If you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, you might put effort into each breath you take. COPD, which includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis, creates special nutritional needs. What you eat can affect your breathing, so choose foods that help you to breathe easier. Consult your physician or a registered dietitian regarding your diet.
The Right Mix of Nutrients
Carbohydrates, protein and fat are the major sources of energy in your diet, but each one requires a different amount of oxygen to digest and produces a different amount of carbon dioxide, a waste product that's emitted when you exhale. Carbohydrate metabolism produces the most carbon dioxide while fat produces the least, and a diet that's lower in carbohydrates and higher in fat helps some people with COPD to breathe easier.
Avoid harmful saturated fats and trans fats, and eat healthy, energy-rich monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive and canola oils, avocados, nuts, and soft margarine and mayonnaise that contain oils from plants.
Eat Energy- and Nutrient-Dense Foods
Maintaining your weight can be difficult because breathing burns 10 times as many calories if you have COPD. Getting all the nutrients you need can be a problem, too, if your appetite is poor or you're just too tired to eat enough. If so, eat healthy, nutrient-dense, high-calorie foods. Increase the calories in foods by adding healthy fats, like olive oil and soft margarine, to vegetables and breads, and by adding peanut butter to apples, celery, bananas and milkshakes. If you're concerned about meeting your calorie and nutrition needs with your diet, consult your physician about adding a liquid nutritional supplement.
Get Plenty of Protein
It's important to get enough protein in your diet to help keep your respiratory muscles strong if you have COPD. Eat protein foods, such as nuts, milk, eggs, cheese, poultry, meat and fish, a minimum of twice per day. You can boost protein by adding an egg before cooking macaroni and cheese or meat loaf, and by adding nonfat dried milk or undiluted evaporated milk to hot cereals, soups, casseroles, yogurt, pudding, scrambled eggs or gravies.
Stay Hydrated
Staying well-hydrated keeps the mucus in your lungs thinner and easier to expectorate. Have six to eight 8 oz. glasses of of non-carbonated, caffeine-free beverages spread throughout the day. If weight loss is problematic, drink liquids that provide calories and nutrients, such as skim milk. Drink fluids between meals if drinking with a meal fills you up too quickly.
Other Considerations
Eat smaller and more frequent meals if you have COPD. A large meal can make it harder to breathe because a full stomach puts pressure on your diaphragm, the muscular membrane that moves downward to allow your lungs to fill with air. Avoid gas-producing foods, such as beans, carbonated beverages, cabbage and broccoli, which also can leave your stomach feeling too full. Conserve your energy with foods that are easy to prepare. Make breakfast your largest meal if you're too tired to eat later in the day.
