4 Things Seniors Can Do To Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
Senior Home Care in Spotswood NJ
The holidays are here and with the holidays come a lot of delicious high-calorie treats. It’s really important for seniors to maintain a healthy weight, just as it is younger people. So gaining even a few pounds during the holidays can be bad for a senior’s health. Not gaining weight during the holidays can be tough for everyone, but especially tough for seniors who aren’t as active as they once were. Here are some things that seniors can do to avoid gaining weight during the holidays and how senior home care can help:
Go For A Walk Daily
Seniors may not be able to exercise much because of physical illnesses but almost all seniors can at least go walking. And going for a walk every day can help seniors avoid gaining weight by increasing the amount of calories they burn. That extra activity can make up for the extra calories that seniors are eating during the holidays. Senior home care can accompany your parent on daily walks for companionship, mobility assistance and safety.
Don’t Skip Meals
Seniors may think that they should skip meals so that they can eat more holiday foods, but skipping meals will just make seniors hungrier. Then they will end up eating more calories than they should and not getting those calories from nutritious sources. Instead of skipping meals seniors should be eating small meals throughout the day. That way their blood sugar will stay stable and they will be able to get some of the vitamins and nutrients they need. Seniors need to eat regularly so that they don’t feel light-headed or dizzy.
Limit Treats
Even though it can be tempting to eat all the holiday treats that are around during the holidays seniors should limit their indulgences to just the treats they really have been looking forward to the most. Seniors don’t have to deprive themselves of holiday favorites but they should make smart choices. If seniors want to have a large variety of holiday foods they should cut the portion size in half or in fourths so that they can try a little of everything. Cutting portion sizes will give seniors the chance to eat all of their favorites without going overboard on calories, sugar, and fat.
Be Careful Of Liquid Calories
Liquid calories still count, and they can add up really quickly. Holiday punches often have full sugar soda and juice. Hot chocolate, alcohol, and other holiday drinks also have a lot of calories. Drinking a couple glasses of punch or a large mug of egg nog can add hundreds of calories over and above what seniors usually eat. And when seniors can’t exercise to help minimize the impact of those extra calories the extra pounds can add up very quickly. Seniors should stick to drinking water or sparkling water so that they aren’t drinking large amounts of calories.
If you or an aging loved one is considering senior home care in Spotswood, NJ, please contact the caring staff at Care Street Home Care today. Call (732) 607-8870.
The Care Street mission is straightforward and compelling: to provide a comprehensive range of the highest quality home health services in a professional and efficient manner that will enhance our clients' quality of life and empower families to keep their loved one at home.
Care Street has earned a reputation of excellence among hundreds of families, and is recommended by medical professionals and hospital discharge planners throughout the State.
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