Eating Right with Nelson Vergel on www.positivelyaware.com

Had a chance to read this well written piece today on HIV and Food on another list I follow and thoughts I would share the link over at Positively Aware. I agree with Nelson – much of the content is useful to over all fit health – but more so with those with additional health concerns as well. (More on Nelson at www.nelsonvergel.com)

Living with a chronic illness like HIV can present certain nutritional challenges. Without effective HIV medication treatment, replicating virus can tax the body, destroying lean body mass and impairing immune function and quality of life.1, 2

… While this destruction of lean tissue can be controlled with effective HIV antiretroviral combination therapy, other challenges like fat accumulation and increases in lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides) and/or insulin resistance may arise in some patients after treatment initiation.3 Although limited research has been done on the effects of nutritional approaches on pre- and post-HAART (highly active antiretroviral therapy) metabolic issues, general suggestions can be extracted from studies regarding other conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and obesity. These suggestions are aimed at helping the body deal with the effects of HIV or its medications on metabolism, body shape, and quality of life as we live longer with HIV.