Always Put Your Health First

Remember that your body is working harder and needs even more energy in times of illness.

Find balance in the ups and downs

As a person living with CF, it can be difficult to stay healthy. If you have exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) as well, you must take care to eat enough to fuel your body and stay healthy.

Try to avoid weight loss

It's common to lose your appetite when you're feeling ill—but for CF patients, it's essential that you keep eating nutritious foods. Here are some tips for getting the right food when you're appetite is down:

  • Eat six to eight small meals a day
  • Warm up frozen food or order in when you don't feel up to cooking
  • Stay away from foods like bagels, hoagies, or meat when you're sick, as these require a great deal of chewing
  • Eat soft foods and drinks such as: macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, creamed soups, puddings, milkshakes, instant breakfast powder added to whole milk, whole-milk yogurts, and high-calorie canned formulas

Check in with your doctor or dietitian for more foods you can eat when you're ill.

Essential vitamins for people with CF

Ever wonder what happens after your take your vitamins? Take a peek at what key vitamins do in your body to keep you healthy.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A helps fight infections, making it a critical nutrient for you. It is also important for healthy skin and proper functioning of the eyes.

Vitamin D

Without enough vitamin D, which helps the body absorb calcium and move it from the blood to bones, bones may become weak and can break more easily. Vitamin D may play a role in many body systems to help keep the body healthy.

Vitamin E

Lack of vitamin E can affect the body’s ability to protect itself when sick. This may affect your lungs and ability to breathe.

Vitamin K

Vitamin K, an important factor in blood clotting and maintaining healthy bones, comes mainly from food but is also made by bacteria in the intestines. However, these intestinal bacteria can be killed by antibiotics, which may impact how much vitamin K your body gets.