Dietary friends and foes

When you live with a spinal cord injury (SCI), you can be susceptible to gaining weight since you are less active. You may also run the risk of heart disease or pressure ulcers due to the excess weight. As we all know, the American diet does not help with this.

Most processed foods contain high amounts of salt, sugar, fat and calories. In fact, a full serving of some of these foods has even more calories than you are to eat in a day. So, to help you stay healthy and maintain a proper weight, here are some dietary tips from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that are particularly important for those living with a spinal cord injury (SCI).

Fruits and veggies are your friend
Fruits, vegetables and whole grains are not only low in calories, but they also help to keep you full. These foods take longer to digest, meaning that you’ll feel full longer. Plus, you can have more of them and still not blow the calorie bank. A standard piece of fruit only has about 60 calories. So, if you replace all of your snacks with these, you’ll still have plenty of room for a nice-sized dinner.

Cut down on sugars, salt and sodium
While you don’t have to completely deny yourself of comfort foods, only eat foods with high concentrations of sugar, sodium and salt on occasion. It’s fine to have a piece of dessert; just keep it to a few times a week. If you really want something salty or sweet, have a few bites to curb your craving.

Maintain a good weight
While you may be limited from doing certain exercises, you can still do some physical activity to keep off the weight. Try doing range-of-motion exercises, which involve keeping your tendons, muscles and ligaments loose. These exercises also burn calories. Plus, you need to stay active to avoid muscle atrophy and bone weakening.

Keep alcohol to a minimum
Most alcoholic drinks are high in calories. In fact, even a standard-sized glass of white wine usually packs about 100 calories. So, restrict yourself to one or two drinks a day for men, and only one for women. And, avoid mixed drinks since they usually have the most calories. For example, a margarita can have more than 500 calories.

Be varied
The overall goal of your diet is to eat a variety of foods so that you stay satisfied and get all the nutrients that you need to stay healthy.

Running low on recipes? Check out this “no cook” list for recipes that are delicious, easy and healthy.

Get inspired! Read about The Paraplegic Chef and try some of her daring recipes.

COMMENT: What are your best tips for healthy eating?

By: Tanza Loudenback
Experea Healthcare Blog Editor