Six Primary Rules for Heathy Eating
Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods to supply all the goodness (nutrients) needed by the body. Healthy eating is important for everyone, but especially for HIV positive people. Healthy eating can help you to be strong, to fight sickness and to stay a healthy weight. These steps should be followed as soon as you learn that you have an infectious disease. Healthy eating can help to keep you well for a long time. 1. MAKE STARCHY FOODS THE BASIS OF MOST MEALS
For most of us this is nothing new, eat porridge, bread or rice with each meal. Eat at least three meals a day, with different foods served with the starchy food.
2. EAT PLENTY OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS EVERYDAY
These foods are important for everyone, as they provide nutrients to keep the immune system strong and help prevent and fight infections. Try to eat at least five–a–day, and choose different colours to get different nutrients.
3.CHICKEN, FISH, MILK, MEAT OR EGGS MAY BE EATEN EVERYDAY
These foods contain nutrients to help build muscle, bones and blood and to keep the immune system strong.
4.EAT DRY BEANS, PEAS, LENTILS, PEANUTS AND SOYA PRODUCTS REGULARLY
Adding these foods to the eating plan helps improve many aspects of health. If you do not already eat them, try to start doing so. These foods help build muscle and keep your digestion healthy.
5.INCLUDE SUGAR, FATS AND OILS
These foods help people who are HIV positive add more energy to their eating plan. You may need to eat more of these foods than you did in the past, to help prevent weight loss.
6.USE A FOOD SUPPLEMENT TO HELP MEET YOUR NEEDS
Healthy eating can be difficult for some people who are HIV positive. When your body fights the infection it uses more energy from food and you need to eat more than usual. But this may be difficult if you feel sick, worried or tired.
One way to help meet the nutrient requirements that you have is to use a food supplement between meals. This will help to increase the total amount of energy you eat each day, and will provide extra vitamins and minerals. This helps your body to fight infection, and helps you maintain your body weight.
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