Your eating habits and breathing

Your eating habits will affect your breathing

Although we do not pay much attention to the link between our eating habits and breathing, for those who have compromised lungs, it can be a significant association. In such instances, unless proper dietary precautions are followed, the quality of life could also suffer as a consequence. At the same time, being afraid of eating as a result of shortness of breath is also bad in such patients. It can form a vicious cycle and therefore can lead to a deteriorating health status.

Thus, anyone with a compromised lung should know how to eat meals without compromising the respiratory system.

In most instances, the quantity of the diet could be a determining factor between meals and difficulty in breathing. Therefore, it may be useful to eat high energy food as it requires less amount than usual foods to obtain the same amount of energy. Eating small meals at frequent intervals can also bring about the same amount of energy as with eating a single large meal. Eating small meals will not cause over distension of the stomach and will not press against the diaphragm which might cause restricted breathing when the lungs are compromised. 

Timing of the meals can also be useful as when you eat meals in the morning, you don’t require to each much. At the same time, when eating meals, it is necessary to chew thoroughly and eat slowly as it will not allow much wind to accumulate in the stomach. Such accumulation can cause over distension of the stomach soon after a meal. This will be aided by selecting foods, which are easy to chew. In addition, as some foods make more gas than others do, it is wise to choose the right food to eat and avoid such gaseous ones.

Some foods can lead to increased retention of water within the body. Excessively salt containing food is one such culprit. Thus, you should avoid eating salt containing foods and should minimize adding salt to foods at the time of eating and at preparation. 

It may also be useful to practice eating while standing as it will ease the pressure on the lungs, if your lungs are already compromised. You should also avoid drinking liquids including water until the meal is finished in order to prevent stomach distension and aid proper digestion of the foods. 

Lastly, resting yourself before a meal can help the body tolerate the foods and to digest it without much of a hazard than when eating under stress. At the same time, after eating a full meal, it may be worthwhile to take it easy for at least half an hour, to allow foods to pass through to the intestines.