This month at the COPD Foundation we’re talking about exercise, physical fitness, pulmonary rehab, and nutrition. There’s a lot we can talk about relating to nutrition and COPD, but today we’re going to focus on aspects of nutrition that may directly affect your physical movement and your ability to exercise. At the end of this blog post you will find links to more information on nutrition.
Always consult your doctor or a registered dietician (RD) before making changes to what you eat.
Food as fuel
To fuel your body for movement, eat a well-balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates, fruits, vegetables, and yes—even fats. Eat lean meats, whole grains rather than white bread and rice, and healthy fats such as olive oil. Eat foods with a variety of bright or deep colors such as broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes.
Making the most of your diaphragm
Your diaphragm is a large sheet of muscle that lies just below your lungs. It is there to do most of the work of breathing. When resting, your diaphragm is in a dome shape. When you breathe, it pulls down on the bottoms of your lungs, letting air flow into your lungs.
Over-inflated lungs, often the case in COPD, can make the diaphragm flatter, keeping it from doing the work it should. Also, a flattened diaphragm may press down on your stomach. Over-inflated lungs and a flattened diaphragm are most often not repairable, but there are three things related to nutrition that you can control to keep your diaphragm working as well as possible. These are to avoid: being overweight, having a stomach that is too full, and eating foods that cause gas and bloating.
Overweight
If you have COPD and are overweight, losing weight can help reduce shortness of breath by decreasing pressure on your diaphragm. Losing weight can also ease stress on your joints, especially your knees.
Overeating
A stomach that is too full after a big meal pushes up and compresses the lungs. Eating frequent, small meals—up to six per day—will take up less room in your stomach and help you feel more comfortable.
Foods that cause gas and bloating
Eating foods that cause gas and bloating can push up on your diaphragm and make it hard to breathe. Also, this can be uncomfortable, even painful, and cause you to not feel well and skip exercise. If you’re not sure which foods may be causing you gas and bloating, pay attention to what you eat. If you find that a food affects you in this way, avoid that food and see if you begin to feel better. Some foods that may cause gas and bloating are carbonated beverages, fried and greasy foods, beans, and cabbage.
Maintaining muscle
If you have COPD and weigh less than you should, you might be using up more calories than you’re taking in. A person with normal, healthy lungs requires about 50 calories per day to breathe. Individuals with COPD may expend up to 750 calories per day on breathing alone! This makes it difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
When you don’t have any fat, your body starts to burn muscle, including your diaphragm, your main muscle of breathing. If you are underweight, eat foods that are higher in calories but don’t take up a lot of room in your stomach. Some of these foods are granola, avocado, olive oil, peanut butter, and whole milk.
Swelling in legs and feet
Having COPD can put stress on your heart, causing it to not pump as well as it should. This can sometimes lead to edema, or swelling, in your legs and feet. Eating foods that are high in sodium, or salt, can make edema worse in a short time. Watch the sodium content in the foods you eat so you can stay up, and on your feet as much as you are able.
How does nutrition fit into your ability to exercise and stay fit? What works for you? What doesn’t? Let’s talk! I look forward to hearing from you!
Follow these links for more information:
Nutrition for Someone with COPD | COPD Foundation
COPD Foundation Educational Materials (Click on Guides for Better Living, then Nutrition and COPD)
Nutrition: Do you know if these are myths or facts? (copdfoundation.org)