 | Healthy Eating and Healthy Weight |
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HEALTHY EATING
As a general rule, there is no special 'lupus diet' apart from eating a balanced diet that contains all the nutrients you need for health. A good place to start is with Canada's Food Guide. In addition to this, there are a few things you might like to consider:
- Because there is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (high blood pressure, heart attacks, strokes, hardening of the arteries) with lupus, it makes sense to follow the recommendations of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation to help reduce cholesterol, decrease blood pressure and achieve a healthy weight.
- Those who have taken, or are taking, corticosteroid medications (like Prednisone) need to take steps to ensure they get enough calcium and enough Vitamin D to help prevent weakening of the bones (osteoporosis). Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether you need calcium supplements. If you do, make sure you are taking a type of calcium that is well absorbed and ask whether to take them with meals or on an empty stomach.
- While taking corticosteroid medications you may want to consider decreasing your sugar, salt and fat intake to help prevent weight gain and high blood pressure.
- Avoid taking echinacea and ginseng supplements as these can stimulate the immune system.
- Avoid eating alfalfa sprouts as these contain high amounts of l-canavanine which has been found to stimulate the immune system and could potentially trigger a lupus flare. L-canavanine is also found in all legumes, but in much smaller amounts so these won't likely bother you.
- There are some types of food that have definite inflammation causing (pro-inflammatory) and anti-inflammatory properties. Avoid sugar, refined carbohydrate foods, saturated fats, trans-fats. For more information see: 'Eating to Beat Inflammation' - Grace Women's Health Centre.
- Increase your intake of fish (at least two - 2 1/2 oz. servings per week) and other sources of Omega-3 fatty acids to help decrease inflammation and reduce cardiovascular risk. Talk to your doctor about supplements.
- Some people find that certain foods, such as those in the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant and sweet and hot peppers) tend to increase inflammation in their bodies. Watch for a pattern of worsening symptoms when you eat these foods and decide if want to avoid eating them.
- Consider maintaining more stable blood sugar and insulin levels throughout the day, which can help reduce food cravings and help with weight loss, by choosing foods that have lower glycemic index / glycemic load values. See: University of Sydney - Glycemic Index Website.
- Soluble and insoluble fibre aid digestion, speed waste elimination, help you feel full longer, lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of inflammation and heart disease. You should be getting a minimum of 30 grams of fiber a day.
- Experts at The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recommend that people aged 14 and over not exceed 2300 mg of sodium per day (this is roughly equal to 1 teaspoon) of table salt. This is the highest intake level likely to pose no risk of adverse health effects. This is particularly important for those with high blood pressure, kidney disease and those who take corticosteriods, such as Prenisone. Adequate Intakes (AIs) for good health for people aged one year and over, range from 1000 mg/day to 1500 mg/day. For more information visit Health Canada's website: Sodium
- If your kidneys have been affected by lupus, refer to the Kidney Foundation of Canada healthy food choices guidelines.
- Make sure to get the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables every day.
- In terms of alcohol consumption, the Canadian Medical Association recommends that, if you drink alcohol, you stick to one standard drink a day and not drink more than two standard drinks in any day. A standard drink is defined as 12 ounces of beer; 5 ounces of wine; or 1.5 ounces of spirits. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about whether it is safe to drink alcohol with any medications you are taking. And if you are overweight or have high triglyceride levels in your blood, consider not drinking alcohol at all.
- Adelle Davis (nutritionist)
HEALTHY EATING RESOURCES
- Canada's Food Guide
- Eating Well With Canada's Food Guide - First Nations, Inuit and Metis
- Canada's Food Guide - Translations (French, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi-Persian, Korean, Punjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, Tamil, Urdu)
- Dietitians of Canada
- Canadian Council of Food and Nutrition
- USDA National Nutrient Database - look up the nutrional content of the foods you like to eat.
- Health Canada Nutrition Labelling - learn to make healthier food choices by using nutrition labelling information.
- Eat well. Live longer. Simple steps to making better choices (Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation)
- Heart-healthy Eating Guide for Your Family (Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation)
- Living with Cholesterol (Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation)
- See also: Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation Position Statements re: Sodium, Transfats, Access to Affordable, Healthy and Nutritious Foods and Low Carb Diets
- Health Check Program - Health Check is one important way the Heart and Stroke Foundation helps Canadians eat well. All Health Check grocery products and menu items are evaluated by the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s registered dietitians. To earn the Health Check symbol, every food or menu item in the program must meet nutrient criteria, established by Health Check, based on the recommendations in Canada’s Food Guide.
- Sodium 101 - Canadian information and news about dietary sodium.
- Dietary Approaches to Stopping Hypertension (DASH) - from Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada
- Osteoporosis Canada
HEALTHY WEIGHT
- Body Mass Index (BMI) Calculator
- from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control website. Use this handy tool to find out where you fit on the weight continuum - Underweight,
Normal, Overweight, Obese.
NOTE: Even if your weight falls into the 'normal' range, it's important to assess where you carry your weight. You are at increased risk of developing health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, if your waist is more than 102 centimetres (40 inches) for men or more than 88 centimetres (35 inches) for women. For those of Chinese or South Asian descent, you are at increased risk if your waist is more than 90 centimetres (35 inches) for men or 80 centimetres (32 inches) for women. - Healthy Weight - Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation
- Weight Management - from the MyHealth Alberta website. An excellent collection of weight management resources, suggestions and ideas.
- Guidelines For Choosing a Weight Loss Program - Dietitians of Canada
- Weighing The Popular Diets - Grace Women's Health Centre
MEAL SUPPORT
- Edmonton Meals on Wheels
- Calgary Meals on Wheels
- MealCall - Meals on Wheels and Seniors Meal Programs (searchable by other Alberta locations)
