After a heart attack, your chance of recovery is good -- if you address the dietary conditions that represent cardiovascular risk factors. These include greater-than-normal ratios of saturated and trans fat, sodium, cholesterol and sugar. When your diet emphasizes these nutrients, which cause your weight, blood pressure and blood cholesterol to rise, it might lack enough potassium and fiber, two nutrients that benefit heart health. Balance your diet with heart-healthy foods in each food group.
Salmon and Cod
Substituting fish for meat will reduce your saturated fat intake. Choose a fish whose nutrition targets your individual cardiovascular risks. If your cholesterol is very high, the omega-3 polyunsaturated fats in salmon and other oily fish cab help normalize it. If your weight is the greater concern, eat cod and other low-fat fish more often.
Reduced-Fat or Reduced-Sodium Dairy Products
Consuming fat-free or 1 percent fat dairy products of any kind will reduce your intake of calories and saturated fat. To control your cholesterol level, choose fat-free milk and milk products. To reduce your blood pressure, avoid high-sodium cottage cheese and opt for smaller amounts of lower-sodium Parmesan and Swiss cheeses.
Oatmeal
After a heart attack, your dietitian might tell you to get more fiber in your diet. The soluble fiber in oatmeal and other whole grains positively affects blood cholesterol to prevent the arterial blockages that can cause heart attacks. Oatmeal contains negligible amounts of natural sodium, cholesterol and sugar.
Beans
Cooked dry black, white and kidney beans have some of the highest ratios of potassium and fiber among all vegetables. Eating low-sodium servings of beans, lentils or split peas helps you achieve the proper balance of potassium-to-sodium in your diet. Additional vegetables that provide potassium and fiber include tomatoes, squash and spinach. This natural blood pressure control helps heart attack victims prevent further cardiovascular events.
Bananas
Bananas represent the high end of the fruit group's contribution toward lowering blood pressure. Bananas have the most potassium per serving of all fruits, as well as some of the lowest sodium content of all foods. Bananas and other fruits are also good sources of cholesterol-lowering fiber.
References
- American Heart Association; "Heart Attack Recovery FAQs"; June 2011
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- American Heart Association; "Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids"; September 2010
- American Heart Association; "Whole Grains and Fiber"; 2011
- NIH Research Matters; "Sodium-Potassium Ratio Linked to Cardiovascular Disease Risk"; January 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference
