"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 85: Casey Flaherty - Nutrition, Exercise and CF

Casey Flaherty, 25 years old with cystic fibrosis, lives in New York City and is training for the ING New York City Marathon. Casey also is working, attending nursing school, taking yoga classes and living, breathing and succeeding with CF.

  • Casey eats a high-calorie, well-rounded diet consisting of fruits, nuts, vegetables, dairy for calcium, and lots of carbohydrates and protein.
  • “Besides being adherent to my treatments, I believe in good nutrition, exercise and rest. I try to get eight hours of sleep every night,” Casey says.
  • Casey loves junk foods like baked goods and pizza, but she tries to stay away from foods high in corn syrup and processed goodies.
  • “I am always eating throughout the day, so I make sure I pack my bag with fruit and trail mix,” she says.
  • Casey’s little secret on nutrition and CF is that she eats a lot of peanut butter and cheese as snacks because of their nutritional value.
  • “CF is part of my life, and I just deal with it. Everyone has something,” Casey says.
  • Casey’s recommendations to others with CF: “Be adherent to your medications, eat a well-balanced diet, rest and communicate with your doctor."
  • Casey believes “the more you put into your health, the more you will get out of it!”

This “LIVING. BREATHING. SUCCEEDING.” Podcast/Vodcast is the 7th in a series of 12 made possible through an unrestricted educational grant from Genentech to the Boomer Esiason Foundation.

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