Nutrition for CP

It is often suggested that when you start following a new, healthy diet you should try to cook homemade meals. Making your own meals and snacks means you know exactly what you are eating with no hidden surprises and you can easily adjust the composition of your daily diet to suit your needs. However, some individuals with CP may find food preparation or certain cooking techniques take a long time or require too much exertion.

Follow some of the tips below to make cooking safer, simpler, healthier and more enjoyable:

• Reduce knife use, exertion levels and time by using a food processor to chop, mix or blend ingredients.
• You can buy utensils that are lightweight or have easy grip handles to make actions such as peeling, stirring or slicing easier and safer.
• Dishes/chopping boards with suction cups that help prevent slipping can make the kitchen environment safer.
• Choose quick and easy recipes such as stir-fry’s, salads, soups and pasta dishes. You can find simple recipes in cookbooks, or you can search for them online.
• Cook meals in batches when you have plenty of time and freeze them in portions to reheat when you need a quick meal or if you don’t have time. Remember to label what they are and how many portions are in each container.
• A microwave can be useful for reheating meals and ready-made sauces, and for cooking vegetables or microwavable rice.
• Use pre-prepared foods e.g. chopped or frozen fruit/ vegetables and ready-made sauces/meals to save time. Be sure to read the label though as some ready-made meals can be high in fat, sugar and/or salt.
• Shopping for your groceries online can also be useful if you do not enjoy shopping and it allows you to compare ingredients and products at the click of a button rather than worrying about this in store.

Maintaining a suitable weight is important for health and weight should be neither too high nor too low. The major concern for anybody who struggles to maintain their weight is the potential effect on their health in terms of the risk of future development of diabetes, heart disease, joint problems and immobility. If you are active in sport, then there is also the added issue of the effect this may have on your performance.

Typical daily energy expenditures vary greatly in individuals with CP due to varying modes of ambulation (how you move around) and the level of CP. Wheelchair users tend to have lower energy expenditures than those who ambulate (walk); with electric/power chair users showing even lower energy outputs.

Individuals who experience athetosis (uncontrollable, jerky movements), regardless of their mode of ambulation, appear to expend more energy at rest due to this action. However, if individuals counteract this increase in energy output by voluntarily reducing their daily physical activity levels their energy needs are unlikely to change.

These possible increases and decreases in energy expenditure simply highlight the importance of eating and drinking according to your own individual nutritional needs. There is no one size fits all strategy unfortunately and you must learn to balance your energy in and your energy out. For example, if your physical activity levels are low your diet must reflect this to prevent weight gain but on the flip side, if you increase your physical activity/ exercise levels your energy intake should also increase to prevent weight loss, unless this is your goal. If you can work with a registered dietitian or nutritionist, they will help you understand how much energy you require and what type of foods you should be eating.