By Grace Canada DO you know that eating health foods early in HIV infection can slow down the progression of HIV to AIDS? That a healthy diet, lifestyle and a positive attitude should be your first line of defence? Many people have heard of the importance of diet in HIV/AIDS management, but do not know what a good diet consists of. For example, Mirembe 26 years of age HIV positive, believes she is on good diet and describes her meals as consisting of: "two fried eggs, three glasses of milk, some pork or roasted chicken or fried fish, matooke or chapati or rice and eshabwe (butter mixed with water and some salt) at least once a week. "While Mirembe's diet is high in protein, it has too much animal fat. Most of all, it is not balanced. Because the immune system requires a constant supply of all essential nutrients to function well, it is vitally important for a person with HIV/AIDS to consume healthy balanced meals on a daily basis. Recommendations. A healthy died should: l Contain fruits and vegetables, beans, peas, millet, whole wheat bread or chapatis, ground nuts (not roasted), sim sim and sunflower seeds, maize flour No.2. l Be low in fat, especially animal fat. l Contain adequate, but not excess amounts of protein. Two egg whites for breakfast is adequate protein for instance. l Contain 5-8 glasses of clean boiled water daily. In addition to a balanced diet, there are several nutrients that deserve special attention: vitamins E, A, C, B6, B12 Beta-carotene, zinc, selenium, lipoic acid (thionic acid). Consumption of foods that are rich in these nutrients is believed to slow the progression of HIV to AIDS. Some of the best sources of the mentioned vitamins and minerals are: l Vitamin A, Beta carotene- Palm oil, carrots, pumpkin and pumpkin leaves, dark green vegetables, green peas, green peppers, water melon, collard greens (sukuma wiki), spinach, dodo, buga, green beans, papaya, mango. l B6- Ripe bananas, avocado, cabbage, cauliflower, potatoes, millet, whole wheat bread, lean meat, fish, chicken, soya bean, dried cooked beans, groundnuts. l B12- Zinc and selenium -liver, kidney, eggs, chicken, milk and lean beef. l C- Green peppers, cabbage, green peas, dark green vegetables, broccoli, oranges. l E- Whole wheat products, groundnuts, sim sim and sunflower seeds, oatmeal, maize, liver, eggs, beans, leafy vegetables. Considerations: l Lipoic-acid can be purchased as a supplement. l In case of wasting syndrome (severe breakdown of body tissues), a common complication of HIV, high quality protein is advised and can be bought as a supplement. l If you are unable to digest the fibre in the recommended vegetables, cut them into small pieces, cook with a lid on, season with salt, onions, tomatoes. Mash and strain. The broth can be served as a soup before meals or taken with a piece of bread as a snack. l It is best to eat small high quality meals throughout the day than three large ones. This helps to keep the body supplied with energy throughout the day. Thus the body will not use the reserve energy unnecessarily. In case of a child, again small high quality meals throughout the day are highly recommended. Remember a child's stomach is small and can hold only so much food. Therefore, there is no room for empty calories such as sodas, white bread, watery porridge and excessive tea. A healthy diet alone is not enough, you need adequate exercise, rest, sleep, and leisure time. Avoid tobacco and alcohol. If you are weighed down with concerns and over-worrying, stop. Talk to a friend. Do not keep things bottled up in you. Stress will certainly make matters a lot worse. Pray daily. The writer is a nutritionist Ends