Question 1

What can I eat to improve my illness? If I eat a healthy diet will that help improve my illness?

Accepted Answer

A balanced diet can help prevent and lower risk of chronic illness and improve recovery from illness. Requirements may change during and after illness so a consultation with dietitian can help you understand changes in nutritional requirements. They can implement strategies to help meet your nutrition goals and improve recovery. The Australian Dietary Guidelines provide a succinct overview of the five principal recommendations for eating healthily, however consultation with a dietitian will ensure you understand how these recommendations can be applied to your individual situation and specific health needs.

Question 2

Does good nutrition improve recovery from being unwell, including cancer treatment?

Accepted Answer

Good nutrition can support and improve recovery by providing the body with the essential nutrients it needs to repair and maintain its key functions during and after periods of being unwell. Your nutritional requirements may change during your illness, so a consultation with a dietitian can help understand these changes. A dietitian is best placed to advise you on appropriate strategies to implement to help you meet your nutrition goals and improve recovery.

Question 3

How do I calculate what my nutritional needs are?

Accepted Answer

Nutritional needs are based on individual factors such as age, weight, health status and physical activity. A healthcare professional is best placed to provide an accurate calculation. Remember your nutritional requirements may change during illness, so consulting a dietitian can help you to understand changes in nutritional requirements and implement strategies to help meet your nutrition goals and improve recovery.

Question 4

What are calories and are they good for you?

Accepted Answer

Calories are a unit of measure for energy. An adequate intake of calories is essential to your health and wellbeing, so your body can perform key functions such as repair and maintenance. Calories come from different nutrients such as carbohydrates (1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 Calories), protein (1 gram of protein = 4 Calories) and fat (1 gram of fat = 9 Calories).

Question 5

Are calories and kilojoules the same thing?

Accepted Answer

Calories and kilojoules are different measures used to describe the same concept - that is, the amount of energy in food and drink or energy required to meet your bodies nutrition needs.

Question 6

Are calories the same as fat?

Accepted Answer

Calories are a unit of measure for energy and come from different nutrients such as carbohydrates (1 gram of carbohydrate = 4 Calories), protein (1 gram of protein = 4 Calories) and fat (1 gram of fat = 9 Calories).

Question 7

Why is eating a balanced diet so important when recovering from being unwell?

Accepted Answer

Good nutrition can support and improve recovery by providing the body with the essential nutrition to repair and maintain functions of the body during and after periods of being unwell. Nutritional requirements may change during illness, so a consultation with dietitian can help you to understand changes in nutritional requirements and ensure that strategies are implemented to help meet your individual nutrition goals and improve recovery. If your healthcare professional has recommended that you take a nutritional supplement from the Fortisip range to aid your recovery, there are recipes to help you recover well too.

Question 8

How do I eat a balanced diet when I am recovering from being unwell?

Accepted Answer

It may be harder to get all of your required nutrients when unwell. This can be because of difficulties with eating and drinking enough, poor appetite, changes in taste and smell, or your body being unable to absorb all the nutrients it needs from food and drink. Your healthcare professional can advise you on what to do, and can assess whether you have, or are at risk of, malnutrition. They may recommend daily nutritional supplementation to ensure you consume essential nutrients for good health on a consistent, ongoing basis. This can be in a liquid form like Fortisip Compact Protein or Fortijuce, which help to provide a quick and easy way to help restore nutritional balance when your usual diet is not enough. Dietitians Australia has further details about malnutrition including advice and tips, plus credible information about eating well

Question 9

How does protein help my body when I am recovering from being unwell?

Accepted Answer

Protein is made up of 20 building blocks called amino acids, although some are amino acids made by the body it is essential to get others from your diet. Protein helps build, maintain and repair muscle, skin, and other body tissues such as bone. It is also a source of dietary energy for the body and can be found in both animal and plant food. A protein deficiency can negatively impact your immunity and your ability to recovery from an illness.1

Question 10

How much protein should I be eating when I am recovering from being unwell?

Accepted Answer

Protein requirements are based on factors such as your age/life stage, weight, health status and physical activity. When unwell, your body often requires more protein per day than usual to support recovery. Your protein requirements may change during illness, so consulting a dietitian can help you understand changes in nutritional requirements and implement strategies to help meet your nutrition goals which will assist recovery.

Question 11

How can I stay active when recovering from being unwell?

Accepted Answer

Recommendations for physical activity can depend on age, physical ability and health status. Regardless, staying active to some degree consistently is important to improve recovery in the short and long term when unwell. As recommendations can change when unwell, a consultation with a qualified healthcare professional is advised to determine what activities you are capable of doing safely and how frequently to do them.

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