Congestive Heart Failure Diet

For any illness diet forms an integral part of treatment. Patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) too, have to follow a particular diet plan to avert any complications. It is observed that people diagnosed with CHF suffer from edema, excessive tiredness and breathing difficulty. As we all know the main function of the heart is to pump oxygenated blood to different parts of the body. However, in this condition, the heart weakens and so its pumping ability reduces drastically. This causes disturbances in the normal circulation of blood. As a result, the amount of oxygenated blood delivered to the body also decreases. The fluids in the blood begin to accumulate in the body tissues, leading to water retention. In order to improve the patient's health, the doctor also prescribes a congestive heart failure diet, along with medications that needs to be followed lifelong.

Water
'Drink plenty of water' is what everyone says to stay fit and fine. Many recommend to drink 8 glasses of water everyday. However, this tip for health is not applicable to CHF in the elderly. The reason is simple; Water retention is common among CHF sufferers, which many times causes swelling of legs. So it is obvious that the patient has to keep a check on water intake to prevent the body from retaining fluids. Fluid retention can aggravate symptoms of CHF so it is very essential that the patient avoids too much of water consumption.

Salt
Although, salt enhances the taste of food, it also promotes water retention. Too much salt can lead to accumulation of fluids in the abdomen, legs and lungs, eventually causing breathing problems. So minimizing salt intake is important to prevent any complications. The salt consumption for CHF patients is limited to 2 grams per day. Besides adding less salt when cooking food, one has to stay away from food items that contain a high amount of salt. Processed foods such as salty chips have to be avoided. Although vegetables, soups and meat packed in cans are free from preservatives, they are high in salts. So, instead of going for canned foodstuffs, prefer fresh fruits and vegetables to reduce salt intake. Most tomato ketchup and sauce, available in the market are loaded with salt, so people with CHF should avoid eating these foodstuffs.

Saturated Fats
High fatty foods such as processed meat, fried foodstuffs, chicken with skin, egg yolk, pastries, ice creams and cakes can damage the arteries, eventually causing CHF.

Alcohol
It is said that moderate alcohol consumption promotes a healthy heart. Again, this statement doesn't hold true for people diagnosed with CHF. In fact, alcohol consumption is likely to cause more damage to the heart muscles. Therefore, be it the wine, whisky or beer, one has to refrain from consuming these alcoholic beverages.

Food Choices for CHF Patients

As aforementioned, buying fresh vegetables and staying away from canned food can definitely help to reduce salt intake. One can eat all vegetables but make sure that minimum amount of salt is used while making a vegetarian recipe. When it comes to including meat in CHF diet, preference has to be given to fresh fish and poultry products.

The sodium content of whole grain foods such as enriched wheat breads is very less, hence there is no harm in having these food products. People with CHF can also have homemade snacks like spaghetti, macaroni and noodles that is prepared by adding very little salt.

An easy way to prepare tasty meals without addition of too much salt, is to use herbs. Salt can always be replaced by certain herbs to enhance the taste of food. A pinch of clove or other herbal mixtures containing garlic powder and crushed oregano and basil are a good substitute for salt.

Apart from following this diet, being physically active is also very important. Daily exercise is essential to boost heart health and ensure a better blood circulation. One can also do exercises like walking and cycling to improve heart function.