Blessing in disguise?

[Camelliared]

Hi, just joined. I am 73 and had a heart attack 2 months ago.

Had emergency stent fitted to blocked artery. Was advised low

salt, low sugar and low fat diet. Embraced this wholeheartedly and have lost 7 Ks. Just had blood test and Cloresterol gone

down from 5.2 to 3.1. Then found that I am just within the pre

diabetic range. So I am so glad I have embraced a healthy diet

and together with lots of walking I am feeling very well. Just

about to start 6 week rehab. at local hospital. I am also a carer and need to keep fit to manage everything at home. Have been so well looked after by cardiac nurse and am going for echo cardio gram in a couple of weeks. Before this happened I had no idea I was at risk of a heart attack. It was a shock to me and the family but I now feel it was a blessing in disguise. Only downside is I still find it challenging to address my own needs as well as the person I care for. Interested in any of your comments

[Nathan53]

Hello Camellia red and welcome to the forum. I am sure you will gain lots of inspiration and information from browsing the posts on here. Sounds like you have put a lot of effort into your recovery and I am sure you will continue to reap the rewards as time goes on. I take it you are caring for someone in the home? I know from past experience how demanding this can be. I think 'The Carer' over time becomes conditioned to taking 100% responsibility (often out of necessity) at the expense of their own needs. Are you a sole Carer? if so have you explored whether the person you care for is eligible for any benefits like attendance allowance or PIP. It's a complex area but AGEUK have lots of information about benefits and also support available to Carers. You can speak with an AGEUK advisor by calling 0800 055 6112. There is lots of info about caring and support on the AGEUK website. You must look after yourself and have time to yourself in order to be able to effectively care for someone. This sometimes means accepting help from others even though you or the person you care for can be anxious or resistant to this idea. Just a few thoughts which I hope will be of some help

a

[Camelliared in reply to Nathan53]

Thanks for your concern. We do get Attendance Allowance and have just had a stair lift installed by the Council. It’s hard for me to get a break as my husband will not go into Respite Care. I can get a few days when our son comes to stay. In the good weather he goes out

on his mobility scooter. Am trying to read a Mindfulness book and listening to the cd helps me relax also walking with our elderly dog. Managing 30 mins.

or so several times a week. Wonder if anyone else

has tried Mindfulness after Heart problems. Managing stress is so important. I also do jigsaws.

[Love100cats]

I haven't had a heart attack but sudden onset heart failure which has left me exhausted, breathless and suffering side effects from meds. I'm really struggling to get back any normality and I'm a carer too. I have just been awarded attendance allowance which is enough to pay for help from someone close to me to do the things I can't. It works well and has left me daily tasks that are manageable and prevents me feeling like I'm a failure. I hope you find a way of coping but remember you are not super human!.

[Camelliared in reply to Love100cats]

So glad you are getting some help. I get a cleaner one

hour a week. I agree it’s important not to be super human and acknowledge that one does make mistakes

and gets it wrong at times. As my husband said to friends, she is not so efficient now!! The biggest challenge is mental and I suppose a heart attack can affect the brain in some way. But I was fortunate by getting my treatment so quickly. Went straight from ambulance to theatre for stent.

Rereactions to meds. I had a lot of stomach and bowel problems for the first few weeks but taking Bran flakes once or twice a day with Yoghurt or my own home made Kefir has sorted that very well.

[Camelliared]

I try to exclude almost all sugar, salt and fat so hopefully this will put a stop to any diabetes onset. I have lost nearly a stone in weight and hope for more.

[Fortepiano]

Dear Camelliared

Concerned's advice ( which is the only thing he ever posts about) goes against all the NHS and Diabetes uk advice . His link is to a small maverick pressure group which was criticised by the NHS and Public health England. If you look on the NHS ICS diabetes prevention website, they collaborate with Public health England and Diabetes uk and share the same approach. Their facebook page recommends replacing whole milk with semi-skimmed, mince meat with low fat lean mince, cooking oil with 1 cal spray - i.e. reducing saturated fat!

While Concerned has a right to his own opinions he should not put them forward as the ICS NHS diabetes prevention programme.

Carry on with what you are doing, and congratulations on the weight loss!

[Camelliared in reply to Fortepiano]

Wow thanks so much for this comment. I was concerned about that link. I do have semi skimmed

milk and use Olive oil and spray. Also got an Air

Fryer although not used it much yet as it takes quite

a bit of practice to get right. I am starting 6 weeks of

Cardio Rehab next week and there will be a dietician there on one of the days if I have any queries.

[Nathan53 in reply to Camelliared]

I enjoy food, like to cook and share meals with family and friends but since last April I have lost about 7kg by sticking to primarily a Mediterranean type diet because it's my favourite food. I avoid all trans fats like biscuits cakes and ready meals as the body has difficulty breaking down these fats. For snacks I eat some walnuts, pecans or almonds. It's not been a hardship - I make my own yoghurt but not tried to make kefir do you make it in a yoghurt maker? I take my night time tablets with a weetabix semi skimmed milk and small portion of fruit or few prunes. I think you have to find what works for you rather than follow diets although I do use Michael Moseley's suggestions as I like the foods his plans are based on. I also think you shouldn't feel bad if you have an occasional day when you don't adhere to healthy food.

[jobe1968 in reply to Nathan53]

Sensible post. Junking the junk is the easiest way to improve the diet without trying very hard at all.

[Fortepiano]

I did check my facts - that's why I posted!

From the ICS website:

'ICS Health & Wellbeing has been selected as one of four providers to deliver the NHS Diabetes Prevention Programme (NHS DPP) across the UK. NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes UK have committed to improving efforts to prevent diabetes, and this collaborative programme aims to help the 5 million people who are at risk of developing the disease'.

As this shows, the ICS programme was started as a joint project by NHS England, Public Health England and Diabetes Uk - all of which recommend reducing saturated fat and a healthy diet based on the Eatwell plate ( now the Eatwell guide).

The ICS diabetes programme was set up in line with these recommendations - (as you can see from the advice I repeated on lowering saturated fat, taken from their facebook page). All NHS advice on diabetes follows this guidance.

I am sure you are sincere though misguided in your recommendations of high saturated fat. My motivation is simply that since your advice is directly opposed to the BHF advice ( and indeed the NHS, Public Health England, Diabetes uk etc etc ) I consider people with heart problems would be far safer to follow the diet advice from these organisations rather than yours and that of the extremely controversial little group 'Public Health Collaboration' (which has nothing to do with the NHS or Public Health England).

This is a BHF forum and I consider advice given to forum members should not be directly opposed to BHF advice.

Fortunately the advice given in Cardiac Rehab is, not surprisingly, the same as the BHF.

[Nathan53]

Thanks for that info I will give the kefir a try. Great to exchange this sort of info. I sometimes buy ready made kefir but as is usually the case it is often loaded with additional sugars etc like some bought yoghurt is.

[Camelliared in reply to Nathan53]

livekefircompany.co.uk is one site. There are others. No need to buy a jar or start up kit, I just

use old yoghut pots. Don’t use anything metal. Just cover and leave in the kitchen. It will keep in the fridge

for a week or so once made. The first grains are very small and

you will need to throw first lot of milk away but no

doubt full instructions will be given. Any queries just

ask. The grains will grow and look like Cauliflower.

You can flavour the yoghurt with a little honey or

fruit or even mix with a shop bought one. But start

slowly with a tablespoon and as you get used to it,

you can have a cupful a day.

Ps you can also make soft cheese with it if you hang

it in muslin over night. Add flavour of choice to it.

Have fun.

[Camelliared]

No need to apologise, even doctors have

differing views. It can be a bit confusing at times.

[Foxyhole]

Well done you have a good attitude. I also had a HA and stent fitted in August done my rehab and finished at Xmas. I feel ok but get tired at times and don’t like being on all these pills 💊. Enjoy your rehab 😊

[Camelliared in reply to Foxyhole]

Start my offical rehab.this week but done a lot by

doing the walking programme the cardiac nurse gave

me. Don’t know how long we have to take the pills

but I’m happy my cholesterol has come right down

in 2 months. The meds and diet combined. All the

best for your continuing recovery.

[jobe1968 in reply to Foxyhole]

Me too! Recovering well. Stats good however I still get tired sometimes, I think it’s related to my beta blockers. I stepped back from the forum when the bun fighting starts. A bit like Brexit people get excited and the shouting drowns out the sensible information on both sides.

[Fortepiano]

So now you say the ICS support 4 approaches including low-fat? Then why have you always represented them as only supporting high fat and being against low-fat? It is astonishing to mislead people in this way and I hope you will now stop doing this.

What I have said about the ICS diabetes programme ( including their guidance on reducing saturated fat!) comes from their own published sources, and can thus be relied on.

I absolutely agree with the Mediterranean diet with olive oil and nuts - these are not saturated fats, and the BHF promotes the Mediterranean diet and extra virgin olive oil. But the Mediterranean diet as investigated in the Predimed study is low in saturated fat and perfectly compatible with the Eatwell guide.

The Predimed trial itself specifies fat in the diet came from nuts, oily fish, and from cooking in olive oil and using it for salad dressing, not from meat and dairy, and all participants were told not to eat butter, margarine, cream, high- fat cheese etc and to eat poultry and rabbit rather than red meat or processed meat or sausages.

Wholegrain cabohydrates were freely eaten: '"Ad libitum consumption was allowed for the following food items: nuts (raw and unsalted), eggs, fish (recommended for daily intake), seafood, low-fat cheese, chocolate (only black chocolate, with more than 50% cocoa), and whole-grain cereals. Limited consumption (≤1 serving per week) was advised for cured ham, red meat (after removing all visible fat), and cured or fatty cheeses." I quote this from the Predimed trial report itself. Note the emphasis on whole-grain cereals - this is not a low carb diet.

I am glad to hear you say in your post that you do not support a diet high in saturated fat - but in contrast your previous posts frequently recommend high saturated fat sources including full-fat dairy, cream, mascarpone, coconut oil, butter, eating meat fat, - you've even recommended ghee and lard! Even two days ago you wrote ' I would say the vast majority are stuck in an 'avoid saturated fat' paradigm.', and three days ago you said 'focussing on reducing natural, saturated fat is contributing to the problem.' At least I'm glad that you seem to be changing your tune!

I don't think 'might is right' but I do consider it is much wiser for readers to trust the scientific consensus of the NHS, Public Health England, Diabetes Uk and the BHF rather than diet posts by any individual forum member, particularly someone who, (as you yourself admit in your post ) does not accurately represent the ICS programme and instead constantly pushes his own agenda and that of an extremely controversial pressure group the 'Public Health Collaboration' to vulnerable people whose problems are often nothing to do with diet anyway.

I reiterate that Public Health England, The NHS and Diabetes Uk set up the diabetes prevention programme that they employed ICS to deliver. All three bodies support the Eatwell guide which you constantly oppose.

I suggest anyone concerned about diabetes google 'NHS diabetes diet' and go to an actual NHS website for trustworthy advice. Diabetes Uk - which supports the NHS Eatwell guide - is also a sensible source.

The BHF of course also supports the Eatwell guide, and its nutrition pages are excellent and fully in line with Cardiac rehab dietary advice. For dietary advice go to trustworthy sites!

Finally I repeat that I do not think a diet which is opposed to the BHF advice should be constantly pushed on their own site.

(Sorry about this Camelliared - you are doing just fine and I'm sure you will get good advice on your Cardiac Rehab course!)

[Camelliared in reply to Fortepiano]

Thank you for all you posted. Let’s just leave it at that for now.