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What you eat and drink is very important if you have CHF. Here’s some smart advice for eating right.

Hold the Sodium
If you have CHF, you need to watch your sodium, or salt, intake. Too much sodium can make your body retain fluids, which increases the workload on your heart.

The American Heart Association suggests that you limit your sodium intake to less than 2,400 milligrams a day (about one teaspoon of salt), or whatever your doctor recommends. Here are some ways to help you stay within your limit:

• Read food labels. Avoid foods that have more than 400 milligrams of sodium per serving.
• Remove the salt shaker from the table and spice cabinet. Don’t add salt to foods during or after cooking. Use herbs or lemon juice, instead.
• Pass on luncheon meat, hot dogs, cheese, pickles, and salty snacks such as nuts, chips, or pretzels (unsalted, low-fat varieties are OK). And avoid most processed foods, such as frozen dinners, which are often laden with salt.
• Drain and rinse canned vegetables to remove some of the salt. Better yet, use fresh or frozen vegetables.
• Watch out for salty condiments, such as salad dressings, steak sauce, soy sauce, chili sauce, and Worcestershire sauce.
• When you go out to eat, avoid cuisine that relies on fried foods or salty sauces.

Be Careful with Fluids
Many people with heart failure need to limit how much they drink each day. That’s because too much fluid can dangerously increase the heart’s workload.

Your doctor may suggest that you limit fluids to 64 ounces, or about eight glasses, a day. Fluids include beverages as well as foods such as soup, ice cream, and pudding.
Here are some ways to stay within the guidelines your doctor recommends:

• Label a few glasses so you know how much fluid they hold. To do this, fill a glass full of water. Then pour the water back into a measuring cup to determine the amount. Write the measurement on a piece of tape and attach it to the glass.
• When you get thirsty, try sucking on sugarless hard candy.
• Avoid coffee, tea, colas, or other caffeinated drinks. Caffeine is a stimulant that can put more stress on the heart.
• Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol can reduce the heart’s ability to pump. Experts recommend no more than one glass of beer or wine, or one ounce of liquor, two or three times a week. Some people, such as those who have heart muscle damage caused by alcohol, should not have any alcohol at all. Ask your doctor what’s right for you.

Other Eating Tips
Besides avoiding salt, experts say CHF patients should limit their intake of fat and cholesterol. Reading labels can help you make sure to keep your cholesterol intake below 300 milligrams a day, and your intake of total fat below 65 grams. This includes 20 grams or less of saturated fat.

If you want help planning meals, your doctor may refer you to a dietitian for advice.