Monterey, CA Exercise, Good Nutrition And Social Interaction Key For Seniors
At Family inHome Caregiving, we stress the fact that exercise, social interaction and a good diet are keys to longevity for our senior clients, most of which are in their 90’s or even 100’s. The most difficult of the three in the current COVID-19 environment is social interaction, but this doesn’t have to be in person. Keep in touch with your friends and family with a zoom or facetime call. A good diet isn’t hard to do either. Do a google search on the Mediterranean diet—it is delicious. There are a number of quick and healthy ways to cook salmon, which is very good for you. Paired up with some vegetables and a nice salad and you will enjoy it. Exercise is not that hard to keep up with either. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week which means taking a brisk walk of 20-30 minutes per day. Some physicians suggest that you mix it up so that you don’t get bored and you use different muscle groups. That means doing a bit of biking, swimming or yoga.
Carmel, CA Family inHome Caregiving Promotes Healthy Diet To Clients
At Family inHome Caregiving, we stress that seniors should get the proper amount of exercise, plenty of social interaction, and eat a healthy diet. Many of our clients are in their 90’s and some even over 100 and most have lead very healthy lives which lead to their longevity. Following a diet like the Mediterranean diet which includes a lot of vegetables, fish, olive oil and is light on red meat can help stave off a number of diseases. Nutritional supplements can help, but they just aren’t the same thing as eating healthy food. A 2019 study of more than 30,000 adults found that healthy levels of vitamins A and K and the minerals magnesium and zinc may be associated with a lower risk of death—but only from food, not pills (AARP The Magazine, April/May 2022, page 34).
Senior Obesity A Big Problem For Seniors
Obesity is a big problem in America, with 74% of the population overweight. As you grow older, you likely will become more sedentary which can result in senior obesity. This can create a domino effect of health issues such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a high risk of stroke. Lisa Young, a registered dietitian nutritionist and the author of “Finally Full, Finally Slim†recently gave a speech at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Food and Nutrition Conference and Expo has a number of tips to help you keep the weight off. One of the more helpful ones is “Mindful eating is a tool to help with weight loss. It helps you focus on your hunger and fullness levels, so you are eating because you are hungry, and you want that food – not because a big portion is in front of you.â€Â Mindful or Intuitive eating can also help you ask yourself, “Do I like this food†or “Am I really hungry?’ This ultimately helps you eat a smaller portion and can lead to weight loss.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/10/health/lose-weight-healthfully-mindful-eating-wellness/index.html
Carmel, CA Many Nutritionists Recommending Vitamin B12 And Vitamin D3 For Seniors
There have been debates over whether it is prudent to take just one multivitamin per day versus taking a variety of different vitamins. Part of it depends on what your diet looks like. Some believe supplements are not that effective. “When you take things out of the food matrix and you put a single ingredient into a pill, it doesn’t have the same effect,†Katherine Tucker, director of the Center for Population Health at the University of Massachusetts Lowell told AARP Bulletin (June 2021, page 32). In regards to B12 and D3, experts say that you can’t get them from plants. In addition, as we get older, we begin to develop difficulty absorbing them in their natural form. Vitamin B12 plays an essential role in nerve function. A shortfall has been associated with depression, dementia, decreased cognitive function and anemia. If you don’t get out in the sun much, a D3 supplement can be helpful. It’s needed to maintain a healthy immune system, bones and muscles while protecting us from cognitive decline. If you have diabetes, with a doctors note you can enroll in diabetes nutrition classes here at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula (CHOMP):
https://www.montagehealth.org/locations/profile/diabetes-nutrition-therapy/
They also publish a monthly schedule in the Monterey Herald with classes on fitness, estate planning, cancer and other subjects. Many of the classes are free.
Nutrition Important To Seniors
At Family inHome Caregiving, we always stress the importance of getting the proper amount of exercise, plenty of social interaction (even if it is on zoom!) and a nutritional diet, A study done at Rush University Medical Center found that those who ate just one serving of leafy greens per day had a slower cognitive decline. The Mediterranean Diet has also shown a significant impact on longevity. And if you have a problem getting exercise regularly, make a date with a food friend where you do two hours of aerobic exercise a week. Exercisers are 45% less likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease according to the Alzheimer’s Drug Discovery Foundation.
Carb Counting Important For Diabetics
The September/October Issue of Diabetes Forecast (page 30) had an article about how important carb counting is when you are diabetic. Compared with protein and fat, carbs have the greatest effect on your blood glucose. By counting how many grams of carb you’ll be eating, you can more accurately dose mealtime insulin and keep your blood glucose level stable. Read the labels on prepared foods that you buy, many of them will already have this information.