2. โ Your body needs food as fuel to perform all activities,
including breathing.
โ The right mix of nutrients in your body can help you
breathe easier.
โ Good nutrition helps the body fight infections.
โ Breathing requires more energy for people with COPD
o A person with COPD may burn up to 10 times
more calories during breathing than a healthy
person.
Why is Nutrition Important?
3. โ Metabolism: the process of changing food to fuel in
the body
o Food and oxygen are changed into energy and
carbon dioxide
o Carbon dioxide is a waste product and is exhaled
โ You use energy for ALL activities - from sleeping to
exercise
Food + Oxygen Energy + Carbon
How Does Food Relate to Breathing?
4. โ Maintain a healthy body weight
โ A registered dietician can tell you
โ What your โgoalโ weight should be
โ How many calories you should
consume per day.
Nutritional Guidelines
5. โ Overweight: heart and lungs have to work
harder, makes breathing more difficult
o exercise regularly, limit total daily calories
โ Underweight: May feel weak and tired, more
likely to get an infection
o Must consume enough calories to produce
energy to prevent weakening of the
diaphragm and other respiratory muscles.
Nutritional Guidelines
6. โ Monitor your weight: if you have an unexplained
weight gain or loss (2lbs/day or 5lbs/week), notify
your doctor
o diuretics (fluid pills) may make you lose weight
๏ง May need to take potassium supplement (ask
your doctor)
๏ง Foods high in potassium: bananas, oranges,
potatoes, tomatoes, asparagus
o steroids may make you gain weight
Other Nutritional Guidelines
7. โ Drink plenty of fluids: 6-8 eight-ounce glasses per day of non caffeinated beverages to keep mucus thin and
easier to cough up.
Note: If you have a heart problem such as CHF as well
as COPD, follow doctorsโ guidelines for limiting
fluids.
8. โ Make sure you are getting enough calcium
and vitamin D
โ take supplements if necessary
โ Wear your nasal cannula while eating if
continuous oxygen is prescribed
โ Eating and digestion require energy, your
body will need the oxygen
9. โ Avoid overeating or foods that cause gas or
bloating
โ Might make breathing difficult
โ Foods that cause gas include:
โ carbonated beverages
โ fried, greasy, heavily spiced foods
โ apples, avocados, and melons
โ beans, broccoli, brussel
sprouts,cabbage
10. โ Include high fiber foods: vegetables, fruit,
cooked dried beans, pasta, rice
โ moves food along the digestive tract
โ helps control glucose levels
โ Can reduce cholesterol levels
โ Goal - consume 20-35 grams per day
11. Control the sodium (salt) in your diet
โ Consuming too much causes the body to
retain too much water, which causes
breathing to be difficult
โ Helpful hints to limit daily salt intake
โ remove salt shaker from table, use herbs
or no salt spices to flavor foods, donโt
add salts to food when cooking, avoid
foods with > 300mg sodium/serving
12. โ Dyspnea (shortness of breath) and cough
interfere with adequate dietary intake.
โ Fatigue interferes with buying and preparing
foods.
โ Chronic mouth breathing alters the taste of food.
โ Headaches and mental status changes occur
because of excess levels of carbon dioxide in the
blood.
Reasons for Poor Nutrition
With Lung Disease
13.
14. โ Drink milk instead of low-calorie beverages.
โ Talk to your doctor or dietician about supplementing
meals with a nutritional supplement such as ensure
or boost. Supplements help increase calories and
provides nutrients to your body.
โ Avoid low-fat or low-calorie products.
o Examples of high calorie snacks: ice cream,
cookies, pudding, cheese, granola bars, crackers
with peanut butter, eggs, fruit or vegetables with
dip, popcorn with butter
Tips for Gaining Weight
15. โ Clear your airways one hour prior to eating
โ Eat slowly. Take small bites. Breathe deeply while chewing.
โ Choose foods that are easy to chew.
โ Instead of eating 3 large meals, try eating 5-6 small meals.
This will keep your stomach from filling up too much so
your lungs have more room to expand.
โ Drink liquids at the end of your meal. Drinking during a meal
might make you feel bloated.
โ Eat while sitting up to relieve the pressure on your abdomen.
Tips to Overcome
Shortness of Breath While Eating
16. โ Choose foods that are easy to prepare. If you
use all of your energy to cook, you wonโt
have enough left to eat.
โ Rest just before eating.
โ Eat largest meal with higher calorie intake
early in the morning.
โ Avoid non nutritious beverages (coffee, tea,
sodas)
Tips for Improving Your Appetite & Diet
17. โ Eat more protein and fat, less simple sugars.
โ Walk or other light activity to stimulate
appetite.
โ Keep food visible and within reach.
โ Choose high-protein, high-calorie snacks
โ Limit alcohol consumption: might slow
down your breathing and make it difficult to
cough up mucus.
Tips for Improving Your Appetite & Diet
18. It is very important
to choose foods
from each food
group to ensure that
you are receiving
all the nutrients that
you need.
20. โ The things you eat can affect the way you breathe.
โ Itโs important to maintain a healthy body weight.
โ Pay attention to how many calories you consume per day.
โ Avoid overeating.
โ Avoid foods and beverages that cause gas or bloating.
โ Include high-fiber foods in your daily diet.
โ Limit sodium (salt) intake.
โ Use nutritional supplements as recommended.
โ Choose foods from each food group when planning your
daily meals to ensure you are receiving the appropriate
nutrients.
Conclusion
21. โ Advance Healthcare Network for Respiratory Care
and Sleep Medicine
โ The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
โ American Lung Association
โ The Cleveland Clinic
โ COPD Foundation
โ United States Department of Agriculture:
ChooseMyPlate.gov
References