It was really hard for me to accept the fact that I did have a heart attack. This wasnt a nightmare it had really happened. I knew that I never wanted to go through it again, so lifestyle changes were a must.
One of the first things that changed was my diet, and let me tell you, I was NOT a happy person about this. Why? Well because my new diet would become a "low-sodium" diet. I thought how in the world am I going to be able to do this? I was the person who added table salt on almost everything, it was just natural for me to do so..I would add it to pizza, popcorn, pasta, veggies, pretty much everything.
The low sodium diet started the very first night in the hospital, as my menu was specifically for this diet. Lets just say that I didn’t really eat all that much because the food just tasted so boring to me, had no flavor and I REALLY wanted my salt..but that was not an option. My cardiologist put me on a strict diet, I was only allowed 2,000 milligrams (1/2 teaspoon) of sodium per day!
I had a hard time understanding why a low-sodium diet was needed. Well, during my cardio rehab program (discuss that in another post) I learned exactly why it's a bad thing. First, if you eat too much sodium it can cause your blood pressure to rise and cause some fluid retention, especially in your legs and feet. Since this leads to high blood pressure, your heart has to work harder, and this eventually strains your blood vessels and heart. The heart now has to work harder to pump enough blood and oxygen to the rest of your body. Also, over time, the blood vessels can become hard, and when this happens, the blood has a hard time flowing through the artery. All of this can lead to heart attacks, stroke, and kidney failure.
The average American eats five or more teaspoons of salt each day. This is about 20 times as much as the body needs. In fact, your body needs only 1/4 teaspoon of salt every day. Astonishing, isn’t it?
Well, since I was on a new diet, it was time to purchase new groceries. After I was feeling good enough to walk around, my parents and I went to Kroger, where we spent several hours in the store. We went down pretty much every isle looking at the food labels, and it was beyond my imagination how much sodium there actually already was in food! I was quick to find out that many of my favorite foods had too much sodium. I was very frustrated and didn’t know how I'd ever be able enjoy this diet. I was quick to learn I would now be eating a lot of frozen chicken, frozen veggies, and fresh fruit. There would be no canned food in my future.
It's been almost 6 months since my heart attack, and I'm very PROUD to say that I HAVE NOT added any salt to my food. To be honest, I don’t miss my table salt at all. I've been using a lot of pepper. I know that Mrs. Dash. is a good substitute for salt. I have tried it a few times, but cannot find a flavor that I like yet.
I've adapted to the low-sodium diet pretty well. Again, at first I really thought it was going to be impossible, but in all reality, it's not bad at all. Yes, there are times that I break the rule eat something that is considered high in sodium, but I figure that is okay, as long as I don’t do it all the time (remember, I'm stubborn!). I could never ever give up on chicken fingers and French fries. :)
The purpose of this post is to hopefully make everyone recognize the importance of really watching your sodium intake. By just changing this, it can greatly reduce your risk of having a heart attack, stroke, or any other illness that is caused from high blood pressure. Next time you’re at the store, take a look at those food labels, and I guarantee that you’ll be just as surprised as I was.
I found a good website that has a guideline for a low sodium diet:
Mrs. Dash website:
http://www.mrsdash.com/
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