Food

[Donber65]

Hi my partner has af and we were wondering if there are any ‘good’ food or ‘bad’ food that can help it also we are looking for a good breakfast cereal that can help too

Thankyou

[rosyG]

I have found food high in potassium helps- bananas, salmon, jacket potatoes and fruit and vegetables

[Finvola]

Hi Donber - well done for looking at diet as it is amazing how much a good diet can help and how very much the wrong stuff can mess with the heart.

For me, the only breakfast cereal is porridge but I am from Scottish descent!! It has good fibre content and no sugar and I eat mine with a banana for potassium.

The list of things to avoid is fairly straightforward - avoid processed foods as they contain additives and preservatives, artificial sweeteners, flavourings and colourings and keep sugar intake to the lowest level possible. For some of us alcohol is a big problem, for others, not. Watch out for caffeine - decaf may be best.

Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, fish, chicken and fruit (bearing its sugar content in mind). Most important, I’m told by my cardiologist, keep well hydrated - 2 litres of water daily, in addition to tea etc.

[CDreamer]

Hi - I’m not a fan of breakfast cereal but I like Rachel’s Kitchen cereals as they tasty and and based in good ingredients, I try to stay organic whenever possible and look for quality, natural produce. Porage is good but I was told by my nutritionalist to eat more eggs, more fats - ie in the form of nuts, avocado, olive oil, coconut oil and minimal cheese & butter, Leafy green veg, reduce carbs especially bought bread, cakes & pastries, more starch resistant carbs - cashews, cold potatoes & pasta, & more legumes.

I try to follow the guidelines of the The Wellness plate - link below.

I don’t think in terms of ‘bad’ or ‘good’ food but some people find some foods can trigger AF but it seems to be very personal.

google.co.uk/search?q=the+w...

Good advice from Rosy & Finvola.

[JackyMac in reply to CDreamer]

That was an interesting link CDreamer. As I don't eat meat I tend to eat meals with legumes, probably 3 times a week. Is that over the top?

[CDreamer in reply to JackyMac]

No I don’t think so - do you? If you are non-meat the only thing you need to watch are your iron & B12 levels. I think I also have them 3 times a week.

This is a very, very general guide but is from the nutritionalist corner which really says at least half your plate needs to be veg. Legumes are an alternative protein source.

[JackyMac in reply to CDreamer]

Many thanks CDreamer. I do take some vitamins but not iron /B12. Just had a blood test and haven't been informed that anything is lacking.

[wilsond in reply to JackyMac]

Legumes of all kinds are very good for us,the BHF Heart Healthy recipe book recommends at least 4~5servings a week.Its the particular form of their fibre content.

[JackyMac in reply to wilsond]

Thank you, like it!

[Hidden]

All good stuff, but if he takes warfarin, he needs to make sure his INR stays in line if there are any changes to his current diet......that said, good lifestyle changes can have a major positive effect on AF.

[Hidden]

Hi Donber,

What works for me is to go gluten free, wheat free and oats free. Again for me about the best breakfast cereal is Rice Krispies ......... similarly a dessert after an evening meal is some form of rice.

A diet is very much an individual thing between your plate and your body and inevitably one needs to experiment and you may find even within a food category there will be oddities. Fer instance soft cheeses are no good for me, while hard cheeses are not a problem. Green leaf veggies are not a problem, while peas, baked beans and runner beans are no good. On the other hand Broad beans are fine.

Years ago I consulted a nutritionist and have followed her advice ever since. In doing so I have had only 1 AF event in a little over 3 years ( that was on 15 Feb 2018 whilst sleeping on my left side).

By the way I'm on Warfarin and have no problems, but, that doesn't mean to say someone else following my diet won't have a problem.

John

[secondtry]

Diet definitely has a big part to play with AF and improvements also helps you avoid other chronic illnesses in the future.

Lots of good advice already. I would wean yourself slowly off breakfast cereals most of the popular ones are not good for you because of the 'extruded' method of manufacture before you even look at the ingredients. I used to eat a lot and still do some (Sharpham Park Spelt Bran Flakes, Waitrose, union Jack packet) but now stick to more basic stuff eggs, bacon, mushrooms, veg pasta (ClearSpring Pea & quinoa). Apologies mentioning brands here I think is frowned on but without them it is less helpful.

[sleeksheep]

I usually make a porridge of rolled barley ( barley max is its name in Australia ) and rolled oats with a squeeze of honey.

csiro.au/en/Research/AF/Are...

Although with the high sugar cereals being the best sellers and most profitable , the only breakfast cereal manufacturer in Australia making Barley max oat porridge has switched to the dark side .

Also eat nuts high in magnesium every day.

[WendyWu20]

I make my own 'Scottish' oakcakes:

150g rolled oats (put half of them through a blender/whizzer, to make a flour)

50g oatbran

50g butter, melted

Enough hot water to form a soft dough

Pinch of pure salt.

Mix all ingredients into a soft dough, then roll out to approx half a centimetre or slightly thinner. Use more oatbran to prevent the dough sticking to surface. Use a cutter, any shape you like. If you need to reform the dough to re-roll, add a little hot water to make the dough workable again. Bake at 175c for about 10-15 minutes or until very slightly browned.

Lovely to eat plain, or with sweet or savoury toppings. Really healthy, I always take some with me so I have something good to eat wherever I am :o)

[Hidden]

Saw something in the paper yesterday about nuts and three cups of caffeinated coffee a day being good for AF. I think it's the first time I've ever heard that!

[doodle68]

Hi Donber65 I think the same advice applies whether or not you have AF, eat healthily, cut out processed foods and high salt and sugary food when you can.

I cook everything from scratch including wholemeal bread and I eat lots of fish/vegetables/fruit/nuts/pulses/eggs/and a little meat .

Keep portions small and your body weight down to a BMI of 25/26.

With regard to breakfast, I am another fan of porridge and have it every day with milk and no sugar (one part oats to two parts water and cook it in the microwave stirring occasionally .)

I have tried all kinds of oat and Flahavens organic jumbo oats come out tops for flavour and they also contain lots of valuable fibre..

waitrose.com/ecom/products/...

You may find this AF care plan of help...

careaf.org/topics/healthy-l...