After having heart bypass surgery, eating a healthy diet will be an important part of your recovery and your new lifestyle. Not only will good nutrition help your body heal from surgery, but following a heart-healthy diet will help your long-term heart health, according to the American Heart Association.
Diet After Surgery
Following surgery, your body will need extra protein to aid the healing process. The Cleveland Clinic recommends 0.8 to 1.0 g of protein per kilogram of body weight following bypass surgery. For example, a person who weighs 150 lbs. would require approximately 54 to 68 g of protein per day. Good dietary sources of protein include beans, soy, nuts, seeds, low-fat dairy products, fish, and lean meats. Most hospitals have registered dietitians on staff who can assess whether or not you are getting enough protein and help design a plan to meet your nutrition goals.
Heart-Healthy Diet
Following a heart-healthy diet can help reduce the risk of heart disease by decreasing cholesterol levels, promoting a healthy body weight, and decreasing blood pressure, according to the American Heart Association. The AHA encourages people to base their diet on wide variety of nutritious foods including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products and lean protein foods. Foods that are high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sugar, and salt should be limited. The AHA also encourages a balance between the amount of calories eaten and the amount of calories used in physical activity. Eating only the amount of calories your body needs can help achieve weight-loss goals if needed, and can help maintain a healthy body weight.
Types of Fat
There are four different types of fat, and some are more harmful to heart health than others. Saturated fats and trans fats are the most harmful to heart health, according to the American Heart Association. These types of fats are often solid at room temperature, such as a stick of butter. Saturated fats occur naturally in meat and dairy products. Choosing lean meats and low-fat dairy products will decrease the amount of saturated fat in your diet. Trans fats are often found in commercial baked goods, and may also be referred to as partially hydrogenated oils. Limiting saturated fats and trans fats is recommended for heart health.
The remaining two types of fats are monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. When these types of fat replace saturated or trans fats in the diet, they may have a positive impact on cholesterol levels. Examples of foods rich in monounsaturated fats are olive oil and canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats are found in fatty fish, soybean oil, corn oil and safflower oil.
Meal Tips
When cooking food, choose low-fat preparation methods such as baking, broiling, grilling and boiling rather than frying or sauteing. Choose lean cuts of meat and trim any visible fat from meats before cooking them. Also, choose 1 percent or skim milk, and reduced-fat cheeses.
