Caregiver in Raleigh NC
You probably already know that your elderly loved one needs a healthy, balanced diet, but are you getting the same yourself? It’s time to take a look at what you’re eating so you can keep being an awesome family caregiver.
Don’t Deny Yourself
Eating a healthier diet isn’t about denying yourself the foods that you love to eat. You can eat just about whatever you want, really, but the key is about moderation. Maybe don’t eat that whole chocolate cake in one sitting, for example. But you don’t have to do without chocolate for the rest of your life, either. If you think of your new way of eating as a diet or as a restricted eating plan, you’re going to hate it.
Look at What You Already Eat
For a short time, perhaps a week or so, keep a food diary. You can use an app on your smartphone or even just a piece of paper, but track everything that you eat, even if it’s just a bite. This helps you to get a realistic look at how and what you’re eating right now. Without this snapshot, you don’t know where to make the best changes.
So are you grabbing something from a drive-thru after greeting your loved one’s elderly care provider and heading out the door for work? Or do you pack a healthy breakfast that is a balance of whole grains, protein, and fruit? Knowing what you’re dealing with is the biggest part of the battle.
Slowly Swap out Foods for Healthier Choices
After you have your food diary, look over your entries and really think about where you could have made substitutions. Instead of that toaster pastry, maybe a better choice could have been a whole grain bagel with some fruit. It’s not about beating yourself up at this point, it’s about realizing that there are other options than the pre-packaged convenience foods.
Get Help Making a Change
Once you’re ready to make a change, consider talking to your doctor or to a dietician for advice about how to balance the changes you want to make. They can help you to put together meal plans, add different recipes to your rotation, and generally stay on target overall.
Making even small changes can show you a big return on your effort.
