Transition Seniors to a Heart Healthy Diet
One way to help your loved ones enjoy a high quality of life, is encouraging a heart-healthy diet. Maintaining an active lifestyle, including adequate sleep every night is also key. If your parent has these three elements in their lifestyle, chances are they’ll be around a lot longer than if ignored. When you make this transition, try to make it gradual, so your loved one will be more accepting, and it has a better chance of being embraced.
Common heart health issues in seniors
Heart disease is very common among seniors, and there are several other issues which affect seniors more than the general population. Taking care of aging parents includes helping with diet, to ensure they’re getting the nutrients they need, and much less of the fats and sweets they crave. If seniors eat the comfort foods they want instead of the foods which are good for them, it can lead to stroke, coronary disease, high cholesterol, and other issues directly related to heart health.
Foods to Include and Avoid
The best way to avoid such problems is to include plenty of fiber and nuts, lots of colorful vegetables, and lean meats when meat is served. Fatty meats should be avoided, as should high fat dairy products like butter and cream, and for beverages, tea or coffee is much better than any kind of sugary sodas. Sodium should also be monitored, so reading the nutrition label is important, to protect your loved one from consuming too much sodium.
Heart health in seniors
In addition to a healthy diet, other lifestyle components are also important to maintain good health. In-home care for seniors should include good amounts of daily exercise and sleep. Tips for exercising include making sure your loved one is capable of the program you set for them, such as daily walks around the block, or some gardening when weather permits. Community social programs for seniors might include dancing or calisthenics, which help maintain flexibility.
