Nutritionist

[123Abc123]

Sometime ago, when I was questioning about the link between AF and food, someone kindly replied and said that they had been to see a Nutritionist. I am wondering whether that person was sent by the hospital or whether they did so off their own back. I've tried the idea of the food diary but find it difficult to judge the results. I have a horrible feeling that chocolate might might set my AF off😟

[BobD Volunteer]

not unknown!

[jeanjeannie50]

Eating lots of chocolate can certainly set my AF off. Yet I can get away with boiled sweets.

Jean

[123Abc123 in reply to jeanjeannie50]

I was really pleased to find that chocolate had no Vit. K too! Ah well!

[jeanjeannie50 in reply to 123Abc123]

We can't win, can we!

[Hidden]

Hi 123 etc.

Might have been me. After I identified food as a trigger I went to my GP with symptoms and he did some tests for IBS and Coeliac Disease. Came back all clear. Offered to do more tests but I declined. I went to a Nutritionist, referred myself, off my own back, own expense - was given dietary advice, have followed it and have had no AF events since April 2015. Chocolate can do it with some people. But so can Gluten, wheat, oats, cheese etc amongst other things.

John

[123Abc123 in reply to Hidden]

Oh thanks, I think I might investigate a local practitioner. I'm thinking cheese is s problem as well.

[Ewcia in reply to 123Abc123]

check sensitivity to amines.

[AliElli]

I have a couple of pieces of raw chocolate every day. Quality not quantity. Be prepared to make dietary changes. Our bodies are telling us that what we're doing now is not working . The great thing I've learned is to enjoy new healthy alternatives to what no longer serves me. Be open to change.

[Hidden]

The joys of AF! All these people saying what they have given up for lent. If they ask me I say I've given up alcohol and cafine for life that's enough for me!

[Hidden]

I saw an integrative medicine doc last year and met with his nutritiinist. They encouraged lots of vegetables, less milk products, lean meats. Biggest thing was no soft drinks, drink mostly water, eat berries and nuts daily, exercise and try and get to a normal weight. Ive been working on it. A Fib has gotten much better. Episodes are getting further apart and milder. Last one was almost 6 mo ago and only 90 min. Im now only taking meds if I have an episode which Im happy about. 15 mo ago when I was diagnosed and put on sotalol, the episodes were at least 10 hours and very hard. Im soon to be 64, hoping for better health.

[songbird74 in reply to Hidden]

Who did you see? I have been looking for someone to see for a while - I currently follow Mark Hyman's books and I like what he says but he is in the US and would love a one to one

[Hidden in reply to songbird74]

I am in Missouri in the USA, doctor is Mark Link MD associated with Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City, Mo. You can do this on your own though. Basically no soft drinks, no alcohol, no processed foods, eat at least 7 vegetable servings , 2 fruits daily, daily nuts and berries; salmon twice weekly, limit milk products, try and get 30 grams of fiber daily. Im not rigid on this but used to be really sedentary, alot of fast food and diet coke , almost no water . Its taken me a year to drop 30 of the 60 lb I need to lose but I feel so much better . Still fight anxiety re when is a fib going to rear its ugly head up next but nice that Im exceeding my record in time between episodes

[songbird74 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for this - it is pretty much what I am doing although I think I may need to up my fibre and water. My episodes are still every 4 days but only last 12 - 24 hours instead of 48 hours so again i am moving in the right direction. I would like to see a functional medicine Dr in the UK though but it doesn't seem popular over here yet.

[Hidden in reply to songbird74]

I hope we both see less and less a fib in our lives💝

[123Abc123 in reply to Hidden]

You would think the Drs would make diet a major part of treatment.

[Hidden in reply to 123Abc123]

My original cardiologist just medicated me, no talk of diet. After 4 awfulmonths of breathlessness, his response was " just push thru it", I sought a second opinion with a University EP. He immediately weaned me off sotalol, said I wasnt tolerating it due to my sick sinus and put me on pill in pocket with other meds. Mostly he talked to me about lifestyle changes and my a fib " should get less aggressive". Thats when I looked for a nutritiinist. Funny part is I just went to see original cardiologist for yearly followup as he is closer to home. He was visibly shocked at how well Im doing and actually said my heart must be remodeling for the better. He was against pill in pocket, maybe he is rethinking things. Im seriously thinking of going more plant based diet as that has been proven to reverse other heart disease.

[Polski]

Chocolate contains caffeine . . .

[needlestone]

I found food triggers were my main issue with setting my heart off. Chocolate was a big one. In small doses though I can have some but not a whole candy bar and I love those. I went to a naturopathic doctor on my own and she was the one who asked me to go gluten free to see if that would help and it did tremendously. No doctor referred me to this naturopath, I went on my own because the doctors only wanted to treat with meds. I do not take meds just watch what I eat and drink. Hi Sugar, artificial sweeteners (aspartame/sucralose) and alcohol both of which are also highly inflammatory will set mine off as well as wheat/gluten. I also take a handful of supplements each day to keep my nutrients up to keep me as healthy as possible because my naturopath thought I may not be absorbing enough nutrients from my food. All has lead to no more problems unless I eat/drink one of the offenders then I know I am in for a bad day. Or in gluten/wheat case, a bad week. One time in the past year I had a "normal" sandwich with regular bread and my heart was nuts for 5 days. I will never consume any wheat products again after that test. Chocolate/alcohol/sugar will set my heart off but usually only for that day.

[123Abc123 in reply to needlestone]

Interesting. The only dietary issues given to me were those which affect Warfarin.

[needlestone]

My cardiologist, EP and general practitioner gave me no dietary advice. I had to seek it out on my own. I knew in the beginning that my heart would get bad after eating, so I began to think that there was something I should look at there. I was fortunate to find a naturopath in my area and thought I would try to see if she could help and she did tremendously. My "other" doctors just wanted to treat symptoms with meds that I tried and they made me feel terrible. I knew there had to be another answer. It took me a couple of years to figure out but we did and I am so glad.