Which Is The Best Heart Attack Diet Menu?
Which Is The Best Heart Attack Diet Menu?
- What is a heart attack patient diet?
- What is the mediterranean diet?
- Is there a plan that is followed in the diet?
- How does the mediterranean diet avoid unhealthy saturated and trans-fat?
- Are there is any scientific or medical findings?
- What fish specie is good to include in the heart attack diet menu?
- What food products should I avoid after a heart attack or to prevent a heart attack?
- Is it possible to detect risk of heart attack?
Introduction
A heart healthy diet, or a cardiac diet has high importance in a post-heart attack scenario. This has also been identified as part of a holistic approach to help prevent heart attacks. Let’s look at this cardiac diet, which his essentially a diet plan that relies on vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean poultry and oily fish like salmon and tuna. If you are looking for a heart attack diet menu, then this is something that you should not be missing.
What is a heart attack patient diet?
This refers to a diet that is heart healthy and intended to help prevent heart attacks and patients who have just had a heart attack. Did you know that Japan has the lowest heart attack mortality rate? Are you aware that the mediterranean diet has long been known to contribute to lower cardiovascular disease? Let’s look at these diets in detail to understand more about a heart attack diet menu.
What is the mediterranean diet?
This diet is typically preferred by people living around the mediterranean sea. It is distinct in terms of the choice of different items consumed on a regular day. This comprises vegetables, fruits, whole grains and beans as a staple diet. Additionally, the diet includes customary nuts and seeds, olive oil, and dishes are almost always seasoned with herbs and spices.
Is there a plan that is followed in the diet?
Yes, there is an approach that can be discerned from the menu, and this makes it a good choice as a heart attack diet menu. Primarily, the diet can be decoded as food that is consumed daily, and food that is consumed at least once a week. For instance, every day you will eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains and plant-based fats. Additionally, once every week, you will eat fish, poultry, beans, legumes and eggs. Dairy products are consumed in moderation, while red meat intake is limited to occasional consumption. A consistent and important approach in this diet is controlling and restricting intake of food products that will require added sugar.
The central theme of the diet is plant based, and not a meat based diet. Another important and interesting point about this diet is the choice of healthy fats. Preparations always include unsaturated fats in place of saturated and trans fats. It is commonly known that saturated fat and trans-fat are contributors to heart disease.
How does the mediterranean diet avoid unhealthy saturated and trans-fat?
The mediterranean diet relies on olive oil and nuts for fat. As unsaturated fat, from plant sources, it considerably reduces total cholesterol levels. Additionally, it also keeps low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels low. By keeping bad cholesterol levels low, it contributes to a healthy heart and reduces risk of heart attack. This makes it a good choice of heart attack diet menu, as it replaces saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat.
Are there is any scientific or medical findings?
Yes, there are documented guidelines and findings that support this. For instance, there is a diet known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, and this helps you reduce the risk of hypertension through the right diet. This is also consistent with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, to help reduce risk of certain diseases. A key finding is that seafood, seeds, nuts, legumes and some vegetable oils have healthy fats.
What fish specie is good to include in the heart attack diet menu?
The mediterranean diet includes fish, and the popular specie of fish that is part of the diet includes fatty fish. Mackerel, herring, sardines, tuna, salmon and anchovies are all varieties of fish that are known as fatty fish, with the right amount of omega-3 fatty acids. This is essentially unsaturated fat that is known to bring down certain immune responses in the body. For example, inflammation is an immune response.
Similarly, omega-3 fatty acids are also known to reduce triglycerides, that impact blood clotting. A combination of the all benefits of Omega 3s through their mechanism of action is reduced risk of stroke and heart failure.
Tips on choosing the right fish to include in a heart healthy diet
If you are looking for a heart healthy diet and would prefer to include fish, here are simple tips. In addition to the fish listed about in the mediterranean diet, you could also try shellfish like shrimp, crab, clams and scallops. Apart from this, you could also include lean fish like cod, haddock, hake and whitefish.
It is essential to ensure that the fish you consume has low mercury levels. This is because high mercury levels can cause harm to the brain and your nervous system. This happens gradually, silently. All the above fish specie are low in mercury levels.
What food products should I avoid after a heart attack or to prevent a heart attack?
As part of your heart attack diet menu, it is absolutely necessary to avoid certain food products. These are known to increase your risk of heart attack, either directly or indirectly. An important aspect that many fail to understand is that the changes brought about in your body through these food products are over a period of time. You will never know, until it is late.
It is also necessary to bear in mind that a dietary approach will be a part of a holistic approach and should include other lifestyle changes and medications. Here are some products that you should stay away from, if you have had a heart attack or if you want to prevent it.
- Fast food, fried food products.
- Canned food products.
- Frozen meals, that are processed.
- Candy, cookies, cakes, biscuits.
- Ice cream.
- Mayonnaise.
- Pizza, burgers, hot dogs.
Is it possible to detect risk of heart attack?
Yes, some of the risk factors of heart attack can be detected in advance. There is a genetic component to conditions that contribute to a heart attack. This can be detected through simple genetic testing. This involves drawing a blood sample or a saliva sample to extract DNA. This is then analyzed and the results indicate if you are at risk of a heart attack in the future. This could be due to certain conditions that are genetically passed or if there are any genetic mutations that put you at risk. Genetic testing is now available in Tamilnadu, and the advanced tests offer a clear prediction if you are genetically predisposed to risk of heart attack.
Medically Reviewed by
Dr.Rajasekar Cardiologist
Dr. Rajasekar is a cardiologist in Chennai, with extensive experience in the field. He completed his MBBS from Madurai Kamaraj University, followed by an MD in General Medicine and a DM in Cardiology from The Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University (TNMGRMU).
Related Blogs :
Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) from the University of Delhi Experience : Dr. Srinivasan is an experienced pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Delhi and over 12 years in the field. She has worked extensively in clinical and community pharmacy settings, focusing on patient care, medication management, and drug safety. Dr. Srinivasan also contributes to health and wellness publications and serves as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations. Her expertise spans clinical practice, pharmaceutical writing, and regulatory affairs.