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Provided Courtesy of RD411.com Where health care professionals go for information. Heart Failure Diet. Review Date 11/09 G-1170. Contributed by Julayne Ross, RD. What Is Heart Failure?. Many people believe it means that the heart has stopped or is about to stop
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Provided Courtesy of RD411.com Where health care professionals go for information Heart Failure Diet Review Date 11/09 G-1170 Contributed by Julayne Ross, RD
What Is Heart Failure? • Many people believe it means that the heart has stopped or is about to stop • It simply means that the heart is not pumping blood through the body as well as it should • As the heart’s pumping action weakens, blood backs up into the blood vessels around the lungs and causes seepage into the lungs • The fluid causes congestion and makes it hard to breathe Source: http://www.abouthf.org/module2/default.htm
What Is Heart Failure? (cont’d) • Many people with heart failure also have swollen legs and feet • That is why heart failure is sometimes called congestive heart failure Source: http://www.abouthf.org/module2/default.htm
Heart Failure Management • In most cases, heart failure is not curable, but it is controllable • Careful management means: • Taking all medicines ordered by your doctor or nurse • Following a low-sodium (salt) diet • Stopping smoking • Remaining physically active • Losing weight, if overweight • Drinking alcohol sparingly, if at all Source: http://www.abouthf.org/module2/default.htm
Sodium: How to Decrease It • The biggest challenge is to stop using the salt shaker • Here are some ideas…
Ideas… • 1 teaspoon (tsp) of salt=2000 milligrams (mg) of sodium • Fill a salt shaker with ½ tsp of regular salt (1000 mg of sodium) • Fill a salt shaker with 1 tsp of reduced-sodium salt • Try salt-free flavoring blends, such as Mrs. Dash®
The Next Problem Is Eliminating Salty Foods • You know which ones they are • They taste salty—salty, salty foods
Mistakes to Avoid When Reading a Food Label • Reduced is not LOW if original product has 1000 mg of salt—sodium is just reduced by 25% • Low sodium means less than 140 mg/serving • Watch portion sizes • Do not assume that a small-packaged item, such as from a vending machine, is just one serving • A small bag of pretzels may contain 2.5 servings; so, you would need to multiply the amount of sodium, fat, etc by 2.5
Watch the Sodium in Medications and Supplements • Naproxen sodium=20 mg of sodium • Sodium ascorbate (vitamin C)=210 mg/½ teaspoon
Limit Fat and Cholesterol • Solid fat=saturated fat • Cholesterol=animal products
Need to Lose Some Weight? • Use low-fat milk and skim-milk products (skim, ½%, or 1%) • Use lean meats (chicken without the skin, fish, and beef and pork with the words “loin” or “round”) • Limit added fats in cooking • Use less margarine, butter, and salad dressings
Need to Lose Some Weight? (cont’d) • Limit high-calorie drinks (soda, etc) • Watch portion sizes • Consider your alcohol intake
Alcohol Consumption 12 fluid ounce (fl oz) of beer 4-5 fl oz of wine 1.5 fl oz of distilled spirits
What Can I Have? • Shop the perimeter of the store • Check the labels • Choose fresh, frozen, or canned fruit • Look for fresh, frozen, or low-sodium canned vegetables • Select breads and low-salt crackers • Purchase fresh or frozen meat vs canned and cured meats
What Can I Have? (cont’d) • Fruits, vegetables, and milk are good sources of potassium • Nuts, soybeans (tofu), spinach, and wheat germ are good sources of magnesium
Weigh Yourself Regularly • Monitor for weight gain related to fluid retention • Let your doctor know if you gain 2-3 lb • Know that fluid weight puts stress on your heart
Do You Need a Multivitamin? • Talk to your doctor about whether you need a multivitamin • Consider one that contains at least 2.4 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin B12, 400 mcg folate, 420 milligrams (mg) magnesium (men) and 320 mg (women), and 1.1 mg thiamine
Available Resources http://www.abouthf.org/ Pocket Guide to Low Sodium Foods by Bobbie Mostyn http://www.lowsaltfoods.com/book.htm http://www.heartfailure.org/ http://www.hearthub.org/