The medical condition where the heart cannot properly pump blood to the various parts of the body is termed Congestive Heart Failure and may also be known as CHF.
This condition in a person requires widespread changes in lifestyle and elaborate treatment in order to lead as healthy and normal life as possible.
Normally lifestyle change consists of an exercise plan, a heart healthy diet and medicine regime.
All the three above factors complement each other but the most vital of them to control CHF is a healthy diet.
A heart healthy diet takes care of sodium, fat, calorie and fluid intake.
All of these should be low to better the condition of the person suffering from heart disease.
Technically in a person that has CHF, or when the heart fails to work efficiently, large amount of fluids are retained in lungs and the body in general.
The situation in which lungs tend to retain fluid makes it very difficult to breathe.
The basic requirement of a person with heart disease is to get rid of excess of water from the body and lungs in particular to make a person comfortable with breathing.
A diet with excessive salt causes retention of large amount of fluids.
This will exaggerate the illness in the person that has CHF.
To treat heart disease, there is medication that releases the excess of water stored in the body and a low sodium diet is recommended.
In a healthy diet the standard amount of sodium allowed is 2g.
Another aspect that is considered in a diet is low calorie and fat foods intake.
The two very important things that heart healthy diet takes care are - avoiding heart arteries of clots and check on weight.
An already poor functioning heart of a heart patient cannot afford to have blockages in arteries, so low calorie and fat diet will serve the purpose.
Obesity is one of the causes of Congestive Heart Failure, so heart healthy diet low in calories and fat will help in checking weight and providing healthy weight.
Last but not the least a heart healthy diet that stresses reduced fluid intake will help in keeping heart illness under control.
Sometimes drinking lots of fluids is negative for person with CHF.
Keeping fluid levels in body to minimum will provide an aid in keeping your illness under control.