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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