Diet for Heart Surgery Patients
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Knowing What to Eat after Heart Surgery is Critical
Heart surgery can be a lifesaver. But, it is also something that requires proper care during the recovery period.
If you are facing heart surgery or have just come out of surgery, you are going to need to balance many physical and emotional needs at once. Of course, you will want to have a speedy, healthy recovery while you minimize any pain or discomfort you feel.
At the same time, you will need to attend to any medications your doctor prescribes. And, there is the all-important issue of maintaining a heart-healthy diet. After all, it is highly likely that poor eating habits got you into this mess.
After heart surgery, you will need to have the right diet. That means knowing which foods to eat and which to avoid. This lens explores diet tips for heart surgery patients so that you can choose the foods that will get you back to health more quickly.
If you are facing heart surgery or have just come out of surgery, you are going to need to balance many physical and emotional needs at once. Of course, you will want to have a speedy, healthy recovery while you minimize any pain or discomfort you feel.
At the same time, you will need to attend to any medications your doctor prescribes. And, there is the all-important issue of maintaining a heart-healthy diet. After all, it is highly likely that poor eating habits got you into this mess.
After heart surgery, you will need to have the right diet. That means knowing which foods to eat and which to avoid. This lens explores diet tips for heart surgery patients so that you can choose the foods that will get you back to health more quickly.
Foods to Consider Eating More Often after Heart Surgery
(provided by FoodandLife.com)
- Sweet potatoes
- Green leafy vegetables
- Carrots, Broccoli and Greens (lightly cooked to keep the carotenoids)
- Pumpkin, canned or cooked
- Squash
- 97% or greater fat free chicken or turkey breast (I look for 99% fat free.)
- Low fat tomato sauces and pasta
- Onions and Garlic (Chop or crush to release the photonutrients)
- Homemade pizza with 99% fat free chicken as meat sauce
- Foods with low/no salt for those who have high blood pressure
- Peanuts, walnuts, almonds in moderation (be careful not to gain weight)
- Olive oil and canola oil substituted for other oils, (the key is to monounsaturated fats vs trans-fatty acids or partially hydrogenated fat)
- Salmon and other fish (mackerel, sardines, herring), including the skin and fat (Research suggests this omega 3 fat (EPA fat) has the ability to raise HDLs.
- Defatted soy flour (at least 1/3 of a cup per day recommended)
- Fat free milk (skim)
- Oatmeal, shredded wheat, low-no sugar added cereals
- Whole wheat bread
- Fresh fruits
- Apples (with skin for flavonids)
- Oranges (Eat pulpy parts for flavonids)
- Red or black grapes
- Grape juice (1 cup per day recommended)
- Grapefruit, especially pink which has 40% more beta carotene than white
Foods You Should Avoid
(provided by FoodandLife.com)
- 1%, 2% and whole milk
- Meats with 96% or less fat
- Red meats
- Hydrogenated oils such as stick margarine, and when listed as an ingredient in foods
- Food with high butter fat and other animal fats, e.g., cheese, full fat yogurt, sauces
- Hot dogs, hamburgers
- Deep-fried foods
- Sugar
- Ice cream
- Salt (if you have high blood pressure)
- Candy, baked goods and ice cream made with fats
- High fat snacks, chips
- Pies, pastry's, cookies made with fat and sugar (plenty of healthy cookies, pies, pastry's in my recipes)
The Healing Power of Humor
One of the biggest challenges during surgery recovery is just findings ways to pass the time comfortably. Check out these humorous books to help you pass the time more quickly.
More Diet Tips for Heart Surgery Patients
(information provided by University of Southern California)
Along with exercise, eating healthy will speed up your recovery and healing. If your appetite is poor, try to eat smaller but more frequent meals.Depending on your condition, your doctor or dietician may put you on a special diet. For example, patients with heart failure must follow a 2,000 mg low-sodium diet. Diabetic patients must follow a low-sugar, low-fat diet.
Tips to healthy eating:
* Eat a variety of healthy foods.
* Choose foods low in fat and cholesterol.
* Eat less salt or sodium.
* Cut back on sugar and sweets.
* Eat more carbohydrates (potatoes, rice, pasta, vegetables) and fiber ("roughage").
* Limit portion sizes.
Need a Little Surgery Recovery Get-Away?
A change of scenery is a great way to take your mind off of your recovery and heal yourself more quickly. This could be the perfect time to visit a new city or that famous vacation spot you've always dreamed of.
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julie d.
Oct 21, 2009 @ 12:08 pm | delete
- This is great ...thanks....my friend just had heart surgery..... I am printing this out and sending it to him!!
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