Heart problems

[N7YA]

I just visited my heart doctor yesterday for my follow-up. After some blood work and an unpleasant stress test, he told me my heart is good overall, no holes, normal size, but i do have a blocked artery on the underside, likely due to bad eating habits growing up.

In recent years, i have been changing my diet slowly to exclude soda and other things bad for me, but its not enough. I was put on baby aspirin and told that i may need to have surgery. This is not the news i wanted to hear as i am quite healthy otherwise.

When i met my wife, she was a vegetarian and 114 lbs. Now she eats meat, dessert and fried foods and has shot up to 150...this is my fault. After the appointment, we had a lengthy discussion about what to do so i may play with my grandchildren and enjoy our new house. Basically, i dont want to be a invalid due to stroke, and moreso, i dont want to die. We have decided to make drastic changes.

We have researched living a vegetarian lifestyle and found nothing but good news, most of those foods can actually reverse and clear out clogged arteries if i stick with the diet and stay active to strengthen the heart. We have decided to go this route.

Have any of you had to make this kind of change? And if so, can you help me with any ideas or ingredients? What ups and downs have you had to deal with as this is a complete change for me. Thanks.

[n2ize]

Sorry to hear about this. I can;t offer anything in the way of advice other than that I have heard that good diet and excersize can help prevent a wide variety of health problems, including heart related issues. In my case I was recently diagnosed with tendonitis in my right foot which is caused by gout. Gout attacks are extremely painful and are caused by uric acid crystals forming around the joints and tendons. It can be controlled to a degree by modification of diet and, the diet prescribed for gout is very similar to that prescribed for heart health. Namely, a reduction in the intake of red meats and meats, fish, and fatty foods in general, and reduction of alcohol intake, and the consumption of more vegetables (except cauliflower and spinach). I try and eat a large salad before dinner and I find that it fills me up and I eat less of other foods. I also limit meats to maybe one or two times a week and when i do have meats I try and eat smaller portions If I drink I cut back to one or two small drinks instead of 3 or 4 large ones and try and limit my use of alcohol to medicinal purposes. So far it seems to be helping and, I seem to be losing weight as well... which is something I need to do anyway.

Inany event I wish you luck and I am sure a sensible diet will help. the thing is to stick with it.

[N7YA]

Thanks John. I also have gout in my right toe, but its not as painful and i still have mobility. I try to stretch regardless of pain and i am very limber. But gout must be secondary to the heart issue right now. But what i learned about it was that with a veggie diet, the gout will start to clear out too, this is good news.

I have 3 weeks until i get my PET scan, where ill get am IV and pumped full of tracers...ill be lit up like a reactor for a couple of hours. Then i get my ass kicked for 2 hours with another stress test. By then, i hope to make a positive change in the blood flow. Sticking with the diet is more than "i just need to shed a few pounds" at this point, its a matter of life and death, so i dont have an option. My wife was very happy to hear that i wanted to make this change, and so am i.

We just had a full veggie lunch and it was great, this is probably going to be easier than i think it is. But ill take any help i can get.

[KG4CGC]

Oatmeal for breakfest, maybe even lunch. Tuna.
Read labels. Everything is loaded with fat. Even your fake, artificial coffee creamer.

[N1LAF]

Hang in there, Adam, keep in mind that all of the Islanders here is part of your support group. I started a hard core exercise routine with weight/strength training, and dropped my blood pressure and resting heart rate dramatically. Exercise regularly, and long walks every day.

[N7YA]

Thank you. I know that a few of us have been there before, i am determined to NOT undergo surgery. I am going to do a PET scan in 17 days and im trying to eat food that are known scrubbers. Ill do what i have to do, but if i can decrease the perceived blockage before then, all the better.

No matter what happens, i have commited to this change from here on. Heart health is no joke and i intend to get on top of this. I appreciate the support and help, despite political differences and whatnot, this is more than ham spirit, its human spirit and i thank you guys for it.

[W3MIV]

Charles advice about oats is good, and also fish -- but avoid the really fatty fishes. Classic vegans avoid anything with a face, and also avoid all dairy products. I think that is a bit too extreme, in my view. I try to use non-fat milk and avoid whole milk. Also egg substitutes such as Egg Beaters, Eggzactly and others will let you enjoy an occasional egg without the load of cholesterol in the yolk. Pairing beans and corn, beans and rice, or beans and most nuts will give you the basic protein benefits of meat, but again without the cholesterol.

But bear in mind that cholesterol is the glue that holds the body together. You don't want to risk falling apart in a blog of gook on the kitchen floor for fear of the stuff, either. ;)

[N1LAF]

Oatmeal for breakfest, maybe even lunch. Tuna.
Read labels. Everything is loaded with fat. Even your fake, artificial coffee creamer.

What Charles said, oatmeal is a good snack too. Add apple slices or strawberries (in season now) after cooked. Cinnamon works too.
Avoid processed foods - eat fresh, unprocessed foods.

[N7YA]

Great advice! I didnt think of that. As for fish, we will be doing broiled or seared salmon, naturally caught only. And i havent had milk in over a year since i learned how milk is processed from the big money farms...gross stuff. I do almond milk instead. One of my favorite foods is whole grain cereal (no sugary stuff), with almond milk and fresh fruit. Ive been eating that for a couple of years now and i noticed something, the last doctors visit before i started doing that, my cholesterol and blood pressure was high. Since then, my cholesterol has come down quite a bit, and my blood pressure has been perfect.

Giving up soda and salt, and adding healthier foods has done good things so far. Also, i dont stress about much, im very animated in person and say what i feel (within the limits of decency and respect, of course). Basically, im a happy person who realizes my mortality as a reality and i see no reason to fear it. But i am only 45 years old, i see no need to rush it either. I dont smoke or drink, my marriage is great and i see life as an adventure full of new things to learn, but you cant avoid everything...shit happens. We all need some help sometimes and my wife is priceless. And if you tune across 20 ssb on any given day, you will hear all sorts of armchair doctors so asking hams seems like a great idea.

As for going Vegan? I dont think i need to take it to that extreme, it seems like more of a personal opinion method as opposed to a viable healthy choice. It sure seems like they cut out a lot of protiens the body needs. Ill stick with pseudo-vegetarian for now. :)

[N7YA]

What Charles said, oatmeal is a good snack too. Add apple slices or strawberries (in season now) after cooked. Cinnamon works too.
Avoid processed foods - eat fresh, unprocessed foods.

Im a big fan of cinnamon, but its important to note that the real health benefits of cinnamon do not come from the processed stuff you get at the store, you need to buy the Mexican stick cinnamon and grate a little bit into your coffee or cereal each day. I just learned this the other day.