Dietary and Lifestyle Recommendations for Optimal Overall Health While Living with a Laminopathy, Cardiomyopathy, or Heart Failure
By Gabriela Pacheco, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, LMNA Patient
San Diego, California
Table of Contents
Disclaimer
This article contains nutrition and lifestyle advice and does not provide medical advice. The information, including but not limited to, text, graphics, images, and other material contained in this article are for educational and informational purposes only. No material on this article is a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you have regarding a medical condition or treatment to receive personalized advice and care before undertaking a new health care regimen.
Knowledge is Power
Your ability to advocate for yourself grows as you gain more knowledge about your illness and how it impacts your day-to-day activities. Making lifestyle changes may help ease symptoms and improve your quality and longevity of life, while promoting better outcomes from surgery or procedures. Investing in your care takes patience, self-care, knowledge, persistence, and teamwork. Dealing with the burdens of living with a disease is already a significant challenge. According to the American Heart Association, If you commit to living a healthy lifestyle, you can help prevent the onset of secondary preventable ailments and diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and certain cancers. A wholesome diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, healthy fats, and unprocessed or minimally processed foods can bolster your immune system while maintaining a healthy weight.
Let Thy Food be Thy Medicine
The ancient Greek physician Hippocrates emphasized the significance of proper nutrition for health and well-being with this powerful quote. He believed that food should be the foundation of any healing regimen. The relevance of his wisdom remains significant now. He advocated for the use of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and herbs as medicine. This timeless quote serves as a reminder of the profound impact our food choices have on our health. By embracing the concept of “food as medicine” and prioritizing balance in your life, you can pave the way to a healthier, longer quality of life.
Know What you Can Manage in Your Life
There are things in your life that you can manage even when you have a genetic disease. Focus on those you can control, such as your eating habits, sleep regimen, exercise, mental health and stress. Eating is one of the great pleasures in life, so it is important to have a positive relationship with food and focus on what you can eat, rather than on what you are not “supposed” to eat. Moderation is key. Although nutrition promotes wellness and healing while fueling your body and mind, it cannot completely replace the need for medicine in certain medical conditions or emergencies. It’s not just about fueling your body, in many cultures, eating is a chance to get together with family and friends to enjoy their favorite cuisine. Mealtimes spent with loved ones enhance your quality of life, fueling your body and soul.
Custom-tailored diets, along with mind and body activities, can complement conventional medicine. Evidence-based approaches, such as Integrative Medicine, aim for a well-coordinated plan-of-care among different providers and specialists. The Mayo Clinic offers one Integrative Medicine approach to healthcare. The Integrative approach brings together traditional healthcare approaches, such as medication and psychotherapy, as well as complementary therapies, like nutrition, acupuncture, meditation, and yoga. It “integrates” all aspects of your well-being to achieve optimal health and healing – mind, body and spirit and not only the disease or illness. In many situations, as evidence of their usefulness and safety grows, these therapies are used with conventional medicine. A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can play a crucial role as part of your integrative team to provide dietary advice. Talk to your doctor about an Integrative Medicine program near you.
Mediterranean and DASH Diets
Although there isn’t a diet that works for everyone, the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, align well with the concept of food as medicine. These are not just diets, but a lifestyle change that promotes attainable and sustainable healthy eating patterns. They are both rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins, and also help reduce blood pressure and weight through diet and lifestyle. Both diets are anti-inflammatory and have been associated with a reduction in inflammation markers in the body. Consulting with a healthcare professional or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you determine which diet may be more suitable for you depending on your goals. Diversify your Diet!
Figure 1: Mediterranean Diet
Figure 2: DASH Diet
Reduce Salt and Sodium
Dietitian nutritionists often recommend that people looking to reduce their sodium try cooking with different herbs, spices and seasonings. If you have high blood pressure, keeping your salt and sodium intake in check can help reduce swelling in the legs caused by a buildup of fluid. One of the major contributors to hypertension in adults is excess dietary sodium. It is an essential nutrient needed in small amounts to maintain a healthy balance of fluids, and help muscles and nerves function normally. However; too much sodium causes fluid buildup in the blood vessels, forcing the heart to work harder to pump more blood throughout the body and raising blood pressure in the process. See Figure 3 for Tips to Reduce Salt and Sodium.
If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may recommend reducing your sodium intake. Your doctor may also recommend reducing the amount you drink each day to lessen fluid retention. Be aware of sodium content in foods, especially processed, packaged, and restaurant-prepared foods. Restaurant foods may contain higher amounts of sodium and fat since both add flavor to food. Reducing your salt intake does not mean you have to deprive your taste buds of the enjoyment of flavorful food.
Before shopping for salt substitutes, know that not all store-bought salt substitutes are appropriate for certain groups. Some people should avoid the extra potassium found in some salt substitutes. They can raise blood potassium levels to dangerous levels in people with conditions such as heart, kidney, or liver disease. Also, salt substitutes can elevate blood potassium to unhealthy levels while taking certain blood pressure-lowering medications or potassium-sparing diuretics. Check with your doctor or healthcare team if you are using salt substitutes.
Portions Matter
It’s not just what you eat. Portions matter as illustrated in Figure 4.
Organic Foods
Organic foods, free from synthetic pesticides and fertilizers, are often considered more beneficial to health. However; its availability and affordability may vary. Some foods have higher pesticide content than others so it is recommended to purchase organic foods with less pesticides when affordability and availability allow, as illustrated in figure 5.
The word "organic" indicates the way farmers grow and process farming (agricultural) products. These products include fruits, vegetables, grains, eggs, and dairy products, such as milk and cheese. Some fruits and vegetables don’t need the organic seal because their thick outer skin prevents pesticides from touching the edible fruit. Other choices on the chart are considered a safe bet since they contain little pesticide residue.
Products sold in the USA as organic must have a USDA-certified seal to be considered organic.
The European Union organic logo visually identifies organic products produced in the EU. This logo makes it easier for consumers to identify organic products and helps farmers market them across the entire EU.
Note that organic and natural are not the same thing. Usually, "natural" on a food label means that the product has no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives and doesn’t have to do with the methods or materials used to grow the food ingredients. It is also good to know that the labels “free-range” or “hormone-free” don’t mean a farmer followed all guidelines for organic certification.
Proper Nutrition And Physical Activity Can Support Mental Health to Manage Stress
Act to manage stress. It is well established, as in the National Institutes of Health among others, that healthy nutrition and physical activity are key lifestyle factors that modulate lifelong health through their ability to improve body composition, musculoskeletal health, and physical and cognitive performance. Proper nutrition and physical activity can also aid in preventing metabolic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease across the lifespan. Chronic stress that is not properly managed can lead to many health problems, such as those mentioned above, but also worsen your symptoms from your existing disease. Refer to figure 6 for Tips on Stress Management as well as Natural Mood Boosters in figure 7.
Seek professional help if you’re not able to manage your stress on your own.
Stress Management
Figure 6: Tips to Manage Stress
Some foods, such as in figure 7, can enhance brain health and memory, emphasizing the role of a nutritious diet in supporting cognitive function.
Mood Boosters
Figure 7: Top 20 Powerful Mood Boosters
Hydration
Water is a great mood-booster and has numerous benefits. It is crucial for many bodily functions, such as lubricating the joints, delivering oxygen throughout the body, preventing kidney damage, and more. About 60% of the body is made up of water, so staying hydrated keeps your body in motion – physically and mentally. You can also get water from other sources with high water content as shown in Figure 8.
There is no fixed amount of water that must be consumed daily. Fluid needs vary depending on activity, exercise, pregnancy, breastfeeding, certain disease states, and even the weather. Adequate intake levels for water have been determined for generally healthy people and are based on age and sex. Talk to your health care provider to determine your individual fluid needs.
Refer to Figures 9 and 10 for Foods to Help You Sleep and Tips for Better Sleep.
Sleep
Figure 9: Foods to Help you Sleep
Figure 10: 10 Tips for Better Sleep
The Future Of Medicine May Revolve Around Our Gut
According to the Cleveland Clinic, our brains and digestive systems have evolved together to help us survive. Evidence is mounting that the gut microbiome influences just about every major human disease. About 100 trillion strains of bacteria live in our guts. As humans have evolved, so have they. These trillions of microbes use our food to make substances called metabolites that can protect or harm our health, with consequences reaching far beyond our digestive tracts. When you eat, your microbes eat too, breaking down food into metabolites that interact with the thin layer of cells lining your gut.
Research has linked microbial metabolites to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, liver disease, high blood pressure, neurological disorders, depression, and cancer. Now scientists are developing treatments targeting gut microbial pathways, designed to eliminate the bad metabolites and boost the good metabolites.
Advances in the field of microbiome research, and the related "gut health" wellness craze have spawned all kinds of new microbiome-based products, like over-the-counter probiotic supplements and at-home test kits. The Mayo Clinic defines probiotics as foods or supplements that contain live microorganisms intended to maintain or improve the "good" bacteria (normal microflora) in the body. Prebiotics are foods (typically high-fiber foods) that act as food for human microflora. Prebiotics are used with the intention of improving the balance of these microorganisms.
Probiotics from food may be effective for gut and mental health. Always try to “eat” your pro and prebiotics from food as illustrated in Figure 11.
Probiotic supplements may not be appropriate for everyone, particularly those who are immunocompromised due to heart transplantation. Consult with your healthcare team before taking supplements.
Be aware that certain foods, medications, supplements, and herbs may interact with other drugs or foods. Talk to your physician, pharmacist, or Registered Dietitian Nutritionist before you start taking any supplement to find out what supplements, if any, would be appropriate for your individual needs.
Aim to Get Probiotics and Prebiotics from Foods
Figure 11: Probiotics and Prebiotics from Foods
The Gut Microbiome May Influence Emotions
Perhaps you’ve heard of the gut-brain connection and that our gut is our second brain. What healthcare providers refer to as the gut-brain axis is the network of nerves that connect your brain and gut and send signals back and forth. Stress activates the major stress response systems that modulate the intestinal environment.
In today’s fast-paced world, it can be overwhelming to navigate self-care. By investing in yourself for a healthier future, and prioritizing a balanced and nourishing diet while making lifestyle adjustments, you can pave the way to a healthier life and reduce the burden of many preventable diseases or ease symptoms of any existing disease. Create healthy and sustainable habits for the long run. Self-care is not selfish!
Remember to laugh. Humor and laughter are powerful immune boosters and have positive benefits on emotional and physical health.
For most people, the first step to fostering healthier microbial metabolites is much simpler: Diversify your diet! Experiment with foods that you might not eat all the time, especially fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and beans. This is easy to do following the Mediterranean and DASH Diets.
Snake Oil or Solid Science?
Use caution when searching the internet to steer clear of false and misleading information. The term "snake oil" originally referred to a medicinal product made from the oil of Chinese water snakes, which was used in traditional medicine to treat pain and inflammation. Over time, it became associated with fraudulent products sold by charlatans, leading to the modern meaning of fraud and deception in marketing or scams.
In today’s onslaught of overwhelming information, it can be difficult to know who to trust. Before clicking on the next link, be aware that it may be possible it’s misleading information. Take a moment to pause before reacting and check the credibility of the source. Additionally, be aware of your emotional reactions, as misinformation often aims to provoke strong feelings. Trust but Verify! Wellness = Well-Informed.
There is a thin line between an approved claim and one that is false. Trust your gut – if it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely false – Snake Oil:
- If it states it’s a cure for more than one ailment
- It can treat or cure diseases
- It can treat or cure diseases
- It’s offered with limited availability
- It offers “personal” testimonials
- It promises no risk
You can confirm the information you find with healthcare professionals. In general, credible sources are the ones that can be considered unbiased and have some sort of evidence to rely on. Some credible sources of information have the following domain extensions:
- .org (a registered organization)
- .edu (an educational institution)
- .gov (a government agency)
Resources
LMNA Cardiac Diseases Network
Note: Mediterranean and DASH Diets can be found on the AHA, Mayo Clinic, NIH, Cleveland Clinic and American Nutrition and Dietetics’ websites
Living with LMNA
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Show Your Support
Every contribution, regardless of its amount, fuels crucial efforts in research, medical education, patient advocacy, and raising awareness about LMNA cardiac diseases.
You can make a difference in various ways: by committing as a regular monthly donor, offering a single donation, organizing fundraising events both online and in person, contributing to our special tribute funds, or through your unique fundraising initiatives!
DonateDonateYou can make a difference in various ways: by committing as a regular monthly donor, offering a single donation, organizing fundraising events both online and in person, contributing to our special tribute funds, or through your unique fundraising initiatives!