Not ready to go through quadruple bypass surgery ever again? The good news: there are healthy diet choices to keep your arteries free of cholesterol. The better news: you snack your way through the day, eating small portions of fruits, vegetables, plain unsalted popcorn, or graham crackers. The best news: Combine new heart-healthy eating with moderate exercise, under your doctor’s supervision, and you’ll soon feel 10 years younger.

"It’s true," says Kelly Balzer, registered dietitian, Bay Regional Medical Center, "that you commit to overhauling your diet." Kelly teaches cardiac nutrition classes to heart patients enrolled in Bay’s cardiac rehab program on the West Campus.

"When we’re young and active," says Kelly, "we don’t think much about portion size or food choices. We choose foods we like, and we may end up taking in 2,500-3,500 calories a day. The reality is that when we’re in our 40s and up, we’re not as active physically as we once were, and our food choices are based on what we learned to eat and love when we were young.

The Bay cardiac rehab program follows the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension, or DASH diet. "It’s a whole new way of thinking about food. Three ounces of lean meat per day satisfies our protein requirement. Three ounces is the size of a deck of cards. Patients are steered toward a more vegetarian-based diet:

• whole grains (wheat or nine-grain breads, wild or brown rice, unsweetened whole wheat or bran cereals)
• fresh fruits and vegetables
• herbs and spices as seasoning, instead of salt
• skim milk, unsweetened fruit juices and water
• non-fat frozen yogurt, angel food cake, sorbet or fruit ices.
• baked or broiled foods
• egg substitutes
• Lean, skinless meat cuts, with emphasis on chicken and fish
• No more than a teaspoon of salt a day, or 2,400 milligrams
• Monounsatured fats, like olive oil, peanut oil
• Low-fat nuts like unsalted almonds or walnuts, and legumes (kidney beans, lentils, and peas)
• Salads: Top with fresh raw vegetables, nuts or seeds. Avoid olives, pickled beets, bacon bits, cheese and ham. Consider oil and vinegar as your salad dressing

"Eating and exercise go hand in hand. Ideally, a 10-15 minute walk before breakfast, and the same before dinner become part of your regular routine. Eat small potions and eat slowly. We’re so used to gobbling our food down that we’re way past the full level about five minutes into the meal.

"The American Heart Association has shown in research studies that healthy eating and regular exercise reduces high blood pressure, and decreases the risk of additional heart problems. The surgeon who did your bypass, or the cardiologist who opened up arteries with stents will thank you if you follow this rule: Eat to live; don’t live to eat."