Daily Deal Blogger

Archive for the ‘Cooking & Food’ Category

Dot’s Thot: Eating is fundamental to health and seniors need to pay special attention. Caregivers and loved ones need to learn to serve their needs in a most thoughtful way. Here are some suggestions we can all use.

Overcoming Barriers to Eating For Seniors
By Lu Young

As we age, many factors interfere with proper nutrition.

- Can’t chew.
- Upset stomach
- Can’t shop.
- Can’t cook.
- No appetite.
- Short on money.

Eating well is important. You can overcome these barriers.

Problem – Can’t Chew

Trouble with chewing is a common problem of many seniors. Meats may feel tough and difficult to get down.

Solution

Try fruit or vegetable juices, Canned fruits that are soft (peaches, pears, or applesauce), Mashed vegetables (potatoes or carrots are good examples), Creamed vegetables in soups (potato soup, cream of broccoli soup), Ground meats (gravy makes these go down easier), Alternate proteins (eggs, bean soup, milk, cheese), and Creamed fruits (mix softer fruits with yogurt or cottage cheese).

Problem – Upset stomach

Excess gas and a sensitive stomach may keep you away from some foods you identify as problems (and these are often your favorites).

Solution

Try other foods like milk or creamed soups. Also you might wish to try foods that you have never tried before. Be sure to include adequate protein. This is often lacking in people with stomach upset. See your health care provider if your problem continues.

Problem – Can’t Shop

You may be less mobile than you used to be. Perhaps you don’t drive any longer. You may be unable to stand or walk around much.

Solution

Some grocery stores deliver. Call around. Some may do it for free. Ask members of your church to help. Some are just waiting for the opportunity to be helpful and do your grocery shopping for you. Ask your minister or pastor. Sometimes they will know of volunteer groups that may do your shopping. Ask your family or neighbors. Ask your health care provider. You may be eligible for home health services. Many of them can do your shopping.

Problem – Can’t cook

You may have trouble standing at the stove or holding the utensils. Cooking may seem like too much trouble.

Solution

Try using a microwave oven. You can now cook TV dinners, pizza, vegetables and a large variety of foods there. Check the yellow pages for meals on wheels or delivery through a senior center. Ask family members or friends to help you.

Problem – No appetite

Sometimes cooking for one person just makes you lose your appetite. You may feel lonely. Some medicines may make food tasty funny or strange.

Solution

Go to the local senior center to eat. Check with your health care provider. Ask about your medications and food flavor. Spice it up a bit. Add additional spices. Try new spices. Visit friends and family for meals. Shared meals offer companionship and allow you to share gossip as well as food.

Problem – Just Don’t Have The Money

Solution

Look in the ads for foods on sale. Buy staples such as dried beans, rice, and pasta. Use coupons. Or join a coupon exchange to find coupons on foods that you normally eat. Try generic or store brand foods. Eat at the local senior center. See if you are eligible for food stamps.

Eating well at any age is important to your overall health. Try these solutions to correct your problems.

Thank you for reading my article.

Can you please help me? I have written over 50 articles for various online publications. Can you help me make money with this talent?

I have a website – http://www.bostonterrierville.com or you can email me at LuYoungRN@yahoo.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lu_Young
http://EzineArticles.com/?Overcoming-Barriers-to-Eating-For-Seniors&id=2798909

Hope this Article helps some of you out there.  Aloha, Dot

P.S.  I am thinking of writing up some recipes for seniors who still enjoy eating, but may want something softer to chew.

Related Articles and References:

• Modified MyPyramid for Older Adults (Tufts University)
• Here is one of the softest greens for chewing:  Cooking in Hawaii:  Manoa Lettuce, My Favorite Salad Greens
• Fish is another soft option:  Cooking in Hawaii:  Ahi Sashimi with Shiso, Chili Pepper, and Shoyu

Happy Saturday Everyone! I thought I’d share my latest Taste Adventure – The Regatta Ginger Beer.  It is one crazy ginger drink that’ll give you that “sinus-clearing” ginger taste.

I’m partial to gin and tonics so I tried adding a bit of this to tall fizzy glass and it really gives you a tasty bang for your buck.

If you’re the adventurous type who likes using ginger in lots of recipes, then you’ve got to try this out in your drink mixes.

Next on my list is Ginger Beer Lemonade – with some fizzy club soda.

Here’s some Linkies:

Regatta Ginger Beer

Ginger Store (BuyGingerNow.com)

Ginger-Related Videos

DoT’s Thot: “The mangosteen, queen of the tropical fruit.” — David Fairchild, in National Geographic Magazine, Vol. 17,No 4,196, April 1906

A New Discovery:  It’s a Mangosteen

Yesterday, we were in the Chinese market and saw a bag of unusual, exotic-looking fruit.  The rinds were hard and a dark mahogany purple. The sign said “mangosteen”.

As curious as ever, I wanted to try it, but hesitated.  My husband promptly turned around and asked a man, “What is this?”  He replied, “I don’t know.”  My husband whirled in the other direction and asked two women.  Same response.  He next turned to a family passing by.  The kids skipped, but the father said, “Yes, it’s good–has sections like an orange.”  The mother said, “Tastes good.”

So we brought them home.  When you look at the fruit, there is a tough stem on the top and a very distinctive flower shaped pattern on the blossom end.

I washed some up and then discovered that the skin or rind is really tough stuff.  I took my sharpest, strongest granny knife and went at it.  It took quite a bit of effort to cut through the rind.

Mangosteen Exotic Fruit Review

Once that was done, I discovered that the inner meat was a kind of creamy white.  Occasionally a brown seed would appear.  The flesh was was tangy, sweet, and very tasty.

We enjoyed every morsel of the fruit, but it takes a lot of work to get to the flesh.  Maybe if we got them freshly picked, the rind would be easier to cut through.  I would like to eat these again, but would like a mangosteen opener to go with it — somebody invent one, please.

After this mangosteen tasting, I recommend you buy and try this exotic fruit, if you have a chance.  It is worth experiencing.

Aloha, DoT