Best Diets to Help Your Elderly Loved One Improve Their Heart Health

It is important to incorporate a heart-healthy diet into your elderly loved one’s eating schedule. Experts all over the country recommend a heart-healthy diet for a number of reasons. This type of diet can help a person manage their blood pressure, reduce the chances of someone experiencing a heart attack, and improve overall health. Learn more about the types of heart-healthy diets that can be beneficial to your elderly loved one today.

The DASH Diet

Elder Care Fairfax, VA: Best Diets for Your Seniors

Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, also known as the DASH diet, is one of the most popular heart healthy diets. It promotes nutrients like protein, calcium, fiber, and potassium. These can all help fend off high blood pressure. This diet is pretty simple. It allows a person to basically eat all the foods they are used to eating which include the following:

• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Whole grains
• Lean proteins

It also allows a person to eat low-fat dairy, as well. However, your elderly loved one will have to avoid foods that are high in saturated fats, full-fat dairy products, many of their favorite sweets, and sugar sweetened drinks. If your loved one needs help avoiding these things, you or an elder care provider can be there to encourage them to eat healthier.

The Mediterranean Diet

There are some studies that show people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea live longer than a lot of Americans. They also get cancer less than Americans. If your elderly loved one chooses this type of diet plan, they will be eating less red meat and saturated fat foods. They will also eat more items with very little sugar. However, they will be encouraged to eat foods that include the following:

• Fruits
• Veggies
• Whole grains
• Nuts
• Legumes

This diet also allows for a person to use many flavorful herbs and spices. In addition, they will be encouraged to eat seafood and fish a couple of times a week. Many experts recommend this diet to people who want to eat a heart-healthy diet and for those who want to control their weight.

The Ornish Diet

The Ornish diet was introduced years ago by Dean Ornish. He is a clinical professor of medicine at the University of California in San Francisco. In this diet plan, your loved one will have to avoid foods with cholesterol, oils, and refined carbohydrates. However, they will be able to have egg whites and 1 cup of nonfat milk every day. They will also be able to eat foods that contain fiber and other complex carbohydrates. Your elderly loved one might also be able to consume 2 ounces of alcohol a day, as well.

Conclusion

As an elder care provider or family caregiver, you probably know how important it is to keep the heart healthy. Eating the proper diet can help your elderly loved one accomplish their goal of maintaining a healthy heart. Take a minute today to sit with your elderly loved one. Talk to them about incorporating a heart-healthy diet into their life.

If you or an aging loved-one is considering elder care in Fairfax, VA please contact the caring staff at Thrive Health Care Services today. (703) 992-0484 

Sources

https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/ConditionsAndTreatments/heart-disease-and-food