Consuming large amounts of sugar can increase the risk of obesity, high cholesterol, and hypertension, which are issues that could lead to diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, learning healthy ways to satisfy your senior parent’s sweet tooth could enhance his or her overall wellbeing. Take a look at some healthy alternatives to eating sugary foods.
Eat More Fruit
Fresh fruit can often satisfy the craving for something sweet. Fruits like pineapple, grapes, apples, and berries contain natural sugar, and they can trick areas of the brain that control memory, pleasure, and reward. As a result, the fruit can leave your loved one feeling satisfied instead of stuffed and depressed.
Drink Plenty of Water
Seniors should consume at least eight glasses of water each day to prevent dehydration, which can increase sugar cravings. Hunger and thirst produce similar sensations, and when your loved one is thirsty, his or her mind could misinterpret the feeling as hunger. By staying hydrated, your loved one can reduce food cravings and clean out dangerous toxins from his or her body.
Some seniors find it difficult to eat healthy and stay hydrated because of health conditions or mobility issues. Living with serious health conditions can make it challenging for seniors to age in place. However, they can maintain a higher quality of life with the help of professional live-in care. Edmonton seniors can benefit from assistance with meal prep, bathing, transportation to the doctor’s office, medication reminders, and much more.
Go Sugar-Free
Aging adults should try to eat sugar-free products to boost their mental wellbeing without lowering their metabolism or causing nutrient deficiencies. Cutting down on sugar can boost cardiovascular health and reduce the risk of a stroke or heart attack. Eating sugar-free treats can satisfy your loved one’s urge without leading to clogged arteries and an overworked heart. Some of the best sugar-free desserts that can satisfy a senior’s sweet tooth are:
- Pudding
- Cookies
- Chocolate
- Pies
A professional caregiver can be a terrific source of support for a senior who needs a hand with preparing sugar-free dishes and nutritious meals. Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional homecare services. Home Care Assistance is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Reduce Stress Levels
Sugar cravings are often due to emotional stress, which is preventable. When older adults are full of anxiety, they typically crave comfort foods or turn to bad habits, such as smoking and drinking alcohol. Helping your loved one control his or her stress levels is an excellent way to reduce the craving for sweets.
You should also make sure your loved one has easy access to healthy snacks, such as nuts, kale chips, and dessert options that contain less sugar. When emotional eating isn’t controlled, your loved one could gain weight and be at higher risk for falls, which could lead to head traumas or hip fractures.
Eat Sugary Treats in Moderation
In some cases, cutting sweets out of the diet altogether may not be an option. Try to limit what your loved one consumes and when. For example, you could make the weekends “free time,” when your parent can have the dessert of his or her choice. Eating sweets in moderation could prevent your loved one from consuming high amounts of sugar and saturated fat during the week and reduce the risk of conditions like diabetes. Having free days doesn’t mean your loved one can eat cookies, candies, and other sweets every hour. There should be a limit of one treat per day on those days.
Limiting consumption of sweets is part of an overall healthy lifestyle, and some seniors need help when it comes to managing nutrition. Not every senior has the same care needs, which means they don’t all need the same type of senior care. Edmonton families can rely on Home Care Assistance to provide individualized care plans to meet their elderly loved ones’ unique care needs. Our holistic Balanced Care Method was designed to help seniors focus on healthy lifestyle habits such as eating nutritious foods, exercising regularly, and maintaining strong social ties, and our Cognitive Therapeutics Method offers mentally stimulating activities that can stave off cognitive decline and delay the onset of dementia. For reliable in-home care services, contact us at (780) 490-7337 today.