Nutrition Goals in Congestive Heart Failure

Nutrition plays an important role when it comes to recovering from congestive heart failure. When congestive heart failure occurs, the heart muscle reduces the amount of blood that is being pumped to your body. In turn, your body holds on to salt and water, your heart beats faster and enlarges. Fluid will begin to build up and you will begin to feel weak and out of breath. Maintaining healthy nutrition by having a healthy diet can aid in managing congestive heart failure.

Sodium and Thiamin

• Fish in your diet can help balance thiamin levels

  A high sodium level raises the level of fluid retention and raises your blood pressure, which increases your risk of having complications with congestive heart failure. You can reduce your levels of sodium by avoiding lunchmeat, frozen dinners and canned soups, which are all high in sodium. A deficiency in thiamin can contribute to retention of sodium. By taking supplements or eating thiamin rich foods, like fish, poultry, peanuts, peas, beans and whole grains, you can aid your body in maintaining appropriate sodium levels.

Magnesium

• Medications might interfere with magnesium balances in the body

  Magnesium is essential to the health of bone, tissue, and organs in the human body. Magnesium maintains a healthy heart rhythm, and supports the immune system. If you suffer from congestive heart failure, you may have low levels of magnesium. Congestive heart failure reduces the level of magnesium in the blood by depleting the mineral. Many patients who are on diuretics or blood pressure medication also suffer from magnesium deficiency. You can increase your magnesium levels by eating seafood, nuts, oatmeal, soybeans, and having low fat dairy items.

Potassium

• Vegetables high in potassium can help your heart function

  Potassium is another nutrient that can be lowered by medications and reduced because of congestive heart failure. When your potassium levels are low, blood pressure levels can rise and adds stress to heart function. Consuming foods that have potassium, such as fruits and vegetables, beans, and fish can help to reduce the strain on the heart.

Consideration

• Cardiac testing

  Although nutritional goals are important for congestive heart failure patients, you should incorporate daily exercise into your new regimen to maintain heart health. Moderate exercise makes your heart stronger and can reduce stress, improve your circulation, lower your blood pressure and promote healthy weight loss. A physician will probably order a cardiac stress test to determine how your heart responds to exercise to properly determine what activity is healthy for you.

Warning

• See a physician if you have sudden swelling or weight gain

  You should speak with your physician if you have a weight gain of three or more pounds or suffer from swelling of your hands, feet or ankles.