Let’s Help Annie Lennox in Raising Awareness for the HIV-AIDS around the World

Singer Annie Lennox helped raising money and awareness of the HIV/AIDS impact between children and women. Her recent most known campaign is the one from South Africa, called “SING.”

For this campaign Annie has partnered with more than 23 female celebrities and musicians. What else is there to know about this?

The singer received the award for “The 2009 Woman of Peace”. Currently she is the celebrity spokesperson for FOTAC (Friends of Treatment Action Campaign). To help Annie in her mission, here are some healthy tips for HIV/AIDS patients.

Nutrition is important in HIV because a good nutrition helps keep the immune system strong. A healthy diet enables the patients to better fight disease and improves quality of life. Some of the common problems in HIV are wasting, malnutrition, and weight loss. Nutrition is important in helping the body to process the medication too. Combining diets and exercise is a smart way to fight fatigue, diarrhea, and nausea.

Generally speaking, HIV/AIDS patients should include in their diet 30% fat, 30% protein, and 40% carbohydrates. 2-4 fruit servings along with 3-5 vegetable servings should be on their daily menu as well.

The main goal for HIV-infected people should be to maintain or build the muscle mass. Proteins help keep active and strong organs like lungs and heart. They are involved in almost every biological process of the body.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy, being converted to glucose in the body. They can be classified as complex or simple. Complex carbohydrates are found in legumes, starchy foods (e.g. potatoes, corn) and grain products (e.g. rice, bread, pasta).

Weight loss could lead to losing vitamin and minerals too, that’s way it is important to maintain your weight. A good nutrition helps your body absorb the medication so they could be absorbed by the bloodstream.

Vitamins B and C are excreted in the urine, so the patients should consume more often water-soluble vitamins. Other important vitamins and minerals are vitamin D, potassium, sodium, chromium, boron, copper, manganese, zinc, and so on. Most vitamins can be obtained from food; you must be aware how you prepare your meals because cooking and processing can ruin some minerals and vitamins. Don’t forget about antioxidants like beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, selenium, zinc, and glutathione. They protect cells from damage.

Healthy living maximizes medication benefits and can help people with HIV/AIDS live longer. Boosting their immune function is very important and can be easily done with a proper diet.