Why does your weight matter?
Carrying a few extra kilos can make your asthma harder to manage – the more kilos, the harder it gets.
Working towards your ideal bodyweight can help you get fewer symptoms and use less medication. Losing weight can also help you sleep better.
Talk to your doctor before you start any new health and fitness program. Together you can check how your asthma is going, plus work out the best diet and exercise plan for you.
If you are overweight, losing just a few kilos can really make a difference to your asthma!
Eat Well to Breath Well
Fresh fruit and vegetables are full of antioxidants, which may improve your lung health and help avoid asthma attacks. Aim for a well-balanced diet with 5 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit every day. Eating lots of fish (not fish oil supplements) may help with your asthma too.
Eating too much saturated fat may increase your risk of asthma attacks. So limit the amount of saturated fats you eat by limiting fast foods and choosing lean meats.
Lighten the Asthma Load
Being overweight can make asthma harder to manage. Carrying extra weight puts extra strain on your lungs, and might also worsen your asthma.
If you are overweight, losing just 5–10% of your current weight (e.g. 5 or 10 kilograms for a person who weighs 100 kilograms) might really improve your asthma, so you get fewer asthma symptoms and use less medication.
Breathing problems during sleep are common among people who are overweight, and can make asthma harder to manage. If you snore or don’t feel refreshed after a night’s sleep, talk to your doctor.
The Milk Myth
Despite the common misconception, milk and other dairy foods don’t cause or worsen asthma symptoms. Don’t cut these out of your diet unnecessarily.
Milk, cheese and yoghurt can all be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet unless you have a proven allergy to cow’s milk. Dairy foods are a great source of bone-building nutrients, from calcium and phosphorus through to protein, which are particularly important for growing children and teens.
Consuming three serves of dairy food every day (One serve of dairy food is equal to 250mL (1 cup) of milk,200g (1 tub) of yogurt, or 40g (2 slices) of cheese.) will help ensure that you meet your daily requirements for calcium and a range of other nutrients.
In fact, research suggests that dairy may help protect children against becoming asthmatic.
In a study of over 3,000 pre-school children, researchers found that children who ate dairy foods every day had significantly fewer asthma symptoms than children who didn’t eat dairy foods every day.
Similarly, in a study investigating food intake and asthma in adults, drinking milk was associated with a lower risk of asthma. It is also a myth that dairy foods, particularly milk, cause mucus production.
Some people may experience a thin, temporary coating over the mouth and throat after drinking milk, which is often mistaken for mucus.
This sensation is simply related to the natural, creamy texture of milk and is unlikely to trigger any asthmatic symptoms.
Enjoy an Active Lifestyle
Don’t let your asthma stop you being physically active. Choose an activity you enjoy and aim for at least 30 minutes of moderately intense physical activity every day or most days.
You should consider getting involved in structured exercise. People with asthma who participate in physical training feel better.
Asthma symptoms after exercise are common but treatable. If exercise causes asthma symptoms, tell your doctor so you can find the treatment that works best for you. This could be as simple as taking a few puffs of your reliever before you warm up.
