Adults with cystic fibrosis might have spent many years living with their condition. And yet, patients can always learn new ways to improve their diets and thus improve their health. So, what is the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis?

If you’re an adult with cystic fibrosis (CF), you deserve to feel healthy and well. Adopting the ideal diet can help you reach that goal. Adults with CF need more nutrients than the average person. That means more calories, protein, carbs, fats, and vitamins and minerals. Focusing on healthy foods, and avoiding unhealthy options, is crucial for adults living with cystic fibrosis. You can achieve the ideal diet through dedication and using healthy meal replacement shakes daily.

ENU cares about helping adults with CF support their health. That’s why our meal replacement shakes are packed with the necessary essential nutrients. If you’re an adult with cystic fibrosis who wants to achieve the ideal diet, visit our website to purchase ENU Nutritional Shakes today.

Why Do Adults with Cystic Fibrosis Need the Ideal Diet?

Adults living with cystic fibrosis know that nutrition is necessary. Cystic fibrosis has many effects on the body, one of the most notable being its impact on nutrient absorption. Adults with cystic fibrosis need to have ideal diet to maintain their strength and wellness.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disorder that impedes the nutrient absorption process. While cystic fibrosis can also cause damage to the lungs and other organs, it significantly affects a person’s digestive system. Adults with cystic fibrosis likely know their disorder involves thick mucus that obscures and impedes important digestive processes, including nutrient absorption.

The ideal diet can improve absorption and help adults with cystic fibrosis get the nutrients they need. Because it is difficult for adults living with cystic fibrosis to absorb nutrients, they may be deficient in crucial nutrients necessary to overall health. This could lead to unintentional weight loss or malnourishment, which can be detrimental to adults living with cystic fibrosis.

As CF patients age, supporting their health becomes even more important. Through a properly balanced diet, adults with cystic fibrosis can begin to regain their strength and improve their wellness.

What Is the Ideal Number of Calories in a Diet for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis?

Adults living with cystic fibrosis are likely familiar with the fact that they need more calories than the average person. Throughout a CF patient’s life, they will need to consume more calories than normal to support their health. Otherwise, they may unintentionally lose weight, and their health may degrade.

Generally, adults with cystic fibrosis need twice as many calories per day as the average person to have an ideal diet. The thick mucus obstructing the intestines and other organs in CF patients makes it difficult for the body to benefit from calories eaten. Because of that, adults with CF should consume more calories than their friends or family who don’t have CF.

This number will vary based on your weight and medical requirements. For example, if you’re an adult woman, the recommended daily calorie intake is about 2,000. So, a female CF patient may need to consume 4,000 calories each day to maintain weight. For adult men, the recommended daily calorie intake is about 2,500. So, double that for adult male CF patients. Adults with cystic fibrosis who need to gain weight can add 500 calories to their daily total.

Consuming so many calories in a day can seem impossible, especially if you’re experiencing taste fatigue or nausea from your disorder. High-calorie meal replacement shakes, like ENU Nutritional Shakes, can provide the added calories adults with cystic fibrosis need in just a few sips. This can help adults living with CF achieve the ideal diet necessary to support their weight.

How Much Protein Should I Consume with Cystic Fibrosis?

Protein is one of the three macronutrients and is essential for countless bodily processes. Because adult CF patients have difficulty absorbing nutrients like protein, they must consume a lot of it. Otherwise, they may not have enough protein to maintain their muscle mass or weight.

Adults with CF should get about 16% to 20% of their daily calories from protein to have the ideal diet. So, if you’re an adult male with CF, and you consume around 5,000 calories per day, anywhere from 800 to 1,000 of those calories should come directly from protein. That’s about 200 to 250 grams of protein per day for certain adults with CF.

That being said, protein-rich meals can be too filling for some adults with CF, causing nausea and discomfort. Finding a nutritional supplement that’s high in protein, like ENU Nutritional Shakes, can help adults with cystic fibrosis achieve the necessary protein intake for the ideal diet.

Without enough protein, adults with CF won’t have the building blocks necessary to promote various bodily processes, from cell growth to muscle growth. Protein offers energy and sustenance and is crucial in the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis.

How Many Carbs Are in a Diet for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis?

Like protein, carbohydrates are essential in the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis. Complex carbs are the body’s main source of energy, so keeping stores high is necessary to help you maintain your health as an adult with CF.

While carbs are generally easy for the average person to digest, adults with CF know that that’s not always the case. The same mucus that makes absorbing other nutrients difficult has a similar effect on carbohydrates. Because of this, adults that have CF require a significant amount of complex carbohydrates to have the ideal diet.

About 50% of your daily calories should come from complex carbs if you’re an adult living with CF. That’s about 500 grams a day for adult women with CF and about 625 grams a day for adult men living with cystic fibrosis.

Complex carbs can come from healthy sources, like brown rice and quinoa. If you choose to use a meal replacement shake to supplement your carb intake as an adult with CF, reach for one made with similar healthy ingredients, like ENU Nutritional Shakes. Avoid simple carbs, as they won’t give adults with CF the energy they need.

What Is the Ideal Amount of Fats in a Diet for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis?

Fats are another crucial macronutrient essential in any diet, but especially so in the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis. It’s so important for CF patients to get healthy fats from their diet since the body cannot produce them on its own.

Adults with cystic fibrosis should get anywhere from 35% to 40% of their daily calories from healthy fats. Here’s the breakdown for adult men and women living with cystic fibrosis:

• Adult male CF patients should have between 195 and 223 grams of fat daily for the ideal diet
• Adult female CF patients should have between 156 and 178 grams of fat daily for the ideal diet

Of course, adults with cystic fibrosis should consult with their doctor or nutritionist about their personal fat intake. You may need more or fewer grams of fat each day to have the ideal diet for your own health.

It’s worth noting that not all types of fats are the same. There are heart-healthy fats that come from sources like coconut and sunflower oils, which are ideal. Then there are unhealthy fats that can be found in your favorite guilty pleasure snacks, like chips or fries. Adults with CF need to focus on their health and stick with heart-healthy fats.

What Are the Ideal Vitamins and Minerals for Cystic Fibrosis?

Because adults with cystic fibrosis have likely had a lifetime of absorption issues, they may be deficient in certain important nutrients, like vitamins and minerals. This can lead to adults with CF becoming immunocompromised. Getting enough vitamins and minerals is essential in an ideal diet for adults who have CF.

Vitamins and minerals support your body’s immune system. Adults with CF may be more likely to get sick and have greater difficulty combatting illness. That’s why greatly boosting your intake of vitamins and minerals is essential. But it’s not always easy.

Sometimes, foods that are the highest in vitamins and minerals don’t cover all of the other nutrients that adults with CF need. For example, some fruits may offer a high volume of vitamins but not calories or protein. That’s why using a nutritional supplement packed with essential vitamins and minerals, like ENU Nutritional Shakes, can be beneficial for adults with cystic fibrosis.

As a general rule, adults with CF need about twice as many vitamins and minerals as the average person for the ideal diet. It’s important to note that several vitamins need fat to be absorbed. So, CF patients, who already have difficulty absorbing nutrients, should consume their vitamins and minerals in tandem with their heart-healthy fats.

Should I Avoid Salt in my Cystic Fibrosis Diet?

Salt is probably the last thing you’d expect in the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis. In reality, salt is very important for CF patients. Adults with CF know better than anyone that they lose excessive salt as they sweat. Replenishing that salt is necessary.

While there’s no recommended serving of salt per day in the ideal diet for adults with CF, it is recommended that patients liberally salt their meals. Although cystic fibrosis causes absorption issues that require patients to consume additional nutrients, it also causes a mutation that affects the salt in the body. The result is salty skin caused by sweating salt.

Without enough salt in your body, you can’t recognize thirst as easily. This can lead to dehydration which is dangerous for anyone, especially people with cystic fibrosis. The solution? Salt your food. Adults with cystic fibrosis are advised to eat more salt throughout the day to promote thirst and replenish the salt that they sweat out.

If you’re an adult with cystic fibrosis and are concerned about consuming too much salt, speak to your doctor. A medical professional familiar with your health history can advise you on adding enough salt to your diet without going overboard.

What Is the Ideal Meal Schedule for Adults with Cystic Fibrosis?

Essentially, the ideal diet for adults with cystic fibrosis is as follows: eat frequently and eat a lot. Of course, there’s more to it. If you’re struggling with scheduling your meals or snacks, there’s a simple way to do so.

Adults with CF should eat three meals each day with snacks in between. However, there may be impediments to your schedule. Adults with CF can experience nausea or discomfort when eating that deters them from getting the nutrients they need. If you wake up and feel unable to stomach breakfast, reach for a healthy meal replacement shake. This is also a great option when snack time rolls around, and you feel too tired to prepare anything.

It’s helpful for adults living with cystic fibrosis to eat frequently, even every hour. Not each snack has to be overwhelming. Things like meal replacement shakes and healthy granola bars can do the job. Just make sure you’re eating something that helps you reach your daily intake of nutrients in order to have the ideal diet schedule as an adult with cystic fibrosis.

How Can Adults with Cystic Fibrosis Achieve the Ideal Diet?

Although adults with cystic fibrosis are very familiar with their disorder and their necessary dietary requirements, meeting those requirements can feel overwhelming or exhausting. Sometimes, you may not feel strong enough to prepare a meal. Other times, the thought of eating solid foods can be nauseating. Luckily, there are convenient solutions for adults with CF who want to have an ideal diet.

You can achieve the ideal diet as an adult with CF by carefully planning your meals and working closely with your doctor or nutritionist. Of course, there can still be days where you haven’t met your goals. When that happens, a nutritional meal replacement shake, like ENU Nutritional Shakes, is ideal for adults with CF.

You can incorporate healthy shakes into your diet to help you reach your daily goals more easily. Not only are nutritional shakes convenient, but they offer an alternative to eating large meals. For example, ENU Nutritional Shakes have 400 calories per serving, as well as 20 grams of protein, 16 grams of fat, and upwards of 40 grams of carbs. Using nutritional supplements can help CF patients get the nutrients they need for the ideal diet without the hassle of constantly preparing snacks or meals.

Adults with Cystic Fibrosis Can Start Drinking ENU Nutritional Shakes Today

As an adult with CF, you understand how important it is to strive towards the ideal diet. By visiting our website and purchasing ENU Nutritional Shakes, adults with cystic fibrosis can begin to improve their diet and health.