Hospital Cardiac Carb-Controlled diet

(Tina) #1

I had a TIA this week and was in the hospital for 2 nights. They gave me what they called a Cardiac, Carb Controlled diet. Wow! At least they had carbs on their mind, a step in the right direction. It was basically a low-fat, low-sodium diet and they would print the number of carbs on the meal ticket. The choices included lots of carbs but I stuck with a protein (eggs, turkey, salmon, crab cake) and non-starchy veggies (green beans, cauliflower, carrots, salad). Better options than I thought I’d have. The salmon and crab cake were delish. My discharge papers recommended both the Heart Healthy diet and a Low Carb Diet. I didn’t read either as I know how I need to eat.

On the downside, they never once asked me about stress levels, which most likely caused the TIA, and instead put me on a statin. I’ll follow up with my PCP on future cholesterol tests and seriously de-stress. I like to think they didn’t ask because I’m outwardly calm, cool, and collected, but it probably just wasn’t on their list of questions to be asked. Ah well, one step in the right direction.

(Polly) #2

Are you planning to take a statin?

(Tina) #3

I always told myself I wouldn’t based only on the LDL number from a standard panel. The hospital didn’t send the prescription to my pharmacy. I’ll talk to my PCP this week and go from there.

(Bob M) #4

Stress and sleep are underrated.

Though if you go to Malcolm Kendrick’s blog, he was very into stress causing heart disease. He still thinks it’s a big risk factor.

#5

I am very sorry you had to deal with this and super happy you are recovered and doing better!!!

Thing is I have no idea of your med history or your personal lifestyle or eating more healthy changes and time on plan etc??

It is good they addressed carb counts but to me the low fat/low sodium info is pointless if they still keep a higher carb count on that ‘cardiac menu’.

If the menu was higher carb counts on foods The choices included lots of carbs but I stuck with a protein as you said…-- with low fat, low sodium etc. then only an informed person doing keto and knows what is best healthy eating lifestyle gets it, but so many are gonna still choose the worst. The worst is what most people will eat if they think this menu is best for them.

I wish you the best of luck and hope nothing but a healing future for you!!

My MIL was in for hospital and her diabetic menu offered pancakes with syrup and fruit and toast/biscuit with some eggs and nothing much more than carbs? So this line of her diabetic situation meant nothing from that menu cause I said to the nurse, ARE YA KIDDING here and she just sheepishly rolled her eyes and said yea, I hear you, who knows what ‘they are’ thinking for a diabetic patient food plan in hospital,…so nothing great on this situation for MIL at all and of course since she is older and doesn’t ‘get it’ she took pancakes and fruit and barely ate one bit of her scrambled eggs but sucked down the sugar. Then I said about her blood sugar on her, nurse said we will check and combat with insulin and I then rolled my eyes…I tell ya…

(Tina) #6

Thanks! I’ll check that out.

(Tina) #7

Thank you! I agree they still have too many carb options. They brought me breakfast before asking about the rest of the meals. I ate the scoop of scrambled eggs and ignored the French toast, milk, and OJ. The ‘syrup’ was the ‘sugar-free’ variety, the butter substitute was soybean oil based, and they included a non-dairy creamer. So many non-foods! Yuck.

One nurse kept apologizing for taking my blood sugar readings. She understood 80-94 were good numbers. Another got a worried look and offered me a snack when it was an 89.

I totally agree about the diabetic menu. My SIL’s sugar goes up in the hospital. I can’t convince her to cut carbs. She’s so focused on fat.

I do think the lack of caffeine and the low sodium may have helped me feel better in the hospital. I’m cutting back on caffeine and cheese, which is my biggest vice and sodium source.