Blisstree » Alzheimers+meals

Brain Food for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

Liz Lewis — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 08:48:31 +0000

Check out this list of 20 Super Brain Foods. It’s got all the important foods that will help feed the brain of not only someone with Alzheimer’s but also the ones who are looking after them.

1. Wholegrain Foods
2. Walnuts
3. Cashews
4. Almonds
5. Pecans
6. Blueberries
7. Strawberries
8. Blackberries
9. Sunflower Seeds
10. Pumpkin Seeds
11. Green Tea
12. Eggs
13. Avocados
14. Tomatoes
15. Brocolli
16. Red Cabbage
17. Eggplant
18. Spinach
19. Yoghurt
20. Chocolate

Want to know why and how these foods feed the brain. Then head over to Life of Zen read all about them.

Post from: Blisstree

Brain Food for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers.

Summer Food Ideas for Alzheimer’s Caregivers & Patients

Mary Emma Allen — Mon, 30 Jul 2007 15:31:36 +0000

Having trouble tempting the Alzheimer’s patient to eat nourishing foods during hot summer days? Or having trouble getting them to eat at all?

Also, what about yourself? Caregivers need to care for themselves with proper nutrition. Sometimes life seems so hectic that good eating habits for ourselves are neglected.

Try some of the food ideas found at Jul’s Veggie Chic. She’s hosting the Vegetarian Carnival #4 with Summer in the Kitchen.

“….enjoy the delicious vegetarian delacacies being served up around the interwebs. Today we have a variety of summer treats for your enjoyment”

Also, at the Science and Health Channel, you’ll find recommendations from Kendra James at Diabetes Notes that Fruit is a Welcome Choice for Diabetics. Some Alzheimer’s patients are diabetic (like my aunt) or simply enjoy fruit (like Mother). Kendra has some good food suggestions and mentions that each diabetic has to find what works for them.

“Fruit is often thought of as ’scary’ for dibetics when truth be told, it is a great way to get what you need in your daily diet naturally,” says Kendra.

My mom always enjoyed fruit and vegetables throughout her life, more than meat although she wasn’t a vegetarian. I recall once at the nursing home, when I visited at supper time, a nurse remarked, “Your mother isn’t eating well tonight.”

I inquired, “What are you feeding her?”

“Pureed roast beef.”

(At that stage Mother couldn’t chew so they had to mash or puree her food.)

Then I asked what else they had and found pureed green beans and mashed pears on the menu.

“Try some of the beans and pears,” I said. “Mother never was much of a meat eater.”

Sure enough, Mother willingly ate those, although she consumer more of the pears than the beans. So find out what your Alzheimer’s patient will eat…try some new ideas and enjoy fruits and vegetables on the summer menu for yourself, too.

Post from: Blisstree

Summer Food Ideas for Alzheimer’s Caregivers & Patients

Maintaining optimum weight for Alzheimer’s patients.

Liz Lewis — Fri, 18 May 2007 10:11:36 +0000

Getting people with Alzheimer’s disease to eat is often a battle. As a result, they often fall below their optimum weight. But now it seems that Swedish researchers have discovered the means of increasing the weight of people with Alzheimer’s disesae.

Their three month study focused on whether increased staff training and a more supportive environment would result in increased weight in patients with moderate and severe dementia.

The results concluded that weight gain can occur in Alzheimer’s patients by:

- improving communication and patient involvement
- altering meal routines
- providing a more homely environment

The results of this study have been published in the May issue of the Journal of Clinical Nursing.

Reference article: Alzheimer’s Weight Gain Initiative Also Improved Patient’s Intellectual Ablities

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Maintaining optimum weight for Alzheimer’s patients.

Healthy Diets for Alzheimer’s Patients

Mary Emma Allen — Thu, 31 Aug 2006 23:30:50 +0000

When Alzheimer’s patients can’t prepare their own food and often don’t know any longer what’s best for them, family members and nursing home staff have these decisions to make. Since many afflicted with Alzheimer’s also suffer from high blood pressure or have had strokes, salt intake often must be monitored.

Perhaps my tips that Hsien-Hsien Lei, PhD, published on her blog, A Hearty Life, today would be of interest to those planning meals for anyone with Alzheimer’s. You’ll find them at: http://www.aheartylife.com/2006/08/31/hearty-habits-15-watch-the-salt/.

Post from: Blisstree

Healthy Diets for Alzheimer’s Patients