Doctors prescribe the cardiac diet to those who have had a cardiac event or have an increased risk for heart problems. These problems include heart disease, heart attack and blocked arteries. While the components of this diet vary from person to person, the overall goal of reducing fat, sodium and cholesterol intake stays the same.
Significance
The American Heart Association reports that 81.1 million American adults have at least one type of cardiovascular disease. This includes people with coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke and congenital heart defects. Since high cholesterol levels and high blood pressure increase the risk for some of these diseases, reducing intake of cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium helps prevent serious heart complications.
Fat & Cholesterol
The cardiac diet limits the amount of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium you eat each day. You should limit your total fat intake to no more than 30 percent of your calories each day, according to Decatur Memorial Hospital. Saturated fat should make up less than 7 percent of the calories you eat on a daily basis. Replace saturated fats with foods that have monounsaturated fats. Examples of foods that contain monounsaturated fats include avocados, macadamia nuts, almonds, pecans, olive oil and pistachios.
If you have no significant health problems, the Mayo Clinic recommends eating less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day. If you have high levels of "bad cholesterol" or take medication to reduce your total cholesterol level, limit your cholesterol intake to 200 mg per day. High-cholesterol foods to limit include red meat, eggs, organ meats and whole milk.
Sodium
The body needs sodium to absorb major nutrients, maintain normal balances of water and minerals, and control the nerves and muscles properly. Excess sodium causes fluid retention, which increases the volume of the blood. Increased blood volume makes the heart work harder, increasing blood pressure and increasing the risk of heart disease and other cardiac complications. The cardiac diet limits the amount of sodium you consume each day based on your personal risk factors. Reduce your sodium intake by limiting the consumption of high-sodium foods. Foods to avoid include canned vegetables, table salt, condiments, processed luncheon meat, frozen meals, potato chips and fast food.
Monitoring
The lipid profile blood test helps your doctor determine if your cholesterol levels have decreased in response to your new diet. This screening test determines the levels of low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, triglycerides and total cholesterol in your blood. This test helps your doctor decide if you need to make any adjustments to your cardiac diet. A simple blood pressure check will determine if the diet has reduced your blood pressure, or if you need to reduce your sodium intake even more.
Warning
Discuss your diet with a medical professional before making significant changes. If you have another medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus or kidney disease, work with a dietitian to determine how to structure your eating plan. Diabetics need to carefully monitor their carbohydrate intake, while those with kidney disease follow a diet plan low in protein, sodium, potassium and phosphorus.
