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Diet & Nutrition

Preventing Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

For many people, summer is the year’s most enjoyable season. But for seniors, the extreme temperatures of July and August can represent a serious health concern. At Visiting Angels, our elderly care providers take extra care every summer to protect seniors against the dangers of heat stress and heat stroke, both of which can be especially dangerous for seniors, so we know how crucial protecting seniors against the heat can be. Preventing Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

There are many reasons why heat stroke is a particular concern among the elderly. Unlike younger adults, seniors’ bodies have trouble regulating temperature. As a result, seniors can experience heat stress more quickly than others. Seniors also have more trouble detecting changes in their own body temperature, so they often rely on family members, friends, or elderly care providers to look out for signs of heat stress. Finally, seniors’ existing medical conditions can put them at higher risk of complications or medical episodes during heat stress.

If you are concerned about heat stress and heat stroke in an elderly loved one, the following information will help you keep your loved one protected. Preventing Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

Preventing Heat Stress in Seniors

While heat stress and heat stroke are considerable dangers for seniors, there are steps you can take to lower the risk of heat stress in the elderly. As soon as it starts to get hot out, there are a number of things you can do to limit your loved one’s risk of heat stress:

  • Ensure seniors drink plenty of fluids when the temperature rises.
  • If possible, keep seniors in a cool, climate-controlled area, especially during the warmest times of the day.
  • When going outdoors, have seniors wear plenty of sunscreen.
  • Have seniors wear light and loose clothing and a shady hat when outdoors.
  • Keep seniors in shady areas as much as possible and prevent exposure to direct sunlight.
  • Make sure seniors don’t over-exert themselves when experiencing hot temperatures.

Know the Signs of Heat Stress & Heat Stroke

If you are an elderly care provider for a family member, it is important that you are aware of the signs of heat stress and heat stroke. This way, if your loved one begins to experience heat-related distress, you will be able to take immediate action.
Some of the signs of heat stress (body temperature between 99° F and 102° F) you should be aware of include:

  • Skin appears pale, is cool to the touch
  • Complaints of muscle cramps, headache, dizziness, or nausea
  • Excessive sweating
  • Pulse becomes faster and weaker
  • Breathing becomes faster and more shallow
  • Person appears tired or weak

 

A person suffering from heat stress may quickly develop heat stroke (body temperature above 103° F) — a dangerous and life-threatening condition. Once a person begins to suffer from heat stroke, their symptoms may change, and can include:

  • Skins turns red, becomes hot to the touch
  • Person stops sweating, skin feels dry
  • Severe headache, dizziness, and nausea
  • Pulse very rapid and weak
  • Breathing increasingly shallow
  • Fainting

How to Treat Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

If you believe an elderly person in your care is experiencing heat stress, it’s important that you take action quickly. An immediate response can be the difference between life and death in many situations.
Immediate steps you should take when someone is experiencing heat stroke include:

  • Have someone call 911 as quickly as possible for emergency assistance.
  • Move the person to a cool area that is shaded from the sun.
  • Use any means possible to reduce the person’s body temperature. Cold water is one of the best ways to reduce a person’s body temperature. You can mist them with a garden hose, sponge them with cold water, have them sit in a cool shower, or immerse them in a tub of cold water.
  • If you have a thermometer, monitor the person’s temperature. You should try to get their temperature to below 102° F as quickly as possible.
  • When on the phone with 911, follow all directives provided by the emergency personnel.

 

If you are concerned about heat stress and heat stroke for an elderly family member, but worry that you can’t be there to monitor your loved one during heat waves and other high-heat periods, you may wish to consider home elderly care. Elderly care services — like those provided by your local Visiting Angels — can provide your loved one with monitoring and support during hot periods. For more information, check out this brochure on Beating the Heat.

To connect with elderly care providers in your area, contact your local Visiting Angels office today. Preventing Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

* Note: Visiting Angels does not provide medical care. If you are concerned about your loved one’s health or risk of heat stroke, please contact their doctor. The information contained in this article is meant as informative only and should not be considered a recommendation for care, treatment or diagnosis.

Preventing Heat Stress & Heat Stroke in Seniors

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Safe Food Storage For Seniors
Diet & NutritionHealth

Safe Food Storage For Seniors

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Seniors are considered to be are a high risk of getting food poisoning. As you age, your immune system can fail to protect your body against infectious organisms. In most cases of poisoning, food is contaminated with bacteria such as salmonella or E. Coli or viruses such as the norovirus. If you are over 65, it is therefore important to store food safely, to bring your chances of food poisoning down considerably. Safe Food Storage For Seniors

Why are seniors at a higher risk of stomach upset?

As you age, your immune system is naturally weakened and organs can become sluggish in their functioning. The stomach and intestines can hold food for longer periods of time, and toxins can take longer to leave the body. As stated by FoodSafety.gov, many seniors are also on medication, which can weaken the immune system further, thus making it easier to fall prey to bacterial infections.

Setting the fridge and freezer at the right temperature

Seniors with sight or mobility problems should obtain help to ensure that food is stored outside the ‘danger zone’. You should therefore set your fridge to 40ºF and your freezer to 0ºF. Most modern fridges come with inbuilt thermometers. They allow you to set the temperatures you wish and do not require period resetting. When you thaw food from the freezer, pop it straight into the fridge and allow it to thaw overnight. If you have mobility issues, opt for kitchen furniture that has easily accessible buttons.

Being strict with storage directions

As you age, it can be more difficult to remember when you bought or opened items. It is therefore important to label jars you have opened, so you know how long they are safe to consume. According to Purdue University, most canned foods can be used between two to seven days after opening, but each will have its own instructions on the label that should be followed. For instance, canned tuna should be consumed around three to four days after a can is opened. Tomato sauce in a jar will last for a similar number of days. Remove foods from cans to prevent metal leakage into food. Transfer food to a quality hermetic storage system that is easy for you to clean.

Storing leftovers

Seniors should also make it a point to label the date that leftovers were stored in the fridge. According to the USDA, leftovers can remain in the fridge for a maximum of four days. For optimal safety, refrigerate them quickly; don’t allow them to sit for over two hours at room temperature or more than one hour at temperatures above 90ºF. The same velocity applies to uncooked foods like salads or sandwiches. Bacteria can multiply on these foods in the same way it can on cooked foods. If you eat slowly or you like snacking on foods at night, rather than leave a plate full of food bedside, a small refrigerator will provide easy access to your favorite foods when you are resting.

Identifying high-risk foods

Because the liver and kidneys of seniors may not get rid of toxins optimally, it is vital to take care with high-risk foods, which can be more prone to grow bacteria. These include raw meat, dairy foods, egg products, small goods such as ham, seafood, rice and pasta, salads and fruit salads, and ready-made foods that contain any of the above ingredients. It is best to cook these foods thoroughly to be on the safe side. Purchasing no more than you actually need will also help to reduce leftovers.

How to store food in the freezer

Try to keep food in shallow dishes or store in small portions so that it freezes quickly. Use vapor-proof storage systems to avoid freezer burn. If you store foods quickly in quality containers, they should retain their original quality and not have ice or frost on them when you remove them from the freezer. For liquids, opt for rigid glass containers. Dry products can be packed in freezer bags or specific wrapping for frozen foods. Remember to label foods so you don’t thaw foods out of date.

We have provided a few tips for safe storage but the best way to ensure a specific food is being stored properly is to check package instructions and conduct further research if necessary. When in doubt, throw foods away. Try to buy smaller amounts of food to avoid wastage and avoid storing foods that are at a high risk of bacterial infestation.

By Jackie Edwards

Now working as a writer, Jackie started her career in the health care sector, but after becoming a mom refocused and decided to spend more time with her family. When she’s not writing, she volunteers for a number of local mental health charities and also has a menagerie of pets to look after.

Safe Food Storage For Seniors

Safe Food Storage For Seniors Safe Food Storage For Seniors Safe Food Storage For Seniors Safe Food Storage For Seniors Safe Food Storage For Seniors Safe Food Storage For SeniorsSafe Food Storage For Seniors

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Diet & NutritionHealth

Startling Dangers of Non-Stick Pots and Pans

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Each day, millions of Americans are unwittingly cooking extra fat into their meals. But it has nothing to do with their food choices! In fact, you can’t even see, hear or taste this nasty little weight-gainer. Startling Dangers of Non-Stick Pots and Pans
What’s the culprit? It lives in common cooking utensils likely in your cupboard right now…
… non-stick pots and pans!
Specifically, the PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances) found in non-stick pots and pans. PFAS are man-made chemicals commonly used to prevent food from sticking to cooking surfaces. But they’re also used to make fabrics waterproof and stain resistant… and even help fight petroleum-product fires! (Stain resistance and fire fighting? It’s scary to think those PFAS are coursing through our bloodstream on a daily basis.)
But what do PFAS have to do with weight gain? Plenty, according to new research out of Harvard Medical School and Pennington Biomedical Research Center in LSU.

The unsettling truth about PFAS

Researchers looked at PFAS exposure in 621 overweight and obese subjects between 30-70 years old. The subjects were part of a 2-year weight-loss study measuring a variety of metabolic levels.¹
Though the subjects lost an average of 14.1 pounds in the first 6 months, they put back on 5.9 pounds from then till study’s end. No, this wasn’t entirely due to PFAS. But here’s the concerning part:
The subjects who gained the most weight tended to have the higher PFAS levels prior to the study. And this PFAS link to weight gain was even more pronounced in women.
But what explains the PFAS weight gain? Well, there isn’t a definitive answer. However, PFAS are endocrine disruptors– that is, PFAS interfere with our metabolism which affects our weight, hormones and more.
And in the first 6 months when the subjects lost weight, higher PFAS blood levels decreased metabolic rates. That means subjects’ bodies with higher PFAS burned less calories than their peers. Their bodies were less efficient at dropping excess weight!
But that’s not all.

Look what happens to your bones too…

The scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives discovered PFAS also contributed to excess bone loss.² Here, researchers examined 1,914 participants with an average age of 43.
They found that osteoporosis was far more prevalent in women in the highest quartile of PFAS than those in the lowest. In fact, researchers saw decreased bone mineral density in all key DXA scan sites: the femur; femoral neck; and lumbar spine.
Remember, PFAS are metabolism-destroyers. They can upset your bone metabolism and cause bone-resorbing cells to attack healthy bone. (Something to keep in mind the next time you pull out those teflon-coated pans to cook!)
Now, you may be wondering…

How Can I Avoid The Damage?

The simplest answer is: Throw those non-stick pots and pans away now!
Then, get some stainless steel cookware. (If you’re pre-menopausal, I’d recommend cast iron; you don’t have to be as vigilant about iron exposure as postmenopausal women.)
You’ll not only avoid toxic PFAS, but also have reliable, effective cookware for the next half century or so! In fact, I’ve enjoyed my stainless steel cookware for the last 35 years now!
They still look like new, don’t emit toxic fumes, and continue to cook a yummy stir fry.
Now, you may be thinking, “OK, that’s all well and good, but won’t the stainless steel or cast iron cookware make my food stick to the pan?”
Great question. Well, you can simply warm up your stainless steel pan and add a bit of organic coconut oil, organic butter from pastured cows, or organic canola oil to the pan. Swirl the oil or butter around to coat the pan before adding your food. You don’t want the butter or oil to smoke, so be sure to add your food as soon as the butter or oil melts. And that’s it.
So, if you’re concerned with your weight, your bone density, or your overall health… take a look in your cupboards and act accordingly!
Author: Lara Pizzorno, MDIV, MA, LMT
Lara Pizzorno is the author of “Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life – Naturally” and a member of the American Medical Writers Association with 29 years of experience specializing in bone health. Lara is the Resident Bone Health Expert at AlgaeCal, the Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, a Senior Medical Editor for SaluGenecists Inc., and Integrative Medicine Advisors, LLC.
 
SOURCES:
1 http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1002502#references
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26058082
 

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How eating less slows down the aging process
Diet & Nutrition

How eating less slows down the aging process

by Victor Marchione
written by Victor Marchione

 
Aging is inevitable, although how well you age can be affected by your lifestyle. Certain choices, including your diet, can influence how aging takes its toll on your mind and body. In this article, learn how food-sourced essential oils can help aging skin and discover some other tips for healthy aging that relate to the foods you eat every day. How eating less slows down the aging process

Can eating less slow down the aging process?

While what you eat is important, how much you consume can also influence the rate at which you age. Aging occurs at the cellular level, and new research published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics has found that reduced calorie consumption slows down the ribosomes within your cells, which slows the aging process.
The study compared two groups of mice, with the first group having unlimited access to food while the second group was fed 35 percent fewer calories, though they both consumed all of the nutrients necessary for survival. Senior author of the study, professor John Price, relayed their observations: “The calorie-restricted mice are more energetic and suffered fewer diseases. And it’s not just that they’re living longer, but because they’re better at maintaining their bodies, they’re younger for longer as well.” Calorie restriction has yet to be tested in humans, and Price asserts that people should not start drastically cutting their calorie consumption and expect to live longer. The goal of the study, he explained, was “[to get] down to the mechanisms of aging, which may help us make more educated decisions about what we eat.”

Fasting diet has proven to slow down aging

Researchers from the University of California have put the five-day fasting diet to the test, and the results look promising. The study had 19 participants eat as they normally would over the course of 25 days, and for the remaining five days of each month, they cut down to consuming 1,090 calories on the first day, and 725 calories for the remaining four. This cycle was repeated for three months, after which researchers found a reduction in biomarkers linked to aging, diabetes, and heart disease. While this diet has proven to be effective in slowing the aging process, it is important to always practice healthy eating, even during the 25 days where you are free to consume whatever you’d like.

Healthy aging tips

Aside from food quality and volume, other lifestyle changes can also help you age gracefully. Regular exercise, stress reduction, quitting or avoiding smoking, moderating alcohol consumption, being mindful of the sun and protecting your skin, and maintaining an active social life all go a long way in slowing the aging process and keeping you looking and feeling younger. Also, making use of food-sourced essential oils such as carrot seed oil, sage oil, and citrus oils to help protect your skin and hair from damage.
Studies have shown that what you eat and in what quantity can influence the rate your body ages. Being mindful of your dietary habits, as well as exercising regularly, remaining social, reducing stress, and staying away from alcohol and cigarettes can help combat the problems associated with aging.

How eating less slows down the aging process

How eating less slows down the aging process How eating less slows down the aging process How eating less slows down the aging process How eating less slows down the aging process How eating less slows down the aging process
 

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Diet and Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis
Diet & Nutrition

Diet and Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis

by Jeff Dailey
written by Jeff Dailey

Deep, aching joint pain? Limited movement? Stiffness? These are all common symptoms of osteoarthritis, a condition caused by the breakdown and eventual loss of cartilage (“cushioning”) in the joints – often from natural aging. Diet and Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis
Researchers have yet to discover a way to stop or slow the course of this joint disorder. Medication is often prescribed to help ease the pain and stiffness. Studies have shown, though, that certain lifestyle changes can help you cope with the discomfort, too. Diet and Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis

Taking control with weight loss and exercise

Some people think the only way to treat arthritis is with medication or surgery. But this is not always the case. Talk to your doctor about trying the following effective lifestyle changes first:
Lose some weight

Excess weight is the biggest risk factor for developing osteoarthritis. Being overweight or obese puts undue stress on your joints. Plus the increased inflammation that stems from being overweight wears down cartilage.

  • Keeping your body weight under control may cut your risk for osteoarthritis by 40 percent to 50 percent.
  • Even a modest loss of just 5 percent of your body weight can help take the extra load off your knees and decrease pain.
  • That means that for someone who weighs 200 pounds, losing just 10 pounds can help to ease discomfort.

Increase physical activity
Contrary to popular belief, it’s a mistake to avoid exercise in most cases. Inactivity can actually stiffen your joints even more. Activity reduces the inflammation that can make joints hurt worse.

  • Exercise can help strengthen muscles, which helps to support joints.
  • Low-impact activities such as swimming, cycling or rowing are the gentlest on your joints.
  • High-impact activities (where your feet hit the ground), such as running, basketball and tennis, put extra stress on the joints and can make your condition worse.

Always check with our doctor before you start a new activity. Together you can choose an exercise prescription that is right for you.

What about supplements?

Many supplements are being sold that claim to “support healthy joints” or “rebuild cartilage.” Some of the more popular supplements include:

  • Glucosamine and chondroitin
  • MSM (methylsulfonylmethane)
  • Ginger
  • Hyaluronic acid
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin D
  • Collagen and gelatin

Some research has shown that glucosamine may decrease pain and increase mobility in some people with arthritis. More studies are needed, though. Also, more research is needed to prove the safety and effectiveness of these other supplements.
A reduction in symptoms, though, has been proven in those who make lifestyle changes or use other modes of treatment, such as anti-inflammatories.

Try physical therapy

Physical therapy can help improve muscle strength and the motion at stiff joints in some osteoarthritis sufferers. Note, though, that if therapy does not make you feel better after three to six weeks, then it likely will not work at all.

Other types of support

Check with your doctor to see if any of the following would help you:

  • Braces for any severely affected joints
  • Special utensils to help make chores and daily life easier

So, don’t let osteoarthritis keep you down. And remember, a modest weight loss and increase in activity are natural prescriptions for warding off a host of other chronic diseases as well.
View the original Diet and exercise can help with osteoarthritis article on myOptumHealth.com
By Jane Harrison, R.D., Staff Nutritionist, myOptumHealth
Content provided by myoptumhealth.com

Diet and Exercise Helps Osteoarthritis

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Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones
Diet & Nutrition

Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones

by Kimberly Johnson
written by Kimberly Johnson

Study Shows that Specific Diet Changes Lead to Maintaining Stronger Bones

What do you eat to make your bones stronger? Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones
You likely know diet plays a big role in your bone health. But do you know what foods provide the most support for your bones? Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones
You may look to the “usual suspects” your bones prefer, like vitamin D, magnesium, and calcium-rich foods.
But planning your meals around one, two, or three nutrients is short-sighted. You need to consider your FULL diet… and a lot more nutrients.
Want to know what types of foods are loaded with the nutrients your bones need, so you don’t need to pour over hours of articles and studies to find out?
Let me share with you the foods proven to support the health of your bones, and quite frankly, your entire body.
Let’s look at a recent, first-of-its-kind study that made it crystal clear what we should be eating:
Researchers at Ohio State University reviewed data from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI), the largest study of postmenopausal women’s health in U.S. history.
The WHI studied women aged 50-79 between 1993 to 1998. Its organizers hoped to learn more about how to prevent and control older women’s diseases.
But Tonya Orchard, the lead researcher, and her colleagues at Ohio State University drilled down deeper. They wanted to understand the relation between inflammation and bone density. So, they looked at a subset of 160,191 women and their dietary data before the study.
They ranked the women by inflammation score, a score they assigned based on 32 foods the women ate — from most to least inflammatory.
Here’s what they found:

  • Women with the lowest inflammatory diets lost less bone in the six-year follow-up period than those eating diets that scored higher in inflammation.
  • White women under 63 with lower inflammatory scores had a lower risk of hip fracture compared to those with high inflammatory scores. The women with higher scores had a 50% greater risk of fracture.
  • Women with lower inflammatory scores had overall lower bone density to start with, pre-study. Despite this, their higher inflammatory counterparts still lost more bone during the study.
  • The conclusion drawn in the study, which appeared in the Journal of Bone and Mineral Research: “This suggests that a high-quality, less-inflammatory diet may be especially important in reducing hip fracture risk in younger women.”

Chronic inflammation is often referred to as a silent killer because its signs and symptoms are often subtle, but it’s constantly causing damage inside you. Chronic inflammation is now thought to be a key factor in everything from bone health and diabetes to depression, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. That’s why preventative measures — like adding more anti-inflammatory foods to your diet — are critical to overall health. Anti-inflammatory foods, like organically grown vegetables and fruits, cold water, wild-caught fish, and fermented foods like organic full fat yogurt are a delicious, natural treatment for osteoporosis that can easily be incorporated into everyday life. Plus, while you’re keeping your bones healthy, you’ll be reducing chronic inflammation and helping to keep the whole host of age-related degenerative diseases at bay.
By Lara Pizzorno, MDIV, MA, LMT

Lara Pizzorno is the author of “Your Bones: How You Can Prevent Osteoporosis and Have Strong Bones for Life – Naturally” and a member of the American Medical Writers Association with 29 years of experience specializing in bone health. Lara is the Resident Bone Health Expert at AlgaeCal, the Editor of Longevity Medicine Review, a Senior Medical Editor for SaluGenecists Inc., and Integrative Medicine Advisors, LLC.

Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones

Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones Specific Diet Changes Maintain Stronger Bones

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Foods that Fight Inflammation
Diet & Nutrition

Foods that Fight Inflammation

by Carol Marak
written by Carol Marak

A Harvard Health publication proclaims that doctors have learned one of the best remedies for fighting inflammation does reside in a medicine cabinet but the refrigerator. Foods that Fight Inflammation
It’s interesting to learn the purpose of the immune system, and according to the Harvard article, it’s designed to attack anything foreign in a physical body such as an invading plant pollen, or chemical. The process (of its attack) is inflammation, and intermittent bouts of it will stomp out the invaders to protect one’s health. But if inflammation is constant, it remains in fight mode even if a foreign invader doesn’t exist, that’s what causes a big problem–it becomes the enemy. Many major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, depression, and Alzheimer’s link to chronic inflammation.
What’s refreshing to learn is one of the most powerful tools to combat inflammation comes not from medications, but from your grocery store. “Many experimental studies have shown that components of foods or beverages may have anti-inflammatory effects,” says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition and epidemiology in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health.
That’s a relief for so many individuals because the price of drugs are outrageously costly. So instead of spending high dollars to fight inflammation, choose the right foods instead. You may be able to reduce the risk of illness. And like everything else, there are “good” foods that help reduce inflammation, and there are those that are “bad” and make matters worse. So stay away from the wrong ones that accelerate the inflammatory disease process.

Foods that inflame

  • Try to avoid or at least limit the following as much as possible:
  • White bread and pastries — the refined carbohydrates
  • Fried foods and even french fries
  • Carbonated sodas and sugar-sweetened beverages
  • Processed meat like hot dogs and sausage and even red meat
  • Shortening and margarine

Foods that fight inflammation

  • Tomatoes
  • Olive oil
  • Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, kale, and collards
  • Nuts like almonds and walnuts
  • Fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and sardines
  • Fruits like strawberries, blueberries, cherries, and oranges

Eat foods rich in anti-inflammatory compounds — this list also boosts the brain

  • Pineapples keeps blood platelets from sticking together and forming clots
  • Celery has luteolin which calms a type of immune cell in the brain, and spinal cord Cucumbers has lots of potassium which plays a key role in helping brain cells — low potassium levels relate to mood problems and depression
  • Eat foods with boron which helps boost mental alertness like raisins, chickpeas, almonds

Focus on foods that improve brain health because substances secreted by certain immune-system cells spill into the bloodstream and enter the brain and can damage the brain’s nerve cells, affecting memory and thinking skills. (Caroline Apovian, an endocrinologist at Boston University School of Medicine.)
More info on foods that cause inflammation.

Foods that Fight Inflammation

Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation Foods that Fight Inflammation

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How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget
Diet & Nutrition

How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget

by Kathy Macaraeg
written by Kathy Macaraeg

Eating Healthy Is An Essential Part of A Caregiver’s Well-being

Maintaining a healthy diet is critical to a caregiver’s well-being. When you are under constant physical and emotional stress, you must take care of yourself to protect your health. Unfortunately, eating healthy foods can cost more than eating processed, unhealthy food. How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget
While it can cost more to eat healthy, there are ways to save money and maintain a healthy diet. The best part is, many times, the lower cost alternatives are easier to prepare, which means a busy caregiver can actually follow through on a healthy diet. How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget

How to Eat Healthy on a Budget

Eating healthy on a budget is completely do-able, you just need to be creative and possibly change some of your shopping habits. Here are simple ways to save money on healthy foods. How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget
Frozen Fruits and Vegetables: While I’m not a huge fan of frozen fruit and vegetables, they definitely have their place in cheap healthy eating. You can use frozen food in breakfast foods such as frozen fruit in smoothies, yogurt parfaits or in pancakes. Frozen spinach can be mixed into pasta sauce and vegetable mixes can be used in pot pies or stir fry. You’ll up your veggie intake without spending a fortune on produce that may get bad before you get to it. Bonus – you’ll also save time since the prep work is done for you! How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget
In-Season Produce: Shopping in-season can save you a lot of money on produce. I have seen everything from buy one, get one free deals to really low prices per pound. If you check your supermarket flyer, you can figure out what produce and proteins are on sale and work your meals around them. Bonus – fresh, in-season produce tastes better!
Dried Beans and Rice: While it is way quicker, easier and tastier to buy the flavored rice mixes, it is cheaper and healthy to buy a bag of rice and prepare it yourself. Dried beans are also cheaper, however, you can sometimes find canned beans on sale and stock up. A vegetarian burrito bowl is a really easy way to eat cheaply, and it’s healthy. Just layer brown rice, black beans, a bit of cheese and whatever veggies you like with salsa and you are set. Bonus – you’ll save a ton of money on groceries if you go meatless at least once a week. How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget
Sale and Clearance Items: I am a sale junkie so I always check the flyers and stock up on our favorites when they go on sale. However, recently, I started shopping the end caps when I grocery shop at Target. A lot of times they’ll clearance out perfectly good food that had a holiday theme or seasonal theme. For instance, I bought granola bars that had wrappers featuring a movie that has been out for a while. The expiration date is still far into the future, but they aren’t promoting the movie anymore. I normally pay $2.50 for those granola bars when they are on sale. I got the clearance boxes for $1.80 each. Before you buy the sale or clearance items, be sure you can eat or freeze it before it goes bad. If you can, go to town and stock up on what you can afford.
Generic or Bulk Shop: There are many times when the generic option is just as good, if not better than the name brand and it is usually quite a bit cheaper. You may need to go through a bit of trial and error, but it is worth it in the long term if the item is cheaper and just as good. You’ll also save money buying single serve items in bulk and dividing them into individual servings yourself. My husband and I buy a quart of yogurt for smoothies and yogurt parfaits rather than buying individual yogurt cups.
Go Meatless or Fill Up on Produce First: Pick at least one day a week to go meatless and have beans, vegetable dishes or even breakfast food for dinner to cut costs. If you can’t bear to go meatless, fill up on a salad before dinner so that you’ll eat less protein. How Caregivers Can Eat Health On A Budget

Simple Cost-Cutting Grocery Tips

Shop the Flyer: Before going to the grocery store, check the weekly flyer for deals and plan your menu around it. It can be hard to go from buying what you feel like eating to buying what is on sale and working your menu around it, but it can definitely save money. You can also stock up on favorites when they are cheap so you can eat chicken on the week where pork is on sale.
Know the Prices: You don’t need to keep a fancy price book or formal tracking method, but if there are items you regularly buy, know the pricing so you can shop for them where it is cheapest. For example, my son eats a peanut butter sandwich on raisin bread five days a week. That bread is regularly priced at $4.99 at our local grocery store, but it is $2.99 at Target (before our Red Card savings). It only makes sense to buy it at Target and given how much we go through, if I know I won’t be able to get back to Target the following week, I buy two loaves and freeze one.
Meal Plan: I’m not the best at meal planning, but I find when I have a vague idea of what we will be eating during the week it saves extra trips to the grocery store, which usually cost more money and time. If you meal plan around what is on sale, you can really impact your budget.
While maintaining a healthy diet may feel like one more thing to add to your caregiver to do list, it is really important to your well-being to take care of your body. You’ll feel better, have more energy and avoid future health problems. You are worth the extra time and energy.
 
 
 
 

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Kitchen Safety Tips for Seniors Receiving In-Home Care
Diet & Nutrition

Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

Cooking for seniors is a big part of elderly care. But many family caregivers find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place when cooking for an elderly parent or relative. In cooking for older adults, it can be a struggle to follow healthy eating directives from doctors and health professionals. That’s especially true if your loved one’s taste buds are becoming less and less responsive to flavor, a common problem for the elderly. Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors
At Visiting Angels, our elderly care professionals are regularly called on to plan and prepare meals for our clients. Over the years, we’ve collected a number of tips for cooking for the elderly, including how to strike the right balance between health and flavor. Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors
Below, we’ve listed our top healthy substitutes when cooking for seniors.

Swap Spices & Fresh Herbs for Salt

Salt is a natural flavor enhancer, but high salt consumption is linked to cardiovascular problems. In old age, many seniors are told to cut back on their salt intake to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease risks.
This can be a challenge since salt is one of the first flavors that seniors lose sensitivity to. In response, many seniors add more and more salt to their foods to try to make them more flavorful.
If you’re cooking for an elderly loved one, we suggest choosing recipes that rely on fresh herbs and spices to enhance food’s flavor. This will ensure your loved one can taste the added flavor while avoiding the risks associated with heavy sodium intake. Get ideas for which herbs and spices to use here.

Swap Acidic & Naturally Sweet Ingredients for Sugar

Along with salty flavors, seniors quickly lose their ability to taste sweeter foods. Like salt, sugar is a cheap and easy way to make food taste better. And like salt, sugar is linked with an array of health issues.
One solution to this issue is to shift from recipes that focus on sweetness and instead choose dishes with a more citrusy and acidic profile. You’ll still want a little bit of sweetness in these dishes, so rely on naturally sweet foods like fruits, peppers, and sweet potatoes.

Swap Healthy Oils for Unhealthy Fats

Fats are an essential part of any diet, but it’s important to eat the right fats. Saturated and trans fats — such as those found in butter and red meat — can contribute to a range of health problems. But unsaturated fats can have a range of health benefits and often include healthy elements like omega-3 acids.
Some of the best sources of healthy fats include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, soy products, and fatty fish, such as salmon. These foods can contribute to healthy cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of heart disease.
If you’re having trouble cooking healthy foods for an elderly loved one, consider hiring a professional elderly care provider. Professional caregivers, like those at your local Visiting Angels, can attend to a range of elderly care needs, including meal planning and preparation. Contact your local Visiting Angels office today to get started.

Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors

Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors

Healthy Substitutes When Cooking for Seniors
 

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