Best Diet for Afibbers (or to Tame PVCs/PACs)?

My diet is - and has been - a train wreck for a long time. I pretty much eat like a teenager from the 80's - junk food, junk food, and more junk food. But here's the deal. I've tried eating healthy and clean for several weeks and nothing helped. Maybe I wasn't eating the right kind of health food. I don't know. It's as if my heart has a mind of its own. It does what it does regardless of what I eat.

And as odd as this may sound, when I switched back to eating like crap, my PVCs and PACs got better (at least for a while - but now they are back in full force).

I'm just curious...in general, what type of diet is best to tame PVCs and PACs? My afib seems to be under control right now thanks to my Natale ablation two years ago but I've swapped my afib with rampant PVCs and PACs. These buggers are as bad as afib at times. I swear the constant PVCs and PACs have me convinced I'm on the way to cardiomyopathy

I've heard the Paleo diet is good but I could never follow that diet. I need some general guidelines that I can realistically follow. For example, do I want to consume more proteins than complex carbs? If so, what should the percentage of my diet should be protein? Should I eat only a couple meals per day or several smaller meals/snacks throughout the day? Are there specific proteins or carbs I should try to avoid...or some that are better than others?

I'm not entirely convinced that diet plays a role in controlling afib or PVCs and PACs but I'm willing to give it a try as I'm getting desperate.

Travis

P.S. I have low blood pressure so my local cardio told me salt is my friend. He said given my excellent health and slightly low blood pressure, I can consume as much salt as I want.

Travis, many things could be causing the odd heartbeats, and diet is a major one. MSG in junk food comes to mind, but keep in mind sometimes it is the combination of triggers that brings on problems, your ablation is keeping you out of Afib and that is a plus. taking the right Magnesium and eliminating possible triggers might calm your heart.

Regarding dietary changes to better quality eating, I strongly advise not to judge its merits only over a few weeks of adoption. It is not like a pharmaceutical pill where often there is a quick 'take it and feel it' response.

Proper and successful long term adoption of healthy eating habits is based on a well vetted understanding of why you are making the changes and what that entails. And by giving a much longer time frame of compliance to the new way of eating not looking only for reduction of a specific symptom, but for a gradually improving overall sense of well being and even subtle signs of improved health over several months at least. The more profound changes will occur when moving from a largely junk food diet to much healthier eating, but just don't be too quick to judge it all a failure after a few weeks based on some PVCs still popping up periodically.

The mind can sabotage our efforts at better life style modifications too by assuming unrealistic targets or time frames with which we then subconsciously may look to 'prove' to ourselves that "see, it doesnt matter what I eat or do I'm still being tormented by 'X' issue" and then gladly falling back into bags of cheetos and sugary overload once again :-).

You will start to feel better over the first few months, and sometimes much sooner, on a well chosen and carefully followed common sense good eating program, but adopt a major change like this for the long haul and with the big picture in mind for why you are doing so. Not just with a make or break symptom relief target in mind to justify continuing better quality eating or retreating to highly processed 'foods' again.

Best wishes with finding what works best for you and stick with it!

Shannon

Travis - I'll address your last comment first as it is most disturbing - regarding your low blood pressure and your doctor's permission to consume as much salt as you like..... because salt dominates over potassium... and you absolutely must get the ratio of K to Na in the healthy range if you ever expect to manage PACs/PVCs or Afib, for that matter.

Make reading and understanding Conference Room 72 a top priority.
[www.afibbers.org]

And also the CR session on the CardyMeter
[www.afibbers.org]



Regarding your comments on food selections:

When bad dietary habits are long standing, it's well known that you can't make a few changes and expect a miracle transformation. As with so many things, it becomes a total commitment and the overall result is transformational.
The first step is recognizing that one's dietary intake is junk...so Congrats on that.

However, as Shannon notes, eating healthy for a couple weeks may offer a few noticeable improvements, but typically it's a much longer time span ( 3 - 6 months) and a total commitment not to relapse because often even one morsel of a culprit substance can undo everything. Along with dietary food selections based on quality - meaning organic when possible, whole foods and nothing processed, packaged, it's often necessary to do a detox program.

There is one underlying factor that often goes unnoticed when discussing dietary changes and that's assessing what damage has been done to the gut lining; as an example, Leaky Gut Syndrome. When that occurs, various food and chemical molecules get through the intestinal wall and into the blood stream where they cause adverse reactions.
Sometimes, those culprits are obvious, but often they are not and people don't improve with diet alone because the LGS has to be corrected first.

There are assessments to determine LGS, digestive inadequacies, Candida overgrowth and many other influences that work behind the scenes to sabotage one's good intentions to clean up one's diet. Lifestyle and environmental factors also come into play so it's a total concept and one that is well-documented by those who practice restorative or functional medicine since they understand that getting to the source or underlying factor is the first step toward healing and health.

This is just a snapshot response to the whole dietary focus for maintaining health and longevity... real food, no chemicals, pure water, gut health including high count probiotic use and targeted supplements to enhance what functional testing indicates underlies symptoms.

Best to you,
Jackie

I will just add that after changing my diet, eating much less processed foods, and not adding salt to my food, I noticed after a while that I was lacking salt.
After doing some experimenting I noticed that a glass of water with some sea salt, would stop my skips.
I also noticed that over the long term, my need for magnesium changed. Meaning that I seem to need less magnesium now than before. I also take potassium powder mixed in water. It seems to be a balancing act. Definitely if you cut out fast food you'll get much less salt.

You need to get the right salt, Celtic sea salt not the table salt you get in the supermarkets. My Holistic doctor always tells me I need more salt from my blood work. I don't eat processed foods so just about the only salt I get is what I put on my food. A modified Mediterranean diet----good protein, beans, lots of veggies and berries, fruit and Magnesium helps me a lot to keep palps away.

Liz

gmperf - yes... definitely, the body does need sodium....but nowhere near the amount typically consumed when eating fast food, processed food, junk foods, etc. and the ratio is extremely important.

Here are a few selected clips from CR 72 regarding the importance of the ratio of potassium to sodium that every afibber and former afibber needs to understand thoroughly and implement: (it's important to read the whole report)

Sodium (Na) and potassium (K) are critical nutrients, but today’s typical diet might supply 5 times the amount of Na,
and only 1/4th the amount of K that we evolved with. In our evolutionary past, the kidneys became configured to
optimize the body's cellular Na and K levels by conserving the sodium available and by discarding excessive
potassium. Our kidneys have essentially not changed since then, but the typical diet is now upside down, with disease-
causing consequences for all cells and systems.

Na/K pumps span the cell membrane, and generate the electrical voltage (potential) to charge the cell/battery by
continuously pumping ~3 Na+ ions out of the cell in exchange for ~2 K+ ions pumped in.[5, 6] In cardiac muscle a
'trans-membrane potential' of about 90 millivolts (mV) is generated (negative inside), which provides for the cell's
electrical requirements: voltage-gated ion channels, calcium pumps, etc. To attain this functional voltage requires the
intracellular K/Na ratio to be at least 20 to 1 [7], which in turn requires the dietary K/Na ratio to be at least 4 to 1.[1]

The kidneys ideally maintain serum K and Na at the levels they were evolved to maintain, but the high intracellular K/Na
ratio can not be attained if intracellular Na is too high (as Dr. Moore explains, above).

Na/K pumps are proteins, synthesized within the cells, each consisting of many hundreds of the 20 different amino
acids in chain-like linkage, assembled in accordance with nuclear DNA codes, then folded and configured for their
specific function. Code errors (genetic or by damage) or lack of required amino acids (genetic or dietary) can result in
dysfunctional Na/K pumps (channelopathies) possibly resulting in low cell voltage. Having sufficient cellular amino
acids available for protein synthesis is essential.[9] There are excellent computer-generated images of the Na/K pump
protein structure at the Protein Data Base website.[5]

Na/K pumps are powered by the energy molecule adenosine-triphosphate (ATP), which for function requires an
attached magnesium ion (Mg-ATP). ATP is synthesized from oxygen and food molecules in a process requiring
Coenzyme Q10, carnitine, magnesium, ribose, phosphate, and many co-factors . In body cells the continuous pumping
of K and Na consumes about 25% of the ATP produced, while in high energy-demand heart, brain, and neurons the
consumption is as much as 70%.[4]

Therefore, if ATP and magnesium are deficient, and if the intracellular ratio of K to Na is low, the cells' voltage will be low. Low cell voltage may express as abnormalities in cells and systems throughout, as in blood pressure, kidney function, electrically excitable tissues of the heart and brain.

In heart muscle cells the resting membrane potential (phase 4 of the cardiac cycle)[8] is the voltage of the cell while
resting before being excited to de-polarize (discharge) and contract. Low resting voltage can trigger AF, and can be an
explanation for the cyclical nature of paroxysmal AF.

From the web page Cardiac Action Potential: [10]
"Phase 0 is the rapid depolarization phase. The slope of phase 0 represents the maximum rate of depolarization of the
cell and is known as dV/dt max. This phase is due to the opening of the fast Na+ channels causing a rapid increase in
the membrane conductance to Na+ (GNa) and thus a rapid influx of Na+ ions (INa) into the cell - a Na+ current. The
ability of the cell to open the fast Na+ channels during phase 0 is related to the membrane potential at the moment of
excitation.

If the membrane potential is at its baseline (about -85 mV), all the fast Na+ channels are closed, and excitation will open them all, causing a large influx of Na + ions. If, however, the membrane potential is less negative [lower voltage], some of the fast Na+ channels will be in an inactivated state, insensitive to opening, thus causing a lesser response to excitation of the cell membrane and a lower Vmax. For this reason, if the resting membrane potential becomes too positive [lower voltage], the cell may not be excitable, and conduction through the heart may be delayed, increasing the risk for arrhythmias."

Reading through CR 72 and the reader responses offers an abundance of important, relevant information that afibbers must understand and apply.

Also this interview with Richard Moore, MD, PhD... author of The Salt Solution and The High Blood Pressure Solution gives a good historical account of the potassium-to-sodium ratio and function. This topic is also referenced as "The K Factor" by many.

Potassium - to - Sodium Ratio Affects Overall Health
Part 2: Imbalance Often Leads to Hypertension.
[www.drpasswater.com]

Jackie

Travis,

Could be very individual.

This way my approach to attacking the problem.

The Holter result after my first afib episode, 12 1/2 years ago, was an average of 24 PVC's and 2 PAC's hour. In the first two months after that episode, I could take my radial pulse and feel ectopic beats. If there were several in a minute before bed, it was a signal I'd likely have an episode. When I was trying to figure out my afib remission program (after a 2 1/2 month episode and converting that with flec), I got a Polar beat to beat recording heart rate monitor. I would sample daily while in meditation (minimizing artefact) to see if any changes (supplements, diet, exercise, lifestyle) would reduce/increase the ectopic beat count. This is how I came up with my magnesium, potassium & taurine program. That monitor would not "see" the malformed QRS waveform of a PVC, so those beats showed up being 2x as long as the surrounding beats. PAC's showed up as fast beats or a fast/slow combination.

Now, 12 1/2 years later, I rarely ever see PVC's on my current Polar setup - an H7 Bluetooth strap with an iPhone app that does beat to beat recording. If I want a closer look, I transfer the beat to beat data to my computer and pull it up in the Polar software.

Though I have a Kardia monitor, the Polar strap is more useful for longer (minutes, hours) recordings.

One of the things that prompted me to do a full court press on my diet/lifestyle was a study from Olmstead County MN (where the Mayo Clinic is located) that Hans reported on 10 or so years ago. This was something like a 30 year study comparing lone afibbers to normals. The afibbers actually lived slightly longer. Though healthier initially (likely because many probably came to afib via the chronic fitness path), as a group they progressed to metabolic illness as time went on. I was determined to stay metabolically healthy, hence my current diet, fasting, exercise & lifestyle program.

Prior to initiating this, I would notice what I would now characterize as night time hypoglycemia. This may have been a trigger for some/many of my early afib episodes that came on at 3 AM. I no longer experience this.

As to sodium, with very low fasting insulin (in the 1-2 mIU/Lrange), I look for ways to add sodium into my diet. I don't eat processed food, so without added sodium, my intake can be too low. When I fast for longer than my normal 22 hours/day, I usually add 1/2 tsp salt to a glass of water morning and evening.

George

@Jackie - thanks for the links to the resources!

@GeorgeN - thanks for the head's up on the monitor. I'm going to check out your Polar set up. Can you tell me what specific model you have? For the past week I've been EASILY averaging 25+ PACS and/or PVCs per MINUTE. Literally half of my beats are PACs or PVCs right now. This is what my heart has been doing literally around the clock the past week:

<normal beat> <PAC/PVC> <normal beat> <PAC/PVC> <normal beat> <PAC/PVC>, etc. etc.

It sucks!! I'd give my left arm to "only" have 24 in an hour. That would be like heaven to me. At this point I'm hoping these damn PACs and PVCs trigger my afib. At least then I could get back to the EP lab and get an ablation. Maybe then Natale could nuke some of these things.

So the only diet tip I got here was the Mediterranean diet. I'll look into that. This road isn't going to be easy for me. I feel like a smoker trying to quit smoking. I've been eating junk food since I was first walking and that isn't an exaggeration. We're talking 43+ years of junk food. Switching to ANY diet or healthy lifestyle is going to be an uphill battle for me

Travis

Travis - Reversing unhealthy eating habits can be a challenge but not impossible by any means. It's a mindset that needs support through understanding the detrimental effects that occur by daily sabotage. It's often a grim reality thinking about the fact that you, alone, are responsible for what goes into your body and that you control what can influence your health or 'unhealth.'

Eating styles vary depending on the plan...ie, Mediterranean, Paleo, Blood Type, Vegan, Vegetarian and so on, but ultimately, success starts with a mindset for a very strong commitment to learn and understand the principles of what your nutritional needs are and then what foods offer health benefits and which should be avoided...permanently. (and why).

It's not difficult to acknowledge what foods are considered, junk and therefore just empty calories that don't provide nutrition and do harm. The hard part can be eliminating them completely from your acceptable food list and sticking to that...no matter what... (because many foods are addictive). It boils down to motivation. You have to dig deep for that; but we are all capable of doing exactly that; especially, when faced with serious, potential health consequences that could be avoided or lessened significantly.

I hear you about the uphill battle. All too often, health ailments today are managed by offering a pill or a surgical procedure without addressing the core cause or root problem. So, while that type of intervention may eliminate the symptom, the underlying causative culprit remains and can easily find another target for manifestation which often is a more serious condition that may not be manageable with a pill or procedure. You are in the prime of your life and now is the time to make the changes that will affect your overall health for the rest of your life.

Send me a PM if you would like to explore some of the options.

My best to you,
Jackie

Excellent report, George. Congrats!

Your persistent discipline in de-training has undoubtedly resulted in lowering the resultant inflammation from excessive exercise and with time, has facilitated reversal of the cardiac fibrosis – “as advertised.” Since it worked so well in conquering the AF, you certainly should have the best possible chance to avoid the potential gene expression you are also working hard to manage.

Just a note of caution to new readers about adding 1/2 tsp. salt to water twice a day: While that works well for George and because he monitors various nutrient balances regularly, people with Afib and PACs/PVCs should be cautious about adding salt unless they know their potassium levels are optimal and have also reduced dietary sodium as George does with his special diet. Otherwise, adding salt (sodium) in the presence of low potassium can cause palpitations and bring on an AF event.

Jackie

Travis,

I started with a (now ancient) Polar S810 monitor (see: <[www.afibbers.org] <[www.afibbers.org] )

(By the way, the Conference Room link on this page <[www.afibbers.org] is broken - this is the broken link <[www.afibbers.org] The link on this page <[www.afibbers.org] works as <[www.afibbers.org] )

There is a dedicated Polar Watch that is an updated version. I'd need to look to figure out which model - very few actually do R to R recording, which is what you need.

I now use a Polar H7 bluetooth chest strap. I use the HRV Logger app on my iPhone <[itunes.apple.com] If I really want to examine the data, I export the data. This can be done through a free Dropbox account linked to the app.

Here are my instructions:

1. Sample HRV logger (in settings, make sure RR interval correction is disabled, also do not use iPhone settings to connect to Bluetooth strap, only the HRV logger button, farthest left, also make sure link to Dropbox is on in settings)
2. Stop & save recording
3. View saved file (press history
4. Export to Dropbox on iPhone (press history {center button}, select recording and then press icon above recording time - lower left - to export)
5. Open ....RR.csv file on PC out of Dropbox into Excel (an example attached)
6. Select and copy rr column, only the numbers, not the first row with rr in it.
7. Open the base.hrm file with a text editor (Notepad) (base file attached).
8. Paste the RR data after the last line, which is labeled [HRData].
9. Save the file as a text file with the HRM extension. I name including the date. You can change header info - I don't bother. You'll note in the screen prints, the file is read with a 2013 date. The file was recorded this morning.
10. Having installed the Polar Precision Performance SW, open the HRM file {File, Open HR File}
11. You can window by holding left mouse button down and dragging mouse. I find 5 minutes is a great window to examine for PVC/PAC's.
12. You can right click to zoom back.

Here is an example of the RR.csv file. In Excel, I pick the rr column. In this example the numbers are 1049, 1063, 671 & etc.

date, rr, since start
2017-01-22 04:31:23 +0000, 1049, 2098
2017-01-22 04:31:24 +0000, 1063, 3161
2017-01-22 04:31:25 +0000, 671, 3832
2017-01-22 04:31:25 +0000, 407, 4239
2017-01-22 04:31:26 +0000, 1054, 5293
2017-01-22 04:31:28 +0000, 1045, 6338
2017-01-22 04:31:29 +0000, 1037, 7375
2017-01-22 04:31:30 +0000, 1064, 8439
2017-01-22 04:31:31 +0000, 1061, 9500
2017-01-22 04:31:32 +0000, 1062, 10562
2017-01-22 04:31:33 +0000, 1037, 11599
2017-01-22 04:31:33 +0000, 341, 11940
2017-01-22 04:31:34 +0000, 707, 12647
2017-01-22 04:31:35 +0000, 1064, 13711
2017-01-22 04:31:36 +0000, 1086, 14797
2017-01-22 04:31:37 +0000, 1075, 15872
2017-01-22 04:31:38 +0000, 1071, 16943
2017-01-22 04:31:39 +0000, 1066, 18009
2017-01-22 04:31:40 +0000, 1090, 19099

I've created a text file I call Base.HRM

[Params]
Version=106
Monitor=37
SMode=000000000
Date=20131023
StartTime=17:00:56.0
Length=01:05:20.9
Interval=238
Upper1=0
Lower1=0
Upper2=0
Lower2=0
Upper3=0
Lower3=0
Timer1=00:00:00.0
Timer2=00:00:00.0
Timer3=00:00:00.0
ActiveLimit=0
MaxHR=160
RestHR=40
StartDelay=279
VO2max=50
Weight=64

[Note]


[Summary-123]
3920 0 3920 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 0 0 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 0 0 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 6101

[Summary-TH]
3920 0 3920 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 6101

[HRZones]
160
145
130
115
95
80
0
0
0
0
0

[SwapTimes]

[HRData]


I open this in a text editor and append the rr column after [HRData], then I save and rename, usually with a date in the name and anything else descriptive. The name will have a .hrm extension.

[Params]
Version=106
Monitor=37
SMode=000000000
Date=20131023
StartTime=17:00:56.0
Length=01:05:20.9
Interval=238
Upper1=0
Lower1=0
Upper2=0
Lower2=0
Upper3=0
Lower3=0
Timer1=00:00:00.0
Timer2=00:00:00.0
Timer3=00:00:00.0
ActiveLimit=0
MaxHR=160
RestHR=40
StartDelay=279
VO2max=50
Weight=64

[Note]


[Summary-123]
3920 0 3920 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 0 0 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 0 0 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 6101

[Summary-TH]
3920 0 3920 0 0 0
160 0 0 40
0 6101

[HRZones]
160
145
130
115
95
80
0
0
0
0
0

[SwapTimes]

[HRData]
1049
1063
671
407
1054
1045
1037
1064
1061
1062
1037
341
707

I've downloaded & installed the Polar Software on a Windows machine (or on the Windows side of my Mac) from here: <[www.polar.com]

I open the Polar Software and do

File
Open HR file

and choose the file I want to look at.

This seems complicated, but I can do it all very quickly.

The Polar Software is the best for displaying the data, hands down, in my opinion. You can window the data and look at detail.

I usually use a 10 or 20 minute window.

George

Travis,

We had our Natale ablations around the same time.....and wow, do I feel what you are saying.....I experienced the same thing in late 2015 and early 2016. I ended up taking my gallbladder out on 12/23/15 as a suspicion of the problem-----I'm not saying yours needs to come out!
I experienced the same frustration I hear in your post. While better today, I still get the regular but infrequent run of PAC's/PVC's that seem completely unexplainable. Back around the time of gallbladder removal, I kept a daily journal of every morsel that went between my lips....and chased many rabbits only to find that wasn't the solution. I still have not found the perfect solution.

I want to mention a couple of things that I didn't see in any of the posts on this thread as I hurriedly scanned through them. If you are taking in ANY caffeine, whether through coffee or soda or whatever, I suggest you give it up totally. I drink Rooibos tea as it grows naturally without caffeine and has a pleasant taste. I buy it from Amazon here: [www.amazon.com]. The second thing that I didn't see you mention that I truly believe affects me is over-exercising. I've had to accept that I simply can't work as hard at 54 as I did in younger years. It isn't that I'm not willing, I just think it isn't good for my heart.

When my post-ablation troubles began in Oct 2015, I had been really exerting myself with exercise, probably overdoing it after my 1/27/15 ablation. I find that even today if I exert myself for extended periods, especially with much straining in strength training, my heart rate remains elevated for a prolonged period after exercise has ended (hours) and I frequently have awful runs of PAC's/PVC's later during that day. It's almost like some circuits get activated by this strenuous activity........and they go into play later. I've had to learn to temper my exercise routine.......I do less continuous cardio......even though I still do it a couple or three times a week........but I've lowered the intensity and the duration. I've really lowered the intensity of strength training. It is an ego deflator.

It is really funny, having gone through this experience and paying close attention to my heart rate and individual beats over the last 3 years after initial afib diagnosis, sometimes, I can just feel that my heart is at peace with the world, without a care, just in perfect rhythm and at the right pace. Other times, it may still be in rhythm, but I can feel that it is stressed, with hard thumping beats, and sometimes the PAC's/PVC's abound.

Lately I've more regularly been taking a mixture of of magnesium citrate via Natural Calm brand, combined with taurine and potassium---every morning after rising. I don't usually take it any other time during the day unless I'm having an ectopic event. Has it helped? I think so, but again, I've also lessened my exercise, so does it really? I don't think it hurts me to take it so I'll continue.

Ah, a third thing comes to mind---STRESS. Stress definitely plays a role for me......I've had them pop up immediately as stressful events pop up---so I know that is a trigger for me. I don't have a magic treatment to deal with stress........I just handle it as best I can. Jackie has recommended Theanine........I took it for a while but I can't say it does or does not work.

Eating healthy as all of the other wonderful contributors have said is a certain plus........heck, you know it is better for you........but alas, I'm a victim of my lack of willpower too.......I've had a little chocolate and a few potato chips today........just being honest! I know I'd be better off cold turkey without it........and you would be too.

Good luck in your fight, my friend. I'm just trying to hold off ablation #2 as long as I can. I hope you can win this battle without the addition burns anytime soon........but if you must, you must do whatever it takes in pursuit of feeling better.

Ah, of note---------as I recently attended one day of the Afib Symposium in Orlando----one presenter showed a slide during his talk about risk factor modifications. I'll post it verbatim here as I took a picture with my phone. "How important is losing 35 pounds? 1.) 47% of A-fib patients went into remission..." Later during his presentation, the same expert showed a slide with "Optimal BMI was 21-25". I'm not sure how your weight is (my recollection is that you are NOT overweight at all), but if that is a factor, I would encourage you to lose it. Again, at 6'1" and 203 pounds, I need to lose about 20 pounds to get to that magic BMI level myself.

Best wishes, Travis!

Your friend,
Ken
KLS5834

Travis, thank you for your questions about percentage of proteins, carbs, and even fats one should eat. No one has addressed these questions. I am also wondering the same thing. Does anyone have some thoughts on this?

As far as diet is concerned, this is the area in which I have managed my afib. I had an ablation in Oct. of 2015 and have not had afib yet or PACs or PVCs. Hopefully, it remains so. But, I watched my diet very carefully. I eat organic, gluten free foods, and no processed foods (only gluten free choc mint cookies which I have a hard time resisting). I make sure that I eat 4700 mg of potassium each day and I try to keep my K/Na ratio as 4 to 1. I do supplement with 800 mg of mag. and I only supplement with potassium if I can't get 4700 mg from food. I use cron-o-meter to track my electrolytes. I can tell when I haven't eaten 4700 mg of potassium. My heart gets irritated. So, I eat a potassium enriched food or supplement. I basically eat Paleo but not as much protein.. I have been able to stop my beta blocker due to diet. Also, I need to make sure I don't get stressed out.

So what foods do I eat? I eat avocados, beet greens, broccoli, swiss chard, spinach, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, celery, salmon, beets, a salad every day, zucchini, portabella mushrooms, etc. There are many more foods with potassium. I eat veggies at every meal. Lately, I haven't eaten dairy due to mucus formation, and I haven't eaten grains even though some grains are gluten free such as buckwheat and quinoa. I try to drink the recommended amt. of water which I need to improve on.

But I do wonder what percentage of protein, carbs, and fats should one eat. I test my glucose every day and so far it is okay. The one thing that I do need to watch is the TSH level for my thyroid. Thus, I cook my greens as opposed to eating them raw.

Remember, we are an experiment of one. What may work for me, may not work for you. As far as diet is concerned, you have to be committed. At this point, I am very committed because I don't want to get afib again. Only the future will tell if diet is a key factor for me.

Good Luck,
Marsh

Hi Marsh - It's a logical question to ask, what's the best diet... or eating plan. Truth is, there are basic fundamentals that can be offered but much depends on the individual's uniqueness which would include heritage and genetics. What works for one, may be totally wrong or inadequate for another.

Fortunately, today, there are dietary specialists educated to do the proper testing to evaluate the current nutritional status of one's body and screen for markers that indicate a health issue or a potential health issue....much like screening for diabetes, but much more comprehensive. Based on those results, a customized eating plan along with an initial cleansing and detoxing program typically gets one started on eating right and choosing the best foods for that individual. Certified Clinical Nutritionists do that as well as physicians who have done extra education and become certified by The Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM) and similar groups.

Read more about the founder of IFM, Jeffrey Bland, PhD here and then check out this piece by Mark Hyman, MD, on the pitfalls of following the old Food Pyramid for eating.

[www.functionalmedicine.org]
[drhyman.com]

Also, take some time to read many of GeorgeN's post on his diet based on his DNA genetic testing... one was 23andMe.

Of course, there are some general guidelines for healthy diets that we know and should observe such as eat whole, fresh foods, preferably organic, avoid GMO's, limit sugar, limit salt, avoid canned, packaged, processed foods and if you do eat them (sparingly) read labels for toxic chemicals such as aspartame, MSG, high sodium counts, avoid soft drinks with sugar, avoid "diet" anything, avoid municipal water chemicals including chlorine and fluoride plus all the other hidden elements that go undetected or under-reported, avoid BPA plastics for food containers and wraps.... and on and on.
For afibbers, avoiding alcohol is advised.

But, I know you were asking for example... how much protein intake is considered good or adequate? Carbs? Fat? Fiber, etc.

And once again, each practitioner will have general guidelines based on a person's specific needs which are based on nutritional lab assessments and most FM practitioners have a specific plan they prefer.

Ron Rosedale, MD is the expert on insulin resistance...
[drrosedale.com]

Mark Hyman, MD.
[drhyman.com]
[drhyman.com]

Just two of many. I'm gathering this in a hurry... it's far from comprehensive...

Diets can start by "eating clean" but everyone really needs the appropriate Metabolic Profile Testing to determine where your body needs help.

Examples:
[www.gdx.net]
[www.gdx.net]
[www.gdx.net]
[labtestsonline.org]

Jackie