Nutrition guide for healthy heart for elderly people

Foods to Avoid, Foods to Encourage for Healthy Eating 

As individuals age, their bodies change – the metabolism slows, their appetite may fluctuate. A balanced diet is key to helping an elderly person feel healthy and happy and it’s not a difficult thing to plan.

As a home caregiver, you’ll have the opportunity to help your client maintain a nutritious, heart-healthy diet that can improve their quality of life and help them to feel their best. Here are a few guidelines that you can use to establish a healthy, tasty diet for your elderly loved one.

Foods to Avoid or Limit

Foods that contain low density lipoproteins (LDLs) can increase an older individual’s cholesterol and possibly contribute to weight gain and other issues. High intake of sodium can lead to excessive thirst, even bloating, two conditions that can make your elderly client feel very uncomfortable. When you’re creating a healthy eating plan for the elderly, limit the intake of these foods:

• High-fat milk
• Mayonnaise
• Doughnuts and baked goods
• Potato chips
• Butter
• Ice cream
• Red meat
• Lamb
• Fried foods
• Packaged foods

Encourage and Increase Consumption of These Foods

Just as there are foods that a home caregiver should help their client to avoid or limit, there are also foods that should be encouraged. Fresh, whole foods can help to lower LDLs (the bad cholesterol), to fill the stomach and increase high density lipoproteins (HDLs, the good cholesterol). Try to encourage your older loved ones to eat more of these foods:

• Orange juice
• Whole grains
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Low fat foods (like milks and cheeses)
• Beans (black, red, white, pinto and many other varieties)

A careful nutrition routine can help an elderly patient to avoid digestive problems, heart issues and weight gain.  There’s no reason that a treat now and then wouldn’t be appropriate, but as a home caregiver, you should pay attention to how much sugar, fat and LDL-raising power there is in the food that they, and encourage them to make healthy choices as much as you can.

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