Diets for Neuromuscular Disease

If you have an affliction affecting the peripheral nervous system, you have a neuromuscular disease. According to the neurology website for the University of Pittsburgh, "patients with neuromuscular diseases can have weakness, loss of muscle bulk, muscle twitching, cramping, numbness, tingling and a host of other symptoms." Sometimes patients have problems swallowing or breathing.

Diet

• It is crucial that individuals with neuromuscular disease take control of their diet. If people are assisting you with your nutrition, these people should be well informed about what makes a healthy diet for an individual with neuromuscular disease and how to prepare meals.

  Ensure that you consume many different foods every day. No food will give you every single nutrient your body needs to function optimally.

  Stay as active as possible and do not allow yourself to gain excessive weight. Walking is an appropriate and simple way to exercise. You can buy a pedometer online or at a store and use it to measure how many steps you take. Try increasing your number every day.

  Eat plenty of grain products, fruits and vegetables. Ensure that they are as fresh as possible. These foods should be the foundation of your diet. They are unbeatable sources of vitamins, minerals and complex carbohydrates that are necessary for your body's health.

  Avoid sugars as much as you can. All sugary foods will do is make you gain weight and render you deficient of many important nutrients, as they contain few vitamins vital to your body.

  If you have to eat salt, make sure it is sea salt. But try to avoid it. Too much salt will make you retain fluids and raise your blood pressure.

  Pick foods low in fat and cholesterol. Certainly stay away from hydrogenated fats and make sure you get enough essential fatty acids found in cold water fish, raw seeds and nuts, and in certain fruits and vegetables. Avocados are a good source. Organic eggs also are recommended.

  Keep your alcohol consumption low--one drink maximum for women daily and two for men. Stick to high-quality wine if possible. There are no health benefits to straight liquor. All it will do is make you gain weight and get a hangover.

Consideration

• Because individuals with neuromuscular disease often have difficulty leading an active life, it is even more important for them to take good care of their health. According to the online publication Quest, "Studies show that people aging with a motor disability often experience a cluster of interrelated medical conditions that may include pulmonary problems such as asthma or respiratory decline, diabetes, heart disorders, severe osteoporosis, and increased muscle fatigue, weakness and pain. Depression and dramatic functional decline--further loss of physical ability--also can occur with age."