If you have an elderly person in your life, you likely want to do what you can to help them stay healthy for as long as possible. The good news is that there are many tips that can help your elderly loved one to live the healthiest lifestyle. If you share these tips with your loved one and their senior care providers, your elderly loved one should be able to live a great life.
Snacking Well
What does your elderly loved one usually have for snacks? If they aren’t eating well normally when it comes to snacks, this needs to change. In order to live a healthy lifestyle, the snacks need to be healthy, as well. This doesn’t mean that your elderly loved one can’t ever have a candy bar again. It just means that overall they need to be eating healthier snacks. Fruits and granola bars are usually great options.
Healthier Meals
What does your elderly loved one’s meals usually look like? Do they quickly grab a frozen meal out of the freezer? If this is the case, it is important to start changing this. It will be a slow process. However, if you or their senior care provider switches up their dinner once or twice in the first few weeks to something healthier, they will get there. You can swap out a frozen dinner for a healthy boneless, skinless chicken or vegetable-based meal.
Vegetarian
Is a vegetarian lifestyle best for your elderly loved one? Depending on the current health issues that your elderly loved one faces, this might be good for them. Before switching to this type of lifestyle, you should have your loved one consult with their doctor. For some senior citizens with specific health needs, this type of lifestyle would be dangerous.
Less Unhealthy Fats and More Healthy Fats
It is important to start looking at the nutritional labels on the food that your elderly loved one eats. They need to start eating less unhealthy fats and more healthy fats. By doing this, you can help to improve your elderly loved one’s heart health and overall health, as well.
These are some of the best things you can do to help your elderly loved one live the healthiest life possible. With this being said, it is important to remember that just eating right isn’t going to be enough to change your loved one’s life. They also need some physical activity. If they can get a good walk in every day, in addition to eating right, this can help them to live their best life.
Sources: https://www.choosemyplate.gov/browse-by-audience/view-all-audiences/adults/older-adults
https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/dietary-guidelines-and-myplate/healthy-eating-for-older-adults