As we age, managing blood pressure becomes more critical for heart health and overall well-being. Dietary adjustments can help seniors manage hypertension and reduce their risk of stroke, heart attack, and renal disease. Home care services can be valuable for seniors, educating them on how to make healthy dietary choices that are not only healthy for them but that they will enjoy.
Understanding Why a Healthy Diet Matters
Before getting into specific nutritional adjustments, it’s important to understand why diet matters. High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the force of blood against the arterial walls is consistently excessive. Certain foods can raise or lower blood pressure based on their salt, fat, and vitamin content.
Educating seniors about this relationship gives them the details they need to make informed decisions, along with motivating them to make necessary changes.
Exploring the DASH Diet
When dealing with blood pressure issues, doctors and nutritionists frequently suggest the DASH diet. This diet places an emphasis on the following:
- Fruits and vegetables: Seniors should eat 4-5 servings of each every day. Bananas, oranges, leafy greens, and berries are high in potassium and magnesium, which help decrease blood pressure.
- Whole grains: Fiber-rich foods such as brown rice, quinoa, oats, and whole wheat bread help to maintain healthy blood vessels.
- Low-fat dairy: Yogurt, milk, and cheese—in moderation—provide calcium, which promotes vascular function.
- Lean proteins: Skinless chicken, fish, lentils, and legumes are excellent replacements for fatty portions of red meat.
Home care providers can review the DASH diet with seniors, helping them make gradual changes, such as changing one meal at a time.
Reduce the Salt—Maintain the Flavor
Sodium is a major contributor to high blood pressure, and lowering it can have immediate benefits. However, many seniors have grown accustomed to salty food. To ease the transition, the following tips can be offered:
- Increase the use of herbs and spices such as garlic, basil, oregano, and turmeric
- Choose low-sodium canned foods and sauces
- Learn how to read labels, looking for foods with less than 140 mg of salt per serving
- Focus on home-cooked meals to control the salt content
Increase Hydration and Reduce Processed Foods
Drinking plenty of water helps remove extra salt from the body and improves kidney function. Home care providers can encourage seniors to drink water, herbal teas, and naturally flavored water instead of sugary or caffeinated beverages.
In addition to staying hydrated, it’s a good idea for seniors struggling with blood pressure to reduce the amount of processed foods in their diets, such as frozen meals, chips, and deli meats, all of which are rich in sodium and preservatives.
Make It Social and Simple
Dietary changes are more easily implemented when they are social. With this in mind, seniors and home care providers cooking together makes the process more enjoyable, as does encouraging seniors to take cooking lessons or participate in community or neighborhood recipe swaps. When trying new recipes, it’s also important to make sure the directions are simple and straightforward.
Teaching seniors how to manage their blood pressure through nutrition is an important part of their care. Patience, education, and support offered by home care can help seniors adopt healthy eating habits that enhance long-term vitality and well-being.
If you or an aging loved one is considering Home Care in Columbus, NE, please contact the caring staff at AmanaCare today. Call (402) 440-5878, for Central Nebraska Call 308-663-3828
AmanaCare Provides Senior Home Care Services in Lincoln, Kearney, Grand Island, North Platte, Hastings, Omaha, Columbus, Broken Bow, Scottsbluff, Norfolk and surrounding areas.
Sources:
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456
- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-you-can-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure/managing-blood-pressure-with-a-heart-healthy-diet
- https://www.ncoa.org/article/10-foods-that-help-lower-blood-pressure-naturally/
