Following a heart attack, adopting a heart-healthy eating plan becomes crucial. Treatment at this stage is focused on preventing future cardiac events and related complications. What you consume directly influences your heart's function, and adjusting your eating habits can significantly lower the risk of another heart attack. This article provides a comprehensive breakdown of dietary recommendations and foods to limit, aiming to guide you toward a heart-healthy lifestyle.
Core Principles of a Heart-Healthy Diet
A heart-healthy diet should prioritize whole, unprocessed foods that nourish your body and support cardiovascular health. These choices are naturally low in saturated fat, sodium, and added sugars, all of which can increase heart attack risk.
A heart-healthy diet can consist of:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Nuts and seeds
- Beans and legumes
- Fish and seafood
- Whole grains
- Plant-based oils, such as olive oil
- Eggs (up to six per week)
- Lean meats
- Skinless poultry
Maximizing Fruits and Vegetables
Vegetables and fruits are good sources of vitamins and minerals. They're also low in calories and rich in fiber. Vegetables and fruits, like other plants or plant-based foods, contain substances that may help prevent heart disease. Eating more fruits and vegetables also may help you eat less higher calorie food.
Canned and frozen veggies and fruits may be used in place of fresh varieties, but look out for added ingredients such as sodium, butter, or sugar. When possible, consume vegetables and fruits in their natural state to get the maximum benefits. Keep vegetables washed and cut in your refrigerator for quick snacks. Keep fruit in a bowl in your kitchen so that you'll remember to eat it. Choose recipes that have vegetables or fruits as the main ingredients.
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The Power of Fish and Seafood
Fish is one of the best foods for your heart, especially certain types. Oily fish is considered best because it’s loaded with omega-3 fatty acids that help reduce triglycerides and inflammation and promote vascular health. Canned versions are also a good option, but choose ones that are packed in water.
Aim to have at least 2 servings of fish per week. Examples include:
- Salmon
- Sardines
- Trout
- Herring
- Mackerel
Hydration and Beverage Choices
When it comes to drinks, your best option is water. If you don’t like the taste of plain water, experiment with flavoring it, like slicing a lemon, cucumber, or berry and adding it to your water for some all-natural flavor. You can also drink seltzer or herbal tea. The main idea is to avoid beverages that are high in sugar and to limit your alcohol intake as much as possible. If you don’t drink alcohol, don’t start. If you choose to drink alcohol, limit your intake. The risk of atrial fibrillation (A-fib) and of stroke increases with increased alcohol intake. Stroke and coronary heart disease are lowest in those who drink 1-2 alcoholic beverages daily.
Embrace Whole Grains
Whole grains are good sources of fiber and other nutrients that play roles in heart health and controlling blood pressure. You can get more whole grains by making simple swaps with refined grain products. Or try a whole grain you haven't had before. Healthy choices include whole-grain farro, quinoa and barley.
Plant Protein as a Heart-Healthy Choice
I love to eat a serving of nuts daily. Walnuts and almonds are known for their omega 3 fatty acids. A quarter cup of nuts makes a great snack. Eating more nuts was associated with lower risk of heart disease, coronary heart disease, and stroke. Lentils are high in fiber, high in protein, easy to cook, and may cause less gastrointestinal (GI) discomfort than beans.
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Structured Heart-Healthy Eating Plans
If you’re interested in following a more structured eating plan, there are a few different heart-healthy diets to consider. Remember to consult your doctor when considering making dietary changes. Tell them if you’re planning to try a new diet or eating style or ask for a referral to a registered dietitian who can help you choose an existing diet plan or customize one for you.
The Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet focuses on healthy fats, legumes, fish, beans, and grains, along with lots of fresh vegetables and fruit. Dairy and meat can be enjoyed in moderation.
A recent review of long-term studies points to the cardiovascular benefits of this style of eating, which may help lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. The Mediterranean diet also focuses on using plant-based oils, like olive oil, in place of butter.
The DASH Diet
Dietary approaches to stopping hypertension (DASH) is another eating plan designed to promote heart health by lowering your blood pressure. Like the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet focuses on plant-based foods along with lean meats. Try to make more homemade meals to manage the salt added to your foods, and check the labels of packaged and canned foods for sodium levels.
Overall, DASH is designed to lower blood pressure by naturally reducing your sodium and cholesterol intake, which helps promote heart health.
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Plant-Based Eating
Also known as “plant-forward” eating, a plant-based diet consists of eating little to no meat. As the name suggests, plant-based eating focuses on fruits and vegetables, along with grains, legumes, and other non-animal food sources. Research links plant-based eating to promoting heart health and lowering the risk of:
- Cancer
- Stroke
- Type 2 diabetes
Eating less meat means you’ll also be consuming less saturated fat and cholesterol.
Foods to Limit or Avoid
As dietary guidance, you’ll want to limit excess sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats. This is especially true after experiencing a heart attack. The following is a partial list of foods to limit or avoid:
- Fast food
- Fried food
- Canned food (veggies and beans are the exceptions, as long as there’s no added salt)
- Candy
- Chips
- Processed frozen meals
- Cookies and cakes
- Biscuits
- Ice cream
- Condiments such as mayonnaise, ketchup, and packaged dressing
- Red meat (enjoy in limited quantities only)
- Alcohol
- Hydrogenated vegetable oils (these contain trans fats)
- Deli meat
- Pizza, burgers, and hot dogs
- Junk food
Limiting Saturated and Trans Fats
For a happy heart, limit your intake of saturated fat. Saturated fat should make up no more than 6 percent of your total daily caloric intake. This is especially crucial if you have high cholesterol. Check the food labels of cookies, cakes, frostings, crackers and chips. These foods are low on nutrition. And some of them - even those labeled reduced fat - may contain trans fats. Trans fats can no longer be added to foods in the United States. But they could be in products made in other countries. Trans fats may be listed as partially hydrogenated oil on the ingredient label. Also, many of the partially hydrogenated fats or trans fats typically contained in desserts and snack foods have been replaced with saturated fats. When you use fats, choose unsaturated ones. There are two main types. Monounsaturated fats are found in products such as olive oil or canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats are found in certain fish and in avocados, nuts and seeds. When used in place of saturated fats, unsaturated fats may help lower your total blood cholesterol. But it's still important to limit how much of these fats you eat.
Reducing Sodium Intake
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 2,300 mg per day of sodium and is moving toward a lower limit of 1,500 mg for most adults, especially for those with high blood pressure. Limiting salt and sodium is a key part of a heart-healthy diet. Have no more than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium a day. Limiting the amount of salt you add to food at the table or while cooking is a good first step. But much of the sodium you eat comes from canned or processed foods. These include soups, baked goods and frozen dinners. If you like the convenience of canned soups and prepared meals, buy products with reduced sodium or no added salt.
Avoiding Added Sugars
I stay away from fats that are hard at room temperature, such as bacon grease, shortening and margarine. I also avoid tropical oils (coconut, palm, and palm kernel), animal fats (butter and lard), and partially hydrogenated fats. I love using maple syrup in my coffee and oatmeal. Avoid: I avoid any chemically based sweeteners and processed white sugar. Added sugars are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and being overweight.
The Role of Supplements
Your body processes supplements differently than food, so you’re likely to absorb more from actual foods than manufactured pills. Supplements are generally considered if you’re not getting enough of the nutrients you need from your diet. Your doctor can order tests to check for nutrients in your blood, such as:
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin Bs
- Magnesium
- Omega-3 fatty acids
If your levels are low, they may recommend supplementation. Be sure to talk with your doctor before taking any supplements. They can advise you about whether supplements are safe for you to take and, if so, which ones.
Additionally, when taking supplements, check the label and opt for products that have undergone third-party testing.
Portion Control
Overloading your plate, taking seconds and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to eating more calories than you should. Follow a few simple tips to control food portion size. Eat smaller amounts of high-calorie, high-sodium foods. It's also important to keep track of the number of servings you eat. A serving size is a specific amount of food. It's defined by common measurements such as cups, ounces or pieces. For example, one serving of pasta is about 1/3 to 1/2 cup, or about the size of a fist. A serving of meat, fish or chicken is about 2 to 3 ounces. The recommended number of servings in a food group may vary. Judging serving size is a learned skill.
Additional Lifestyle Habits for Heart Health
Nutrition is key to your overall health, especially when it comes to your heart. Aside from eating a nutrient-rich diet, other lifestyle habits can also help promote heart health. These include:
- Getting regular exercise
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress
- Quitting smoking
- Limiting alcohol
- Managing your mental health
Tips for Making Heart-Healthy Choices
- How much you eat is just as important as what you eat: Overloading your plate, taking seconds, and eating until you feel stuffed can lead to consuming more calories than you should.
- Be creative. Instead of adding salt, spark up the flavor with herbs, spices, garlic, onions and citrus juices: Instead of seasoning your food with salt, enhance the flavor of food with these salt-free herb and spice combinations.
- When at a restaurant, don’t hesitate to make special requests: Request that the cook prepare foods without adding salt or MSG. Or ask for sauces and salad dressings on the side since they are often high in sodium.
- Read the Nutrition Facts and ingredient list on packaged food labels to choose those with less sodium, added sugars and saturated fat. Use the nutrition information included on packaged foods. Be sure to notice the number of servings per container.
- Remember, it’s the overall pattern of your choices that counts: It is possible to follow a heart-healthy dietary pattern regardless of whether food is prepared at home, ordered in a restaurant or online, or purchased as a prepared meal.