People with HIV can get early heart disease and other diseases such as diabetes. Maintaining a healthy weight for your height is important to prevent illnesses such as these.

A good way to do this is to eat a well-balanced diet low in saturated fats (eg animal fats, coconut and palm oil) and do 30 – 60 minutes of exercise (such as walking, swimming or cycling) each day. It is also good to eat more unsaturated fats, mainly plant based oils (eg olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil) and fish.

For more information about nutrition and healthy eating the visit the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating or the Dietary Guidelines for all Australians.

A general multivitamin may be helpful if you are not having a well-balanced diet, but it cannot replace eating well.

You can also reduce some of the side effects of HIV treatments through the types and timing of foods that you eat.  

Check with your doctor before commencing any complementary therapies as they can interact with your HIV treatments.

Speak to your doctor or a HIV dietitian for more information.