5 Healthy Eating Tips After Heart Surgery

Heart surgery can be one of the most invasive surgeries there is. No matter if you have a blocked artery or if you need a bypass surgery, not only is the procedure intense, so is the recovery. Recovering from heart surgery requires a number of special precautions, like not driving a car or operating heavy machinery. However, doctors will recommend that patients get plenty of exercise and eat a healthy, balanced diet. When it comes to heart surgery, a diet rich in protein can contribute to the healing process. More than that, though, some foods might be more palatable than others – at least during the healing process. Here are five healthy eating tips after heart surgery.

1. Hot foods might make you nauseous during the recovery process. This is because your body is still weak and you might be taking medication that makes it hard to build up an appetite. This is why chilled foods, like smoothies and yogurt can not only be appetizing, but also contribute to a healthy diet. Mixed fruits and even some vegetables can be hugely beneficial to the recovery process and can help strengthen the heart and surrounding muscles.
2. Maintain a healthy dose of fiber. In order to prevent both constipation and diarrhea, eating foods rich in fiber can promote a healthy digestive process during the healing period. Foods like fiber-rich cereal and bread can be a great addition to any meal. On top of eating lots of food with a high fiber content, you want to wash everything down with plenty of water. While you are resting and recovering from heart surgery, you don’t want to have to keep running to the bathroom and you don’t want to be constipated either – both can get in the way of the healing process.
3. Avoid food with lots of high-fructose corn syrup, which can result in bloating and gas. Not only is gas and bloating uncomfortable, it can also reduce your appetite, which can conflict with the healing process. These foods include surgery cereals and also some vegetables, like legumes and beans. In addition, you might also want to refrain from chewing gum, which can send air into the abdominal cavity and cause painful bloating.
4. Eat lean meats – not red meats. At least while you are recovering. Anyone who visited www.SurgicalTechTraining.org and became a surgical tech, will be responsible for telling the person recovering from heart surgery to stay away from fatty meats, like steak and meatloaf. While you are recovering, you should be sticking to meats like chicken, turkey and fish. When it comes to eating fish, though, you want to make sure there isn’t too high of a sodium content.
5. Stay away from saturated fat. While you are recovering from heart surgery you want to stay away from food with ingredients that contain lard and butter. You also want to stay away from items that have been simmered or fried in oil or vegetable oil, which can inhibit the healing process and can possibly worsen your heart conditions. Instead of going for a donut, why not go for a salad?