Having had a heart attack, your lifestyle will change. However, there are easy ways to make those changes without terribly upsetting the balance of your life for a little while, at least. No matter what foods you choose to incorporate or delete from your post-heart attack diet, they will help you a lot.
Food 1: Almond Butter, Unsalted
This is a food that should be added. The unsalted piece is crucial – added salts, sugars, and fats often abound in other nut butter, whether they be peanut or not. However, nut butter themselves are full of fatty acids that are good for the body. Whole-grain toast with any unsalted nut butter makes a great alternative to the white bread toast with butter that is oh so popular.
Food 2: Soft or Sugary Drinks
These should be avoided, or taken out of the diet completely. However, if you must have some sort of sugary drink or a soda, only eight ounces a day are recommended each day. After all, a 12 ounce can or bottle of soda has ten teaspoons of sugar (like what would be put in homemade cookies or cake). In addition, weight gain is a possibility with this as calories are not counted the same way from liquids as they are from solids. It’s quite likely you’ll eat as much as you would with water as the drink.
Food 3: Red and Black Grapes
This is certainly an addition to any diet. Grapes right off the vine are good, anytime. These awesome little fruits contain a chemical called resveratrol. This chemical helps keep the platelets in the blood from sticking together when they should not be sticking together. In moderation, red wine can be good as well. However, if you currently do not drink, it is not suggested that you begin to drink since all alcohol carries some health risks. If you cannot go without your nightly drink of wine, you can ask your doctor if the amount you currently drink is okay for you. It is recommended that a healthy man drinks no more than two glasses in a specific time – and women should not drink more than one.
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Food 4: Any Highly Processed and/or Refined Grains
This is a big no-no. Whole wheat grains are the way to go, but if no whole wheat is available, the most you should have is seven servings of processed or refined grains a week. Whole grains help to lower your weight over time, lower blood pressure, and lower cholesterol. Refined and processed grains have very few of the good benefits that come from eating a whole wheat alternative. These highly processed grains often also have more added sugars, sodium, and trans fat that make their health value plummet big time.
Following these suggestions offer a way to help keep a second heart attack at bay. It may even be the difference between life and death.
