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It's easy to get answers about health and nutrition! Just send your question by email to [email protected] and Dr. Harlan will respond to selected questions of general interest. Answers will be posted in the Ask Dr. Gourmet newsletter (sign up now!) and archived in the Ask Dr. Gourmet section of the website.

Please note that the Ask Dr. Gourmet feature is restricted to questions regarding food and nutrition. Due to the many questions we receive, not all questions may be answered. For more specific questions about your individual health, please contact your doctor. About Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP, CCMS | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy


 

Ask Dr. Gourmet

Type 2 diabetes, congestive heart failure, and weight loss

My husband has type 2 diabetes as well as congestive heart failure. He is 67.5 years old , is 5'7" and weighs 313 lbs. Is there a place where I can get recipes that deal with all three issues?

Dr. Gourmet Says...

two senior citizens sitting in a porch swing looking at a laptop computer

It is well established that a Mediterranean style diet can help control diabetes. Likewise, this can help lower cholesterol, raise HDL (good) cholesterol, lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and lower blood pressure. For our patients with congestive heart failure (CHF) we generally want them to be on a low sodium diet as well, which limits the patient to 1,500 milligrams per day of sodium.

Check with your husband's physician regarding the number of calories he should be eating along with the amount of sodium. You can then use this link to understand what a healthy diet is and how to make this part of your lives:

http://www.drgourmet.com/eatinghealthy/index.shtml

Thanks for writing,

Timothy S. Harlan, MD, FACP
Dr. Gourmet