What nutrients and foods should you include when planning a diet for a type two diabetic 75-year-old suffering from COPD and congestive heart failure, who is also a picky eater?
Setting a suitable diet for people with specific health issues might be a little complicated. Based on these health issues you’ve mentioned, you need to be very cautious in choosing foods and materials that are beneficial and not harmful for diabetes and COPD.
First of all, before taking any actions and changing any item of your diet, consult with your physician. The most crucial matter about COPD is to prevent infection.
Healthy nutrition is what can effectively help you. By healthy, I mean a comprehensive diet that can provide all of the nutrients for the body. Since people with COPD have to drink more fluid, consider fitting healthy beverages into their diet. Try to find the recipe for non-caffeinated and sugar-free drinks. Caffeine may interfere with some COPD medicines, and sugar is harmful to people with diabetes.
It is recommended to avoid using foods that cause or intensify bloating, such as greasy and heavily spiced foods, some fruits and beans, and condiments. Gassy foods make breathing even more challenging for people with COPD.
It’s essential to divide your daily meals into 5 or 6 parts a day. Try to eat smaller portions in 5 meals instead of three heavy meals. Smaller pieces digest quickly, prevent hypoglycemia, and provide more space for the lungs to expand effortlessly for breathing.
Consider more high-fiber foods in your diet. Fiber improves blood glucose levels, makes sugar digesting much slower, and lowers cholesterol levels.
Vegetables, fruits, beans, and nuts are high-fiber foods you can add to your diet. Omega 3 fatty acids can help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes development up to 50 percent. People with type 2 diabetes need to eat fish at least two times a week to provide the required omega 3. Warning! Do not use fish oil capsules without the physician’s permission. Don’t forget about antioxidants nutrients. Studies show that the number of antioxidants decreases because of type 2 diabetes. So it would help if you raised it to a standard level by using high antioxidants foods or fruits with vitamin C, E, and beta-carotene. Antioxidants reduce the side effects and symptoms caused by type 2 diabetes.