Going through heart surgery is something that no one really wants to repeat. Most of the time, heart surgery is done either in emergency situations or in near emergency situations and for the person that has gone through heart surgery, they are given a second chance to live life. However, with that second chance comes expectations that the person changes the way they have been living life. From exercise to diet, changes have to occur to prevent more surgery or even premature death.
For the person who has grown accustomed to certain foods, they may have to give some of them up or modify how they eat quite a bit to maintain heart healthy goals. These modifications cannot be called a diet in the traditional sense because they need to become permanent behavior modifications, not just temporary changes toward a short term goal. These are some the best and easiest modifications that people can make to help fully take advantage of the second chance that the person has gotten after going through heart surgery:
Modification #1: Add Omega-3 fatty acids to your diet
There is quite a bit of research into Omega-3 fatty acids and how they affect heart health. These fatty acids function in many different ways to help prevent and in certain cases turn back the clock of heart disease. These fatty acids have been shown to help in these ways:
1. Omega-3 fatty acids help with cholesterol levels
The Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to change LDL, or bad cholesterol, into HDL, which is the good cholesterol. By helping with the cholesterol levels, it prevents the build up of gunk in the arteries which causes arteries to harden. Hardened, clogged arteries lead to heart disease as well as high blood pressure and clots can form in hardened arteries which can lead to further blockage as well as heart attacks and strokes. After heart surgery, working on cholesterol and blood pressure are both focused on and the addition of Omega-3 fatty acids will help anyone to work toward these goals.
2. Omega-3 fatty acids help boost overall health.
Research is showing that Omega-3 fatty acids support multiple systems in the body. Studies have shown that diets that include proper amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids result in people that have more healthy immune systems. On top of this, these fatty acids also have also been shown to reduce inflammation. This reduction of inflammation itself can help lower blood pressure by making arteries and capillaries open up as well as help with inflammation such as arthritis. One study showed that all participants found they were in less pain from their arthritis to some degree or another.
3. Omega-3 fatty acid rich foods are also high in “good” fats.
All the foods that contain Omega-3 fatty acids will be made up of unsaturated fats, especially monounsaturated fats. Omega-3 fatty acid is actually one of the building blocks to these fat molecules and the replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated has been shown to be one of the single easiest ways to make a diet heart healthy.
Where to get Omega-3 fatty acids: The two best sources of Omega-3 fatty acids are fish and nuts. Most fish are full of Omega-3 fatty acids, especially fatty fish such as salmon, herring and cod. Cod is the most common source for supplements of Omega-3′s. Nuts such as Walnuts are full of these beneficial fatty acids as well. Another source of Omega-3 fatty acids is Olive oil. This oil is one that is focused on in research because Mediterranean diets use a lot of it yet have twenty times less incidents of heart disease than other countries. For most recipes, olive oil or an olive and canola oil blend can be used instead of plain vegetable oil giving this source of Omega-3′s an easy inclusion into any diet.
Modification #2: Add Fiber
Fiber is another component of any heart healthy diet and is actually an easy one to begin including. The recent availability of high fiber products designed around heart health makes it even easier than it was even ten years ago. Obvious sources include choosing whole wheat bread over white bread but today there are many other places to add fiber, both from grain products and beyond. Easy ways to modify eating for heart health include choosing whole wheat pasta or quinoa pasta over regular semolina and picking boxed cereal products which have plenty of fiber as well.
When adding Omega-3′s, know that a handful of nuts also has a good amount of fiber so nuts are one of the single best eating habits to incorporate into your new post-hear surgery life. A serving of walnuts has as much fiber as a serving of bran cereal.
In addition to these sources, increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables is an excellent source of fiber as well as giving the consumer plenty of vitamins and minerals. The recommended fruit and vegetable consumption is six to nine servings a week and making sure to meet or exceed this is a great modification to help get the right amount of fiber.
The addition of fiber is so important because it helps contribute to lower cholesterol. On top of this, fiber also helps reduce pre-diabetes symptoms which also contribute to heart disease. Many type two diabetics actually can, with some work, be off any medications and keep their symptoms under control by diet alone; a diet that is high in fiber and low in raw sugars.
More articles:
- Cholesterol Control Through Eating Habits
- Nuts for Preventing Heart Damage
- Fish and Heart Health
- Why Fatty Fish are Heart Healthy and Pack a Powerful Punch
- Heart Health Through Food
- Heart Secrets of the Mediterranean Diet
- How Do Vegetables Help Prevent Heart Attacks?
- Why is the Japanese Diet So Good for Preventing Heart Attacks?
- Reduce Your Risk of Strokes and Improve Heart Health with Super-Foods
- Eat Your Way To Better Cholesterol Numbers