A Healthy Diet For Heart Attack Patients.
Do you know which foods are good for your heart? Find out what foods help protect your heart from chest pain, heart attack, and stroke. These healthy eating tips will help you recover and reduce your chances of having ongoing cardiovascular problems.....
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A Healthy Diet For Heart Attack Patients.
1. Introduction
In spite of the best efforts made by doctors and nutritionists, the high fat content in junk food is not a healthy thing for heart patients. In fact, it can lead to hypertension, arterial stiffness,
and plaque formation. For heart patients who are advised to lose weight or avoid cholesterol foods altogether by their physicians or cardiologists recommended a diet with a higher carbohydrate count and lower fat content.
However this might not always be practical for busy individuals. A healthier alternative would be a diet that's low in saturated fats but still promotes cardiovascular health via eating foods rich in fibre and antioxidants that have been proven to provide significant protection from heart disease.
The study:
Fifteen patients with previous heart attacks and hypertension participated in the study. None of them had diabetes, and they received no dietary advice from their doctors.
After six weeks, blood pressure and lipid levels were measured, as was the amount of saturated fat in the diet used. The group ate a diet that consisted mainly of potato, pasta, rice and vegetables as well as smaller portions of fish and chicken.
Although there was a reduction in saturated fat intake (eliminating ice cream probably helped), total fat intake remained high at more than 60 percent of calories. There was no reduction in overall cholesterol but there was a reduction in total cholesterol to less than 200 milligrams per day.
There was a slight increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol, but a significant reduction in small, dense LDL particles. The researchers concluded that a diet consisting of a higher carbohydrate count and lower fat content may not necessarily be the best choice for heart patients.
A healthier alternative would be a diet that's low in saturated fats but still promotes cardiovascular health via eating foods rich in fibre and antioxidants that have been proven to provide significant protection from heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends at least three servings of whole grains, which include whole-wheat bread, brown rice or wheat tortillas, at least four servings of vegetables per week, at least four servings of fruits per week, and replacing salt with herbs and spices to reduce sodium intake. In addition, it recommends that people eat more fish and nuts.
The importance of a healthy diet:
There is no dispute that a healthy diet can bring down the risk of developing heart disease. The benefits of a healthy diet include the following:
A low-fat, high-fibre diet is associated with a lower risk of heart disease and some cancers. It can lower your blood pressure and reduce your cholesterol level, while also increasing your intake of protective nutrients. A healthy diet has thus been linked to weight loss and maintenance of a healthy weight throughout life.
2. What's a heart attack?
Every year millions of people suffer from a heart attack. To help you better understand what a heart attack is, we're going to list the most common causes and symptoms of a heart attack. We'll also explain how to avoid or help others who might be experiencing the condition. In the end, this post will hopefully provide many useful insights on how best to approach dealing with a person who is suffering from this serious medical issue.
What Is A Heart Attack?
A heart attack occurs when blood supply to an area in or near your heart becomes blocked by a clot that has formed inside an artery supplying blood to your body's vital organs, including your brain and lungs. These clots can form in a heart attack by a blood clot that is caused by a blood vessel blockage either from too much cholesterol inside the vessel or from prolonged periods of high blood pressure.
Common Causes Of A Heart Attack
The most common causes of a heart attack are: atherosclerosis, high blood pressure , and clogged arteries. In the United States, approximately 80% of all heart attacks are caused by atherosclerosis or coronary artery disease. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]. Atherosclerosis often begins in your twenties and may cause you to have a heart attack in your forties. In some cases, however, atherosclerosis may start later in life.
Researchers estimate that atherosclerosis accounts for more than 60% of all heart attacks diagnosed in the U.S., and for about 75% of all heart attacks diagnosed in people over 70 years old. This means that atherosclerosis is responsible for more than 8 out of 10 deaths resulting from a heart attack
High Blood Pressure: While high blood pressure is not directly responsible for causing a heart attack, it can trigger one by causing enough damage to your arteries that they become fragile. Evidence suggests that as many as 75% of those who suffer myocardial infarction (heart attack) have high blood pressure past the age of 40 . [8] [9]. If blood pressure is left untreated, the extra stress on the heart can eventually lead to a heart attack.
Clogged Arteries: Clogged arteries are caused by atherosclerosis, which is one of the most common causes of heart attacks. Atherosclerosis occurs when fatty substances, cholesterol and other substances build up inside of your arteries over time, which makes them narrow and stiff . This makes it more difficult for blood to flow through them. If you do not improve your lifestyle or receive treatment for high cholesterol, clogged arteries can become so severe that blood starts to clot in them.
Ultimately this process can slow down or stop blood flow to your heart or brain.
3. How to prevent a heart attack!
Heart attacks are some of the most terrifying things humans can experience. It's not just the pain that comes with it, but also the concern about what is happening in your body. It's natural to wonder, "how do I prevent a heart attack?" Well, worry no more! We have 20 easy steps to follow that will help you greatly reduce your risk of heart disease and may even protect you from a heart attack in the future. These tips have led thousands of people to reduce their risk of getting a heart attack and live happier lives.
1. Stay in shape. Even if you're already in shape, you should stay that way! Your heart is a muscle and it will thank you for staying active and fit. You can run, swim, lift weights or just play with your kids…anything is better than nothing!
2. Eat healthy foods. Remember that old saying about an apple a day? Well it holds true for your heart too! Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and nuts are all great sources of nutrients that your body needs to function at its best. These things will also help keep you looking young too!
3. Quit smoking or chewing tobacco. You may not feel like you can quit smoking right now, but don't worry -- nicotine activates nicotine receptors in your brain which will help kill any craving you have for tobacco. Plus, your body won't be able to get rid of the toxins that are usually found in cigarettes or chewing tobacco so it will be much more difficult for you to get heart disease.
4. Exercise regularly! This should go without saying, but just because you're physically active doesn't mean you should exercise the same way every day. Find something that works for your schedule and tries working up a sweat at least 3-4 days a week!
5. Control weight. Losing weight is not always easy but keeping weight in check can help prevent heart disease. It's never too late to start losing weight! Remember that it's important not to starve yourself -- try exercising, reducing calorie intake or taking dietary supplements. There are also lots of healthy recipes online for you to try out if you need some inspiration!
6. Avoid stress. Stress is one of the primary causes of heart attacks so it must be avoided at all costs! If you're feeling really stressed out by your job, relationships, financial situation or any other reason, then you can rest easy knowing that there are many natural remedies that will help reduce your stress level by balancing the chemicals in your body such as exercise, meditation and proper sleep habits.
4. Diet and exercise for heart attack patients
How it works
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Patients who have had a heart attack often turn to restrictive diets and exercises as they recover from their cardiac episode. For those patients, this article will go over the role diet and exercise play in preventing future cardiovascular complications and how these lifestyle changes can help ease long-term side effects.
Heart Disease: The Leading Cause of Death in America
Every year, around 900,000 people die because of heart disease. It's not just an American problem either, according to Heart Disease Europe's website, heart disease is "the leading cause of death worldwide. It accounted for 17.7 million deaths in 2013."
Heart disease is caused by the buildup of plaque on the walls of the arteries. Plaque is a collection of fat, cholesterol, calcium, fibrin and scar tissue that can build up inside an artery. When plaque builds up enough to narrow the artery, it creates two problems: blood flow becomes restricted and blood pressure rises. Blood flow can be restricted because there is less room for blood to travel through a narrowed artery or a small blockage in the artery causes a restriction in blood flow even with an open pathway. The rising blood pressure causes significant amounts of damage to your heart muscle - damage that can lead to heart failure and/or death if it's not corrected.
Although heart disease can be prevented, there's no way to prevent every case of the disease. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1 out of 3 Americans will die of heart disease or cancer at some point in their lives.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
The symptoms of heart disease vary depending on the cause. The CDC's website detailed some typical symptoms that may be seen with cardiovascular disease: chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, dizziness or lightheadedness, weakness or fatigue and palpitations (irregular heartbeat).
How Diet and Exercise Factor into Heart Disease Prevention
The key to preventing heart disease is to follow a healthy lifestyle. The CDC's website lists four dietary recommendations that can keep your heart in good working order:
Limit consumption of soft drinks, which are high in sugar soft drinks are linked to higher rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease restrict consumption of red meat to 500 grams per week (about 17 ounces). Red meat is high in saturated fat which can cause dangerous blood cholesterol levels dangerous levels or lower levels of HDL cholesterol in the blood decrease consumption of trans fats/hydrogenated oils.
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