So I’m a little bit confused as to what really is a good heart healthy diet?
From what I’ve seen there’s a few conflicting opinions.
Is red meat ok or is it not, I was told to eat lots of red meat as I have issues with iron not knowing that red meat isn’t really good for your overall health.
Is there anything you should completely cut out?
I’m only 32 but have issues with inappropriate sinus tachycardia.
I want to make sure I’m keeping my heart healthy as to try and avoid CAD in the future, but knowing perfectly healthy people can still develop this makes me wonder what to do. My aunt had a HA in her early 40s so it’s kind of always been something I’ve always wondered about.
Thank you
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Amz1987
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Hi! I am fairly new to all this. The subject of diet is quite confusing and I am now on a low calorie Mediterranean one as recommended by the BHF - sorry not sure how to set up a link. There are more extreme ones, particularly vegan, but they all need supplementing with B12, calcium, etc. There are claims on You Tube that these diets dissolve plaque but never any substantiated evidence.
Diet is a big topic on here, as you have picked up... leave that to the enthusiasts ( and eventually you might even become one😀).
For now, the BHF have the best overall view of things, and your cardiology team will almost certainly refer to their advice- the worse thing is to get caught dabbling in more than one regime.
BHF Mediterranean diet is good, and their leaflets etc are brilliant- order from the website, and look at several because they present the same info in different ways. For me, red meat is a ‘once every 1-2 weeks’, while sausages are ‘once a month’ and oily fish is my default when there isn’t any chicken knocking about😀.
Ignore all the ‘perfectly healthy people that...’- you can only do the best that you can for your body, and you know there is a ‘bit of something up’ already.
And especially, ignore all the sensationalist stuff in the papers- that is there to sell papers, not look after your health (but the BHF magazine is really good).
Hiya, I also have IST and I just try to keep my diet as clean as possible. I’m also veggie so don’t eat meat. With IST I’ve tried to avoid any triggers so for me caffein I’ve completely cut out and I also try to avoid dark chocolate and alcohol.
IST is a weird one as you get told to increase your salt intake yet too much salt is bad for your heart so try to find a healthy balance, drinking loads of water is also important to help with HR.
Regarding a heart healthy diet I think it’s just avoiding fatty, sugary and processed foods and not drinking loads of alcohol. Everything in moderation though I suppose!
Sorry I don’t know an awful lot but from my experience a clean diet has helped with me 😊
Thank you so much everyone for replying to me. I’ve pretty much completely given up alcohol and caffeine (coffee has been the hardest being a mum of 4 young ones) and one of my daily pleasures lol but just one coffee annoys my heart most days so it’s a weak one once a week or so now and a tea here and there.
I will look into everything you have all suggested. My cardiologist hasn’t suggested anything other then to up my salt a little.
To echo what’s been said (and also read the angina monologues). I follow the Mediterranean diet, not calling it a diet as it’s forever. I don’t completely restrict myself from anything as I’m sure I would eventually crack and it would be carnage in the kitchen! Upping the exercise as well as eating more healthily is what works for me keeping my weight down. My diet was horrific pre-heart attack, so I had what was coming to me!
If you like meat, eat lean cuts (not ham etc) i.e - chicken without skin. Plus eat plenty of veges and fruits, cut down on salts if you have high blood pressure. If you snack, eat raw almonds/walnuts/cashews/fruits small amounts and if you snack make sure you stay away from processed foods. (keep portions down breakfast, lunch, dinner)You can also cut down on mayo, butter, bread. Bread has no value whatsoever, I eat bread but not too much. Most important you need to exercise, eating healthy is one thing, exercise is more important and has much more value in regards to improving your cardiovascular system.
A whole food plant based diet is worth considering. I've had great success with this diet for well over a decade. I model my diet based on what is advocated by renowned cardiologist Dean Ornish as well as my own personal cardiologist.
Hi when people say obesity will cause an heart attack, l have to say it won't help, but two people I know who had heart attacks were very thin one was a very health conscious guy who exercised regularly, but had a family history of heart problems, it could just be the luck of the draw sometimes. My diet is appalling but I keep on trying to eat healthy, but I often fall of the diet I am afraid.
Yes this makes sense, I was over weight (part baby weight, part “too much alcohol” (I only drank 3 or so nights a week but sugary mixers, not good!) and part lazy and too tried to do much exercise I was 88kg at the start of the year and now down to 73-74kg need to get down to about 63-65 to be at my “recommended” weight.
I have always struggled with food and over indulging.
Cardiologist never even mentioned my weight though which i thought was odd but anyway.
Here’s to being healthier but still able to enjoy things as well.
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