Nutrition
Nutrition
Our aim is the same as yours, to get you safely through your operation and experience a smooth and quick recovery.
NUTRITION INFORMATION LEAFLET DOWNLOAD
Why eat healthily?
Being overweight or underweight can both increase the risks when having an operation. It is therefore important to eat healthily and try to achieve a healthy body weight before having an operation.
Some of the benefits of healthy eating and good nutrition are:
How do I improve my diet?
You should aim to:
- Eat 5 or more portions of fruit/vegetables a day. This provides fibre, minerals and vitamins to help keep you healthy.
- Eat at least 2 portions of protein a day (meat, dairy, beans, quorn, tofu). Protein is essential to help you build muscle and heal your body.
- Eat starchy carbohydrates (like potatoes, bread, pasta, rice, cereals etc.) with meals. Carbohydrates provide energy for your body to function.
- Identify any problems that contribute to a poor intake such as swallowing problems, dental problems etc. and seek help• Try to limit the amount of fat and sugar you eat.
- Have a healthy BMI in the range of 20-25kg/m²
Where can I get help?
- The NHS Eat Well website has some helpful information to improve your nutrition. See the useful links below.
- The British Dietetic Association, the Association of UK Dietitians, have some useful fact sheets online which may answer your questions. https://www.bda.uk.com/food-health/food-facts/all-food-fact-sheets.html
- Your GP may be able to refer you to community
- Dietetic services to help you if needed.
- Hospital dietetics: some patients are eligible for dietitian support.
Weight management programmes
If you are keen to lose weight there a re number of free programme running locally to support you, please click the link to the area that you live or work to find out more about how they can help you and to see if you are eligible for the programmes.
Alternatively, these programmes are available via the NHS website, details of the programmes can be found by clicking the links.
Top Tips
- Eat regular meals, some people prefer smaller more frequent meals.
- Plan your meals to include all the essential foods, cooking fresh meals where possible.
- Eat appropriate portion sizes – using smaller plates might help with this.
- Avoid sugary drinks and snacks.
- Choose nutritious foods that are satisfying to you.
- Consider reducing alcohol as this contains a lot of calories.