Archives for nutrition

Healthy Ingredients to Swap Into Recipes

Eating is such a joy. Food brings comfort or excitement or, at the very least, sustenance. When looking to change a diet it can be extra difficult to let go of certain foods, especially if they’re a favorite. But don’t stress, this article is meant to help you swap out a few ingredients or items for healthier options without feeling growing pains associated with the swaps. With a few creative ideas eating healthy can be effortless.   Doable and Realistic Ingredient Substitutions When discussing healthy ingredients and healthy recipes it is important to remember that following the shift in your
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Nutrition for Seniors

Let’s face it, many of us struggle to eat healthy. Most of us want to feel fit and look good, but we struggle to make the right healthy eating choices, or we may not even know what those choices are. Particularly if you are an older adult, you will have heard all different things about how to eat healthy, and it can be confusing. We want to help make things easier and more understandable with a few healthy eating tips for seniors below. Healthy Eating Tips Eat a Variety of Foods – When people talk about eating healthy, one thing
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Fruits and Veggies May Lower Alzheimer’s

We always hear from doctors and loved ones that we should eat healthy. Eating healthy can help a person avoid sickness and major health problems, and recent evidence suggests that eating healthy can also lower risks of Alzheimer’s. Learn more about this below. Eating your fruits and veggies is not just for improved physical health, but healthy eating can also help your cognitive health because it can lower your risk of getting Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia, which means it involves memory loss and cognitive struggles. This type of health issue gets worse over time so that the
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The 6 Benefits of Pumpkin

September 23rd marked the first day of Fall and we are so excited for what this season brings. One thing to look forward to is all the pumpkin flavored options there are! Whether it is in a pie or a latte, pumpkin seems to be everywhere. But did you know there are many physical health benefits to pumpkin? Believe it or not pumpkin can be very beneficial to your diet! Below we have put together a list of all the surprising health benefits pumpkins have. Check it out here from us at Freedom Healthcare.   Leading the way, pumpkin makes
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Heart Healthy Foods That Help Your Cardiac Diet

Following a heart healthy or cardiac diet can benefit everyone- even those who do not have heart disease. Heart healthy foods are foods that have a lot of nutrients and avoid sodium and large quantities of sugar. At Freedom Home Care, we have put together a list of these foods to incorporate into your everyday diet.   When you incorporate these foods into your lifestyle, you are fueling your body with everything it needs to stay as healthy as possible and improve your overall health. These foods can help you lose weight, lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, and will
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American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month. This month gives us all the chance to focus on heart health and the steps we can take to make our heart function better. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for people in the United States. One in four deaths are caused by heart disease. However, this is a disease that can be prevented when people make healthy lifestyle decisions. February is American Heart Month, so we are helping to get out the word and help people make some lifestyle changes to prevent heart disease. How Can You Prevent Heart Disease? There are
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How To Make Thanksgiving Easier on Senior Relatives

As the season of gratitude nears and we plan festive gatherings, it’s of utmost importance to give special attention to the seniors in our families. Everything from meal preparation and house accommodation to family conversation plays a key part in how their holiday goes. Even a small thought or chat about these things with elderly family members can go a long way. It’s not something to stress about this season, just to pay attention to. Use and share these tips and make Thanksgiving easier for senior relatives, and yourself too! Make Plans That Make Sense Don’t get caught up in
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Mediterranean Diet For Memory

What’s good for the heart is good for the brain. According to the chief of the division of preventive medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a professor of medicine at Harvard University, JoAnn Manson, “the two are strongly connected.” Manson is referring to findings that say a Mediterranean diet can help prevent age-related cognitive decline. A recent study published in the JAMA Internal Medicine journal reports that eating meals which include whole grains, fish, vegetables, olive oil, and nuts is an essential part of maintaining brain health. A clinical trial was conducted in Spain comparing the brain health of seniors in their 60s and 70s.
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Why Protein in Seniors is Important

Whether your mom or dad is receiving senior services in Chicago from Freedom Home Care or you’re providing their care individually, their diet is of utmost importance—especially the amount of protein they are getting. This is because proteins are building blocks that contribute to the successful functioning of the entire body. They are used not only to build and repair tissues, including muscles, tendons, skin, and organs but also to make hormones and enzymes. In addition to helping individuals stay at a healthy weight and absorb key nutrients, proteins also contribute to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, enhanced concentration, higher
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Older Americans Face Hunger

Recently, the topic of hunger has come even more into focus here in America, and this time the focus is on the elderly. Even with the numerous programs in place here in the United States, there are millions of people who go without proper nourishment every day. Those who are aging are not excluded from these statistics. It’s estimated that close to 10 million people ages 50 and over and are currently described as “food insecure.” This number has nearly doubled since 2001. Here at Freedom Home Care we know firsthand how important diet and nutrition are, and just how
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