Ask a Dietitian

Over the last 60 years the death rate from heart attack and stroke has declined by more than 75% and 40% of this decline has occurred in the last 10 years.  Last year there were more than 165,000 survivors from heart disease or stroke in Canada.  However, not enough survivors are maintaining critical healthy behavior changes needed to prevent recurrence.

Feb 3^rd, the Heart and Stroke Foundation released the findings of the 2014 Report on the Health of Canadians, a pole of 2000 heart attack and stroke survivors.  The report revealed that survivors are struggling to make and maintain healthy changes, despite knowing these changes can help prevent recurrence.  Changes with known risk reduction include achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight, not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, regular physical activity and managing stress.   In fact 80% of heart disease and stroke is preventable by adopting these healthy behaviours.

The poll found that lack of motivation is one of the biggest barriers in making and maintaining change.  Respondents indicated that the goals were too unrealistic, that there were too many changes to make or that they lacked interest in making change, as being the reason for their low motivation.  7 out of 10 survivors did report living a little healthier since their heart attack or stroke.  Most success was related to eating healthier, quitting smoking and reducing alcohol consumption.

In addition to motivation, other barriers to change include:

-not understanding what changes need to be made

-challenges in physical or cognitive abilities since the event

-financial barriers, such as the cost of healthier foods and of being physically active

-Time constraints, including not enough time to exercise, or plan and prepare healthy meals.

Making healthy changes to your eating doesn’t need to be complicated, expensive or time consuming.  Enlist help from family and friends can help ease the burden.  Try to identify one or two changes to work on rather than a whole list.

Time saving tips:

Shop once a week instead of making multiple trips

Cook in bulk

Use one ingredient 2 ways: chicken breast in stir fry one night and on pizza the next

Use healthy convenience foods: prepared pasta sauce, bagged lettuce, cooked chicken, frozen vegetables.

Money saving tips:

Cook at home rather than eating out

Use flyers to plan your weekly meals

Use a list and buy only what you need to reduce waste

Reduce your portions of meat

Cook from scratch rather than buying prepared rice mixes

Buy produce in season and look for specials

Try some of these low cost, easy to prepare meals at home.

Vegetarian Chili: 2 onions, 3 Tbsp chili powder, 2 tins kidney beans, 2 tins diced tomato

Method: Dice onions and sauté, add chili powder, drain and rinse beans and add to pot, add tomatoes, simmer and serve.

Salmon Frittata: 6 eggs, 1 onion, tin salmon, dill.  Serve with bagged salad

Method: sauté 1 small onion.  Whisk together 6 eggs, 2 Tbsp milk, 1 tbsp dried dill and crumbled drained tinned salmon.  Add to onions and bake in oven proof skillet for 20 minutes, until firm.

Tofu penne pasta: prepared pasta sauce, diced tofu, frozen broccoli, whole grain penne pasta

Method: Boil pasta.  In a separate pot add pasta sauce, diced tofu and frozen broccoli.  Heat and serve.   Sprinkle with parmesan.

Chicken stir fry: brown rice, California mix frozen vegetables, garlic, cooked chicken breast, low sodium soy sauce.

Method: Make brown rice.  In sauté pan add 2 tsp oil, sautee minced garlic, add frozen vegetables and say sauce.  Toss with cooked chicken and serve over rice.

For more information and resources to help you with your rehabilitation visit www.heartandstroke.ca