The bad news is, you've had a heart attack. The good news is you've survived it, and have a second chance to live a healthy life. By exercising, avoiding tobacco and eating healthy, you can improve your chances of avoiding another heart attack. And you will feel and look better while doing it.
Diet Goals After a Heart Attack
The goals of a healthy diet for a person after a heart attack are the same as for a person before a heart attack. The goals are to get all the nutrients your body needs, while maintaining a healthy weight or losing enough pounds to reach that weight. In addition, a healthy diet should help you reach and maintain healthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as prevent or lower high blood pressure, all risk factors for a heart attack. While diets with different names exist, they all emphasize lots of food from plant sources, fish and unsaturated fat.
Heart Healthy Diet
The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. The color in fruits and vegetables is caused by phytochemicals, substances that plants develop to protect themselves against bacteria, viruses and fungi. Phytochemicals act as antioxidants in the human body and can help prevent cardiovascular problems. Fruits and vegetables are also low in calories. Other recommendations for a heart healthy diet are to eat whole grain foods and fatty fish. The fiber in fruits, vegetables and whole grains helps lower cholesterol. Fatty fish, such as salmon and mackerel, contains omega-3 fatty acids, known to lower triglycerides and raise HDL, the "good" cholesterol. Finally, reduce sodium intake to 1,500 mg daily, and lower your intake of saturated fat. Instead, use herbs and spices to season your food, and use unsaturated oils, such as olive and canola.
DASH Diet
DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. The DASH diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy foods, low sodium, low saturated fat and low total fat. Because foods high in potassium and calcium can help lower blood pressure, the diet emphasizes daily intake of foods high in potassium, such as bananas, oranges, spinach and broccoli, as well as foods high in calcium, such as low-fat dairy products and dark green leafy vegetables. Along with directly reducing hypertension by reducing sodium and eating certain foods, the DASH diet aids in lowering cholesterol and losing weight. If you're overweight, your risk of hypertension is increased two to six times, while losing as little as 10 lbs. can lower blood pressure.
Mediterranean Diet
People living in countries along the Mediterranean have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease. While diets vary from country to country, similarities exist. They eat little red meat, few dairy products and no more than four eggs per week. Instead, the diet centers on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, fish and poultry. Olives and olive oil provide healthy unsaturated fat. A low to moderate amount of wine -- approximately 4 oz. per day -- is also OK.
