HIV & Nutrition

HIV: Nutrition and Exercise When You Have HIV

Even though you have HIV, you don't have to lose weight. Good nutrition and exercise can improve your health and slow down your HIV infection.
What problems could make it hard for me to eat a healthy diet?
You might have trouble eating if you have sores in your mouth, diarrhea, nausea or just a poor appetite. If you have trouble eating or exercising, talk to your doctor.

What are some good tips for eating right?
A few simple steps can help you make sure your food is healthy and safe:
Wash your hands with soap and water before you eat so you won't get an infection from germs on your hands.

Wash fruits and vegetables before you eat them or cook them.

Wash your hands with soap and water after you touch raw fish, chicken or meat so you won't get an infection.

Be sure that meat, eggs and fish are well cooked before you eat them.
Here are some ways to put good nutrition into your diet:

Have high-calorie protein drinks or shakes. Adding powdered milk can increase the nutrition in other drinks.

Drink 8 to 10 glasses of filtered water each day.
Keep nutritious snacks on hand.

Eat high-calorie foods if you're losing weight.

Call your doctor if you lose 5 pounds or more when you didn't want to.
Talk to your doctor about taking a multivitamin every day. Take your multivitamin with a meal so your stomach won't get upset.

Infection with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, is serious. But the outlook for people with HIV and AIDS is improving. If you are infected with HIV, there are many things you can do to help ensure you have a longer, healthier life. One important thing is to take your medicines. Make sure you have a health care provider who knows how to treat HIV. You may want to join a support group. Learn as much as you can about your disease and its treatment. And eat healthy foods and exercise regularly - things that everyone should try to do.