Introduction

People with lung disease often have symptoms that can interfere with their ability or desire to eat regular healthy meals. Some of these symptoms are shortness of breath, fatigue and depression. Unfortunately, when the body’s nutritional needs are not met, the symptoms of lung disease can worsen. And this adds to the difficulty of having good eating habits.

The information in this chapter will help you understand how lung disease can interfere with good nutrition. It will also provide you with helpful tips for diet changes. These changes can improve your level of energy, your ability to do physical activities and your overall health. These suggestions should serve as general guidelines for individuals with moderate to severe lung disease. They are not intended to replace the specific advice you may get from your health care providers.

In this chapter, you will learn about:

• Nutritional recommendations for fighting fatigue
• Meal planning tips for saving energy and reducing shortness of breath
• How to break the vicious cycle of unplanned weight loss
• The importance of vitamins and minerals in relation to lung disease
• What you need to know about potential food-drug interactions