“I can also do all of my own housework, cook, iron, drive my car and do my own grocery shopping,” says Shrode, who was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 2005.
She credits her reinvigorated lifestyle to good medical care, better nutrition and regular exercise. “Eating a healthy diet keeps my immune system up so I don’t get sick with pneumonia and end up back on oxygen,” she says.
COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is a disease in which the lungs are damaged, making it difficult to breathe. It affects an estimated 30 million Americans—mostly middle-aged or older—and is the fourth-leading cause of death in the United States. Smoking is the No. 1 risk factor for the condition. Shrode smoked for 53 years, quitting when she was 69.
While there is no cure, good nutrition, exercise and medication can help slow the progression of the debilitating disease, which can render patients literally breathless. What’s more, studies suggest that good nutrition may help prevent the disease.
Nourish your body
“The best medical evidence points to the fact that nutrition plays a role in preventing and managing COPD,” says Dr. E. Neil Schachter, director of the respiratory care department at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City and author of the book Life and Breath: Preventing, Treating and Reversing Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
“People on healthy diets have less of a tendency to develop lung disease with or without smoking,” Schachter says. “Diets that are rich in foods that contain antioxidant vitamins (such as vitamins C, E and A) may protect you against COPD and help you better manage the disease if you already have it.”
While people with COPD should take a multivitamin every day, the real benefits come from vitamin-rich foods such as vegetables and fruits—not from supplements. In addition to providing vitamins and minerals, a healthy diet likely offers multiple benefits that combine to help protect the lungs, Schachter explains.
The skinny on calories
“People with COPD have a 10-fold increase in their caloric need for breathing,” says Dr. Samuel A. Allen, a pulmonologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Mich. Put another way: Healthy people burn about 36 to 70 calories each day by breathing, while people with COPD burn about 360 to 700 calories.
“Because they don’t feel well, they don’t eat well,” Allen adds. As a result of the excess calorie expenditure and poor diet, many people with lung disease may become significantly underweight.
It’s not always what you eat, but how you eat and when you eat, that matters, Allen says. “Underweight people with COPD should eat small, frequent, nutrient-dense meals.” Aim for five to six easy-to-prepare meals each day. Eggs, peanut butter and even healthful frozen meals are good choices, he adds, because many people with a smoking-related lung disease are too short of breath to prepare anything other than very simple meals. Other nutritious, calorie-dense choices include whole milk, full-fat cheeses, eggs, turkey, chicken, fish, hamburger and nuts.
People who are overweight and have COPD can benefit from smaller, frequent meals that are lower in calories and fat. They should avoid high-calorie beverages, nuts and ready-made or processed foods. “Overweight people with COPD have to work even harder to breathe,” Schachter says. “They also are at greater risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke due to the excess weight.”
Carbs and fat
Some people with the condition benefit from reducing the amount of carbohydrates and increasing the amount of fat in their diets. “When you eat a high-carb food like a bowl of white pasta, rice or potatoes, and certain fruits, it’s broken down to carbon dioxide and water,” Schachter explains. People with COPD may have trouble expelling the carbon dioxide from their lungs; as a result, breathing can become even more labored.
Fat produces the least amount of carbon dioxide. However, Allen advises overweight patients to limit fats as well as carbohydrates in their diet.
If you have COPD, talk to your doctor or a dietitian specializing in lung diseases for help in developing a meal plan that fits into your lifestyle. It’s not that difficult to eat healthfully when you have COPD—and it can be delicious.
“My doctor helped me learn how to eat well for my condition,” Shrode says, “and I could not be more thankful.”
Managing at Mealtime
Because people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have trouble breathing, preparing and eating meals can be physically tiring.
“In addition to getting short of breath, people with COPD fill up easier than they used to because it takes that much more energy to breathe and function, so they get tired and full faster,” says Carrie Gleeksman, a dietitian at National Jewish Health in Denver who specializes in lung diseases.
Here are some tips for making mealtime easier.
Relax. Rest before meals. During meals, eat slowly, take small bites and chew thoroughly. Breathe deeply during meals. Use oxygen if you need it. Having an oxygen tube in the nose should not affect a person’s ability to eat.
Don’t overeat. Eat five or six small meals throughout the day rather than two or three large meals. This will keep your stomach from becoming overly full, which can make breathing uncomfortable.
Avoid gas-producing foods. Foods that tend to create gas can cause abdominal bloating and make breathing more difficult. Steer clear of carbonated beverages, beans, lentils, cabbage, fried or greasy foods, and other gas-producing foods.
Ask for help. “Take up neighbors, friends or family members on their offers to cook meals like casseroles,” Gleeksman says. “These can be frozen in individual portions so they are easy to reheat and eat. This decreases the energy you have to spend preparing food.”
