Today's hot topic is healthy eating. Do you have any questions about food and how it interacts with your medication or how it might trigger episodes of AF?
Have you found that certain food makes you feel worse or better?
Do you have any tips or advice you feel would be valuable to others?
Please share below
Tip: Take a look at The Cardiologists Kitchen. Created in January 2015, The Cardiologist’s Kitchen is the brainchild of Dr Ali Khavandi. He is a Consultant Interventional Cardiologist at the Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust.
There are some great recipes for heart-healthy food in the 'Cook' section, but the whole site is worth exploring.
Thanks for that CaroleF 
very interesting ...
A few new things to try there including 'Sardine Piccanti'...
We walked past what the carnivore of the family calls the Hell Food shop and they were offering blood tests so you can establish your blood group and plan your diet accordingly.
Did you go in? It would be interesting to find out how they work this out.
It was yesterday and they were not open. I found details on line of diet suggestions based on blood group when I looked. My husband and I are not the same. Our children both have his blood group so I am on my own.
Assuming you are young and well enough, it's surely better to be a blood donor in order to find out your group than to pay £15.
"... there is currently no strong evidence to prove that this diet is effective, or to support its use." Medical News Today. See medicalnewstoday.com/articl...
(Not that I thought you were suggesting there was, Hidden )
No, I was merely saying that the Health Food shop was offering blood tests so that persons interested would be able to select whatever diet was deemed to suit. What I looked up was suggesting seafood for my husband (which he doesn't get - well not at home when I'm there) but the shop promotes vegetarianism and sells vegan products.
BHF has a recipe section and if you get their printed magazine it comes with handy recipe cards. They also give advice on adapting your favourite recipes to be more 'heart healthy'.
I find bloating or diarrhoea affect my heart so I try to avoid, the IBS diet is helpful for this. The most useful tip I ever had was not to eat fruit at the end of a meal because it digests faster than other food, particularly meat, and if slowed down by previous food it ferments, causing problems. Not sure how scientific that is but it seems to help!
[Quote=Do you have any questions about food and how it interacts with your medication or how it might trigger episodes of AF?]
I would like to know why sometimes when I swallow solid foods I momentary experience an irregular/fast heartbeat and have also felt dizzy on occasions. Is this normal, is it anything I should worry about? Perhaps it happens to lots of people and because I have become sensitive to changes in my heart rate I notice it more.
These 'swallowing events' are not to be confused with full blown episodes of P-AF where I get a the full range of symptoms lasting many hours .
I guess this is to do with the autonomic nervous system and the vagus nerve. I haven't found reports of anyone else having this problem, people talk about having AF after a eating a meal but not occasionally having a momentary reaction when they swallow.
I tried to discuss this with a GP who looked blank and didn't comment and the Arrhythmia nurse I saw at the clinic who wrote down an account of my experience of P-AF in order to make a diagnosis but didn't include any mention of these episodes in my notes.
I have found that being a bit greedy, for example eating a big meal when not really that hungry, can sometimes bring on ectopics for me. It doesn't always happen, and it never turns into AF.
There are no specific foods that cause a problem; I sometimes think snacking in a hurry can also bring on the ectopics (but again never AF).
It's a good reminder for me not to be so rushed, or gluttonous. But at the same time it's not an absolute STOP, because ectopics are annoying but sometimes food is just too nice.
Hi Rachel,
I made this comment to a Forum Member the other day and in response to your post I'll repeat it here. Must admit to having added a bit on being sugar free which I overlooked at the time. I've also added other bits about previous digestive issues and genetics.
Need to start at the beginning. My symptoms at the time were massive, massive bloating, intestinal gurgling, burping and diahorrea. not all at the same time, any would occur at random and in isolation. Massive, massive bloating was the worst, very painful and would be the one to trigger AF. It was also the most frequent. This bloating brought about a sensation of heaviness in my chest. When my chest was 'heavy' (as in weighing heavy) I knew I was heading down the slippery slope to oblivion. When my chest was 'light' ( as light as a feather) I knew I was normal. Before consulting the Nutritionist I did see my GP who ran blood tests for Coeliac Disease and IBS - all came back clear. He wanted to do more invasive tests but I declined.
The Nutritionist conducted some simple tests and suggested going gluten free and wheat free. She also suggested I look at the FODMAPS diet. She encouraged me to keep a simple food diary to help identify a wider range of foods that may be a problem. It proved to be a great methodology for a more analytical approach to identifying problem foods.
So, out went gluten, wheat, oats, yoghurt, raspberries, runner beans, peas, baked beans, nuts like walnut, almonds etc. yet processed nuts like salted cashews or peanuts do not seem to be a problem. Soft cheeses, any hot spicy food, msg, wholemeal or any grainy bread, pork, duck, onions ( yet spring onions/shallots are fine), all salad greens maybe except 'Rocket'. Tomatoes I can only take very infrequently. Jury is still out on eggs, but they are suspect. Oh yes, and I am now sugar free too, this was because I did have a minor health scare which placed me in the category of being borderline pre diabetic. This was a real scare and affected me far more than being diagnosed with AF because my father had mature onset diabetes which eventually killed him. So damn scared was I that I bought a blood sugar testing kit and self test my blood sugar twice a year at random to ensure my Hb1ac reading is well below the pre diabetic level - which it now is.
However, it isn't just these foods in isolation that are the problem I am also convinced it is how these food ingredients interact with each other. Why would Raspberries and cream be a problem, yet, Strawberries and cream be just fine. Cream doesn't affect me, be it thick or clotted or single cream. I have to say though, this all represents ME, others may be affected by a different range of foods and perhaps in slightly different ways.
For me its all still a work in progress, even now after over 6 years - its all about developing an awareness of foods and food types. Its about being aware of that incredible information superhighway, the vagal nerve and its function in the body and its relationship with other organs ....... and as a society we are just learning and understanding about the body's second brain - the digestive system.
When I was diagnosed in East Surrey Hospital with AF I discussed my general health with the Cardio Consultant and said I'd hardly had any illnesses (beyond the normal childhood ones) in my life, and certainly apart from visits to A & E as a result of DIY mishaps I'd never been in hospital. He just smiled.
Since then I've had repeated opportunities to revisit that remark. Its not true - in my early 30's I developed incredible chest pains in the early hours of one morning and fearing the worst took myself off to Sydney's Blacktown hospital. I was kept in for 24 hours, suspected gall bladder issues but they opted for no treatment just watch what I eat.
And thinking even more. a few years later when I lived in Melbourne a digestive issue cropped up and I went to hospital as an outpatient for tests and ( can't remember the procedure) a camera was fed down my throat to have a look inside the digestive system. Again, gall bladder was suspected but no action was taken, just watch diet.
I began then to watch what I ate and cut out most green salad food and tomatoes and an improvement occurred. Over the years I forgot about these issues ........ until I revisited the remarks to the Consultant.
I think we all have to walk our own walk. I described my food problems, but as I said, that's for me, others may identify with much of what I've said, yet still be affected by different foods in different ways. BUT, I remain convinced of the need to truly understand the vagal nerve. If you Google ..... 'vagal nerve diagrams' ... you'll see what an extensive mechanism it is and where it reaches .... vagal meaning wandering.
Then there is genetics ............ my paternal grandfather died from a series of strokes in 1964. not just one - 'bang! goodnight Vienna' - but several. Each destroying him in different ways. My second cousin, the son of my paternal grandfathers brother, has AF, I have it, my daughter at the age of 32 was diagnosed with AF during both her pregnancies - as soon as she stopped breeding the AF stopped - be interesting what happens aged 55 and onwards. She now does Thai Kick Boxing to keep fit ! Hmmmmmm !
Anyway, hope this is of some interest. Its turned out to be much longer than I wrote originally for which I apologise.
John
Thank you John for sharing this! So have you found your change in diet has lessened your AF episodes? We'd be interested in sharing your patient story if you wouldn't mind emailing it to me r.harris@heartrhythmalliance.org We usually ask for around 500 words and a recent photo. Also, if you do email me, please do include your forum name so that I can identify you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Regards, Rachel - AF Association - Patient Services Association
When officially diagnosed with P-AF and having read about a study (Legacy) which although not conclusive indicated weight loss and a BMI of around 25 may help to prevent the progression of P-AF and to minimise the episodes I decided on a permanent change of lifestyle to include eating food that would be beneficial and to have smaller portions.
It has not been as hard as I thought it would be. I started by listing all the foods which are beneficial that I really like and basing my diet around them finding new and interesting ways to serve them. Out went all wine, instead came water with ice and a slice of lemon which fools the nose into thinking it is something else.
I have always eaten healthily and don't buy processed food. I make my own bread using fresh yeast and very little salt an ideal meal with home made soup , an egg or a banana.
New healthy favourites are mixed bean curry made with freshly roasted spices and home made naan/vegetable spring rolls (cooked in the oven not fried) with a chilli dipping sauce/ sardines on toast (sardines in oil with the oil discarded then mashed with a teaspoon of yogurt,capers,chopped parsley,black pepper).
It is a bit harder in the winter when local salad items are not so readily available, in the summer I can have a whole meal of various salads which alone provide not '5 a day.' but 8.
I have also switched my main meal time to lunch time so I am not eating a big meal in the evening when I am not so active.
So far I have lost a stone since May, it has been slow going and I seem to have stuck at one weight but at least I haven't put any back on. When I can get out to garden and there is a better choice of salads I hope to lose another stone.
Has it helped my AF, I can't really tell for sure because I started medication at the same time. For whatever reason I am getting fewer episodes of AF , most are short now without the dreadful symptoms. I look a lot healthier with gleaming hair (maybe from all the almonds I eat) and I feel well .
I have now almost lost the desire to drink wine or eat unhealthy foods like puddings , I suppose it is what you get used too. When I do have something like cake it now tastes overly sweet and I wonder why I once found is so desirable.
Advice please
AF Triggers
Getting hot & sweaty
Feeling very hot
Today's appointment 
