Eat a balanced diet

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Eat a balanced diet

Try to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Ask your doctor about eating a healthy diet. The following are some suggestions:

• Eat a healthy diet that is low in fat and high in carbohydrates and fiber.
• Add extra fiber to your diet, especially if you are taking medications that are known to cause constipation.
• Each day, drink 8 to 10 glasses of water or other drinks that do not have caffeine or alcohol. If you have kidney, heart, or liver disease and have to limit fluids, talk with your doctor before you increase the amount of fluids you drink.
• Drink juices, particularly prune juice, if you are on medications that are known to cause constipation.
• Some foods and beverages need to be avoided when taking certain medications. Talk with your doctor about which foods to avoid if you are on medications known to interact with certain foods.
• If you do not feel like eating, eat small snacks rather than large meals. Eat six small snacks a day. Examples of snacks include a piece of fruit with a few crackers and one piece of cheese; yogurt or cottage cheese with a piece of fruit; a breakfast bar with a glass of milk; or one or two carrots or stalks of celery with peanut butter or cream cheese.
• Eat foods that are low in calories, such as fruits and vegetables.
• Take daily vitamins if you have not been eating balanced meals or spending some time in the sunshine. Exposure to sunlight helps your body produce vitamin D.

Credits

Last updated:	February 22, 2007
Author:	Shannon Erstad, MBA/MPH
Reviewed By:	Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine, Nancy Greenwald, MD - Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Editors:	Kathleen M. Ariss, MS, Pat Truman, MATC