I hope you found my post about exercising after cardiac surgery helpful. Now for after cardiac surgery eating (although you don’t have to have surgery to eat healthier). I left off with this:
- Cut down on red meats and eat more turkey, chicken and fish – I don’t like fish – I like bacon.
- Cut down or eliminate salt as much as possible.
- Drink 2 – 3 glasses of water a day.
I wasn’t given a diet as to what to eat when, but rather what foods to eat and what foods to avoid.
Here’s a sample menu from Beaumont Hospital:
Breakfast: 1 cup fortified ready to eat cereal or 2 egg whites or Greek Yogurt and 1 cup of skim or low-fat milk
Mid-morning snack: 1/2 cup fresh or canned fruit or 4 ounce smoothie or protein shake
I really don’t like fruit either, but blueberries have to be on every healthy foods list I’ve ever seen. I can’t eat them they’re sour! But what I can do it put them in my Nutribullet with some other berries and suck them right down with a straw – easy- peasy. The Nutribullet is available at Walmart. Click below.
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Lunch: Tuna salad sandwich on 100% whole grain bread, 1 cup low sodium split pea or bean soup and tossed salad, 1 orange
Afternoon snack: Whole wheat cracker with 1-2 tablespoons nut butter
Dinner: 3 ounces beef tips with 1/2 cup brown rice or quinoa, 1 cantaloupe or mixed berries and 1 cup cooked green vegetables
Bedtime snack: Half sandwich with lean deli meat with whole grain bread or wrap and 1 cup orange juice.
My favorite deli meat is Boar’s Head Buffalo Chicken. Not only does it taste great, but it’s certified by the American Heart Association because it meets their requirements for heart healthy foods as part of a healthy eating pattern. Click the link below for more heart healthy deli meats from Boar’s Head.
Sodium
The American Heart Association recommends a daily limit of 2,300 mg of salt for most people and 1,500 mg of salt for those of us over 50. Yet, there seems to be salt in everything including medications.
10 Easy Tips for Reducing Sodium Consumption from the Food and Drug Administration
Learning about sodium in foods and exploring new ways to prepare foods can help you achieve your sodium goal. And, if you follow these tips to reduce the amount of sodium you consume, your “taste” for sodium will gradually decrease over time—so eventually, you may not even miss it!
- Read the Nutrition Facts label
Compare and choose foods to get less than 100% DV (less than 2,300 mg) of sodium each day. Click here for info on reading labels https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/strategies-guidelines/nutrition-facts-label.html - Prepare your own food when you can
Limit packaged sauces, mixes, and “instant” products (including flavored rice, instant noodles, and ready-made pasta). - Add flavor without adding sodium
Limit the amount of salt you add to foods when cooking, baking, or at the table. Try no-salt seasoning blends and herbs and spices instead of salt to add flavor to your food. Try 1 Tbsp celery powder, 1 Tbsp garlic powder, 2 Tbsp onion powder and 1 -2 tsp pepper. Mix together and fill you salt shaker! - Buy fresh
Choose fresh meat, poultry, and seafood, rather than processed varieties. Also, check the package on fresh meat and poultry to see if salt water or saline has been added. - Watch your veggies
Buy fresh, frozen (no sauce or seasoning), or low sodium or no-salt-added canned vegetables. - Give sodium the “rinse”
Rinse sodium-containing canned foods, such as beans, tuna, and vegetables before eating. This removes some of the sodium. - “Unsalt” your snacks
Choose low sodium or no-salt-added nuts, seeds, and snack products (such as chips and pretzels)—or have carrot or celery sticks instead. When I was in the hospital, I was on a low salt diet. Then when I got home and had to get carry out food, everything tasted extra salty. Once I cut down on the salt, it wasn’t so hard to live without it after all. The no salt nut mix from Costco is my new go to snack. They’re fresh and crunchy. - Consider your condiments
Sodium in condiments can add up. Choose light or reduced sodium condiments, add oil and vinegar to salads rather than bottled dressings, and use only a small amount of seasoning from flavoring packets instead of the entire packet. - Reduce your portion size
Less food means less sodium. Prepare smaller portions at home and consume less when eating out—choose smaller sizes, split an entrée with a friend, or take home part of your meal. - Make lower-sodium choices at restaurants
Ask for your meal to be prepared without salt and request that sauces and salad dressings be served “on the side,” then use less of them. You can also ask if nutrition information is available and then choose options that are lower in sodium.
Iron
Iron is found in red blood cells and needless to say, there is blood loss during surgery. It’s necessary to replace that iron. Good sources of iron include fortified cereals with 45 percent or more iron as listed on the label. Examples are Cheerios, Total, Life, Product 19, Grape Nuts and Cream of Wheat. Clams, dry beans and peas, oysters, prune juice, lentils, baked beans and soy beans are also good sources for iron.
Potassium
Among keeping other parts of your body healthy, potassium regulates your heartbeat. When I was in the hospital I had to take potassium tablets. They were so hard to swallow. I was happy when I got to eat my way up to a healthy potassium level instead. Good sources for potassium are dried apricots, bananas, beans (white, kidney, lime, garbanzo), beets, brussel sprouts, cantaloupe, raw carrots, dried dates, dried figs, honeydew melon, kiwi fruit, nectarines, oranges, orange juice, potatoes, prunes, prune juice, raisins, spinach, squash, tomatoes.
My Plate
MyPlate is the current nutrition guide published by the USDA’s Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion.
Take this quiz to see what should be on your plate https://www.myplate.gov/
More Little Helpers
Last but not least, please send your ideas on heart healthy eating and enjoy these recipes from the Heart Smart Cookbook, authors Darlene Zimmerman and Susan M. Selasky , in partnership with Henry Ford Health System http://www.henryford.com/heartsmart and the Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com
https://grammyslittlehelpers.com/2016/11/27/creole-fish-fillets
https://grammyslittlehelpers.com/2016/11/27/savory-sirloin
https://grammyslittlehelpers.com/2016/11/27/red-lentil-and-vegetable-soup/
https://grammyslittlehelpers.com/2016/11/27/balsamic-glazed-carrots/