I’d really appreciate hearing advice from you as I know you have a vast amount of knowledge. A friend has sent me the link below regarding low carb diets causing AF. I’ve changed my diet to low carb: moderate amounts of fat, beans, nuts, seeds, chicken, fish, colourful vegetables, some fruits, and kefir. I’ve done this after posting on here last week about being newly diagnosed with AF. I was advised to read as much as I could. So I’ve been reading lots of info on here and subsequent links, and other sites, books etc. I want to lose half a stone but more importantly I want to nourish my body with real whole food. I’ve ditched sugar, processed foods, flour, alcohol, artificially sweetened foods, caffeine, rice and pasta. I’d be pleased to hear what you think about this. I’m meeting my cardiologist for the first time in 5 weeks and would like to be making good choices before then, for the right reasons. Thank you. Here’s the link dailymail.co.uk/health/arti...
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Singingbunty
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I've had AF for decades and started the ketogenic diet a year ago. I'm on no sugar, very low carbs, moderate protein, very high "good" fat. I've had no problems at all except for the first week when I had what's called "keto flu" caused by the change from burning carbs/sugar to buring fat. I was 38" waste, now I'm 32" and I feel great.
Thank you for your reply and being supportive and positive. It means a lot.
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Good that it worked for you .Are you still following?
From experience I would not advocate fad diets. I ended up in hospital with acute kidney failure after following an Atkins type diet and falling very ill at home.
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It's not a fad. I was advised to go on the diet by my doctor because I was heading towards being type 2 diebetic. If you look into a proper keto diet (not what you read in the press) it makes sense and cuts out all the rubbish, especially sugar. Nearest equivalent is probably paleo. Not to be confused with Atkins.
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Fair enough Cyrtiss if you had pre diabetes and doc recommended. I shall look further into this particular type of Keto diet!
How has it affected your AF ?
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Not at all, no change to AF. I've lost weight and I'm fitter which must help, but can't say I've noticed anything.
I am constantly amazed at the number of people who self diagnose their dietary needs.
Why don't you consult a professionally qualified Nutritionist and get the real deal instead of asking questions here which would be better answered by a health care professional.
My point being that you seem to have complex and maybe even conflicting dietry issues which need more professionaly addressing.
Hello Carneuny and thank you for your reply. Maybe at some point I will seek professional advice. In the meantime several members kindly suggested if I had any questions all I need to do is ask.
but its up to you and you alone what information you regard as pertinent to your Health . Having information from a diverse group is of great benefit even if you only utilize a small percentage.
Its like driving to an unknown place , you will remember it better if your the driver not the passenger.
Oh well said...... I agree some people do need more carbs and it is thought - not proven yet - that women will tend to require more carbs whilst men more protein however research studies are often skewed toward men.
I notice I get more tired if I don’t eat some carbs but it is the source of the carbs which is important rather than the food group itself.
We dont store it at all , just cooked in microwave , chilled with cold water then put in the fridge for 15 minutes before reheating with no water added.
Identical to the way we do pasta - but our pasta is maize / rice non wheat type also the spaghetti is non wheat - a lot less carbs 17% and GI is very low.
I also do that with pasta, potatoes & rice ( but tend to use red rice or Bulgar wheat instead ). Also use none wheat pasta. Chilling & reheating is better for gut biome & for weight as you don’t absorb the starches as much.
I also eat potato as part of the low carb diet , we have a low GI variety Carisma which came from the Netherlands . We use that or Red Royale or Royal Blue as they have low GI and are similar to Sweet potato when reheated.
I don’t think we always think that, I am very well aware only a minority of people will be able to do that. Unfortunately, because nutrition is such a complex subject only a 1:1 study into your personal circumstances along with tests will really address your individual needs - however - there will always be good, general advice which is freely and widely available - from the professional associations such as BANT
In reply to my original question an interested person sent me an article which debunks the study. Worth a read. Here’s the link: dietdoctor.com/inaccurate-n...
I think you are doing fantastic........just giving up sugar is HUGE plus the artificial sweetening, flour, alcohol and caffeine........I started eating similarly recently and it is a huge shift....... Still working on caffeine.......... Once the sugar lets go of controlling us it really is easy. I make Flax seed crackers which help me a lot as I am a chip addict.......anyway the weight does come off and the body feels a lot healthier and this all helps the heart and the numbers. I also make a alternative desert from Jing Herbs cook book .....so nice to still have treats just in a different form. I did eat the rhubarb pie last night and no regrets as the chef grows the rhubarb himself so there are some exceptions although one must be careful especially around the sugar thing.
Hi and well done on ditching the sugar. There is so much conflicting advice in the press about diet these days but you sound as though you are going in the right direction by eating good food. I lost 3 stone by cutting portion sizes but I still eat carbs.
Hi - you are eating a healthy diet with lots of carbs - even broccoli contains carbs and is getting carbs from fibreous veg is the very best source. Please ignore this article, stop worrying and continue what you are doing. You are doing all the right things by ditching sugar, processed foods & alcohol. The paper the article is based on suggested a link - not a cause, the demographic was US - I posted a comment a few days ago. 1 in 4 people will get AF - as we age the chances go up. There is likely a family link - my father had AF and possibly my brother.
Thank you CDreamer. You’re right I am worrying. Although I’m trying to be proactive. I just had a quick look at Bant. I’ll get into that later. Huge thanks. Advice is what I’m looking for
Definitely a familial link, my father had it , myself and three sisters have it, all developing it when we were older. My son had it at a very young age, but then he is a competitive canoeist and one ablation ten years ago seems to have fixed him - for the moment anyhow!. My cardiologist said apart from older people, the other group he's sees most often with Afib are canoeists and triathletes - several of my son's canoeing friends have been treated.
I’ve cut out the denser sweeter fruits for right now and sticking with watery fruits such as apples pears berries. I think it may be responsible for reducing the pain I had in my diaphragm. Can’t hurt short term anyway
HI There are no right or wrong answers, An AFib attack has many pathways and Triggers and is possibly unique to every patient (this is the frustrating thing with AFib). I generally (but not obsessively) monitor what I do (activity), eat, emotional and stress levels etc and try to understand what are the causes, then modify lifestyle/behaviour to suit. In my experience this has worked for me but I do appreciate this may not be for everyone.
I am not a fan of 'fad diets' but eat food that is similar to the Mediterranean style of eating as recommended by Dr Gupta.
So that is fresh not processed food consisting of many kinds of vegetables and fruit, nuts pulses, fish, whole grains olive oil, a little dairy and meat only occasionally. I still eat bread home made wholemeal mostly and wholewheat pasta.
I try to eat organic when possible and grow some vegetables and fruit in raised beds in my small garden.
I lost 1.5 stone 2 years ago and haven't put it on again and don't think and I think the reason for this is sticking to small portions, eating only at mealtimes no snacking except for fruit or nuts and moving my main meal to lunch time so I am not eating a meal in the evening then sitting around not burning calories.
Good advice thank you doodle. I might try bread again at some point once I’m more in control. I absolutely love bread so will try and get nutrients elsewhere just for now. But I like the idea of homemade. And a great reminder about portion control. I can see that I need to improve my fitness. I’ve started Pilates with a physio and really noticing more flexibility. Thank you for your positivity 😍
If you 'love' bread then it is just possible that you may have developed an 'intolerance' for it or some ingredient in it. It may be best to stay off it for at least 4 months, and then to reintroduce it only every fourth day. That way the intolerance has a good chance of being overcome. If you do reintroduce it earlier look out for any negative reactions in the following four days. (They are likely to be strongest after about 6 weeks to 2 months, so it is best to have someone else around when you try it, just in case you have an 'allergic' style reaction to it)
I think the best thing is to concentrate on eating real food (organic if you can afford it) , not too much of it with the occasional treat. If one looks at what our grandparents ate it was not stuff produced in factories that could be reheated in 3 minutes in a microwave. But they did eat carbs in the form of bread ( usually white ) and spuds. They did not have epidemic rates of type 2 diabetes. They did not give their kids nothing but sugary drinks to hydrate themslves with. When I was a kid squash ( usually Ribena ) was a treat . Normally one drank water or milk It is the overconsumption of stuff which masquerades as food but has no nutritional value that is the problem alongside sheer greediness in many cases- eat as much as you like Chinese buffets , enormous pizzas etc. I think the demonisation of fat and overpromotion of carbs by official dietitians in the last 40 years has made things worse but the counterswing to very low carb ( except for diabetics) is probably not good either.
PS I have roughly followed their 'diet' for many years and have not gained any weight despite being a couch potato so a bit less of everything should lead to weight loss without unbalanced nutrition.
If you do Keto, make sure you have a quality electrolyte supplement.
I live low-moderate carb, and adjust based on my energy output. The major issue with low carb and afib is you deplete and do not replenish electrolytes as effectively. We know how important they are to heart rhythm and health.
I've done Keto with great success, but will never go that extreme again. My body feels and performs better with low to moderate carbs. Majority of people do.
Hi gibbesce and thanks for the advice. I shan’t go down the Keto route but def reduced carbs and cut out refined/processed carbs. Can I ask which supplement you take?
My cardiologist suggested I get on a vlcd, which is no carbs, sugar, salt and very little fat. I think almost all cardiologists would agree that low carb is the way to go and that sugar/carbs are the worst thing for everyone. But, definitely do it with doctor support/advice. I have lost 80 lbs (I should look that up in metric) since last year and reversed pre diabetes and have lost my sugar cravings for the most part. Good luck to you and keep going on your healthy path!
Unfortunately few doctors have any training in nutrition so not the people to ask. A nutritionist would say that we don’t eat nearly enough fat and normally the wrong sorts of fats ie vegetable oils whereas we need to e eating saturated fats such as coconut oil, avocado oil, butter & ghee - with portion control in small amounts. As we only eat bread once a week now and that is homemade sourdough bread - we eat much less butter anyway. I have increased my fat & protein intake, including adding in red meat, increased my salt intake as I never added any but that was a mistake as I have hypotension.
If you go to YouTube and search for AFIB and Keto, you'll find a few doctor's reports about TOO LOW carbs (Ketosis), being under 35-40 carbs per day, where a more moderate amount of carbs would be 50-70 carbs per day (which is what the Medifast diet has)....still in Ketosis but not as extreme. Keto Might start an episode they say, not everyone fits this category. Again, I wish people would put their ages in their replies, as I'm 77, so what a 50 yr. old would eat if they went on Keto might be more dangerous for me being older. Paleo is even more extreme. You could still do Keto but raise the CARB level a little bit. I'm asking my doctor (EP) next week for his opinion.
Sounds like your choice of food is perfect. kind of boring sometimes I know but the boring will be better than then episodes of afib. I have been with afib for 7 years and struggled with afib triggers. Mine was processed food (bread, soup, canned food flour, to much alcohol ect.) hard to give up what your raised on. I now stay away from salt, cooking oils, processed food and alcohol except on occasions and my symptom have disappeared except when I fall off he wagon with the food. I love processed food. But if your symptoms were as bad as mine, you will have to decide which way makes you more happy. Things do get better believe me if we learn our triggers and try to live the life that you have described, sounds like your on the right track to me. everyone is different so triggers are different. I did have a ablation which did help but didn't totally cure the afib, but with the ablation and diet, and losing weight I have a good life again. Except I miss my processed food. lol
Hi Bob and thanks for responding. This diagnosis has been a big scary wake up call for me. It isn’t easy is it? Especially with conflicting scientific advice. A big positive is that I’m enjoying the new recipes with the belief that I’m somewhat in control. Well I’m aiming that way lol. Thanks again.
What u have done with your diet is fantastic! In terms of your overall health you are so on the right track. Find some podcasts and heath websites to keep you motivated. Even if this diet doest help your afib eating whole plant based non processes foods will have a huge impact on your health. Consider lookkng into magnesium supplements for your afib as well. Of course check with your GP or cardiologist on any supplements but there is strong evidence a lack of magnesium can contribute to afib. Good luck with your new found eating habits!!
Thanks. I learned on here last week about magnesium and watched Dr Gupta’s videos. Very helpful. So I’m taking some rather large tablets! I’ll take your advice re podcasts 👍
The keto diet, done properly, is very healthy. People confuse it with a high protein diet which it is NOT. Additionally, as new information comes in, one can add starch resistant foods to this diet making it work even better. Resistant starch is all around quite good for you. This would be cooked and cooled in fridge, potatoes/rice/pasta. You can even re-heat it and get 50%more resistant starch which does NOT alter blood insulin levels but does alter, in the best imaginable way, the biome in your gut which eventually translates into better cardiovascular health. Keto isn't a "fad" diet in that it was used primarily for people who had epilepsy for which it did wonders. I keep animal fat to a minimum on keto and use the plant based fats' I also don't drink milk (nut milks yes) and eat lots of veggies and berries. I indulge once in a while with a keto cheesecake or keto ice cream bar, home made....one shouldn't eat too many "desserts" anyways...keto or not. In a less restricted keto diet, you can have fruit, counting the carbs of course. I love my apple a day but I do make mixed berries smoothies using a good plant based protein shake mix.
I wanted to add that with this diet it is good to get the electrolyte magnesium supplement. The protein mix I use has all the minerals in it, coming from the 27 vegetables and fruits in it.....one scoop has 6 carbs.
That's much the same as my keto diet.
Loads of nuts, loads of vegetables, loads of salad, some grass-fed meat, grass-fed eggs (well from grass-fed chickens as eggs don't eat!), berries, some fruit, fish. No starchy veg, potates, sweet potatoes, and nothing with grain in it, no rice, oats, bread, pasta, biscuits, cake etc etc. I eat fatty dairy products such as full cream in my coffee, little or no dairy milk (except in tea), some full fat Greek yoghurt. Butter (grass-fed hopefully!). I never eat anything low-fat, or processed.
Interesting sdalen and Curtis. I’ve recently switched from plant based milk since I’ve started making kefir in attempt to improve gut health. I use the kefir grains with whole milk.
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