Foods
A cystic fibrosis patient should be paying attention to what they eat just as much as they pay attention to their medication. A healthy diet is important for everyone to have, but what is considered healthy for somebody with CF is considered to be extremely unhealthy for anybody else. People with cystic fibrosis are prone to infections, so they need foods that will stave off infection. They have to eat many foods with high fat content and a large amount of calories, and there are foods that contain nutrients that actually speed up recovery, like zinc. All of the foods listed need to be incorporated into the diet of somebody with cystic fibrosis, otherwise there could be risks to their health. Here are some of the staples in the cystic fibrosis diet.
1. Butter – If this is used to prepare food, on sandwiches, or anywhere else you can put it, it is great for a cystic fibrosis diet. Butter has two main benefits. Since a decent amount of sodium is lost (which causes salty tasting skin), butter can provide some of the sodium that the body needs. Also, patients need to have high fat, high calorie foods in their diet. Adding butter to a food is a much easier way to get the needed fat than eating more.
2. Cheese – This is another great way to get a higher amount of fat without eating more. Instead of eating two sandwiches, just adding a few more slices of cheese can give you a similar effect. Also, cheese is a good source of calcium. Having calcium in a cystic fibrosis diet will help if the sufferer’s bones are getting weak, and calcium is good for the body in general.
3. Cheeseburgers and french fries – This is an especially popular food choice for people with cystic fibrosis, the reason being that it has several things that a patient needs to eat all in one meal. The meat, cheese, and french fries all have sodium, fat, and calories. On their own, the meat has protein and the cheese has calcium as well. This is definitely one of the more frequently chosen meals by cystic fibrosis patients.
4. Pastries – These delicious treats also have a few of the things that people with CF need. There is definitely a great deal of fat and cream provides calcium.
5. Pizza – A dream for most kids, CF patients are able to eat pizza whenever they choose. There is the cheese of course, and also many meats can be placed as toppings as well.
What many people consider a culinary dream is the reality of those with cystic fibrosis. The only problem is, they are forced to eat these things. There is no such thing as a light meal in their world. They need fat in their diets to replace the fat being used by the body for energy, since CF affects the pancreas and enough insulin is not created.