Unit UNIT - Therapeutic - - Therapeutic diets • Rectifying existing nutritional deficiencies by the addition of foods rich in some necessary element, for instance supplementing the diet with iron in treating macrocytic anemia. • By way of diet, supplying nutrients which do not burden the affected body part. • Maintenance of healthy and ideal body weight. Increasing or reducing the weight as and when required medically to enhance quality of life.
• To adjust the diet to the body’s ability to use certain foods. • To produce specific effects as a remedy, like regulation of blood sugar in diabetes, controlling hypertension and regulating the amount of cholesterol. • To provide ease of digestion by omitting irritating substances, such as fiber, spices or high fat foods. • The therapeutic diets are modifications of regular / normal diet and are designed to meet the specific needs of the patients.
. . . Factors to be considered in planning therapeutic diets : • It is important to know the underlying disease condition or nutritional deficiency, which requires this intervention.
• The duration of the ailments - acute or chronic. • Dietary modifications that need to be made to alleviate the symptoms and overcome the disease condition. • Health condition of the patient – whether administering food orally or special feeding methods to be used. • Social factors of the patient such as economic status and occupation.
• Personal food likes & dislikes. • A normal routine of the patient keeping in mind meal times, recreational times & professional times. List out low fibre foods that are allowed and that are restricted in a therapeutic diet. Allowed restricted .
. . Activity : Method of preparation by baking, boiling, roasting or broiling. Consistency like soft, fluid, clear or mashed Total calories high calorie in under nutrition or PEM and low calorie in obesity Amount and kind of nutrients for instance altering carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamins and minerals based on the condition Amount of fluids, high fluid diet in kidney stones while a low fluid diet in renal failure Amount