Answers for heart patientsతెలుగులో చదవండి
Food after angioplasty: what to eat
Eat less salt and less fat. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Adults should have no more than 6 g of salt a day. That is about one level teaspoon.
6 g of salt a day, at most. All of it.
That counts the salt already in pickles, bread and ready meals. 6 g of salt: the NHS. AHA sets a similar limit: 2,300 mg of sodium, the main part of salt.
Salt hides in food
About three quarters of the salt we eat is already in food we buy. Too much salt can cause high blood pressure.
- Eat pickles and other salty foods less often, and in small amounts.
- Taste your food before you add salt.
- Use lemon, garlic, pepper, chilli or herbs for flavour.
- Keep the salt off the table.
Fill the plate
- At least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. One banana is one portion. 3 big spoons of vegetables is one portion.
- Choose brown rice and whole wheat over white.
- Eat dal, beans, fish and eggs for protein.
- Use only a little oil, butter or ghee.
Two more things
Stop smoking. Smoking and being overweight are two of the main causes of heart disease.
If you have diabetes, kidney disease or another illness, ask your doctor or a dietitian. They can change this advice for you.
What happens at Cardiac Rehab
- A doctor checks you first.
- You get an exercise plan made for you.
- You exercise for 90 minutes, 3 times a week, while the doctor’s team watches.
- Step by step, the exercise gets harder as you get stronger.
Why it helps with this
Food is one part of it. AHA says cardiac rehab has three parts: exercise, learning good habits like healthy food and quitting smoking, and help with stress.
A 2026 review of 107 studies looked at people after a heart attack, a stent or bypass. Those who did cardiac rehab had 28% fewer heart attacks. They had 35% fewer hospital stays.
Heart guidelines in the US (AHA and ACC) and in Europe (ESC) give cardiac rehab their highest grade: Class I, Level A.
Cardiac Rehab, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad runs these sessions.
Frequently asked questions
Is ghee bad for the heart?
Ghee, butter and coconut oil are high in saturated fat. Too much saturated fat can raise bad cholesterol. The NHS says men should eat no more than 30 g of saturated fat a day, and women no more than 20 g.
Can a heart patient eat bananas?
For most people, yes. One banana is one of your 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day. If you have kidney disease, ask your doctor first.
How much salt is too much?
More than 6 g a day, which is about one level teaspoon. That counts the salt already in pickles, bread and ready meals.
This page is general advice. Your own doctor knows your heart. If your doctor has told you something different, follow your doctor.
Written by Dr. Muralidar Babi, MBBS, MD (CMC Vellore), Cardiac Rehab Physician.