Giving your diet a makeover isn’t just something to do for better overall health. In fact, following a heart-healthy diet as part of your heart disease treatment plan after angioplasty can lessen the chance that you’ll have a future cardiac problem, like a heart attack, by as much as 73 percent. Eating specific heart-healthy foods can help by reducing your cholesterol, lowering your blood pressure, and getting or keeping your body weight within a healthy range. Essentially, a heart-healthy diet focuses on lowering salt intake and unhealthy fats by boosting the amounts of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains you consume. Research on the popular DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet and other heart-healthy diets of its kind, published in the journal Nutrition in 2013, found that such diets had significant cardiovascular benefits. The report, which reviewed six studies, found that following DASH-type diets reduced the risk for overall cardiovascular disease by 20 percent, coronary heart disease by 21 percent, stroke by 19 percent, and heart failure by 29 percent. As you recover from angioplasty, consider adding these foods to your daily meal plans: Whole grains. “All whole grains are good, but barley and oats have something special — a fiber called beta-glucan,” says Jill Weisenberger, MS, RDN, CDE, a dietitian and the author of “Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week.” “This fiber sops up cholesterol from your digestive tract, preventing it from reaching your bloodstream.” Other good choices are buckwheat, bulgur, whole wheat, and millet. Fruits and vegetables. “Fresh fruits and vegetables are an excellent source of potassium, which can lessen the effects of sodium and help lower blood pressure,” Weisenberger says. “Berries in particular are heart-healthy.” Pears and apples may help reduce stroke risk. Bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and leafy green vegetables are all great sources of vitamins and carotenoids, a type of antioxidant, to boost overall health. Cranberries are another good choice because they help reduce inflammation and increase dilation of blood vessels. “Try to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal and snack,” Weisenberger says. Healthy fats. Not all fats are bad. Just choose “healthy” unsaturated fats and limit how much fat you eat overall, because all fats contain a lot of calories. Fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids — such as lake trout, mackerel, herring, salmon, sardines, and albacore tuna — are great choices, Weisenberger says. “These fats may reduce the risk of abnormal heartbeats and decrease blood clots from forming.” Olive and canola oils are also a good source of healthy fats and a great replacement for butter. “When some of the saturated fats — butter, lard, and bacon grease, for example — in the diet are replaced with unsaturated fats, cholesterol levels improve,” she says. Nuts, beans, and seeds. There’s no doubt that beans are good for your heart. “They’re linked to lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart attack,” Weisenberger says, who recommends eating at least four servings of beans each week. Walnuts, almonds, and other nuts and seeds are also important for heart health. “When you eat these foods regularly, you can reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol,” she says. Dark chocolate. When you want something sweet, opt for a nibble of dark chocolate. Rich in flavonoids — another type of antioxidant — dark chocolate can help lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation. Fresh-brewed tea. When you want to sip on something soothing, turn to tea. Flavonoid-rich tea may help lower the risk for heart attack and stroke and lower blood pressure, Weisenberger says — just skip bottled tea and brew your own because bottled varieties have few if any flavonoids. Foods to Avoid for Heart-Healthy Eating Don’t cancel out all of your good work with unhealthy food selections. Here are the top foods to skip and why: Processed meats. This includes hot dogs and deli meats. They’re packed with sodium, nitrates, and other preservatives that can harm your heart. Saturated fats and trans fats. Watch for saturated fats in butter, cream, cheese, fatty red meat, and poultry skin. Trans fats can be found in fried and packaged foods — they contribute to high levels of unhealthy cholesterol. Refined and processed grains. Think white bread and white rice. Processing removes much of the healthy parts of the grains. Food and drink with added sugar. You might have heard it’s good to skip sodas because they are loaded with sugar, but check labels on other drinks, too. Also steer clear of foods like candies, jelly, and desserts — they tend to also be high in sugar, which can lead to weight gain. Finally, remember this advice from Weisenberger: “A healthy diet is the sum of all of the foods you eat, not just a handful of power foods from each food group here and there.” Strive to include healthy foods at each meal and snack, and you’ll be on your way to better heart health after angioplasty.
