Nutrition and COPD: What You Need to Know (Part 1)

Posted on: March 25th, 2015 by BrevardBlogger No Comments
Learn more about the connection between nutrition and living with COPD.

Learn more about the connection between nutrition and living with COPD.

Nutrition and COPD: What You Need to Know (Part 1)

 

Often, when we consider nutritional choices, we weigh outcomes like our overall health, our weight, and our waistline. But did you know that for those living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, nutritional choices can actually affect their breathing efficiency and comfort?

 

Food fuels our bodies, similarly to how gasoline fuels our cars, and so the food that we choose directly impacts the energy that we have and the way that we feel. In this two-part blog post, Brevard Medical Equipment explores the connection between nutrition and COPD.

 

Simply put, the food that we eat and the oxygen that we inhale are converted into energy and waste products (such as carbon dioxide) during a process called metabolization. That energy is used for all of our activities – walking, talking, sleeping, and breathing.

 

For those living with COPD, breathing requires more energy than it does for a person living without the condition. In fact, for those individuals, the muscles used in breathing can require 10 times the number of calories to do their jobs! It seems obvious, then, that for people living with COPD, food choices are incredibly important.

 

In addition to giving you the energy you need, good food choices can help you maintain a healthy body weight. If you are living with COPD, being overweight can require your heart and lungs to work harder, which, in turn, makes breathing more difficult. In contrast, being underweight can open the door to fatigue, weakness, and lowered immune response. Talk with your doctor to determine your ideal weight and to decide how many calories you should be consuming each day to maintain that weight.

 

Stayed tuned for part two of our blog post, where we’ll share some specific suggestions for foods to include and avoid in your diet, along with some nutritional tips that you might never have heard! Brevard Medical Equipment cares about your health, and we’re excited to share this information with you. And, as always, if we can be of any assistance, don’t hesitate to give our medical equipment experts a call at 321-453-3370!

 

 

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