When you or a loved one suffers from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), you want to do everything you can to ease the symptoms.
Inhalers, steroids, and other medications, as well as oxygen therapy, are all potential treatments for these diseases, but there are other things you can adjust to better your life with COPD, including making your diet healthier.
When you suffer from COPD or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, the constant lack of airflow into your lungs usually manifests itself in the lack of energy and chronic illness.
To help reduce the symptoms of COPD and increase your quality of life, you may want to eat a diet that is rich in superfoods. Superfoods are nutrient-rich foods beneficial for optimal health and well-being. Consider the following items the next time you go to the grocery store.
Could your diet affect your risk for lung disease? A new study from the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Villejuif, France would suggest it does.
COPD, or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease encompasses several chronic lung diseases such as bronchitis, asthma, and emphysema. These ailments often lead to blocked air passages and restricted oxygen flow; making breathing cumbersome and painful. According to the American Lung Association, COPD is the third leading cause of death in America. So how can you lower your risk of developing COPD?
Patients living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have to monitor their health closely in concert with their pulmonologists and other health providers. For some patients, low body weight is a problem. Known medically as cachexia, a severely low body mass index (BMI) can exacerbate COPD systems and lead to further health problems, such as anemia and digestive issues. It is important for such patients to get a quality, high-calorie diet.
Calories are the food energy the body uses for everyday functions. Everything from walking to simply breathing burns calories. There are four basic sources of calories: alcohol, carbohydrates, fat, and protein.
Many chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients also suffer from muscle wasting, known as atrophy. While exercise is the best way to conserve muscle mass, it’s critical that patients get enough of the basic muscle building blocks in their diet. After all, you can’t build something from nothing.
The minimum daily protein intake should be 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. For a 150 pound person, this equals about 102 gram of protein a day. Of course, medical providers may use a different formula depending on individual cases, and their advice should always be followed.
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with COPD, your doctor may have suggested that you try to eat a healthier diet. You might have been referred to a registered dietitian, who can help you create a meal plan that will serve you best. Of course, you’ll still need to take your medications as prescribed, as changing your diet won’t cure your COPD. However, healthy eating will give you more energy, improve your immune system and much more.
It’s worth it to change your diet if it helps you feel better all around. Some foods are ideal for people with COPD. Below are some snacks ideas, and easy, healthy meals for people with lung disease.
If you are diagnosed with COPD, your doctor might have suggestions for simple diet changes to help keep your body stronger and well-nourished. Having COPD means your body burns more calories than it did before, which explains why many people with COPD lose much weight without having done anything differently. This is because their bodies have to work harder to breathe and to get oxygen and nutrients throughout the body.
Eating more calories doesn’t mean you have to eat a bunch of junk food all the time. Your body also needs plenty of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and antioxidants, which will help your body function better and strengthen your immune system.
People with COPD burn more calories each day than people without COPD. It’s recommended that you should try to take in around 3,000 calories a day (a healthy person needs 2,000 or less), if you have COPD and are underweight. The muscles you use to breathe with have to work harder when you have COPD. That means you burn a lot more calories. This also means you’ll feel tired quicker, and if you don’t take in enough calories, you won’t have enough energy for anything, let alone breathing.
You will also tend to feel fuller sooner, because your lungs have been damaged and expanded, taking up more room in your abdomen. This is why it’s recommended that people with COPD have six “mini meals” instead of 3 large meals a day. This will prevent you from getting tired while trying to eat a large meal.
Here are 10 healthy foods for people living with COPD.
No matter who you are or how healthy you are, we could all be a little more health conscious, especially in terms of the foods we eat. During this time of year, we tend to eat a lot, and eat a lot of the things that we shouldn’t. If you have COPD, you should always strive to eat healthier to fuel your body and help keep your immune system, lungs, heart, and brain function in tip-top-shape.
If you have any say in how Thanksgiving Dinner is made this year, here are some healthy, and delicious alternatives to the usual Thanksgiving dinner menu. These alternatives are different from what you might be used to, but they definitely don’t lack in flavor. Your body will thank you later because of the added vitamins and nutrients.
One problem many people with COPD encounter is fatigue and low amounts of energy. Walking around your home can even be enough to make you want to sit down and take a break, also if you feel as if you are breathing fine. This is because your body is working harder to make sure you are getting enough oxygen throughout. Your lungs are working harder to take in enough air to get the oxygen to your bloodstream, which takes a considerable amount of energy, aka calories.
Those with COPD need to be sure they are getting the proper calories and nutrients on a daily basis since people with COPD use 10 times more calories than someone with healthy lungs. This doesn’t mean you can eat high calorie, unhealthy foods – you still need to eat healthy to prevent other problems, like heart attacks or type 2 diabetes.
Maintaining your energy level is important because without energy you won’t be able to do the things that will help keep you healthy, like getting an adequate amount of physical activity. Your body can’t fight off illnesses without energy, either.
