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Suggestions for heart/cardiovascular/mind health? For family member post-heart attack

Romes20

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I know that this is a very odd question to ask here of all places- but I think that when it comes to fitness/health supplementation, you guys here are far more trustworthy and knowledgeable than many other sites and might be able to come up with something that I might not have thought of already!

On August 15th, my Mother suffered a heart attack at the age of 58, triggered by a combination of long-term smoking (despite my best efforts to convince her otherwise) and intense work-related stress. She had 100% blockage on both rear valves and had three stents put in. Although they started CPR on her as fast as they could and got aid quickly, she had slight oxygen deprivation injuries to the left side of her brain that caused mild seizures, which she is presently taking Keppra for. She naturally has very low blood pressure, but the doctors also have her on a low dose of beta blockers and Lipitor as per protocol. I guess a common side effect of Lipitor is muscle soreness, so she is looking to have the dosage decreased.

She just got to go home last Tuesday and is doing outpatient rehab a few times a week and is going in for a second MRI to assess the threat level of a brain aneurism that the first scan picked up and decide what treatment options might be needed before it causes problems. She is healthy right now, but extremely tired and trying to get back into a somewhat normal routine (MINUS cigarettes. Thankfully!!!)
I suggested a quality fish oil and Co Q10 as things that she might consider implementing into her daily supplements (Multi and Glucosamine, I believe).
I have watched Dylan's recent video about heart and cardiovascular aiding supplements, but was curious as to -if one didn't like taking a ton of pills or capsules like she does- if one had to pick just a few things to supplement with, what would be the most bang for the buck for someone both trying to recover AND trying to improve health going forward. Thanks guys!!!
 
fish oil, don't buy a cheap one , buy a real one from whole foods.
Eat fish high in omega-3s, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, herring and trout.
A handful of healthy nuts such as almonds or walnuts will satisfy your hunger and help your heart.
Berries are chock full of heart-healthy phytonutrients and soluble fiber. Try blueberries, strawberries, cranberries or raspberries in cereal or yogurt.
Flaxseeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, fiber and phytoestogens to boost heart health. Take them in ground or milled form to reap the greatest benefit.
Oatmeal: the comfort-food nutrient powerhouse.
Dark beans,such as kidney or black beans, are high in fiber, B-vitamins, minerals and other good stuff. Veggie chili, anyone?
A 4-ounce glass of red wine (up to two for men and one for women per day) can help improve good (HDL) cholesterol levels.
Try marinated tofu in a stir-fry with fresh veggies for a heart-healthy lunch or dinner.
Red, yellow and orange veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, red peppers and acorn squash are packed with carotenoids, fiber and vitamins to help your heart.
Popeye was right – spinach packs a punch! Use it in sandwiches and salads instead of lettuce.
Fruits such as oranges, cantaloupes and papaya are rich in beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber.
Tender, sweet asparagus is filled with mighty nutrients such as beta-carotene, folate and fiber, and only provide 25 calories per cup, or 5 calories per large spear.
Tomatoes – even sun-dried varieties in winter months – provide lycopene, vitamin C and alpha- and beta-carotene.
Dark chocolate is good for your heart health, but just be sure that it’s at least 70 percent cocoa.
Crisp, fresh broccoli florets dipped in hummus are a terrific heart-healthy snack with a whopping list of nutrients, including vitamins C and E, potassium, folate, calcium and fiber.


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Thanks for the ideas, man! And sorry to the admins- I realized only after posting that I put it in the Source Forum instead of the other one.
 
Diet is the biggest thing to cardiovascular health, so she would be in great shape just by adjusting and correcting that to a more heart healthy diet. Fish oil would be the main supplement I'd recommend.

Btw....moved your thread for you to the right forum
 
Please buy and have her read "Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease". The "supplement" a heart patient needs is going VEGAN.
 
Tazzoc gave you same advice I would have. I would add as far as supplements, Lysine. This helps healthy tendons, ligaments, muscle and joints. For brain, I would suggest natural lecithin. It helps to keep those mental pathways open and mind alert. CoQ10 will help lower blood pressure.
 
Hi,

some good tips here. Consider also taking magnesium and potassium (let the docs measure them and try to get into the top 25% of the ref range). Q10 as Ubiquinol would be preferrable (200 or 300 mg ed)

And please, consider HIIT, too! Sprints on a track or on a bike, Kettlebell swings....

http://jap.physiology.org/content/111/5/1235
http://eurheartj.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2012/10/24/eurheartj.ehs338.full

The reason for getting into HIIT (>=80% HRmax first, later >=90%) is simple, quoted from one of the papers above:
"In a normal cardiac rehabilitation programme patients do undertake exercise, but what we are saying is maybe to be more effective it needs to be carried out at a higher intensity, in order to activate the resident stem cells…“


You will have t activate your heart stem cells in order to REPAIR the damage at her heart muscle tissues instead of just trying to cope and get along with it! There's no medicine for it but just exercise! Get her a heart rate monitor and increase her HRmax while exercising slowly until you enter the "repair zone" of 80% and more of the HRmax. Then do this 3x a week, like 1 min all out on the bike, 1 min break and 5 reps. And slowly try to increase that to 90% of HRmax. That's a short but really exhausting workout (like permanantly lifting your PR) try it youself first! If it is too hard at the beginnning shorten the intervall to eg. 10 seconds movement, 110 seconds break and increase the movement time as much as can yet be tolerated.
 
Great topic and yes everyone is spot on. Diet of fish, nuts, green veggies, garlic, avocado etc. Fish oil, krill oil...


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