People with disabilities require access to health care and health services just like everyone else. A person with disability does not imply that they are unhealthy or that they cannot be healthy. For all of us, being healthy involves achieving and maintaining good health so that we can live an active life. That entails having the knowledge and resources necessary to choose healthfully and avoid illness. By healthy eating, we can enhance our overall health, sense of wellness, and mental health. It is important to set goals for maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet. Hence, people with disabilities need healthcare that addresses their needs as a full person in order to be healthy. Most people, whether they have impairments or not, can maintain good health if they learn and adopt healthy habits. These seven (7) nutritional advices below can help those differently abled individuals:

1. Make Pinggang Pinoy the basis of your daily meal plan. In order to assist Filipinos picture a balanced diet, DOST-FNRI created a plate with the following components: 33% Go foods (carbohydrate), 33% Glow foods (vegetables), 17% Grow foods (protein), and 17% Glow foods (fruits).

2. Make a plan for your meals. You may make sure that your family eats a variety of foods each day by making a one-week meal plan or a list of the food products you need to buy. It can also assist you in effectively tracking and managing your costs.

3. To ensure their complete nutrient content, greatest flavor, and high quality, buy locally produced fresh foods as well as seasonal fruits and vegetables.

4. By including your family and friends in home gardening and animal care, you can fight food insecurity. In addition to conserving money, you might use it to start your own business and supplement family income.

5. Try to reduce your typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner into small, frequent meals when you have little to no appetite. Making your food more appealing might increase your appetite by adding bright fruits and veggies or artistically plating your meals.

6. Consume more water and fiber-rich meals such green vegetables, fruits, oats, corn, and plain popcorn if constipation occurs and there are no swallowing or dysphagia symptoms. Limit your consumption of processed foods, fast food meals, and fatty, sugary, or oily foods.

7. If your ability to eat has changed, speak with a nutritionist or dietitian.

With the help of the aforementioned advice, PWDs can safely achieve a normal body weight, a stronger immune system to protect against infections, a lower risk of developing new diseases and other issues that could deteriorate their current state, and an overall higher quality of life.

A person with a disability's eating habits can be used to classify diets:

• Regular Diet is a routine diet to guarantee a person's good nutritional status. It is offered to PWDs without any dietary restrictions or additional meal preparation techniques required.
• PWDs who are experiencing nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and cramps are given bland diets. The finest ingredients to use when cooking meals include tender cuts of chicken, fish, tofu, rice, low-fiber bread like white bread, refined oats, boiled and mashed potatoes, carrots, squash, and bananas. Foods that are fatty, spicy, and high in fiber, as well as milk and milk products, should be avoided since they irritate the stomach.
• PWDs with dysphagia (difficulty chewing and swallowing food) and breathing difficulties are advised to follow a soft diet. Therefore, it is recommended to feed sopas, lugaw, dairy items like milk and cheese, egg, soft fruits and vegetables, tofu, and shredded chicken and fish.

It is advisable to follow the following preparation techniques: grating, blending, or food processing; boiling; and mincing of materials. Additionally, it is advisable to limit the use of seasonings and hot and fatty foods.

They need the social support of their family, friends, and loved ones in order to lead a healthy lifestyle because they cannot do it on their own. Remember that people with disabilities (PDWs) just need specialized care and in-depth understanding; they are neither different from nor weird.

//Angel Mae Carangcarang-Central Mindanao University Intern

REFERENCES:

Disability and Health Healthy Living | CDC. (n.d.). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/disabilityandhealth/healthyliving.html

Ward, C. (2021). Nutrition for those Living with a Disability. Ward Nutrition. Retrieved from https://www.wardnutrition.health/blog/nutrition-for-disabilities

Booth, J. (2020). Nutrition for People with Disabilities. Benefits.com®. Retrieved from https://www.benefits.com/social-security-disability/nutrition-for-people-with-disabilities

Nutri-tips 101 for Persons with Disabilities (PWD). (2021). National Nutrition Council. Retrieved from https://www.nnc.gov.ph/regional-offices/luzon/region-iv-b-mimaropa/5698-nutri-tips-101-for-persons-with-disabilities-pwd