Dietary Guidelines To Follow After A Cardiac Surgery
An unhealthy lifestyle precipitates as abnormal lipid profile, diabetes, blood pressure, obesity, etc. all leading up to the master of diseases – Coronary Heart Disease! If after a cardiac surgery, the current lifestyle pattern is not improved, the chances of blockages and infarctions increase more than what they were before CABG (Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting) surgery. So here’s some helpful dietary guidelines to follow after a cardiac surgery:
- Moderation is really the key. Avoid overeating at once and split meals in smaller portions throughout the day. This will help speed up metabolism.
- Colourful fruits such as papaya, melons, orange, plums, peaches, sweet lime, kiwi, pear, etc. protect the heart, but ensure you consume most of these in the morning.
- Vegetables are not just rich in fibre but also in many bioactive components known to reduce inflammation. Hence, a portion of veggies in each meal should be mandatory.
- Saturated fat and high cholesterol are potent causative factors for heart diseases. So consciously limit the consumption of meat, fish, egg yolks and dairy. However, do not completely eliminate them, as they are also good sources of protein.
- Eat complex carbohydrates such as millets, amaranth and unpolished rice in smaller portions during your meals. Also, consciously limit sugar intake, especially in the form of desserts and sweets.
- Processed foods or foods that claim to be healthy are often packed in ingredients that are not good for the health. Eat wholesome foods that are fresh, readily prepared and seasonally available to gather best benefits.
- Uplifting nuts such as flaxseeds, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, sunflower seeds, etc. are all rich in anti-inflammatory antioxidants which help reduce an oxidative environment.
- It is important to avoid smoking and alcohol as both create inflammation inside the body. They not just play with your normal lipid profile but also cause gradual surges in blood pressure.
- Last but not the least, following a diet alone, may not help. You should adopt a healthy lifestyle by incorporating exercises.
In this alarming age of stressful lifestyles let us pledge to give more importance to health than anything else. After all, health is wealth!