hi all, had a triple cabg 9 weeks ago and am overweight and need to diet, obviously i cant go to gym yet to do plenty of cardio so with change of diet im looking at the traffic light system on all food we buy, in your opinions what should i be keeping an eye on on the packets as the meditteraenean diet is very varied but i need to eat healthier.
Wayne
I try not to buy anything that's got red on the traffic light the more green the better
trying to do that myself, what about the amounts of each of the 4 parts say, obviously saturates need to be very low but, fat,sugars,salt???
Sad to say my diet (time/job/habit... taste 😜) not helpful; but, be aware that it's likely some of you're meds may result in weight gain, so don't go daft dieting.
any idea on which ones??
No, I'm not the right person to ask, I'm still complaining about medications, and not getting help I should from GP Practice. I use the internet, but I may have, as an ex journalist, better instincts as to truth and fiction. I still have my own physical instincts, I wanted off of Omaprazil (stomach meds, to counteract the bodies reaction to the other pills) Americans, very against it: my research found out that the oft quoted clinical study came from one, small, midwest University! Draw your own conclusions
yes, im on lanzoprozole for that.
You will find information about healthy eating on the BHF website. I was also given information before discharge and the rehab team can arrange for a session with a dietician. What amuses me is that two hospitals have given me advice about healthy eating yet their own restaurants do not seem to do healthy!
yes, ive had all the info and been to BHF site but feel the description is very wide ranging, they say plenty of pulses,healthy bread nuts etc in moderation but these are rather calorific and some high in fats etc. im overweight and need to eat sensibly and healthily to look after myself but am a little confused as to what i can eat and cant!
Yes some of it can be quite confusing. Bring diabetic I look for low sugar but find some have very high fat levels. To me it is cynical marketing!
its very difficult!! would like a clearer idea on what levels of all 4 traffic lights are ok, hard times!!
Hi, it is not easy at times.I do try and avoid ones with red labels, mostly for fat and sugar. I am often put of by the long list of ingredients on some packet foods and try and make my meals from scratch. Not to hard for me as I worked in catering.For main meals I go for eating fish or chicken with vegetables and a few potatoes or rice. Or red meat, smaller portions with extra vegetables. I do eat a lot less cheese and go for the lower fat ones. I do like desserts, so I have fresh fruits and the have some natural or greek yoghurt on it. Instead of apple pies and crumbles, I have a dish of stewed apples and put some toasted oats on top. Not sure if this is much help but all the best. Anke
In your situation, could you seek advice from a health professional, perhaps via your GP? Amateur suggestions could be dangerous and cause further health problems. Diets for heart disease sufferers can be difficult as we need the correct balance of ALL nutrients.
Cut down on your portion size eat anything in moderation and walk,walk,walk.
There is really good practical advice in the book Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease by Dr C. Esselstyn. He also has a website. With his way of eating I've been able to come off B.P tablets and to cut down statin dose. It will be a lifelong health insurance for me now. Transitioning to your more careful diet takes time. Be gentle on youself.
I've got a ton of weight to shift as well. So far so good with slow weight loss. I'm not going for anything dramatic because I see it as a life long thing from here.
My watchwords are moderation, variety and balance across food groups. There's loads of info on the web, a lot of it confusing and conflicting, so I just take what I consider to be a common sense approach.
I try to balance protein and carbs for each meal, across the day and also the week. Typically I'll have 3 fish, 3 chicken and 1 red meat for the main meal protein across the week. I vary the starchy carbs like rice, pasta etc but try to go wholewheat as far as possible. I pile in a lot of green veg.
I've got in the habit of looking at the back of packets rather than rely on the traffic lights. I'll look in particular at the fat of which saturates and the carbohydrate of which sugars. I don't bother to try to add up the amounts but steer a bit clear of anything which has high levels. Look at different makes of the same product and you'll see quite a difference across brands. But you've got to look at the bigger picture at the same time. Like milk which has all its carbs as sugars but has other benefits. So I don't cut out milk completely but limit my intake. As for salt I try to limit it but have to have some or else I get muscle cramps. It's like everything has to justify being on the plate.
It's a bit suck it and see. Are you losing weight across say a week. If not tweak things a bit and see what happens.
Cut out all red meat, butter (and similar spreads) cheese and all sugar containing food (apart from fruit). Your aim should be to get into the middle zone of your bmi healthy range, slowly but steadily. If you actually adopt as close to a vegan diet as you can manage you will never get hungry and you will lose weight. Exercise should be started under the careful gaze of your specialist or gp, do not just jump in and overdo it and ending up killing yourself. Moderation in all things, goodluck.
For breakfast I have porage or bacon coocked on a george forman grill it gets out all the fat I eat a tin of sardines with 2 slices of bread for mid day meal and every other night poached sea trout or cod with sweet corn and peas and and the other night have a normal meal meat and 2 or 3 veg but small meat and potatoes I find it very filling and have lost 2 stone in 8 weeks cut out all thing with sugar and once a week have a treat a chocolate bar I feel allot better not eating the usual crap .
Officially, I have 5 blocked arteries, 4 of which have been bypassed in 1997. I had a mini-stroke at Christmas. Since March I have been following a WFPB (whole food plant based) diet after watching the film "Forks Over Knives". My weight, blood pressure, cholesterol and pulse have come down to "normal" levels (80kg, 100/60, 2.7, 60bpm), sometimes lower, such that my doctor has been reducing my medication. She has taken me off the statin because I was getting a lot of side effects as well as my cholesterol coming down. I am convinced that my arteries are clearing but I have no proof of that except for blood pressure, cholesterol and pulse. If my arteries were still blocked these would be still raised.
I've tried a plant based diet for a limited time and all you say about loosing weight happened to me, and is still happening. My BP doesn't seem to have moved, it can still be far too high.
However, I became worried that I didn't sufficiently understand what foods and in what proportions I should eat to get the nutrients I must have. I don't even know what they all are! So, I've moved to eating fish, chicken, quorn, beans and ham with all visible fat removed (<100g portion) + lots of veg. I also now eat a lot of homemade bread, so I know what's in it - it also tastes better (found I need to add Canadian wholemeal to get a good loaf, all brit flour just isn't strong enough).
So a query, if I may? Do you have a good reference book that can give all the facts and figures, all set out in a comprehensible way. Just having recipes without understanding the nutrients needed and where they come from, seems to me to miss a step.
Thanks.
"How Not To Die" by Dr Michael Greger. It's what I work from. We have the cookbook as well and are working our way through it. It has some great recipes but then some we will never use, e.g. dips, desserts. We don't do desserts, we have fruit.
Thanks; Its similar to the pair of books I have from Esselstyn "Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease". His ideas must be followed absolutely according to him, but I doubt many will be able to sustain it, unless they start as a vegetarian, or better a vegan. But its the bible that Bill Clinton follows.
It is very difficult to follow absolutely so just do your best. I am drying out at the moment but I usually have a few beers at weekend and some 70(or more)% chocolate occasionally.
It only takes a few weeks to start clearing your arteries, so as long as you keep that process going I think it is fine.
Basicaly, that is what I'm doing; eating some protein, very ltlle red meat, and lots of veg. Fat has virtually disappeared apart from benecol on bread. Booze went entirely back at Easter. Fortunately (?) I have little taste for chocs!
Good to know that changes happen so quickly, I've beeen wondering about that.
I have been on the diet since March and the evidence of my blood pressure, cholesterol and pulse indicates that my arteries are cleared. So, 6 months-ish to do it. Of all the meats, beef is the least contaminated and adulterated.
Also, we make our own Hummus (no oil) and use that on butties instead of butter. On toast we use Peanut Butter - 100% peanuts - (and banana).
Great. Thanks for the info.
I have difficulties with nuts, I'm not allergic in a formal way, but if I eat too much I used to get a reaction from my gut; by not having them problem went away. I don't have to avoid them totally which makes buying food when out easy. I just don't want to see increased sensitivity.
I've had high blood pressure for years - GPs took little notice and it can still be far to high. Last time I took it at home it was 142/83 heart rate generally around 58-62 at rest. When on bisoprolol it went down to 42 and was difficult to get above 60. I suggested to hospital doc that the drug, by limiting my heart rate, was denying my body oxygen and that this might be contributing to the chest pains I was then having. He didn't really respond, but I was taken off it. I reckon I need to have blood tests done again to check out all the levels of things they monitor, but I'm not sure what they all are.
142/83 isn't bad. Anything less than 140/90 is considered OK and you are not far off. We have Ground Almonds in our porridge every morning, along with Ground Linseeds, Raisins, Blueberries and mixed berries. That might be a way for you to have nuts.
If your not sure ask your GP to refer you to a dietitian they can advise you.
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