What to eat for better breathing health

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a complex symptom, usually manifesting itself with symptoms like increased breathlessness, frequent coughing, wheezing and tightness in the chest.

While eating right might not exactly get rid of COPD, it will help to improve symptoms of the disease and may even contribute to better treatment outcomes. Some tips to consider are:

Maintain a healthy weight: If you are underweight, whether before contracting COPD or even as a result of the symptoms, you could feel much worse and your risk of contracting other infections is higher. You may also feel weaker because having COPD means you need extra energy for breathing.

You might, therefore, need to up your calorie intake to cater for your increased needs. Indulge in nutritious high calorie snacks like fruit salads with yogurt, avocado and egg sandwiches and nuts. On the other hand, being overweight or obese with COPD will also worsen your symptoms. This is because having extra weight places more demand on your heart and lungs, making breathing more difficult. Work on a healthy way to lose the extra kilos and watch yourself start to feel better.

Limit salt intake: Too much salt causes fluid retention in the body which increases breathlessness. Eating foods rich in potassium like bananas and oranges helps to balance out fluid retention.

Eat a variety of foods: Eating variety of foods can help you achieve a balanced diet and nourish you with the essential nutrients needed for a healthy body. Include all food groups by using guides such as the food pyramid and the plating model.