How Nutrition Can Help You Better Manage a Chronic Illness

Nutrition and chronic illness

You can’t control all your risk factors for chronic illness. For instance, your family history can make you predisposed to some of the same conditions as your parents. But what you eat also matters when it comes to the following conditions:

Diabetes. Diabetes impacts your body’s ability to turn the food you eat into the energy it needs. Diabetes is associated with an increased risk of kidney disease, heart disease, and stroke. If not managed properly, it can also affect your nerves, skin, eyes, and blood vessels, and it can lead to blindness, kidney failure, and more. Diet and exercise are crucial to managing this condition.

High cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy substance in the blood that your body needs to perform some of its functions. Too much cholesterol can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Making small changes to your diet may lower your cholesterol. You can reduce the amount of trans fats and saturated fats in your diet by skipping things like butter or lard, red meat, and fried foods. Instead, opt for “good fats” such as olive oil, nuts, and avocados, and increase your fiber intake with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

High blood pressure. If blood pressure is too high, it places you at increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Untreated high blood pressure can also lead to congestive heart failure, kidney disease, and more. Unfortunately, high blood pressure has no symptoms before it causes serious complications, so it’s important to pay attention to your blood pressure reading when you go to the doctor. Salt, or sodium, can increase your blood pressure. It’s important to read food labels to see how much you’re eating in a day. The American Heart Association recommends you limit your sodium intake to 1,500–2,000 milligrams a day.

Heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Eating a healthy diet combined with exercise, no smoking, and drinking alcohol only in moderation can all help to reduce your risk for heart disease.

Building a balanced meal

When planning meals, try to follow the “MyPlate” guidelines. Each of your meals should consist of:

50% fruits and vegetables: Eat a rainbow and mix up your intake of fruits and vegetables

25% protein: These foods include meats, poultry, fish, legumes, and eggs

25% fiber-rich carbohydrates: These foods include whole grain breads, rice, and pasta

Don’t forget the dairy! Your body needs dairy products in the form of low-fat milks, cheeses, yogurts, equal to about 3 cups per day for adults. For those who have an allergy, look for lactose-free options

Nine tips to balance your diet

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Buying frozen is a great way to save money while still getting all the nutritional value.

Eat more fish, especially those that contain a fat known as Omega-3, such as salmon or tuna.

Reduce your intake of red meat and pork and focus on poultry, seafood, and plant-based proteins such as beans, legumes, and tofu.

Avoid foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats. Skip fried foods and opt for low-fat yogurt or cheese.

Avoid processed meats such as bacon, deli meats, and hot dogs.

Eat foods rich in fiber, such as oatmeal, beans, seeds, berries, nuts, broccoli, and avocado.

Cook at home instead of eating fast food for a healthier meal.

For more nutrients and fiber, choose whole-grain bread or pasta rather than white.

Drink lots of water. It keeps your body hydrated and helps you to feel full.

Read the labels

Sometimes food makers will use alternative names for less healthy ingredients like salt, sugar, or fat.

Salt: baking soda, sodium, nitrates, nitrites, monosodium glutamate

Fat: butter, carob, coconut oil, palm oil, tallow, hydrogenated oils, lard, margarine, milk solids, monoglycerides, shortening, trans fats, vegetable fat, cream, ghee

Sugar: brown sugar, cane sugar, concentrated fruit juice, corn syrup, dextrose, treacle, fructose, glucose, golden syrup, honey, lactose, malt, malt extract, maltose, isomaltose, maltodextrin, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose

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