Limited sodium intake To prevent and reduce edema, a low salt, salt-free, or low sodium diet should be chosen according to the condition. Low salt: i.e. 2g of salt/day when cooking; salt contains 391mg/g of sodium, or equivalent to 10ml of soy sauce. 1 day of side dishes should contain less than 1500mg of sodium. No salt: that is, no salt and soy sauce are added when cooking, and the sodium content of main and side dishes in a whole day is less than 70/mg. Low sodium: In addition to cooking without adding salt and soy sauce, food containing less than 100 mg% of sodium should be used, and the sodium content of main and side dishes should be less than 500 mg for the whole day. The amount of salt should be increased appropriately to prevent hyponatremia syndrome in case of massive diuresis. Limited water intake Water retention in congestive heart failure is mainly secondary to natriuresis. While 7 g of sodium chloride is retained in the body, 1 liter of water must be retained to maintain the osmotic pressure balance in the body, so a strict limit of water intake is not necessary when adopting a low sodium diet. In fact, the intake of liquid can promote urination and reduce subcutaneous edema. Foreign scholars believe that while strictly limiting sodium intake, the daily intake of 2000-3000ml of water can increase the net excretion of sodium and water compared to the daily intake of 1500ml, but the net excretion of sodium and water cannot be increased when it exceeds 3000ml, considering this situation and the fact that excessive fluid intake can increase the circulatory burden, so domestic scholars advocate that for general patients Fluid intake is limited to 1000-1500 ml per day (2000-3000 ml in summer), but it should vary according to the condition and individual habits. For patients with severe heart failure, especially those with renal decompensation, because of the reduced drainage capacity, it is necessary to take a low-sodium diet with appropriate control of water intake, otherwise it may cause dilutional hyponatremia, which is one of the important causative factors for intractable heart failure. Once this occurs, it is advisable to control fluid intake to 500-1000 ml and to use pharmacological treatment. Potassium intake As mentioned earlier, imbalance of potassium balance is one of the most frequent electrolyte disorders in congestive heart failure. Potassium deficiency is most commonly encountered in the clinic and occurs mainly in inadequate intake (e.g. malnutrition, lack of appetite and malabsorption); additional losses (e.g. vomiting, diarrhea, malabsorption syndrome); renal losses (e.g. nephropathy, hyperadrenocorticism, metabolic alkalosis, diuretic therapy) and other conditions (e.g. parenteral nutrition, dialysis, etc.). Potassium deficiency can cause intestinal paralysis, severe cardiac arrhythmias, respiratory paralysis, etc., and can easily induce digitalis toxicity, with serious consequences. Therefore, patients treated with diuretics for a long time should be encouraged to consume more foods and fruits with high potassium content, such as bananas, oranges, dates, papayas, etc. If necessary, potassium should be supplemented. If necessary, potassium should be supplemented, or potassium excretion should be combined with potassium-protecting diuretics, or with diuretic herbs with high potassium content, such as money grass, clover, mucuna pruriens, summer grass, cow’s knee, cornus, fishy grass, poria, etc. On the other hand, when the excretion of potassium is lower than the intake, hyperkalemia can develop, which is seen in severe heart failure or with renal impairment and imprudent application of potassium-protective diuretics. Mild cases respond well to control of dietary potassium and sodium and to discontinuation of potassium-preserving diuretics, while moderate or severe hyperkalemia should be treated immediately with medication. Calories and protein should not be too high Generally speaking, there is no need to control protein intake too tightly, 1 gram per kilogram of body weight per day, 50 to 70 grams per day, but when heart failure is severe, it is advisable to reduce the protein supply to 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. The specific kinetic effects of protein may increase the additional energy requirements of the heart and increase the metabolic rate of the body, so it should be given varying degrees of control. Obesity is known to be detrimental to both circulation and respiration, especially when heart failure occurs, and is a more serious factor because it can cause elevation of the diaphragm, reduction of lung volume and changes in the position of the heart. In addition, obesity will increase the burden on the heart itself, so it is advisable to adopt a low-calorie diet to keep the patient’s net weight at normal or slightly below normal levels. Moreover, a low-calorie diet will reduce the body’s oxygen consumption, thus also reducing the workload of the heart. Carbohydrate intake Supply at (300g-350g)/day, as it is easy to digest, short residence time in the stomach and fast emptying, which can reduce the heart’s compression by gastric distension. It is advisable to choose foods containing starch and polysaccharides, and avoid excessive sucrose and sweet snacks, etc., to prevent flatulence, obesity and elevated triglycerides. Limited fat Obese people should pay attention to control the intake of fat, it is appropriate to (40 grams to 60 grams)/day. Because of the high caloric energy production of fat, is not conducive to digestion, stay in the stomach for a long time, making the stomach full and uncomfortable; too much fat can inhibit gastric acid secretion, affecting digestion; and may wrap around the heart, compression of the heart muscle; or too much fat in the abdomen so that the diaphragm rises, pressure on the heart feel stuffy and uncomfortable. Supplemental vitamins Patients with congestive heart failure generally have poor appetite, coupled with a low sodium diet lack of taste, so meals should be rich in multivitamins, such as fresh vegetables, green leafy vegetable juice, hawthorn, fresh dates, strawberries, bananas, oranges, etc. If necessary, oral supplemental vitamins B and C should be taken. Vitamin B1 deficiency can incur pedal heart disease and induce congestive heart failure of high blood volume type. Folic acid deficiency can cause cardiomegaly with congestive heart failure. Electrolyte balance One of the most common electrolyte disturbances in congestive heart failure is an imbalance in potassium balance. Hypokalemia can occur due to insufficient intake, increased loss or diuretic treatment, causing intestinal paralysis, cardiac arrhythmia, and inducing digitalis toxicity, etc. In this case, foods with high potassium content should be consumed, such as dried mushrooms, purple cabbage, water chestnuts, red dates, cilantro, parsley, spinach, amaranth, bananas and cereals. If hyperkalemia occurs due to reduced kidney function, foods with low potassium content should be chosen. Calcium is closely related to the contractility of the heart muscle. High calcium can cause extra-period contraction and ventricular ectopic contraction, and low calcium can make the myocardium less contractile, so maintaining the balance of calcium has positive significance in the treatment. Magnesium can help myocardial cells to release the toxic substances of the heart, can help maintain normal rhythm, in congestive heart failure can be due to insufficient intake, diuretics and other drugs leading to excessive excretion or malabsorption, can make magnesium concentration decrease, if not corrected in time, can further aggravate heart failure to induce digitalis toxicity. Increase the intake of magnesium is beneficial to the treatment.