Improve Your Nutrition for Better COPD Management

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Improve Your Nutrition for Better COPD Management

• Carol Braunschweig, PhD, RD

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Food is fuel

• Used for metabolism which changes food and oxygen
  into energy and carbon dioxide
• Energy is used for all of your activities
• sleeping to exercise

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Food provides nutrients

• Carbohydrates, Fat and Protein determine how much
  energy you will have and how much carbon dioxide
  is produced
• Carbon dioxide is a waste product that leaves
  your body via your breathing
• When there is too much
• carbon dioxide in your body
• you feel weak

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Breathing with COPD

• Requires more energy
• Muscles involved may need up to 10 times more
  calories in people with COPD than in those
  without

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Good Nutrition

• Helps fight infections
• Chest infections happen more often in people with
  COPD
• They can lead to hospitalizations
• Good nutrition can reduce your risk of infections

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Establish your goal weight

• Being either overweight or underweight is not
  good if you have COPD
• If you are over weight you work harder to breathe
• If you are underweight you may get more lung
  infections and/or you may feel
• weak and tired.

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Monitor your weight

• Weigh yourself once or twice/week
• If you are taking diuretics or steroids you
  should weigh yourself daily because your weight
  may fluctuate
• If you gain or lose more than 2 lbs in one day or
  5 lbs in a week contact your doctor

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Fluid intake

• Fluids help to keep mucus thin and easier to
  cough up
• Drink 6-8 glasses of non-caffeinated
  beverages/day
• Limit caffeine (coffee, tea, cola, Mt Dew,
  chocolate) as it may interfere with some of your
  medicines

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Fiber

• Fiber is the indigestible part of plant food
• It helps move food though your GI tract, helps
  control blood glucose and keep cholesterol levels
  at goal levels
• Fiber rich foods include
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Cooked dried peas and beans
• Whole-grain foods
• Bran
• Whole grain pasta

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Fiber

• The goal is to consume 20-35 gm of fiber/day
• Example of how to eat this much fiber in 1 day
• 1 C all-bran cereal (18 gm)
• Sandwich with 2 slices whole grain bread ( 4 gm)
  and a medium apple (4 gm)
• 1 C peas at dinner (8 gm)

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Salt

• Eating too much salt causes the body to hold on
  to too much water which can cause breathing to be
  more difficult
• Remove the salt shaker from your table
• Use herbs to flavor your food
• Dont add salt to food when cooking
• Read food labels
• Avoid foods that have gt 300 mg sodium/serving

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Oxygen

• If you use a cannula for continuous oxygen where
  it while you eat
• Eating and digestion require energy so you will
  need the oxygen

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Foods that cause bloating/gas

• A full or bloated stomach might make breathing
  uncomfortable
• Avoid foods that cause gas or bloating
• Carbonated beverages
• Fried, greasy or spicy foods
• brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, corn,
  cucumbers, leeks,

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Potassium

• Be sure to get enough if you take a diuretic that
  causes you to lose potassium
• Oranges
• Bananas,
• Potatoes
• Asparagus
• tomatoes

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Short of breath after eating?

• Clear your airways at least one hr before eating
• Eat slower, take small bites and chew slowly
• Breath deeply while chewing
• Put your utensils down between bites
• Choose easy to chew foods
• Eat 5-6 small meals/day
• Drink liquids at the end of the meals
• Eat sitting up
• Use pursed lip breathing

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Eat a variety of foods
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Too tired to eat later in the day?

• Chose easy to prepare foods
• Ask friends/family to help with meal preparations
• Check out Meals on Wheels
• Freeze extra portions of what you cook today and
  save for a tired day
• Rest before eating
• Try eating your main meal early in the day

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No appetite?

• Avoid non-nutritious beverages (coffee/tea)
• Eat more protein and fat and less simple sugars
• Eat small frequent meals
• Walk or do some light activity to stimulate your
  appetite
• Keep food visible and within easy reach

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No appetite?

• Drink beverages after the meal
• Plan meals to include your favorite foods
• Eat the high-calorie foods first

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Snacks

• Eat snacks that have high protein and high
  calories
• Keep snacks visible

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How to gain weight

• Drink a high calorie drink
• Avoid low fat or low calorie products
• Use whole milk, cheese and yogurt
• High calorie snacks
• Ice cream
• Cookies
• Pudding
• Cheese and crackers/peanut butter and crackers
• Granola bars
• Custard
• Nachos with cheese
• Bread sticks with cheese sauce

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Some high calorie snacks

• Super shake
• 1 C whole milk
• 1 C ice cream
• 1 pkg Carnation instant breakfast
• Pour into a blender and mix well (55o Calories)

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Peanut butter shake

• ½ C heavy whipping cream
• 3 TBL peanut butter
• 3 TBL chocolate syrup
• 1 ½ C chocolate ice cream
• Pour all ingredients into a blender nad mix well
  (1090 calories)

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Great Grape Slush

• 2 grape juice bars
• ½ C grape juice
• 2 TBL corn syrup
• 1 TBl corn oil
• Pour all ingredients into a blender and mix well

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Other calorie boosters

• Non-fat powdered milk
• Add to creamed soups, yogurt, scrambled eggs,
  pudding, mashed potatoes, custard, hot cereal
• Cream cheese or shredded, melted, sliced, cubed
  or grated cheese
• Add to sandwiches, snacks, casseroles, crackers,
  eggs , soup, toast, pasta, potatoes, rice or
  vegetables

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Other calorie boosters

• Nut dust
• Add to pudding, gravy, mashed potatoes, salads,
  yogurt
• Mayonnaise, butter, margarine or sour cream
• Add to sandwiches, bread, casseroles, soups,
  eggs, cooked cereals, pasta, potatoes, rice,
  vegetables, pudding

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Questions?