologist's Guide to Curing a Stressed and Broken Heart. He is the Regional Chief of Cardiology for Southern California Permanente Medical Group and a celebrity media contributor featured in documentaries, articles, and podcasts worldwide. He will be speaking at the NHA Annual Conference, June 25 to 28, 2026.

 

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LINKS AND RESOURCES

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Full episode and show notes:

Subscribe: https://www.healthscience.org/podcast/

NHA Annual Conference (June 25 to 28, 2026): https://checkout.healthscience.org/2026-nha-conference

Dr. Batiste's website: https://drbatiste.com

Follow Dr. Batiste on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthyheartdoc/

Dr. Batiste on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drbatiste/

Book - Selfish: A Cardiologist's Guide: [add purchase link]

Follow Dr. Esser on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/esserhealth/