Helping our heart

[Badger1966]

Drinking plenty of water, Eating fish with olive oil and tomato sauce. Making soups from raw vegetables,(easy to do) , pasta, noodles and rice with fresh vegetables , twinning teas , non alcoholic Guinness (limit this ) crosswords ,scrabble ,word searches, walking exercises keeping your legs and feet fit to stop fluid build up for swollen ankles .embracing the cold winter ( wrap up well ) this gets your heart pumping. And too much hot sun stay in shade when can. Use common sense, listen to your body. Eat your 5 a day (fruits ) Gardening, Never be afraid to change your habits, food tolerance test to help to improve bloating , and help angina for discomfort in the body. Together we will fight heart disease.

Right I’ve started this topic off please add to it ,

[PadThaiNoodles]

Give up butter and full-fat milk. You get used to the replacements reasonably quickly and then don't really notice anymore.

[Heartandflowers]

I have heard there are heart healthy recipes on this site, but do not know where to find them? Any suggestions please.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Heartandflowers]

This might help?

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Heartandflowers in reply to Milkfairy]

Thanks, I checked it out and it will be a great help 😊

[Badger1966]

👍😉

[JezzaJezza]

BACKGROUND

I’m on Multaq Dronedarone for SVT and 2.5mg Bisoprolol for the palpitations - both extremely effective and no incidences of SVT / Palpitations since starting the medication 7 months go. Also amlodipine for high bp and 10mg statin for cholesterol.

I have full bloods done every 6 months and regularly measure blood pressure and my Apple Watch keeps history of heart rate. BP is circa 100-110 over 60-70, cholesterol is 3.4 and HDL only 1.6 of that. Heart rate is low 40’s (I’ve always had low HR) but has decreased by 15bpm since all the medications but no symptoms of Bradycardia and Cardiologist is happy. ECG of the heart showed zero physical issues, which was a great relief to know that it is an electrical issue of SVT.

I lost and have kept off 2.5 stone and radically changed lifestyle and diet. Wife now is on FODMAP type diet and so we both tend to eat unprocessed food of meat, potatoes and veg with spices to jazz it up. I also really enjoy the tinned fish such as sardines and mackerel in tomato sauce and tuna in spring water

I agree with all that you posted. Definitely 2.5 to 3 litres of water per day has really benefited me. I take it in the form of 1 x decaf coffee, 1 x Berocca, 4 x berry tea and large glasses of sugar free squash. I avoid all forms of caffeine - for me I know they are a trigger for palpitations. Also holiday heat is a trigger and we know go abroad in the shoulder season of May and September / October.

I gave up alcohol when initially diagnosed with high blood pressure and now drink the 0-0 versions. The Gordons gin is particularly good.

I walk 4 x 10K per week at 9:15 per km and exercise is the only thing I find that will raise my heart rate. In the winter bad weather I use a Concept 2 rower I have at home but gone are the days of high intensity interval training - my cardiologist asked me to limit it to steady state exercise and I always wear a chest strap which displays on the monitor. With the medication my HR is now effectively artificially capped at probably 140-150. I’m only interested in exercise that will benefit my heart - not to become an athlete.

[Badger1966 in reply to JezzaJezza]

Good on you , should be proud of yourself 👍The amlodipine Spaced me out and made me tired. But my 2 sisters are on it , one gets anxiety, the other one did but goes with these crystal stones , and salt candles, and is in a good place . Rampiril gave me leg spasms took a year but all gone . Now on Lisinopril 7 yrs on all ok , cleaned my act up , started listening to what my body is telling me . Yes hard , but look what we have achieved.

Badger

[Badger1966]

I also found gardening to be quite helpful, when we had Covid I got bored , so planted 8.000 plus flower bulbs , so when I down or low in the winter time after Christmas, the wonderful colours brighten my mood makes me positive , and makes other people happy which is good , so it’s a win win situation.