Dietetic Service

Good nutrition and a healthy body weight have been linked with better lung function and less frequent chest infections for people with Cystic Fibrosis. Your CF dietetic team, are here to support you in all aspects of your nutritional CF care. We work closely with all members of your CF team including Nurses, Doctors, Physiotherapists, Psychologists, Social-Workers, Youth Workers, Pharmacists and CF specialist diabetic and liver teams. Additionally, if you need support from other specialist areas requiring nutritional care then we have close ties with our other Specialist Dietitians in and around Wales and the UK.
 

Your CF Dietetic Team
 

If you need to contact your CF dietetic team please call your CF Nurse team on 07875 565699 and they will liaise with us.

What can you expect when you see your Dietitian?

• We will ask you about your appetite and what you are currently eating and drinking.
• If you need to take pancreatic enzymes we will discuss how effective they are for you and help you adjust your dose to the foods you eat.
• If you need to take vitamin supplements we can give you information about the best time of day to take these, and give you more detail on why they are important.
• If you need to gain or lose weight we will support you in making dietary changes to achieve this.
• We will track your weight and height which allows us to calculate body mass index (BMI).
• We can offer you the option of assessing body composition, such as muscle mass and measuring hand grip strength supporting you in your health & fitness goals.
• If you are struggling to maintain your weight, we can talk to you about oral supplements or tube feeding, and support you in deciding if this is something that would be right for you.
• If you do have a tube feed, we will arrange training for you and your family so you can independently manage your feeds.
• If you develop CF related diabetes we will liaise with the diabetes specialist nurse and help you manage your diet and insulin.

Helpful Nutritional Resources:

Achieving a healthy weight in cystic fibrosis - Achieving a healthy weight in CF

Calcium and bone health in cystic fibrosis - Calcium and bone health in CF

Alcohol and CF - Drinking alcohol and CF

Exercise and CF - Exercise nutrition in CF

GI issues in CF - Gastrointestinal issues in CF

Healthy eating in CF - Healthy eating and CF

Iron in the CF diet - Iron in the CF diet

Leaving home and eating well with CF - Leaving home and eating well with CF

Pregnancy in CF - Nutrition and pregnancy in CF

PERT and CF - Pancreatic enzyme supplement and CF

Post lung transplant nutrition for people with CF - Postlung transplant nutrition for people with CF

Salt in the CF diet - Salt in the CF diet 

Staying hydrated with CF - Staying hydrated and CF

Vitamin supplements in CF - Vitamin supplements in CF

CF Trust body image booklet - body-image-and-cystic-fibrosis-booklet

British Dietetic Association Food Facts:

The Food Fact Sheets freely available on the BDA website are written by Dietitians to help you learn the best ways to eat and drink to keep your body fit and healthy.

However, these food fact sheets do not specifically address the needs of a person who has CF and therefore should be considered as information only. Please speak to your CF Dietitian if you have any questions.

Food Facts | British Dietetic Association (BDA)