One of the most important concerns people have after suffering a heart attack is making sure that they don't have another one. Three ways to make sure that you don't are by eating right, getting enough exercise and by taking prescribed medications. After a heart attack, you'll need to reduce the amount of fat (particularly saturated fat) and cholesterol you eat. Your doctor may also ask you to reduce your sodium intake. You can develop a healthier approach to what you eat and establish lifelong eating habits.
Step 1
Make an appointment to have your blood drawn every six to nine months to test for your total cholesterol, low density lipoproteins, high density lipoproteins and trigycerides. All four of these are part of a blood lipid panel and will help your doctor and dietitian design a heart-healthy diet for you. File your lipid panel results so that you can compare future results against them.
Step 2
Complete a five- to seven-day diet inventory in a small notebook or on the form provided by your dietitian. A diet inventory is a list of the quantities and types of foods you typically eat during a normal week. Be honest and do your best to estimate serving sizes and contents. Be sure to include meals that you eat out and while on vacation.
Step 3
Develop a plan for exchanging fast foods and foods high in saturated fat and cholesterol for healthier alternatives. A good place to start is by referring to the USDA Food Pyramid (see Resources). The food pyramid is a simple way to divide the food you eat into six categories: grains, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat and beans and oils. Each of the categories offers suggestions for serving sizes and foods that fit into a general plan for healthy eating.
Step 4
Learn how to estimate serving sizes. Most commercial products today are required by law to state on their labels the number of servings per package, average serving size, grams of carbohydrates, fat and protein and many other nutrition facts. If you're at home, use a small food scale to become familiar with the number of grams or ounces in a serving size. Another easy way to estimate serving size is to use the link to Tips for Estimating Serving Sizes (see Resources). The chart compares average serving sizes with objects you're familiar with. For instance, one pancake is the size of a compact disc. One cup of green salad is about the size of the average fist. And 1/2 cup of grapes is the same size as a light bulb.
Step 5
Exchange saturated fats and trans fats like butter, lard and stick margarine for healthy alternatives. Acceptable choices include canola oil, corn oil, olive oil and sunflower oil. You can also use certain nuts, olives and avocados to add oil or fat to your meals without raising your cholesterol.
Step 6
Eat fish twice a week. Certain cold-water fish like salmon, trout and sardines are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial in reducing your LDL and raising your HDL cholesterol. If you don't like fish, try taking omega-3 supplements. You can find them at grocery and health food stores.
Step 7
Replace processed fast foods with healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. All three are low in fat and sugar and contain soluble fiber that helps to reduce cholesterol and your risk for certain types of cancer.
Step 8
Reduce your salt intake. Most Americans eat between 2,900 to 4,300 mg of salt (sodium chloride) a day. Because sodium is closely associated with high blood pressure in many individuals, consider reducing your sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day. Exchange frozen fish, ham and bacon, canned foods, cheese and butter and ketchup or mayonnaise for fresh lean meats, poultry, egg whites and low-sodium soups and broths. If you must eat canned vegetables, rinse them before cooking to remove most of the salt.
Tips and Warnings
- Start slowly and make permanent changes that you can live with. Learn how to read packaging labels. Be easy on yourself, but strive to make progress.
- Avoid fad diets that you won't be able to stick with. Don't believe everything you read---become an educated consumer.
Things You'll Need
- Dietary questionnaire
- Small notebook
- Food scale
