Tips for Living with Heart Failure

What you eat (and drink) plays a major role in managing your heart failure symptoms.

Eat less sodium (salt), about 2 grams per day or less.

• Use fresh ingredients or frozen vegetables.
• Skip the salt when cooking.
• Check food labels for sodium (even on sweet foods).
• Avoid cured or smoked meats, canned foods, and frozen meals.
• If you do eat them, look for low-sodium canned soups or frozen entreés with 600 mg of sodium or less.

Eat a high-fiber, low-cholesterol diet.

• Add healthy fats by cooking with olive oil and eating more fish and nuts.
• Limit unhealthy fats (saturated and trans fats) by avoiding red meat, full-fat products, and fried and packaged foods.
• Increase fiber by eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

Keep your fluids in check.

• You may need to limit your fluid intake to 1.5 to 2 liters per day.
• Reach out to us or ask your cardiologist how much you should be drinking each day.

Exercising regularly helps your heart and your health overall.

Try:

• Walking
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Dancing

If you're not very active:

• Start with something easy.
• Slowly increase how long and how hard you exercise.
• Work up to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week (about 30 minutes, 5 days a week).

Every morning:

• Weigh yourself.
• Write down the date and your weight.

Read more on how to do this and why it's important.

Making these changes, in addition to taking your medication, can greatly improve your heart health and how you feel day to day.

Limit alcohol.

• Try to avoid it altogether.
• If you do drink, stick to one drink per day.

Quit smoking.

• If you smoke, quitting can reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your lung and heart health.
• Let us know if we can help.

Maintain a healthy weight.

• Be mindful of portion sizes.
• Aim for balanced, heart-healthy meals (see above).
• Exercise regularly.
• Let us know if you want to discuss medications to help with weight loss.

Reduce stress.

• Try deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or spending time in nature.
• Stay connected with friends and family.  They can provide support and keep you from feeling lonely.

Prioritize sleep.

• Aim for 7 to 9 hours of quality sleep each night.
• If you snore or think you might have sleep apnea, let us know so we can help.

Be careful with over-the-counter medications. Some can interact with your prescription medications or make your condition worse.

Avoid these medications (or use with caution):

• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen, aspirin, and naproxen
• Decongestants in allergy, cough, and cold medications, like pseudoephedrine and phenylephrine
• Appetite suppressants or weight-loss pills
• Herbal supplements

Not sure if something is safe to take? Ask us or check with your cardiologist.