You're already received some very sound advice... While I can't suggest any cookbooks, I can offer some of the tips I've learned since hubby had his heart attack and strokes ( high blood pressure and high cholesterol )... First things first... If he's unable to go back to work you are going to be under a LOT of stress... Try to finds ways to cope... You won't be much help to him if you get sick too... (ask me how I know) What I found to be the most valuable was keeping track of every thing he ate for a week or two... Every slice of bread, every sip of pop, everything... I made up a chart and kept track of the sodium and fats... ( I used a booklet called Nutritive Value of Foods from the U.S. Publishing Office that I picked up years ago. ) It wasn't all that hard, since he's home all the time, and I found out that I was actually keeping him below his limits ( had him down to 500 mg of sodium and 15 to 20 g of fat a day, way too low for a man )... Check with your hubby's doctor or a good nutritionist to find out his limits... After you find out his limits and total up what he eats you'll be able to cook healthy for him... Try not to refer to it as a diet.... It's best if you think about it as healthy eating, cutting back on the bad stuff and increasing the good stuff... Cut back to 3 or 4 oz, total, of meat a day and double up on veggies & fruits... If he has favorite foods that he says he can't live without, that are bad for him, just limit the amounts or how often he has them... Totally eliminating something will only make him want it more and create more problems, mainly resentment and anger towards you. Keep plenty of fruits on hand for snacking, cut it up if you have to... Within a few weeks he'll head for the fruit instead of looking for the chips... Fruit juice, with all its calories, is better than pop or coffee ( a lot of caffeine is bad for heart patients ).... Only buy frozen or canned veggies without any added salt... My hubby will only eat canned and I was lucky enough to find a Save-A-Lot store that carries them, for a lot less than the regular chain stores and the quality is just as good or better... Hunt's sells a lot of tomato products without salt, including ketchup... Herb-Ox Low Sodium beef bullion is passable but the chicken is lacking... Read the labels of everything you buy, twice... Read it the first time to check the fat and sodium content then read it again for the serving size, low fat - low salt isn't necessarily so... Take the cooking sprays for example, a serving is a 3 SECOND blast, by the time you say it you're already over the 3 second limit... ( I dab a paper towel with canola oil and wipe the pans with that )... Healthy breads aren't all that healthy for heart patients, the mushy white stuff only has 135 mg of sodium per slice and I've seen 'healthy' bread with as much as 450 mg per slice... You have to really read the labels! You can 'fry' healthy with water... I buy pork loins and beef roasts, trim off the fat and grind it up for patties and 'fry' them with a bit of water... Cover the meat, let the steam do its thing and cook a bit more with the cover off to brown... For 'fried' potatoes I parboil them in the microwave then brown in a frying pan with 2 teaspoons of canola... You have to keep turning or flipping them so they brown evenly but most of the time they look like real fried potatoes... French fries don't work as well... I stay away from prepared foods, as much as possible, because of the fats and sodium... But making everything from scratch can truly be a huge pain, especially when things go wrong from lack of salt or are too dry because you've cut the fats too much... Look for recipes that don't call for much of either ( there's 2,132 mg of sodium in 1 teaspoon of salt, it doesn't matter which kind.. watch out for baking soda, baking powder, MSG, soy sauce, anything that has sodium in the word )... Some times you can substitute apple sauce for some of the fats but don't try removing all of it... MAKE SURE HE TAKES HIS ALL HIS MEDICATIONS! If all your efforts fail to get him on the right track ask him if he'd like to have another heart attack or perhaps a stroke and become totally depend on you for all his daily needs. Rita Above all cultivate your sense of humor, you'll need it to get you through the tough times.

I would like to add a vote for the South Beach Diet. I've lost 14 lbs and hubby has lost much more. (of course) This must be an unsettling time for you, I'm sorry your pain. Now you have this major adjustment, not fun at all. The good news is, this board is visited by many helpful and friendly people. I don't post often, but I thought I could help. This blog, www.kalynskitchen.com, is a great resource for low glycemic (won't mess with your blood sugar) recipes! One of my favorites: White Bean and Artichoke Dip with Whole Wheat Tortilla Chips (Makes about 2 cups of dip, recipe from Cooking New American.) 6-8 whole wheat flour tortillas (can also use pita bread) olive oil for brushing on tortillas (I used a mister) salt for sprinkling on tortillas (I used Vege-Sal) 1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans 1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts (I used artichoke bottoms which have hearts only, no leaves) 1 small clove garlic, chopped (about one tsp. chopped garlic) 2 T fresh lemon juice 2 T extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling on top 3 T freshly grated parmesan cheese 1 tsp. finely chopped fresh rosemary (I used frozen rosemary, if you only have dried rosemary be sure it's completely crushed) salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste sweet paprika, for garnish Preheat broiler and get out a large cookie sheet for toasting tortilla chips. Brush or spray each flour tortilla with olive oil, then cut into triangles. Arrange in single layer on cookie sheet and toast under the broiler, about 3-4 minutes per side. Watch them carefully, because they get too dark rather quickly. Chips will seem soft when you take them out of the oven, but they harden and crisp as they cool. Drain beans into colander and rinse well, until no foam remains. Let drain at least 5 minutes. Drain artichokes. In food processor, combine beans, artichokes, garlic, and lemon juice and blend until fairly smooth. Keep food processor motor running and add the olive oil in a stream. Add parmesan, and finely chopped fresh rosemary and pulse about 10 times to blend. Season dip to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper. Place dip in a serving bowl, sprinkle with a small amount of paprika and drizzle over a small amount of olive. Arrange tortilla chips around bowl and serve. This printable recipe from KalynsKitchen.com. Another favorite website is skinnytaste.com. Chicken Piccata Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes 2 (16 oz total) chicken cutlet halves, all fat trimmed freshly ground black pepper 2 large egg whites 2/3 cup seasoned whole wheat dry bread crumbs olive oil spray (about 1 tbsp worth) 1 tbs light butter juice of 1 lemon, lemon halves reserved 1/4 cup dry white wine 1/2 cup fat free chicken broth 1 tbsp capers Sliced lemon, for serving Chopped fresh parsley leaves, for serving Cut chicken into 4 cutlets, then place cutlets between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap and pound out to 1/4-inch thick. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In a shallow plate, beat the egg whites and 1 teaspoon of water together. Place the bread crumbs in another plate. Dip each chicken breast first in the egg, then bread crumbs. Heat a large saute pan over medium to medium-low heat. Spray a generous amount of olive oil spray on one side of the chicken, and lay it in the pan, oil side down. Spray the top of the chicken generously to coat and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Set aside until you make the sauce. For the sauce, clean the saute pan. Over medium heat, melt butter, add the lemon juice, wine, chicken broth and the reserved lemon halves, salt, and pepper. Boil over high heat until reduced in half, about 2 minutes. Discard the lemon halves, add the capers and serve one chicken cutlet on each plate. Spoon on the sauce and serve with a slice of lemon and a sprinkling of fresh parsley. I truly hope you are able to turn this around and get your heart healthy. Sissy

There are quite a few members here who are concerned with creating heart healthy meals for either themselves or loved ones. Shambo comes to mind. She has a blog which you will find very informative. I watch the sodium in our meals, too. I used to cook for a heart patient. I focus on adding herbs, vinegars, lemon juice, and wine (not for a diabetic probably) for flavor punches that make you forget there is no salt. The good thing about adopting a low sodium diet is that in a short time the palate adjusts and anything with salt will taste unpleasantly salty. Cooking methods like grilling and broiling add flavor without salt or fat. I use cooking sprays or a tiny bit of olive oil for all my pan cooking. For ease the Mrs. Dash selection of herb mixes are very good. My 16 year old is salt conscious and loves them. We use the tomato/basil/garlic and the table blends all the time. Here is a link that might be useful: Don't pass the salt! Shambo's blog.

I hope you're feeling better! I don't know if this book is still available, but "Live Longer and Better" is a good resource for not only recipes but also for making good lifestyle choices. It was put out by the editors of Consumer Guide. My copy is 1994, I don't know if it's been updated, but if not check used book resources- it should be cheap. The South Beach diet is good for you too, as long as you stick to mostly fish and veggie meals. Too much cholesterol from meats, even lean meats, will not help your heart. I also have "Protein Power" by Eades and Eades which has many good recipes. It also has information about how your diet affects your health. The only other thing I would suggest is to ask your doctor about an exercise program if you don't already exercise regularly. Happy healing!