Category Archives: Going Healthy

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Parenting

4 Areas Of Support You Can Offer To Your Aging Parents

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Your parents aren’t getting any younger. It’s something that they and you will have to deal with, that inevitable fact of life that affects us all. 

And as your parents get older, it might be that they need your extra help and support in their lives. Where once they did the same for you, you might one day have to return the favor. If you feel too overwhelmed or live too far away to care for you parents, you can utilize the help of an in-home care service. Some home healthcare providers use home health software to update notes and communicate effectively with clients, so you can have a hands-on approach, even if you live far away. Having an overview of your loved ones care can give you peace of mind, while supporting an aging parent.

Chances are, you don’t need us to remind you of the kinds of support you can offer to them. If you have elderly parents, you might have taken up the mantle of help and support already. It might be that they have come to you themselves to ask for help. Still, a little reminder is never harmful, so consider these areas of support that you might be able to offer your aging parents.

#1: Daily living support

Particularly if your parents are frail and unable to manage certain aspects of their lives themselves, you might want to help them with shopping, making meals, and home maintenance. You might want to transport them to and from medical appointments too, and find them the home help they need for extra assistance with their daily living. 

#2: Health support

Some people neglect their health needs as they get older. This might be on a conscious level, or it could be because their ailing health makes them forgetful or unable to  help themselves. This is where you can make a difference, as you might be able to recognize the signs of age-related health issues that they might have missed. You might also have the opportunity to improve their health by encouraging them to exercise, perhaps by inviting them to your family outings. You can encourage them to eat well too, perhaps by arranging a meals-on-wheels service for them. And you can research areas of health advice on their behalf, such as tips on getting used to hearing aids, and suggestions on managing chronic conditions.

#3: Social support

Many older people become isolated and lonely as they age, especially after losing their peers and partner due to age and disease. Such loneliness can lead to depression and other mental health problems, so your support in this area should be considered vital. As a means of help, you might want to phone your parent/s regularly, invite them to family occasions, and visit them whenever you can. There are often senior befriending agencies available too, so get in touch with the relevant charities and businesses on behalf of your parents. And enter terms such as senior activity centers near me into Google, as you should be able to find local hobby groups that can give your aging parents a social outlet. 

#4: Housing support

Many older people prefer to age in place, so if this is possible for your ageing parents, look into ways their homes can be adapted to support their various needs. So, you might install mobility fixtures around their home, for example. On the other hand, your ageing parents might get to the point where they can’t manage alone, so you might consider assisted living options very much like Chestnut Park at Cleveland Circle. They are a care home which prides itself on giving your loved one the best possible quality of life. You also have the possibility of them coming to live with you if you are flexible enough to support them yourself. Speak to your parents about their preferences, and seek professional support for further advice. 

Thanks for reading.

Food, Going Healthy, Health, Lifestyle, Parenting

Three Ways To Win The Healthy Eating Battle With Kids

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When it comes to nutrition, most of us are pretty good on the basics by now. Eating a rainbow of seasonal fruits and vegetables, adding probiotic foods and supplements to our diets, finding healthy recipes that we can batch cook and prepare in advance and staying hydrated are top of a lot of people’s must-do lists. When it comes to kids, however, sometimes healthy eating isn’t so straightforward. A lot of conscientious parents with junk food loving kids or little fussy eaters in the family are in despair trying to enforce the rules – no dessert on a weeknight, eat all your vegetables –  and it can result in a lot of stress. As parents, it’s important that we approach food holistically with our children. Eating isn’t just about nutrition –  food is also there for fun, for comfort, for celebration and so much more. Valuing healthy food and teaching your children how to eat well shouldn’t be a daily battle.

Take A Step Back

If you’ve been caught up for a while in disagreements with your children about what they eat – perhaps you’re parenting a fussy toddler who will only eat plain pasta and freaks out at the sight of anything green hitting their plate, or a picky teen who is becoming body conscious – it’s hard to always do the right thing. We get so caught up and focused on a single issue, such as them finishing what is on their plate, or eating a certain amount of carrots before being allowed to leave the table. Take a step back for a moment. It’s perfectly normal for kids appetites to fluctuate with mood, growth stage and level of activity. If there are a few unbalanced days, try not to worry too much. Trying to control the amount your child eats is often a losing battle, and although it can be frustrating, try to focus more on doing the job of providing healthy meals, while your kid follows their own signals on how much they want to eat. Unless there is a medical issue, it’s far better to allow children to regulate the amount they eat and learn to listen to satiety signals in their body.

Involve Them In Cooking

Kids are generally far more interested in what’s on their plate if you can involve them in how it got there. Simple ideas, such as starting a vegetable garden and growing thing together, letting them help to make a simple and fun dish like zucchini bolognese, or finding healthier cook-at-home versions of favorite treats, like the low carb cookies recipe here can make them keener to eat the right things. Another big hit is usually ‘build your own’ meals like pizzas, salad bars or fajitas – just set up a station of healthy ingredients and let your kids do the rest.

Don’t Forbid Treats

Generally banning or otherwise overly demonizing any food is not a good idea, as it quite frequently leads to eating issues later in life. Work on introducing more healthy options that your child enjoys instead. Not keen on broccoli? Don’t push on that – but offer alternatives like sugar snap peas or mashed sweet potato that may go down better. And remember to allow the odd cookie or bag of chips – it’s okay every once in a while.

Going Healthy, Health, Life, Lifestyle

Why You Shouldn’t Be Scared of Health Issues and Procedures

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Unless you’re Superman, you’re going to encounter some health issues during your life. When this happens, regardless of how small or substantial, it can be tempting to start worrying. Even things as little as a blocked nose can throw you off your game, and the older you get, the more difficult it is to recover. 

However, while it’s not convenient, you don’t need to get scared about these health issues. But if you do struggle with dealing with health problems, here are some useful hints to consider next time you encounter them that should help you feel better. 

It’s Just Part of Getting Older

The first time you encounter a health problem can knock you off your game, especially for younger people who are just entering middle age. Suddenly, you’ll find it’s not as easy to walk up the stairs as it once was, or you’ll suffer from headaches or dizzy spells more regularly. 

In these cases, it’s best to consult a doctor who will give you the information you need and may even recommend lifestyle changes that could, at the very least, stave off the effects of growing old for now. 

It’s Sometimes Necessary

While you wish you could go through life without dealing with the doctor or suffering from health issues and the following procedures, realizing that it’s sometimes necessary to keep you the best you can be.

Things like invasive surgery or even a correct hearing aid fitting are not designed to scare you, but instead, help you get better without causing significant changes to your life. In most cases, you will even accept it was the right thing to happen to you, even if you weren’t too happy about it at first. 

It’s (Probably) Not As Bad As You Think

The immediate reaction to an ominous phone call from the doctor is to panic. But this is a natural thing that happens, even if you’re not much of a hypochondriac as others might be. 

Your head starts filling with the worst possible scenarios about what could be the problem. However, often, the issue is never as bad as you might think, and it’s merely symptoms of age, stress, or a bad diet that you can fix. 

It’s Your Job to Be Strong

After getting bad news, it’s easy for people to shut down, and they struggle with keeping a positive attitude. This is expected, but for many people, it’s their job to be strong in the face of adversity. By giving up, you put your loved ones in an awkward position. 

They want to help you get through any issues, but this can be hard to do if you’re not willing to accept their help. Instead of pushing people away, you should instead welcome this support to help get you through to the other side healthy and happy. 

It’s All Going to Be Okay

Health issues and procedures are simply something that everybody will need to deal with at some point in their lives. While it can be easy to feel concerned, especially if it seems more significant than you initially expected, using this advice to help you deal with any fears can help you overcome it much easier than you would have before.