"I try to reassure everyone who has been affected by this disease that CF isn't the end of the world if you don't want it to be."
The experience of living with cystic fibrosis is markedly different today than it was decades ago. Thanks to the discovery of the CF gene, the availability of effective drug therapies and advances in technology, the 30,000 Americans who deal with the disease day in and day out are living longer and fuller lives. In a word, they are thriving.
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Podcast 73: Gunnar Esiason - Better Living Through Nutrition

Gunnar Esiason is 17 years old with cystic fibrosis. He's a high school senior and actively involved in sports, being compliant, and gearing up for college.

  • Gunnar was diagnosed at age two and lives on Long Island with his family.
  • "CF has obviously shaped my life, but I am fortunate to have a great family and friends,” Gunnar says.
  • Gunnar loves to eat. Some of his favorite foods include steak, pizza, hamburgers, shrimp and carrots.
  • “I take my enzymes with snacks and meals so my body can absorb all the nutrients from my foods and help me to gain weight. Also, if I don’t take my enzymes, I will get stomachaches, and that is very uncomfortable," Gunnar says.
  • Gunnar keeps his enzymes in a pill box and always carries them in his pocket or backpack.
  • “I usually try and have four meals a day and snacks between meals, and I make sure that I have a lot of OPTIONS with my food choices. I also make milkshakes to get extra calories."
  • Gunnar’s advice on nutrition to others with CF: “Take your enzymes to help you stay healthy and keep your weight on and be energetic."
  • “My long-term hopes and dreams are to live a long and full, healthy life and play sports till I am 60,” he says.

This podcast was made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from EURAND to the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

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