Asthma: Lifestyle Management

Nutrition Management

An important part of a healthy lifestyle is good nutrition. Good nutrition involves choosing healthy foods that can work to heal and repair your body and make it stronger against disease. We will explore eating healthy and give you practical suggestions for good nutrition.

General Nutrition Tips

In order to educate Americans about healthy eating, the USDA and the US Department of Health and Human Services have redeveloped the Food Guide Pyramid. You may be familiar with the old Food Guide Pyramid, or its predecessor the Four Basic Food Groups. The new symbol, called "MyPyramid", represents a personalized approach to eating a healthy diet and staying active through physical activity. Learn more about MyPyramid. While the new food guidelines stress a personalized approach, here are some additional tips:

• Include a variety of foods in your diet. Each of the food groups provides nutrients that are important to you, and foods in one group can't replace those in another. Try to include each of the food groups in your daily diet.

• Choose a variety of foods within each food group and eat small amounts of fats, oils and sweets.

• Talk with your doctor or dietitian about your specific nutritional needs. Eating a healthy diet can help you feel and breathe better.

Read more information about asthma and nutrition:

• Eating with Asthma
• Eating with Asthma and GERD
• Steroids and Nutrition 

NEXT: Eating with Asthma