I’m feeling a little lost. I want to eat healthily but I’m reading conflicting advice on what I can and cannot eat.
I take bisoprolol, ticagrelaor and avortastatin as well as daily aspirin. Some site say only need avoid grapefruit and others are saying need to not eat much broccoli, bananas tomatoes, sweet potatoes and other stuff. What can you eat, we have broccoli several times a week, as well as sweet potatoes and tomato passatta. I used to have a banana every day before the heart attack now I don’t know if I can have any. I will ask this question when I get to see a cardio nurse but until then could someone please help. I want to eat well. I’ve cut salt and red meat almost completely. As a family our meals are lean chicken, pork, turkey or cod and mostly with vegetables in casseroles/stews and bolognese type meals
Thank you in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply
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Fuzzier
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You are right to avoid grapefruit, and you are really doing the right thing in cutting down red meat and reducing salt.
I eat plenty of veg and fruit and except grapefruit and bananas (which I avoid for a non heart reasons). I also cut down on carbs (it was my weakness) processed sugar and certain fats. I eat a lot of wholemeal now.
I recommend the following 2 links from the BHF site for you - heating healthy which says it all.
BHF also has a recipe finder which I use a lot (and adjust accordingly). They are all relatively easy and I am sure you will find plenty of tasty options, tonight I had my own take on the quick fish stew which was lovely on this cold night.
About the statin you take. I had a chat with my pharmacist about this a few years ago. It’s really grapefruit juice rather than grapefruit that’s got to be avoided, and he suggested if we want to eat grapefruit we do so several hours after taking the statin. So if you take it at night, grapefruit is ok at lunchtime and evening, If you take it in the morning, have your grapefruit as your dessert at dinner time.
thank you. I don’t eat grapefruit. It was just the conflicting advice from differing sites about what you should and shouldn’t eat and wondered what others do or have been told.
i think that the advice to ask your pharmacist is a good idea
when taking warfarin i was given dietary info to follow which included a list like yours of foods to avoid, foods we ate very regularly as we have a very vegetable based diet - but when i saw the specialist nurse she told me that it was ok to eat them but i should avoid suddenly increasing or decreasing how often i eat them - so getting the right advice is helpful
If there is a food that reacts with a drug, that should appear on the leaflet that comes in the packet.
It sounds as if you are being advised to cut your potassium intake, but you need to talk to your cardio nurse about your particular case. I found lots of things I think of as healthy are high in potassium.
I would also recommend the BHF site for advice and recipes.
Thank you. I’ve not been told to cut my potassium I’m googling what is safe to eat whilst taking my meds and getting conflicting results. Still waiting for an appointment to see a cardio nurse. The only cardio nurse I saw was when I was in hospital and she really didn’t give much advice.
Hi and, as others have said, welcome.When I had my HA 2 years ago both the Cardiologist ànd the cardiac rehabilitation nutritionist advised moderation in all things. They also said that their thinking was that no foodstuffs should be "banned" as the desire for banned items makes the temptation and the desire too great.
I have followed this advice since and, touch wood, no problems and happy me!
Personally I think grapefruit to be the spawn of Satan so it doesn't bother me one iota.
Thank you. It don’t like grapefruit either but I normally eat a lot of broccoli and sweet potatoes and have a daily banana which some sites are saying is a no no.
couldn’t agree more about varying advice especially throwing pre diabetes into the mix. After five or six months I stick to the Mediterranean diet and watched the Zio (Covid fame) bloke prof. Spector on 30 plants a week. See it on YouTube.
I'm certain the cardiac nurse will be able to guide you on diet, if not the NHS had a healthy diet program in fact they have three of I recall it right. I was told no grapefruit or grapefruit juice when on statins.
I’m waiting for an appointment to see a cardiac nurse. It’s been 6 weeks since the event and I’ve been home 5 weeks. All I’ve had was a phone call to tell me the outcome of the multi disciplinary team meeting and told I would have an outpatient appointment in 3-4 months with the cardiologist and an appointment with cardio nurse to give me some exercises to do but no time scale as to when I would get this appointment. In this site it says you should be seen by cardio nurse within 4 weeks.
Feeling frustrated as I want to get healthier and strengthen my heart and just want to know what’s safe to eat and safe to do and what’s not.
Bless you. I totally understand your frustration and just wanting to eat the right diet. I also understand about the follow up waiting time, and I'm not going to day try not to worry because we all do.I'm hoping you get to speak to someone ideally cardiac nurse asap.
if you are able to join the cardiac rehab online education classes there is one around diet and you would be able to ask questions too.
I am on the same meds as you, I don’t avoid bananas but mostly have one a day with my low sugar granola just to pep it up a bit. I don’t eat grapefruit anyway. I eat if those veg as have not been told not to eat them, I think if you ate to excess it might me an issue but normal portion sizes I think would be ok,
The whole eating thing is a minefield and takes sime getting used too. I now avoid anything that contains palm oil, coconut oil, red meat (occasionally), no snacks like biscuits crisps etc, I eat pistachios everyday as a treat but only a handful. I dint understand why I am nit a size 10!! 🤪
Someone has suggested contacting the BHF which is a good idea.
A pharmacist should be able to put your mind at rest about specific interactions with the drug you have been given and should be able to help on other queries.
You might also ask at your GPs reception to see if they have a dietitian for an over view on what you should be eating. . I have seen two nhs dietitians at different GPs practices, one in a group session which was not very useful( think school basic nutrition lesson) and the other a one to one with a lovely person who was very reassuring and helpful.
In the meantime, if you haven’t been specifically told/advised by a pharmacist or the information provided with the statins, to avoid bananas/broccoli etc I would personally continue to eat them but within a range of heart healthy foods featuring a lot of vegetables and wholefoods and avoiding saturated fat .
Good morning Fuzzier. Yes the information on what to eat is misleading. I think it's all about different people's opinions. If you click on the 9 dots at the bottom left of your healthunlocked screen there's a healthy eating group who might be able to give you advice. Good luck. Brian
Once you start Googling you end up down all sorts of rabbit holes! My advice is that if there's nothing on the leaflet that comes with the drugs then there's nothing to worry about. I had a similar thought process as you when faced with all this conflicting advice on the internet. It sounds to me as if you're doing all the right things.
If you google 'foods high in' or 'low in' you will get helpful lists of these things together with he usual quantity of each. I print these off and pin them inside my kitchen cupboards, so I can see at a glance what is what-if you also check the amounts of say, potassium, magnesium, selenium etc, we need a day for optimum health, this will help with portion control. It's all a matter of balance!
I was fortunate to have a good cardiac nurse after my stemi 4 years ago. I still follow her advice today. I don't eat any processed food so no ham, sausage, burgers, pies. Red meat occasionally. Any veg, fruit and grains. No grapefruit. These simple rules have served me well.On the exercise front, I did the 6 weeks gym rehab course, and hated it. Not been back since. Find an exercise you enjoy. I go walking. Getting out of breath is good, but pause to catch your breath if you are unable to hold a conversation. Build your fitness gradually. Hope this helps a d good luck
Hi, I have Afb and have had a problem with low potassium in the past due to not being told I would require more frequent blood tests. However, the general rule of thumb I have been given is that if you have always eaten it then your body is used to what ever is in that food. Problems arise if you have never eaten Broccoli before, for example, and then start eating platesfull every day. All things in moderation and your diet sounds way more healthy than mine.😊
I would suggest that if it is a stated food or supplement to avoid with a medication you should avoid it.If you've been asked to reduce potassium but love healthy foods that include them , then you could just reduce the amount of times you eat them per week , and reduce the size of the portions you have , as you would still need some potassium in your diet but not high levels of it.
You change to having a small banana every other day , and half sized portions of the other vegetables, and also check other foods that you eat or supplements you might take which might not have been on the lists you have looked at but could still contain high potassium.
After three months you could go to the GP and ask them to do your kidney function test ( electrolytes) because you want to see that your change in diet has helped you keep the potassium level that they will be happy with. You can request these tests if they don't suggest them automatically at your NHS surgery, especially if you are being asked to reduce your levels of certain nutrients.
Have you also had a Total Cholesterol test and Diabetes Blood test?
It's good to get a baseline of results for cholesterol and diabetes check to see if you need to make any changes in diet for that too.
hi thank you for your reply. I had a blood test in April and the hospital lab told my gp to start me on highest dose of statins which the drs said was a mistake and they disregarded the advice. I’m having a blood test next week as the hospital requested one be done one week after my discharge which again the drs overruled and said it wasn’t needed but I’ve made some noise and now getting the requested blood test 5 weeks after I should have had it. I will keep eating the same vegetables and fruits but reduce the amount and frequency of some of them.
Keep on at your GP , request medical reasons in writing if they refuse to do things, request to see a different GP at your surgery and make a complaint to your local external complaints body if it continues. It is neglectful for them not to follow recommendations given for you by your Consultant and to refuse you treatments or tests unless they have specific medical reasons that relate to your overall health and medications for not following the advice from the hospital.
I’m on a different statin (Rosuvastatin) as I have an adverse reaction to the one you are on. I’m on Ticagrelor and the minimum dose of Bisoprolol as well as a cocktail of other drugs (thank goodness for free prescriptions otherwise it would be about £80 a month for me).
I’ve not been told about any restriction other than grapefruit which I dislike anyway.
Google is a very dangerous thing as it can result in conflicting advice and completely wrong advice especially for those of us with potentially serious health issues.
Hi,
the only thing the doctors mentioned was no grapefruit . I hate it anyway.
I have seen some websites mentioning banana's, tomatoes, certain greens, basically all the stuff that's meant to be healthy.
I eat at least 2 banana's a day, and have done so since my HA. I had a look on the NHS website and it doesn't mention foodstuffs to avoid so to be honest I've carried on eating them.
The BHF helpline/ email service is excellent for more technical questions, I might ask them about this.
I phoned the pharmacy and told them I eat 2 banana's a day, will that conflict and be harmful because of my medications, she said not at all.
I'm like you still finding my way after my HA April 22 I think you only have to careful with vegetables if you are on Warfarinas you are on asprin and ticagrelor you should be fine I'm also on atorvastatin the same as you how many ticagrelor do you take per day I'm on 2 tablets one in the morning and one in the evening I'm also Bisoprolol and Lansoprazole I did ask my pharmacist about red bush tea and Turmeric she advised me not to use these.
I don't add salt to anything now eat chicken and turkey very little red meat and have fish that is not covered in breadcrumbs or batter three times a week and make sure at least one is an oily fish I have haddock or Basa rainbow trout or salmon and Mackerel.
Hope the information helps you can also eat chocolate dark is best but milk is ok I limit myself to 3 chocolates a day when I do have chocolates which is only at Christmas.
Bisoprolol 2.5mg once a day, Ticagrelor twice a day, toasting once a day, aspirin once a day and gtn if needed. I’m already taking lansoprazole, certirizine, cyclizine, oramorph and paracetamol long term because of the injuries I suffered when I was crushed.
We eat chicken, turkey (lean cuts and lean minced), lean pork steaks or lean pork mince occasionally and lean beef for a stew maybe twice a month. Fish wise we have cod as I’m allergic to oily fish and also allergic to shellfish.
I had bowel operations and a stoma after being crushed then it was reversed but the scarring limits me to not being able to have some foods anything that has a shell like beans, peas and sweetcorn is a no no, no seeds, no skins, and leafy veg is a no too as it could stick to the scar tissue and cause more issues I wasn’t told if I had to avoid these forever or for a while. So for now I’m already limited in what I know I can have. I don’t drink tea or coffee, haven’t drunk tea since being crushed as it turns my stomach and I gave up coffee 18 years ago as the caffeine upset me (even decaf wasn’t good for me) as for chocolate brown chocolate makes me projectile vomit but I can eat white chocolate but will not be eating very much of it for a while
Hopefully when I do see the nurse he/she will be able to give more answers/advice and if not I’ll ask to see a dietitian.
You have received much helpful advice from other forum members, but perhaps I can add my two cents.
After my HA in March 2022, I knew that I needed to change and improve my diet. Like you, the doctors, hospital, etc. gave me no dietary advice, so I read and just tried to do my best. At that time, my heart would race from just getting out of bed and walking a short distance to my bathroom. Thus, I needed meals that were simple, healthy, and quick for me to prepare.
For breakfast, I might have an English muffin with butter, a handful of cherry tomatoes, a handful of blueberries, and a banana. I always tried to have blueberries daily because they are a “super food”. I did ask my doctor about having the daily banana. Her only concern was the amount of natural sugar that bananas have. This is a concern if you are prediabetic or diabetic. She suggested having a banana every other day.
Sometimes I change things up by having a bowl of oatmeal with cinnamon sprinkled on it. The cinnamon is thought to lower blood sugar levels. I also sometimes have a small dish of Greek vanilla yogurt with cinnamon or blueberries. I tend to have a substantial breakfast and the foods that I add are colorful, have fiber, keep you feeling satisfied for hours, and are healthy. You could also substitute a small handful of nuts, such as walnuts or almonds, for the banana.
Today, about 20 months post HA, I usually do not have lunch. I find that my breakfast helps me feel satisfied for several hours. After my HA, I had several small meals throughout the day
For lunch, I might have a handful of raw, sugar snap peas. They are crunchy, taste slightly sweet, and are lovely for lunch. I would also have a hand ful of cherry tomatoes, a small dish of low-fat cottage cheese, maybe a handful of blueberries again, and two or three small pieces of cooked chicken. You can buy bags of roasted chicken chunks that are relatively healthy.
For dinner, I would have boiled chicken and two/three fresh cooked vegetables I love cooked carrots, but they do have a lot of natural sugar. You mentioned baked sweet potatoes, and they are very healthy. My doctor always suggests green, leafy veggies like kale, Swiss chard, spinach, etc
Try to stay with as many veggies and fruits as you can stand—raw when possible. Lean poultry and fish are good meat sources. Nuts are also good for you, as well as beans. I will add that I lost over 30 pounds with changing my diet as outlined.
These are some of my personal suggestions, but there is a tremendous amount of good dietary information out there. Best wishes to you in sorting it all out ❤️
I do take 40 mg. Atorvastatin, 75 mg. Metropolol, and 40mg Lisinopril daily. I also take HCTZ (a diuretic) every other day, and Omeprazole daily. Those are my major medications.
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