A few weeks or days ago an article about calories was floating around and I happened to take a gander at it, then upon finishing the fairly basic overview of the fact that not all calories are the same I see a young child with CF eating a famous black-and-white cream filled cookie for breakfast, because of the caloric demands CF'ers need.
Here's the thing. Most CF patients do need tons of calories per day. I mean a truck-load of them. And if we're honest all those gorgeous brightly colored fruits and vegetables at your local market do very little in terms of calories. It's not uncommon to hear CF'ers talk about eating a value meal from any of a dozen fast food chains frequently (daily even). Heck, I used to pull my beat-up car thru the fast-food window numerous times a week and I thought nothing of it, in fact I thought I was being "healthy" because my body needed and required those calories.
While growing up I would come home from school to eat an entire box of Frost Flakes. Yes, the whole sugar-loaded-zero-nutritional-valve box of garbage. My mom and I we're happy to see that I could put away so much for the sake of the calorie intact burden I was under each day. My mom would send me to school with a few bucks, because when I reached high school they began putting vending machines loaded with junk in schools, and it was an easy high-dose of calories.
I needed the calories and still need a truck load of calories.
However, and this is a BIG but, not all calories are equal. Just like anyone else on the planet we are only as good as what we put into our bodies. I, probably, better than any parent or non-CF'er understand the burden of consuming those precious calories. I'm here to tell you that as an adult all that junk plays a dangerous role later on. Hey, I'm not here to judge. I've been there, I traveled that route and I'm here to tell you its not as simple as it seems. These habits come back to bite us.
As CF'ers are living longer we're learning more about proper nutrition for us rare breeds and how to get those calories. It should NOT be from cookies, junk food machines but rather wholesome foods. Why?
Wholesome foods (fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, grains) do more than simply help us reach our daily caloric intake. Foods high in dairy promote mucous production, so finding alternatives is highly beneficial. Many foods can help with inflammation, which most CF'ers will at some point suffer from. They can help prevent Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (CFRD), help prevent kidney stones, probiotics can help reverse or ease the negative affects of frequent antibiotic use. And on and on.....
Something that many don't realize is that CF'ers have chronic infections or bacteria growing at rates that the body can't control. What does bacteria eat or need to grow, sugar! So, why are we pumping ourselves full of sugar-laden foods. Not just cookies, baked goods, and candy. But what are we drinking? What about that bag of chips? You don't need to have a medical degree to find this stuff out. A simple search on the internet will give you more information than you probably want or just glancing at the ingredients.
I can tell you first hand that over the past 10 years I have slowly made changes to my eating habits. I'm not perfect. I still enjoy a Dr. P every once in awhile. I still pop a favorite cookie into my watering mouth. But, I do so because its a guilty pleasure and not something I rely on to meet my calorie demands. I make as much as I can possibly muster from scratch so that I can control the calorie levels with supplemental additives. I make smoothies from fresh fruits and add things like coconut oil. I pack along trail mixes and mixed nuts. Ever study the labels on nuts or nut-based butters? They are loaded with calories and are good for you!!! I don't buy milk and use milk based foods sparingly.
So, next time your temped buy the cookies for breakfast think about making a shake packed with fresh fruits, almond butter, a tsp of coconut oil, coconut milk or whatever fancy's you. I promise you'll feel better over-all. Your body will thank you years down the road.
because....
Not All Calories Are The Same!
~Doodlin'
Here's the thing. Most CF patients do need tons of calories per day. I mean a truck-load of them. And if we're honest all those gorgeous brightly colored fruits and vegetables at your local market do very little in terms of calories. It's not uncommon to hear CF'ers talk about eating a value meal from any of a dozen fast food chains frequently (daily even). Heck, I used to pull my beat-up car thru the fast-food window numerous times a week and I thought nothing of it, in fact I thought I was being "healthy" because my body needed and required those calories.
While growing up I would come home from school to eat an entire box of Frost Flakes. Yes, the whole sugar-loaded-zero-nutritional-valve box of garbage. My mom and I we're happy to see that I could put away so much for the sake of the calorie intact burden I was under each day. My mom would send me to school with a few bucks, because when I reached high school they began putting vending machines loaded with junk in schools, and it was an easy high-dose of calories.
I needed the calories and still need a truck load of calories.
However, and this is a BIG but, not all calories are equal. Just like anyone else on the planet we are only as good as what we put into our bodies. I, probably, better than any parent or non-CF'er understand the burden of consuming those precious calories. I'm here to tell you that as an adult all that junk plays a dangerous role later on. Hey, I'm not here to judge. I've been there, I traveled that route and I'm here to tell you its not as simple as it seems. These habits come back to bite us.
As CF'ers are living longer we're learning more about proper nutrition for us rare breeds and how to get those calories. It should NOT be from cookies, junk food machines but rather wholesome foods. Why?
Wholesome foods (fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, grains) do more than simply help us reach our daily caloric intake. Foods high in dairy promote mucous production, so finding alternatives is highly beneficial. Many foods can help with inflammation, which most CF'ers will at some point suffer from. They can help prevent Cystic Fibrosis Related Diabetes (CFRD), help prevent kidney stones, probiotics can help reverse or ease the negative affects of frequent antibiotic use. And on and on.....
Something that many don't realize is that CF'ers have chronic infections or bacteria growing at rates that the body can't control. What does bacteria eat or need to grow, sugar! So, why are we pumping ourselves full of sugar-laden foods. Not just cookies, baked goods, and candy. But what are we drinking? What about that bag of chips? You don't need to have a medical degree to find this stuff out. A simple search on the internet will give you more information than you probably want or just glancing at the ingredients.
I can tell you first hand that over the past 10 years I have slowly made changes to my eating habits. I'm not perfect. I still enjoy a Dr. P every once in awhile. I still pop a favorite cookie into my watering mouth. But, I do so because its a guilty pleasure and not something I rely on to meet my calorie demands. I make as much as I can possibly muster from scratch so that I can control the calorie levels with supplemental additives. I make smoothies from fresh fruits and add things like coconut oil. I pack along trail mixes and mixed nuts. Ever study the labels on nuts or nut-based butters? They are loaded with calories and are good for you!!! I don't buy milk and use milk based foods sparingly.
So, next time your temped buy the cookies for breakfast think about making a shake packed with fresh fruits, almond butter, a tsp of coconut oil, coconut milk or whatever fancy's you. I promise you'll feel better over-all. Your body will thank you years down the road.
because....
Not All Calories Are The Same!
~Doodlin'
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