As a post heart bypass patient, you will be given a diet plan to follow. This diet plan is going to play a very important role in both your short and long term recovery. It is very necessary that this diet be followed religiously along with any other instructions your medical caregiver has provided you. It may seem insignificant, but this diet was designed by experts in the field on nutrition for your specific kind of surgery. If your physician did not feel it was important, he would not have given it to you.
Your body has just been through a major surgery. It needs time to heal and it needs the proper kind of food to meet its nutritional requirements without causing any undue stress to the body.
It is not uncommon for an individual who has had some sort of trauma to their body such as a serious accident or major surgery, to temporarily lose their appetite. If you find you are experiencing this particular problem after your bypass surgery, you may have to adjust your eating habits. Where you may be accustomed to eating three larger meals per day, you may want to eat five or six smaller ones. Do not worry about your loss of appetite. As your body heals and gets stronger, it will desire its required nutrients again and you will no longer have to force yourself to eat.
Although different doctors may give slightly different heart bypass diet instructions, I am going to give you an example of what your basic diet will probably be like. This diet follows the guidelines of the American Heart Association.
First you must be sure you calories contains a very small amount of saturated fats and trans fats. These have been found to be one of the major causes of high cholesterol, which drastically increases heart attack risks. You should never allow more than 7% of your calorie intake to contain saturated fat, or more that 1% to contain trans fat.
Next you need to make sure your diet contains a good quantity of fiber foods and whole wheat grain. Studies have shown these can be a major factor in lowering cholesterol.
You should also consume a large amount of fruits and vegetables. It has been shown that individuals who eat at least 8 or 9 serving of fruit and vegetables a day have lower blood pressure. For some reason the red, yellow, dark green and red varieties of fruits and vegetables seem to be the best choices. High blood pressure increases heart attack risks.
Your bypass heart diet will definitely not contain whole milk products which are very high in fats and cholesterol. Low fat or fat free dairy products should now be used. You do not want to consume more that 300 mg of dietary cholesterol a day. This is what causes most of the plaque buildup on the wall of your arteries.
I have given you some of the basics of a heart bypass diet. They are only meant as an example. You should always follow your caregivers instructions, including diet. They are completely familiar with your case, and know what is best for you and your unique medical needs.
Our site contains a wealth of information on both gastric bypass and heart bypass surgery. If you are planning on or have already had either of these serious operations, you need to stay informed to reach your long term goals. www.bypasssurgerycomplications.com
By: Robert N. Perry
