Diet after heart surgery?!

funkyspunky872
funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
edited December 2024 in Food and Nutrition
So, my dad has just had open-heart surgery on four completely blocked arteries last week. He's sort of given me the responsibility over his meal plan (which is completely stressful since I'm also in recovery for bulimia and not a dietician in the least and I can barely keep up with my own nutrition... but I'll save the stress for a breakdown later). He's trying to lose 60 pounds in a year. He's 255 and 6 feet tall. I have him set at 2200 calories for the day, but AT LEAST 2000 every day.

It's so hard. :sad: His diet must be:

-low in fat
-low in cholesterol
-low in sodium

PLUS he's diabetic so:

-low in sugars
-low in carbs (I think.. I'm not diabetic, I haven't really had any experience with meal plans for diabetes)

And it must be cheap as he will be out of work for the next month, and his heart gave out at an awful time when our health insurance had just lapsed for the week. Great, right?

Any advice? His first instinct is to eat a bunch of sugar-free, fat-free crap, and I'm trying my hardest to steer him towards fresh, 'clean', unprocessed food -- that often screws up everything else though. He's had three full meals, plus two snacks and he's only at 1100 calories and already over sugars and sodium. Ugh.. Help?

Replies

  • funkyspunky872
    funkyspunky872 Posts: 866 Member
    Bump?? Please, anybody?
  • ReneeCK
    ReneeCK Posts: 63 Member
    The hospital he had his surgery at might have a Cardiac Rehab Center, utilized for post-op patients like your dad. If there is one, they should have Registered Dieticians that have programs already set up for post-op CABG patients. I would call to find out. If not, most doctors recommend The Dean Ornish Program. It sounds as though you are on the right track, though... with the ideas of fresh, unprocessed foods :happy:

    And, kudos to you for helping to make a difference and caring enough to try to help! Men are not known to be the best of patients after this type of surgery :laugh:
  • ReneeCK
    ReneeCK Posts: 63 Member
    Also try Googling ADA diets (American Diabetes Association), great meal plans and will also explain the carbohydrate exchange needed for diabetics. It takes some studying to understanding how the process works, but for now the important thing is keeping his sugars under control... high sugars can lead to poor healing of his surgical wounds, for one thing. Also understand that just because it says "sugar-free", it can still cause spikes in blood sugar.
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