Healthy Eating Tips for People with COPD - Article Health

Nutrition and COPD
Eating a healthy, balanced diet is important, because being overweight or underweight can make breathing problems worse. Here’s advice for home cooks and those who eat on the go.

Weight loss
Although weight loss sounds like a good thing, it’s not—if you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. This lung condition, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, can cause severe weight and muscle loss. About one in four people with COPD are too thin.

Eat more protein
"In the end stages of COPD, preventing weight loss is a major issue," says Christine Gerbstadt, MD, RD, a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. "The work of breathing takes so many calories."

Olive oil
Try tossing a salad in olive oil instead of just having plain steamed veggies, or marinating meats in an olive-oil-based vinaigrette.

Green Beans With Citrus Vinaigrette
Try this recipe: Green Beans With Citrus Vinaigrette

Enjoy eggs
Eggs are full of healthy nutrients and don't take much prep work, a plus for COPD patients, who often don't have the energy to prepare elaborate meals. The protein in eggs can be very helpful in adding bulk to a COPD patient’s diet.

Pick lean meat
"You need some protein, so pick lean meats, because the fat in meat would be more saturated and higher in cholesterol," says Dr. Gerbstadt. "Marinate a nice lean cut of meat in a vinaigrette and make a London broil or a stir-fry, where you’re adding healthy fat [by cooking in oil] and not using the animal fat."

Consume more nuts
"Nuts [are] a really nice, concentrated source of healthy fats, and they really boost up calories," says Dr. Gerbstadt. They are also packed with antioxidants, which have lots of heart-healthy benefits and fight inflammation. Try spreading peanut butter on toast or bagels, tossing nuts into salads or stir-fries, or even just eating them by the handful.


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