Hungry

[Bluecat223]

I had my heart attack last week I am determined to eat healthy but am terrified of eating something that will cause another heart attack anybody else gonthrough this after theirs

[RufusScamp]

See if you can get on a cardio rehab course. Mine helped me get a safe exercise routine, and looked at diet, medication and several other topics.

The main thing is to increase vegetables, and cut back on sugary and fatty foods. The BHF website has lots of helpful suggestions.

[Bluecat223 in reply to RufusScamp]

Thank you i start my rehab the end of this month I will take a look at the BHF website

[TheMiloKid in reply to Bluecat223]

The BHF also do a magazine which is full of good advice, health stories and some healthy recipes.

[RTCLP1]

My husband is 3 weeks post-heart attack. He's completely cut out sugar and salt (as near as), plus removed bad fats (he was addicted to sugary products). Other than fresh chilled soups, he's eating fish, chicken, oats, veg, fruit, legumes, olive oils (much of which he didn't eat before). A really good cookbook is Sat Bains: eat to your heart's content - brilliant book, written by a chef who had a heart attack. If you need any ideas, happy to share more of what we've been doing.

[Bluecat223 in reply to RTCLP1]

Thank you so much i will have a look on amazon for the cook book it's early days for me I just don't feel hungry i am scared to eat anything for fear of having another heart attack 🥲

[RTCLP1 in reply to Bluecat223]

I completely understand that. My husband couldn't get over how people were on the ward eating their way through unhealthy food after being admitted for heart attacks. I bought lots of different things in the first few days and brought them in to the hospital.

The BHF has a good guide to understanding the red, amber, green flags on food products. For example, New Covent Garden has vegetable soup which is green in fat and sugar but amber in salt (BHF say 'amber' means most of the time so he's eating half a carton of that soup for lunch, mixing in some cooked chicken and adding black pepper). He'll have a couple of small slices of Sainsbury's rye sourdough bread. It's heart healthy, filling and full of goodness.

Oats for breakfast with semi-skimmed milk and a small handful of raisins. Is something light to have. Throw in flaxseed, chia seed and sesame seed: it all adds up to getting a variety of good food.

The Bains book is good as it helps you to cook meals that have spices/herbs that give food a bit more flavour.

It's small steps. We're still learning and are waiting for the cardiac rehab to see what else he can do with his diet. These three weeks have been hard going, in a way, as you don't have anyone you can talk to but, from others we've learned that this does get better when the rehab classes start.

Best of luck, and you can always come back to me. The support is aways there.

[Bluecat223 in reply to RTCLP1]

Thank you so much i really appreciate it 💗

[Samazeuilh2]

I don’t think eating several unhealthy meals would cause a heart attack. It’s long term eating habits which matter.

[fishonabike]

It may help you to know that there is no single food which will cause a heart attack, unless it is actually toxic/poisonous

Changing your diet helps to reduce the chances of having another attack and other have suggested information on this. This may seem difficult at first but it usually gets easier which practice

[Goonerboy6661]

since my heart issues in April I have lost nearly 5 stone in weight following a low carb high protein diet that the doctors in my local practice group produced. Search for Freshwell low carb project in the APP store to download free app. More recently I have also used the Hava app.

[Kev73]

Ive cut back on eating sh1te since my stent three yeas ago, but I still can't help chocolate, bread and butter, I don't eat bacon or processed meats anymore, I love cheese but only at Christmas really, pizzas without cheese are lovely a marinara, they're nicer than you think, but to offset all the rubbish I still eat I do 2-3 miles of swimming a week along with two 40mile bike rides, exercise with burn all that cholesterol off better than any diet, I'm a 52 year old male and weigh 10 stone now, I was 12 stone, I started all this exercise at 49 it's never too late to start!

[uzininemm]

hello there, I have sent you a couple of links that you may already have or not.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo... - this will leasd to information re nutrition.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo... - plenty of heart healthy recipes that are easy to do.

What I would add is cut out white bread, rice etc, and instead replace with wholemeal bread/pasta, brown rice, wholemeal noodles. Potatoes are Ok in moderation but think of sweet potatoes as an alternative (very good for Vit C).

[Shabana1974]

I have not had a heart attack, but the damage my heart has is equivalent to a severe Heart attack is the way my cardiologist explained it.

I would stay away from ultra processed foods, like veg oils, sun flower oil ect.

Stay away from products that claim to be low fat, healthy ect if you read the ingredients and can not identify the ingredients in its raw form (it's likely to be a chemical) so avoid.

Basically it's about going back to basics before ready meals were invented.

I Recommend Dr Saira Hameeds book the full diet. The colour is good foods the grey is bad foods

It has some recipes in the book aswell as good and bad foods list.

She also has a separate cookbook to give you ideas.

She has a PHD and works at St Mary's Hospital London in the weight management centre. There's a section in the book (for Clinicians) which for us is the important bit as it talks about the affected on removing ultra processed foods on our medication. In some cases it may need reducing as your health improves.

Best wishes

Shabana

Good and bad foods

[Qualipop]

Eating an occasional treat won't make any difference. We all need treats. It's y o ur whole general diet that needs watching. Check the BHF home page for hundreds of recipes for heart healthy foods.

[james195555]

I fully understand how you are feeling. I had my heart attack 2 years ago and got home 36 hours later with 3 stents and a skip full of worries and confusion.

I thought ok I was stupid and enjoyed treats far too much and started searching the internet for answers but there is too much confliction. So I just made a point of never eating anything with all but the minimum Saturated fat. I was amazed at the tastes I had been missing as I started to create my own diet. It costs a packet to eat healthy at first, until you learn how to shop in a supermarket. 80% of the goods are simply bad for you, so I would make a list of healthy stuff to vary my diet and go hunting. I used M&S foods to allow me the few treats I needed.

I began posting my meals on my Facebook page and received handy replies.

At the moment I feel really guilty as I relented and allowed myself Christmas cake and chocolate (only high Coco black) I had a Christmas restaurant dinner not knowing what fats are used but you have to live.

I will be going back to the GP to get a blood test to see how my Cholesterol levels have done.

So it's back to fish, chicken, rice, veg and oats. I only use oat milk now, but even that is not fully healthy if you believe everything you read you will not eat anything.

Get your HDL/LDL levels checked if they are in the good range don't worry. A heart attack is because of many years bad eating and living habits. ~Nothing can reverse that, but you can lower your risk to minimum and improve your EF.

It takes 2 years to sort out the drugs you need so take your time and above all enjoy doing new things.

[Blackknight57]

eat in moderation. Half what they tell you frankly is not always true. Follow food guide lines and dont over do it

[Whiteghost]

Yep 4years ago. It's so scary the HA, then your scared that everything you eat, drink, will cause another HA. Remember you've just gone through a very scary experience, you probably have been given a cocktail of pills. Your frightened, take a breath, one step at a time, you will get there, Your not alone, theirs loads of help & support available. Remember slow and steady wins the race. Take care 🤗❤

[Warm-heart]

Hi, I totally understand. I recommend this book by a top cardiologist for healthy heart diet and why this helps: amazon.co.uk/Pioppi-Diet-21...

Very best wishes for a healthy happy new year

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Warm-heart]

I am not sure the BHF or other professional organisations agree with your statement about Dr Aseem Malhotra.

theguardian.com/world/2023/...

[Casualvisitor]

Don't be terrified of eating something unhealthy. Just eat such things in moderation.

If you had a bad diet which you think led to your heart attack then I can understand your worry.

The BHF website has loads of healthy breakfast,lunch and dinner recipes which are great.

But on a serious note, life is for living, having the occasional naughty food won't hurt ( unless your doctor has said NO).

[Bluecat223 in reply to Casualvisitor]

I think smoking excessive drinking stress poor diet and genetics have all played a part in what's happened I am never smoking again nor drinking so just need to sort the food and stress out which i am working on i just want to give my heart many more years if I can 🙂

[Casualvisitor in reply to Bluecat223]

think of it as a lesson learnt ,the ultimate hard way and move forwards to a cleaner healthier future, hearts attacks don't mean life over (in most cases) they mean new life with an appreciation and respect for it. take care.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Casualvisitor]

Thank you i am just really anxious at the moment it's only been a week today so every twinge and pain i feel like I am having another one 🥲

[Whiteghost in reply to Bluecat223]

A👍's up from me. The day I had my HA was the last day I smoked. I didn't drink but my diet was not good. That was 4years ago. Yes Dad, Mum, 2 brother's & 1 sister plus aunts and uncles have all had heart attacks/problems definitely genetics, and our old friend STRESS🤦. Mum had a triple bypass and lived until she was in her 90,s. Small changes. I wish you all the best. Proud of you🤗

[Bluecat223 in reply to Whiteghost]

Wow well done you have done amazing can I ask how old you were when you had your H/A please

[Whiteghost in reply to Bluecat223]

65 years I'm young at heart😁 I started smoking when I was 16 . What a numpty😅.

[Bluecat223 in reply to Whiteghost]

We all do it i wish I had never started back up again but the last 6 months have been stressful I was a vaper wish I had stuck to that 😔

[valeriep in reply to Bluecat223]

Being a few years down this road, the first question just about every medical professional I've seen asks me is "Do you smoke or have you ever smoked?" If you can give that up (and cut down on the drink), you will greatly increase your chances of not having a repeat event.

[Bluecat223 in reply to valeriep]

I have cut out the fag's still having the vape but I think raping is giving me more anxiety and I am deffo tea total now 😅

[Whiteghost]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Be strong, take each day at a time, and be kind to yourself. We are all responsible for our own life's, we make the choices.I'm sure you will make the right ones. 🤗❤

[Nguni]

I suggest you look at a lifestyle change following the Mediterranean way of eating. I had very positive results from this but discuss with your GP first. Best wishes from Cape Town .