After surviving from a heart attack, the first though that comes in mind is to change the lifestyle. Healthy eating, exercise and stress-free routine are the basic needs of a post heart attack person. But usually people don’t know how to customize their meal plan. Here we are mentioning some of the foods to eat and avoid after a heart attack, along with a reminder that a SimpleCPR online certification course can help you and your family be ready if another cardiac emergency happens.

1. 1.) Avoid foods fried in saturated fats. As an alternative you can use stir fried foods in unsaturated fats like vegetable oil or nuts oil
2. 2.) Do not eat processed meat such as hot dogs and sausages. Instead of these you can use chicken or turkey meat.
3. 3.) Stay away from desserts and sweets containing milk chocolate and sugar — remember, sugar is ruining your health well beyond the heart. For chocolate items you can use dark chocolate which contains more antioxidants good for you health.
4. 4.) Say no to baked items such as cakes and pastries containing white sugar and plain flour. As an alternative you can bake food for yourself containing natural sugar and whole grains.
5. 5.) Do not use salad dressings, cream sauces and ketchup that contain sugar and saturated fatty acids. Instead you can make your own homemade ketchup and dressings without sugar and high fat dairy products.
6. 6.) Avoid salted nuts and snacks. You can opt for unsalted ones in limited quantity.
7. 7.) Cut back on sugary soda and fizzy drinks. As a replacement you can add fruits to your water or drink fresh homemade juices without sugar and preservatives. Reduce your intake of coffee, tea and alcohol and drink more water daily.
8. 8.) Avoid take-aways like pizza, hamburgers, chips, fried potatoes, pasta and noodles etc. Replace fatty red meat with the lean meat or white meat in your food.
9. 9.) Avoid processed foods. Eat fresh vegetables and fruits daily and go for wholegrain cereals, breads, rice and pasta etc. — building a grocery list for a healthy family can make these swaps easier to stick to.
10. 10.) Include legumes, egg and fish in your food and replace them with high fat dairy products.

Making heart-healthy changes to lifestyle can help you live strong and vibrant for many years without the thought of having another heart attack. Taking care of yourself after a heart attack is very important, and so is making sure the people around you know what to do if another cardiac emergency occurs — an Adult CPR + AED course can prepare your family to respond. Eating right, avoiding stress and daily exercises and basic lifestyle modifications that can help you a great deal in this regard.