Anorexic
Diet Tips to Stay Healthy
Anorexia Nervosa is a
life-threatening condition for women (and men) around the world.
Despite the fact it is often portrayed as a teenage girl’s
illness, it can be found in men and women of all ages. Though it
is a psychological disorder, its manifestations are physical. It
is obsessive dieting, which usually shows in dramatic, unhealthy
weight loss.
There are two types of this disorder. The first is the withholding
of nutrition. The second is binging and purging. Both have extreme
effects on the body, and both drive the patient deeper inside
herself, causing a vicious circle of the disease and its impact on
the patient.
Because the symptoms of this disorder manifest themselves in the
physical body, one way to help an anorexic patient is to help her
find peace with her relationship with food. Often the patient says
she is trying to obtain a certain body image. While her perception
of her body is quite wrong, she will have a hard time believing
you. For that reason, help her find a way to be ok with a healthy
diet.
Here are some Anorexic Diet Tips
to help anyone with Anorexia Nervosa.
A recovering anorexic may be assisted in reestablishing her diet
slowly. You may begin with a 1000 calorie diet per day. This can
be increased slowly as the patient becomes more and more
accustomed to the increasing amount of food she is consuming.
Every few days, the calories can be increased by about 200 per day
until a reasonable caloric intake of between 1500 and 2000 per day
is established.
One tool I have heard of being implemented is the presentation of
the food to the patient. Try presenting a small portion of food on
a large plate. It appears much more appealing to her than a
smaller plate with a seemingly huge portion.
The key to helping her stay healthy is a balanced diet. Each day,
she should be exposed to high-fiber, low-fat, low-calorie options
that appeal to her tastes. Be sure to give balanced options from
the major food groups. This will help avoid other deficiencies
that lead to other health problems.
In the area of dairy products, always consider low-fat or non-fat
options. Yogurt, cottage cheese, and milk are now all available in
low fat formulas. Provide a very small portion with a selection of
raw vegetables or fresh fruits. Dairy products are especially
important to a young lady with anorexia.
The possibility of osteoporosis is increased in women who don’t
consume enough calcium. They are multiplied exponentially in girls
who are missing other nutrients due to their anorexia. Make
whatever compromises you need to make to get her to eat enough
dairy products.
Protein is also necessary and can come from very low fat, low
calorie options. Keep a package of lean turkey in the fridge. Eggs
are another great source of protein. Now you can even buy a fat
free peanut butter that is another great source of the protein her
body needs. The great thing about protein is that it provides the
body the energy it needs to keep itself going, but there are very
low-fat, low-calorie options.
Always have a lot of choices of fresh fruits and vegetables. These
provide the natural sugars and fibers the body needs to remain
healthy, and they are very low fat and low calorie.
Keep the pantry and the refrigerator free of those high sugar,
high calorie, high fat foods. Seeing them reminds her about her
battle with unhealthy food, which she often cannot distinguish
from healthy food. To her food is the enemy. Help her establish a
healthy relationship with healthy foods by eliminating the
unhealthy ones from your home.
The biggest thing to remember for the anorexic patient is that her
disease, while it manifests itself in her body, begins in her
mind. It is a manifestation of her poor body image and her low
self image. Assure her of her value as a human, separate from her
appearance. Demonstrate a healthy lifestyle for her by eating with
her and making meal times enjoyable. Use the time to talk together
about the events of her day. Focus on the positive and fun things.
Talk about the difficult things away from the table and help her
take the negative reaction away from her connection with food.
Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition with lifelong impact.
Helping a young woman recover through a healthy, well-balanced,
wisely presented diet is key to helping her find a way to be able
to fight the disease on her own.
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presented only for informational purposes and does not replace medical advice from a practicing
physician.
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