The following steps to help your patients lead a healthy lifestyle should be considered:

• Try and stop smoking - this is the single most effective lifestyle change they can make; advise your patients on the products and services available to help them.
  
  
• Limit alcohol intake – the recommended maximum intake is 14 units per week for both men and women. This should be spread evenly over the week rather than consumed at once (otherwise known as binge drinking). Both men and women should have at least two alcohol free days per week.
  
  
• Eat a healthy, balanced diet
  • Limit salt intake to a maximum of 6g per day.
  • Limit intake of refined sugars by avoiding processed foods and cakes/pastries.
  • Eat your '5 a day' of fruit and vegetables, eat 'a rainbow', different coloured fruit and vegetables contain different vitamins and minerals.
    
    
• Try to lose weight – being overweight can make it harder to breathe and so make symptoms worse. It also makes it harder to exercise.
  
  
• Try to exercise regularly – ideally 20-30 minutes three or four times a week. Immobile patients should be advised to do upper limb exercises. COPD patients should be advised to exercise at their own level causing them to become a little out of breath but not to overstrain themselves. Exercise will improve breathing, ease symptoms and lead to a better quality of life.
  
  
• Make sure patients are up to date with immunisations to reduce the risk of chest infections. A one-off pneumococcus injection and a flu vaccine every year before the flu season starts are recommended.