Bronchiectasis and diet

Would absolutly love to have ice cream with FRUIT 😉 before bed. Wow, can't believe you were able to. Lucky you. I am hungry all the time, good appetite, thank goodness.

Bought Pumpkin Protein yesterday, 2mg Sodium, made a glassfull and it created thick mucus after drinking, may need to thin it out. Will check out the Orgain next purchase. Thanks for the idea of keeping in the refrigerator ready to go.
I like your shake recipe. Thanks. Happy Sunday!

Hi Kathleen - I continue to use dairy in my smoothies, homemade Greek yogurt with nothing added. Years ago, due to my thick, sticky mucus, we did a 2 month dairy-free test to see if it would help - no change. So I went back to limited dairy for the calcium and other nutrients. Greek yogurt, hard cheeses, and lactose free milk.
So my smoothies have a big scoop of yogurt as well as whatever I find in the fridge.

We visit our local farmers' markets for fresh local produce and it makes up at least 50% of our daily diet. We have a diverse community near both of our homes, so have added many new and unfamiliar foods at the urging of local producers.
Sue

Hi everyone.

I have been tasting infection in my mouth, Dose anyone else have the same symptom?

I also go a UTI, kidney infection, as the lungs and kidneys work together.
Any one else has had this experience?

Thanks,
Suzanne

Hi Suzanne,
My experience is a little different, but has been life-long: About 5 days before I get any symptoms of a chest infection, the taste of coffee changes!
I love coffee, but it suddenly tastes like I'm drinking dirt! It is always the very first signal that an infection is coming.
Weird, I know, but I use this warning to make an appointment for the in-coming infection. By the time the infection hits, I am in the doctor's office.
Yes, I would say that dairy does seem to increase the sputum production, but it is an individual thing... if it makes things worse, then avoid.... being careful to make adjustments in your supplements to off set the short fall in your nutrition levels.
All the best.
When I have told my doctors, they just nod and say nothing!

You say, ..."I may need to give greater thought to it all, expecially the dairy. ANY THOUGHTS to share,"
Here are my thoughts -
What we need to consider as individuals with Bronchiectasis and/or MAC is where we fall in terms of having a healthy body mass. We have all been brainwashed to believe "the thinner the better." And thin can be healthy IF it is deliberate, is accompanied by a healthy diet, our blood chemistry is all good, and our body has sufficient reserves. BUT when weight loss is beyond voluntary, and we begin to look gaunt and are losing muscle mass...it can be time for action.

We have also been told, at various times, dairy is bad for us, red meat is bad, carbs are bad...the list is endless depending on the celebrity "experts" and diets du jour. Over 40 years ago, my grandmother's doctor told my mother and me "Keep some meat on your bones, you need it when you get sick like Ruby is now" and although my weight was always appropriate for my height and body type, I never stressed over whether I weighed 115 pounds or 125, I just continued to eat a healthy diet and stay active.

Over the past 20 years, I have had quite a few major surgeries and health complications including heavy metal poisoning, Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism), Bronchiectasis and MAC; during those times my weight often fell alarmingly, to below 100 pounds.

Using the dieticians' advice from the NJH videos, in 2018 I put myself on a regimen that included healthy, high-density foods, including dairy, meat, beans, oils and nuts. At times when food was unappealing to me, I forced myself to eat one small portion every hour - a piece of aged cheese, full-fat yogurt with fruit, a hard-boiled egg, an ounce of cashews, 4-6 ounces of a high-protein smoothie. Plus at least 2 regular meals each day. Over two years after stopping antibiotic therapy, I finally got back to 120 pounds, and have stayed near it for over a year now.

Now in my 70's, I eat a 50-50 mix of the "American diet" - meat and potatoes, pizza, etc, and a "cleaner" diet. For example today instead of dinner, we will have shrimp with cocktail sauce, cheese and maybe hard sausage, healthy crackers with dips (both bean & sour cream choices), a fruit plate, raw veggies, chips, and probably some sweets, at our football party. Tomorrow's dinner will be (real) Mexican food, which includes salad, beans or bean soup, fresh salsa & avocado with a few chips, a little lean meat and a few corn tortillas. Wednesday will be a vegetable soup or stir-fry with chicken and maybe some wild rice. Our daytime food is yogurt with fruit, healthy granola or seeds, cheese or peanut butter with crackers and fruit, raw veggies or veggie juices, nuts, toast with peanut butter, protein shakes, wholegrain snack bars, homemade trail mix. Our indulgence is one or 2 pieces of good dark chocolate. or very occasionally a dish of good ice cream.

Sue-
I coudn't find a specific link for cleaning fruits and raw veggeis...and should have asked this a while ago.
Could you share with me your procedure for cleaning fresh fruits and raw veggies that will not be put in boiling water before eating.???
What about frozen mangos....frozen fruits????
Barbara

For fresh produce I use filtered tap water. Or filtered tap water with a splash of vinegar. For berries & grapes, I wash in filtered water, dry on clean dish towels, and store in sealed glass jars. For fruits with a skin or root veggies, filtered tap water and a soft veggie scrub brush (goes through the dishwasher on every cycle.)

For frozen produce, I guess I just trust fate - they go into smoothies or salads untouched.
This has been my process for over 50 years, and I'm still here!
FYI - I eat fresh produce, including salads from my garden, friends and neighbors and farmers' markets.

I fall into the category my ID doc describes as laissez faire - I've been eating from the same soil all my life, so I assume it's not going to kill me. So far, it hasn't been an issue for me, so I haven't added the burden of worrying about it to my life.

Sue-
Lucky you: "FYI - I eat fresh produce, including salads from my garden, friends and neighbors."
Are you filtering via a whole house system or another way of filtering the tap water?
Sue, what type and brand did you decide on? Any suggestions after all you had to do to decide the type and brand?
With doing vinegar do we rinse again after the vinegar rinse????
Thanks,
Barbara

I will be honest --------my husband did the research, installed the filter and maintains it. At the time he did it I was so sick everything is fog. So I don't know.