Making simple changes to the lifestyle as well as in the diet can help put brakes on congestive heart failure. Additional changes include bringing down the weight and how well you can manage stress. Apart from slowing the process, it is now possible to reverse the effects of congestive heart failure. You can only do a few of the symptoms, but not all. You can just feel the lasting effects only when you make changes to the lifestyle and adhere to the same.
Can You Reverse The Effects Of Congestive Heart Failure?
Yes, it is achievable to reverse the effects of congestive heart failure. According to a book written by Dean Ornish, MD, the president and founder of the Preventive Medicine Research Institute, a few of the patients reversed the symptoms by making lifestyle changes along with alteration to the diet. It helped them in such a way that they no longer needed a heart transplant.
Ornish stated that significant lifestyle changes made it possible for the patients to improve the blood flow to the heart, increase the strength of the heart muscle, and pump the blood normally in less than a month. In addition to it, the changes also helped the patients to see a decrease in the frequency of chest pain by over 90%. The program developed by Ornish helped patients recover from blocked arteries within a year. Furthermore, the continuation of the program displayed the reversal of the effects within five years. The comparison was with other patients in the study where the situation was deteriorating with time.
What It Takes to Reverse the Effects of Congestive Heart Failure?
According to the development plan, reversal of the effects developed due to congestive heart failure is possible by including walking, meditation, yoga, and stress management therapy. It is essential that the patient is planning a half hour walking as part of daily routine. It is also feasible to opt for an hour of walking for three times in a week.
The other crucial aspect is diet. The shift in eating the food will be drastic for patients who follow a typical American diet. According to Ornish, making moderate changes to the eating habits is helpful in preventing the occurrence of congestive heart disease symptoms. Nonetheless, the modest changes are helpless in reversing the scenario. The doctor puts the food into five categories.
Reversing congestive heart disease is possible by becoming a vegetarian. It means that your plate will include plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, soy products, non-fat dairy products, whole grains, and egg whites. At the same time, you will also avoid inclusion of refined sugar and salt, fats, and processed carbohydrates. Eating foods in the natural form as much as possible is the only way that the patient gains access to reversing the condition of congestive heart failure.
Apart from being active and eating healthy, you will additionally require:
- Sticking to the plan.
- Opting for weight management program.
- Consuming medicines at the right time.
- Attend consultations with the doctor at frequent periods.
- Quit smoking and alcohol.
Being Strict and Motivated
Making a sudden shift in the lifestyle and the eating habits requires you to be motivated. Living an austere lifestyle, as stated above, is the only procedure for anyone to see the lasting effects of reversing the symptoms obtained due to congestive heart failure.
For patients who are already suffering from heart diseases, it is preferable to choose a lifestyle that slows the symptoms rather than opting for the reversal plan as stated by Ornish.
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