4 Strategies to Cut Back the Sugar in Your Elderly Loved One’s Diet

Elderly Care in Scarsdale NY

According to the Harvard School of Public Health, added sugar is something we should all cut back on in our diet. Too much extra sugar in your Elderly-Care-Scarsdale-NYelderly loved one’s diet can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and a host of other ailments. It’s possible to reduce the amount of sugar in your loved one’s diet, and here are some tips that can help make that task easier.

Slow Down on Sweet Drinks

Much of the sugar in our diet comes from calories that we drink. Juice, sweetened tea, soft drinks, and others are just a few of the ways that we add tons of sugar. It can be tough to give those up, though. Try encouraging your elderly loved one to replace just one sweet drink per day with a glass of water. Gradually increase the water count until it’s higher than the sweet drink count.

Read the Labels

It’s pretty much a given that if a food is processed, then it has added sugar and salt. Companies don’t have any requirements right now that tell them that they must include information about how much sugar in a given item is naturally occurring sugar and how much was added during processing. It still helps to read the label carefully and nix those food items that have higher sugar counts.

Try Fruit for a Sweet Fix

Instead of reaching for candy or other super sweet foods when that sweet tooth wakes up, encourage your elderly loved one to reach for fruit. Fruit has sugar, but it’s the naturally occurring kind, which is a better choice than straight sugar. Fruit also has fiber, which is definitely something that your loved one needs in her diet.

Go Slowly with the Changes

It’s tempting to just clear out the fridge and pantry and make big changes right away. What that tactic is most likely to do, however, is to make your loved one miserable with the new way of eating. Make the changes more slowly, gradually limiting sugar intake so that her body has time to adjust. Talk with her home care providers also for other ideas about making the lowered sugar intake easier on her.

Giving up sugar entirely isn’t completely reasonable, but it’s definitely possible to limit your loved one’s sugar intake and help her eat a healthier diet.

If you or an aging loved one are looking for elderly care services in Scarsdale, NY,  call the friendly staff at The Perfect Home Care at (855) 855-5728.  Call today!

 

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Added Sugar

Geralyn DiGiovanni, Manager, Client Services