Paralysis and Nutrition: Easy Tips to Improve Eating Habits
With a spinal cord injury, your body goes through a lot! When first becoming injured, you may experience weight loss as your body uses more energy to heal physical wounds. 
After years of living with process, you may struggle with weight gain due to a sedentary lifestyle. Proper nutrition is extremely important for keeping your body at a healthy weight and also giving your body the fuel it needs to maximize your energy and feel your best. In addition, maintaining proper nutrition can be important for your mental health! Your brain needs constant nutrition. Food is the fuel source, and the nutrients make all the difference. The structure and function of your brain are impacted by what you eat, which directly impacts your mood, anxiety levels, and stress management.
Addressing nutrition as a family can be beneficial for you and your loved ones together. Below are a few tips to improve your family’s eating habits.
Schedule regular mealtimes. You'll be surprised by how much eating regularly together as a family will positively impact everyone. Mealtimes offer families a chance to reflect on the day and interact with others.
When eating, put screens and devices away. The effect of screen time on the body and mind is straining and upsets the body's natural rhythm. Try making a family rule to not eat while using phones or other devices. Also, eating while watching television or using a computer almost always leads to mindless overeating.
Include family members in the planning process. Everyone should be able to openly express which foods they would enjoy for family meals.
Substitute other family activities for mindless snacking. Try to notice your hunger cues and if you feel like you’re not hungry but still mindless snacking out of boredom, shift your efforts to other activities, like spending quality time with your family. For example, play cards or board games, do something crafty, or have a family movie night.
Integrate more fruits and vegetables. In addition to being full of nutrients, fruits and vegetables also make you feel full so that you won’t be bothered by cravings between meals. Several key nutrients in fruit and vegetables play an important role in maintaining and promoting health, managing stress, and raising happiness.
Let go of perfection. Your family meals don’t have to be expensive, time-consuming, or worthy of social media pictures. Despite what the media may have you believe, there’s no perfect way to eat. It’s much more important to have flexibility and do what works for you!
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Avoid labeling food as good or bad. There is no such thing as “bad” food. There are many ways that food can nourish you. Some foods will nourish your body nutritionally while other foods nourish you in emotional or soothing ways. All foods can fit into a healthy lifestyle within moderation. Instead of labeling food negatively as “unhealthy” or “junk food,” try using language that describes how often you may engage in this type of food. For example, you may have “daily” foods and you may have “once in a while” foods.
Make meal prep a priority. Try splitting up meal prep responsibilities among family members so that everyone is taking part in this shared task. While it may seem like a big commitment, setting aside an hour or two to prepare your meals for the week will greatly reduce stress for your family.
Eating healthy as a family does not have a one-size-fits-all approach. Whether you live with paralysis yourself or are a loved one of a family member with paralysis, making a conscious effort to improve your family nutrition can be empowering for everyone.