Following the proper diet after heart bypass surgery is crucial in preventing a further worsening of your condition. Following a cardiac diet helps ensure a healthy heart through reducing fat intake, reducing sodium intake and following a healthy, well-balanced diet that promotes a healthy weight.
Recommended Fat Intakes
Reducing fat intake helps keep your arteries clear by reducing your low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol, reducing total cholesterol and reducing triglycerides. The American Heart Association recommends limiting total fat intakes to 25 to 30 percent of your total caloric intake, limiting saturated fat intakes to less than 7 percent of total calories, limiting trans fat intakes to less than 1 percent of total calories and limiting dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg per day. Limit total fat and saturated fats by limiting meat to 6 oz. per day and choosing lean proteins, such as chicken, turkey and fish. To limit trans fats, eliminate fried foods and processed cakes and cookies. Because dietary cholesterol is only in animal-based foods, follow a plant-rich diet. Egg yolks are high in cholesterol so choose egg whites or egg substitutes. According to "The Clinical Dietitian's Essential Handbook," intakes for polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats should be 10 percent and 20 percent of total calories, respectively. These fats are considered heart-healthy and typically found in fish, nuts and some cooking oils such as canola, safflower and olive oil. Have two servings of fish a week and limit oils to 6 tsp. per day, including for cooking.
Recommended Sodium Intakes
A cardiac diet limits sodium intake to 2,000 mg a day or less. To limit sodium, avoid adding salt to your food or use a salt substitute. Other high-sodium foods to avoid include canned soups, canned meats, canned vegetables, chips, soy sauce, bacon, hot dogs and lunch meats. Look for low-sodium versions of these foods or choose fresh foods instead of canned foods.
Dietary Fiber
Aim for 20 to 30 g of fiber a day, from fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber helps reduce LDL cholesterol and increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.
Other Heart-Healthy Diet Recommendations
It is important to avoid excessive weight gain because it can further damage your heart condition. Eat lean meats and low-fat dairy products. Following a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been associated with a healthy weight when avoiding high-fat and high-calorie foods. Aim for two servings of fruits a day and three servings of vegetables per day.
References
- American Heart Association: Know Your Fats
- "The Clinical Dietitian's Essential Pocket Guide"; Mary Width, MS, RD and Tonia Reinhard, MS, RD; 2009
- "Nutrition and Diagnosis-Related Care Sixth Edition"; Sylvia Escott-Stump, MA, RD, LDN; 2009
