Fruits are good for you, and they can be especially good for patients recovering from heart surgery.
“People who have had heart surgery need to be careful about what they eat,” says Dr. Steven Nissen, chief of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. “There’s a lot of evidence that eating fruits and vegetables can help with your recovery.”
The reason is simple: Fruits and vegetables are packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber that can help protect against heart disease. They also contain antioxidants that can fight free radicals — the harmful molecules that build up in your body as you age or after exposure to cigarette smoke and other environmental pollutants.
Post-surgery diet recommendations vary depending on whether your patient has had open-heart surgery or angioplasty (where a balloon is used to widen blocked blood vessels). The general guidelines for both include avoiding fried foods and highly processed foods as well as limiting salt intake.
What drinks are good for your heart?
The following drinks are the best choices for your heart:
Water. It’s a good idea to drink at least two liters of water per day. Water can help reduce blood pressure, prevent dehydration, and flush out toxins from your body.
Tea. Tea contains antioxidants that may help protect against heart disease and cancer. Green tea has more antioxidants than black tea or coffee. It also contains caffeine, which may temporarily increase blood pressure but then decreases it over time.
Fruit juice (unsweetened). Fruit juice provides vitamins, minerals, and fiber that can help lower cholesterol levels in the blood and reduce the risk of developing heart disease and diabetes. However, fruit juice is high in calories from sugar and may contain more calories than soft drinks do because it’s less filling than solid food. You should limit yourself to no more than 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of 100 percent fruit juice per day if you have diabetes or cardiovascular problems due to its sugars content.
Coffee or tea with artificial sweetener instead of sugar (no-calorie sweeteners). Coffee or tea with artificial sweetener instead of sugar is a better choice than regular coffee
Heart surgery patients should be careful about what they eat. A heart attack can be caused by blocked arteries. The procedure is designed to clear the blockage and allow blood to flow freely through the heart again.
Here are some foods that are good for your heart:
Beans
Fruits and vegetables
Nuts
Whole grains
Fish (especially tuna)
Drinks to Avoid
Alcohol: Alcohol can cause your blood pressure to rise, increasing the risk for heart disease. It also damages your heart muscle and weakens your heart’s ability to pump blood. In addition, some studies have shown that alcohol can increase the risk of developing cancer. A drink is defined as one 12-ounce serving of beer, 5 ounces of wine or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits such as vodka or whiskey.
Coffee: Coffee contains caffeine, a stimulant that may temporarily increase your heart rate and blood pressure. However, studies show that coffee consumption does not increase your risk for heart disease. However, if you already have high blood pressure or other medical conditions that make it difficult for your heart to function properly, limit how much coffee you drink each day because caffeine can worsen these conditions.
Tea: Tea contains caffeine like coffee does, so you should limit how much tea you drink each day if you have high blood pressure or other medical conditions that make it difficult for your heart to function properly (10/31/13).
The heart is a muscle, and it needs fuel to function. That’s why nutrition is so important. A healthy diet can help you lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, which are all linked to heart health. It can also help you lose weight if you’re overweight or obese, which can reduce your risk of heart disease.
The American Heart Association recommends eating a variety of fruits and vegetables — at least 8 servings a day — as well as low-fat dairy products and whole grains like rice, oats and barley. Here are some other good options:
Nuts: Almonds, peanuts and walnuts have healthy fats that can help keep your heart healthy by lowering cholesterol levels in your body. Vegetable oils such as olive oil are also good choices because they contain monounsaturated fat (MUF). MUF has been shown to reduce inflammation throughout the body and may protect against heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels in the blood.
Legumes: Beans such as kidney beans or pinto beans are high in fiber and protein but low in fat — making them an excellent choice for people with heart disease who need to watch their sodium intake closely. They’re also rich in potassium, which helps lower blood pressure
Heart attack and stroke are very common in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US.
Heart surgery patients should follow a healthy diet after surgery because it helps them heal faster. Here’s what they should eat:
1. Foods high in Vitamin C help prevent blood clots and reduce inflammation after surgery. Good sources include oranges, grapefruit, broccoli, strawberries, bell peppers and tomatoes.
2. A healthy diet also includes foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. Omega-3 fatty acids improve blood circulation by relaxing blood vessels and reducing inflammation in the body.
3. High-fiber foods like whole grains or legumes can reduce risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels in your body and improving blood circulation by helping to lower blood pressure levels.
4. Heart surgery patients should eat plenty of vegetables because they are rich in antioxidants that fight free radicals that damage cell membranes in your body which increases risk of heart disease and cancer development over time..