Heart Care Center

Healthy Hearts Dining Program

Charlotte Regional Medical Center has partnered with area restaurants to offer heart-healthy food items and heart-healthy alternatives on their menus as part of Charlotte Regional’s exciting new Healthy Hearts Dining Program.

“The purpose of the program is to help our patients, as well as members of our community, adhere to dietary guidelines and restrictions set forth by physicians,” said Elise Gowan, RD LD/N, clinical dietitian. “We offer free dietary classes to the community, teaching them how to prepare heart-healthy dinners at home. However, people are often confused or don’t know the right questions to ask at a restaurant when trying to determine if a menu item is truly heart healthy for them.” 

Since Punta Gorda is blessed with so many wonderfully enticing restaurant choices, Gowan felt it was important to work with the restaurants so heart health conscious consumers have menu items available to order. Heart-healthy menu choices at area restaurants will have those menu items highlighted with Charlotte Regional’s special Healthy Hearts Dining Program symbol. Currently, restaurants participating in the Healthy Hearts Dining Program are: Lulu’s; Phil’s 41; Portofino; River City Grill; Trattoria Limoncello; and Village Fish Market. 

The four requirements to participation in the program are that the restaurant offers soft margarine or olive oil in addition to butter for breads/rolls; offers a liquid nondairy creamer in addition to half and half for coffee; offer vinegar and oil or a homemade vinaigrette dressing for salads; and that foods are fried in a liquid vegetable oil, such as canola or soybean. 

Restaurants can then expand upon these parameters by preparing menu items prepared in a heart healthy fashion (i.e. broiled or baked fish and poultry items without additional high-fat sauces, Eggbeater omelets, etc.).  “Many area restaurants already offer heart healthy menu items,” said Gowan. “The Healthy Hearts Dining Program makes these items easily identifiable when ordering food.” Like everything the hospital does, it is trying to make healthy eating extra easy, extra great, and extra focused on the community’s needs. 

Charlotte Regional dietitians oversaw the heart-healthy menu item selection process and worked with each of the participating restaurant’s Chefs to ensure that heart-healthy guidelines were met. “We are overjoyed that area restaurants are making heart healthy eating a priority and a reality for our cardiac patients and our community members,” said Gowan. “Now residents can all enjoy dining outside the home, knowing area restaurants hold their health as a priority.”  

We look forward to keeping Healthy Hearts throughout Charlotte County! For more information on the Healthy Hearts Dining Program, or if you are a restaurant wanting to participate, contact Charlotte Regional’s Nutritional Services Department at (941) 637-2453.

Heart to Heart

The Heart to Heart program at Peace River Regional is supported by a unique group of volunteers who have had open-heart surgery themselves or are the spouse of an open-heart surgery patient. The Heart to Heart volunteers provide emotional support and education to cardiac patients and their families during hospitalization and after discharge.

Symptoms of Chest Pain

Are you having chest pain?

If so, let someone know immediately.

Did you know heart attacks have beginnings?

These “beginnings” occur in over 50% of patients. Most importantly, if recognized in time, these “beginnings” can be treated before the heart is damaged! The early symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Anxiety
• Back pain
• Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
• Fatigue
• Feeling of fullness
• Jaw pain
• Nausea
• Pain that travels down one or both arms
• Shortness of breath

Also, people may experience mild chest symptoms, such as pressure, burning, aching, or tightness. These symptoms may come and go until finally becoming constant and severe. Call 911, don't wait more than 5 minutes!

Did you know?

85% of heart damage occurs within the first two hours of a heart attack. Know the subtle danger signs of a heart attack and act upon them immediately - before heart damage occurs!

Alarming statistics

• Heart disease caused approximately 1 of every 6 deaths in the United States in 2006.
• In 2011, an estimated 785,000 Americans will have a first-time heart attack, and an estimated 470,000 will have a repeat heart attack.
• Every 25 seconds, an American will have a coronary event, and every minute, someone will die of one.

By working together, we can change these sobering statistics!