If you or a loved one has COPD, you may not know that there is correlation between what you eat and how you feel. In fact, eating a healthy diet can make a person with COPD feel better, gain vital energy needed for breathing, and fight chest infections. Follow these tips for healthy eating and breathing:
Don’t skip the most important meal of the day – breakfast! For a person with COPD, breathing burns ten times more calories than it does for a person without COPD, so starting your day off with a healthy breakfast can give you the calories and nutrients you’ll need for the day.
Add cheese! Adding cheese to your meals increases nutrients and calcium. Calcium is critical for COPD patients whose bones may be made brittle by certain medications.
Increase potassium. COPD patients on diuretics may require more potassium. Try oranges, bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes to get the healthy potassium you need.
Drink plenty of fluids, but hold the caffeine. Fluids help keep mucus in the airways thin and easier to clear. But, caffeine can interfere with some medicines and may cause restlessness, so stick to non-caffeinated beverages.
Avoid gas-inducing foods. Foods that cause gas and bloating can make it harder to breathe. Common culprits include carbonated beverages, fried foods, beans, etc.
Eating healthy is important for everyone, but can particularly increase the health and quality of life for COPD patients. At Aunt Ann’s Home Care, we can work with you and your family to create and implement a healthy dietary plan. For more information, contact Aunt Ann’s in San Francisco (415) 974-3530 or the Peninsula (650) 757-2000.
