Problems with food

HIV can cause infection in the throat, gum and mouth, making it extremely painful to eat.

To overcome this problem, you could choose alternative food or cooking methods that are easier to chew and swallow, but providing similar nutrients at the same time.

For example, you could choose mashed potatoes over roast potatoes or chips, minced meat over roast meat, steamed fish over battered fish, soft fruits like berries and banana over apples and pears.

Avoid anything that might stimulate the lining of your mouth such as chilli, pepper, raw onion and garlic.

Some drugs cause nausea, which further reduces appetite. You could add some lemon juice, ginger or cinnamon to your hot drinks to help relieve the nausea.

Diarrhoea is the most common problem among people with HIV. HIV itself, along with malnutrition and some drugs, can cause diarrhoea. If water is not replaced as quickly as it is lost from the stool, it will lead to dehydration. Diarrhoea also weakens the gut, making it less able to absorb food and drugs. The vicious cycle carries on as the less food and drug absorbed, the more severe diarrhoea might become.

Nevertheless, diarrhoea will go away naturally if it is well managed. People often stop eating as they experience discomfort when food passes through the gut - but you must eat more than usual as you are not absorbing as much. Carefully wash and cook your food thoroughly to reduce the risks of further infection.

Eat more soluble fibre, such as oats, white rice, pasta and legumes, as they help with absorbing water and make the stool bulkier. At the same time avoid insoluble fibre, such as whole wheat bread and cereal, skins of fruits, seeds and nuts, as they have the opposite effect. Drink plenty of fluid between meals to prevent dehydration. Avoid fatty, oily and sugary foods and drinks.

Fighting HIV requires a lot of energy, so it is understandable why you may often feel tired. When tired, you may feel less motivated to make nice meals and might then be influenced to buy less healthy ready-made meals or junk food. If you are ill you may also be less able to work and hence make less money. Lower income is found to influence people to make less healthy food choices.

To make healthier food choices with a lower budget, you could buy frozen and canned fruit and vegetables instead of fresh ones and long-life UHT milk instead of pasteurised milk. You could choose snacks that are lower in saturated fats such as bread sticks, yoghurt, rice pudding or cereal bars as opposed to biscuits, doughnuts, cakes and chips. When you make a dish you could make a larger portion and chill or freeze the rest for later.

There are a number of organisations providing support for those who might be financially vulnerable. For example Terrence Higgins Trust provides advice on housing, benefits and employment and The Food Chain provides short term help with your food and nutrition.