Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Your body needs food that is rich in nutrients to create energy, resist infection and enable you to have a full, productive life. After a spinal cord injury, how your body’s systems – such as bowel, bladder and skin – function are altered due to your paralysis. Because you are less active, your muscles and bones may become weaker. You’re circulatory and respiratory systems that pump blood and oxygen to your heart, lungs and throughout your body may not work as effectively. You will also need to pay attention to your bowel and bladder function. With less physical activity, you burn off fewer calories and may gain weight or possibly maintain weight but replace muscle with fat.
Excess weight adds stress on your heart and may make weight shifts and transfers more difficult. This can contribute to skin breakdown or pressure ulcers. One thing that you can do to reduce some of these risks is to maintain a healthy diet. ecific diet recommendations for spinal cord i
1. Adequate fiber and fluids to prevent constipation;
2. Adequate protein to prevent pressure ulcers and preserve lean body mass (muscles);
3. Low fat foods and drinks to prevent weight gain;
4. Taking in fewer calories to balance your lower energy use.
Try making half of your grain food choices whole grain. The recommendation for daily fruit and vegetable intake is at least 5 choices per day. For more fiber, choose the actual fruit or vegetable rather than dried fruit or juice.
Choose a variety of protein foods that are lean or low fat. Beans are a great substitute for meat and will provide fiber as well. A high percentage of American’s are becoming increasingly overweight or obese. This is often due to high calorie foods containing fat and sugar in combination with little or no exercise. The good news is that by following recommended dietary guidelines and eating nutritionally-balanced meals, you can prevent or lessen the chances for medical complications. This important choice is yours.