Dietary Tips
As a caregiver you have probably been concerned with the dietary needs of your loved one. Here are a few tips you may want to keep in mind when preparing a meal for your loved one. These tips include remedies and recipes for bladder and bowel health concerns.
Bladder Health
You can find a list of known bladder irritants in the Diet and Daily Habits section. In addition to restricting known bladder irritants from your family member's diet, here are several tips that you can follow to help with your loved one's bladder health. Preparing your loved one's diet will help you monitor their food and drink intake.
What to do:
There is not any real scientific evidence that acidic foods are bladder irritants; however many people have reported some irritation with foods containing acids. Not all acidic foods will cause problems for your loved one, but they will not know until they try certain foods. Your loved one does not have to eliminate all acidic foods and beverages from their diet; however, it is important to monitor their intake of acidic foods and make note when an acidic food or beverage causes irritation.
Foods can contribute to a strong smell of urine. Asparagus, for example, is a known culprit to eliminate from the diet if strong urine odor is a problem.
Dietary Tip
Try a cranberry smoothie. For more information about cranberries, read this article on the evidence on cranberry.
Bowel Health
Constipation
Chronic constipation is quite common across the American population. While constipation is typically defined by infrequent bowel movements (fewer than three a week) and/or hard, even painful to evacuate stool, it is slow transit problems that often receive the greatest attention as symptoms are addressed. An even more common, but less frequently addressed, factor is the lack of coordination of the pelvic floor muscles and general weakness of the muscles.
What to do:
To address transit problems, conservative remedies work well in most cases. One remedy is to increase dietary fiber or give fiber supplements, especially insoluble fiber that adds bulk and weight to the stool. Make sure your loved one increases their physical activity and exercise in order to improve peristalsis. You also need to ensure that your loved one is getting the adequate amount of fluids (30 ml per kilo of body weight) to help with constipation. If your loved one does not respond to regulating fiber, exercise, and fluids, you might aslo consider adding a mild non-prescription laxative to help make the stool more spongy, such as MiraLAX®.
Dietary Tip
Here are a few recipes that are not only delicious but also healthy for you and your loved one. They are high in fiber, which will be helpful for your loved one’s bowel health.
- 8 cloves garlic
- 1/3 cup pine nuts
- ¾ lb. whole wheat fusilli or pene pasta
- 1 lb. thin asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 2” pieces
- 2 cups peas, fresh, or thawed from frozen, divided
- 6 oz. basil, stems discarded (about 5 cups loosely packed)
- 8 sprigs mint, stems discarded (about 1 cup loosely packed)
- 1 oz. freshly grated Parmesan (1/2-3/4 cup depending on the grater)
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Lightly brush or spray the garlic with oil. Roast the garlic with the pine nuts on a baking sheet until the nuts are golden brown and the garlic has softened, about 12 minutes.
Boil the pasta in large pot of water. Add the asparagus 2 minutes beofre the pasta is finished cooking. Add 1 ½ cups of the peas when the pasta is done. Turn off the burner, drain the pasta and vegetables, and return them to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, make the pesto. In a food processor, pulse the roasted garlic and pin nuts with the basil, mint, ½ cup of peas, half of the Parmesan, and the oil until uniformly chopped. Season with pepper and ½ tsp of salt. Scoop out ½ cup of pasta water and stir it into pesto.
Toss the pasta and vegetables with the pesto. Serve immediately sprinkled with the remaining ½ tsp. of salt and the remaining Parmesan. Serves 4.1
Per Serving (2 ½ cups)
Calories: 480 Sodium: 500 mg
Total Fat: 19g Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sat. Fat: 3.5g Carbohydrates: 65g
Protein: 20g Fiber 12g
- 1 cup green or French lentils
- 1 carrot, peeled and diced
- ¼ cup canola oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tbs grated ginger
- 1 Tbs. curry powder
- 1 tsp turmeric (optional)
- 1 15 oz can of no-salt-added diced tomatoes
- 2 unpeeled apples, cored and diced
- ½ cup whole milk plain yogurt
- 1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt (or tsp. of regular salt)
- 4 ½ cups cooked brown rice
In a medium pot, combine the lentils, carrots, and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 12-20 minutes. Remove from the heat and drain. In a large saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion until browned, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomatoes and half the apples and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in lentils and yogurt. Season with up to 1 ¼ tsp. kosher salt. Garnish wih the remaining apple. Serve with rice. Serves 6.2
Per Serving (1 cup lentils + ¾ cup rice)
Calories: 450 Sodium: 460 mg
Total Fat: 12g Cholesterol: 10 mg
Sat Fat: 1.5g Carbohydrates 71g
Protein: 14g Fiber: 16g
Diarrhea
Diarrhea is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the elderly because they may be more susceptible to viruses and bacteria due to compromised health and nutritional status. Most cases of diarrhea can be managed conservatively by replenishing with fluids that contain electrolytes (potassium and sodium salts) and altering the diet.
What to do:
The importance of rehydration cannot be over-emphasized. Try to avoid caffeine, products that are very sweet, products containing milk, and greasy foods. These foods are inclined to aggravate diarrhea. Your diet should consist of soft, bland foods and lots of water.
Dietary Tip
The best thing to do is keep your meals simple and bland, including boiled potatoes, crackers, cooked carrots, and baked chicken without the skin or fat.3 Broth works especially well. In addition, a diet of bananas, plain rice, applesauce, and toast (BRAT) has been recommended by many generations of healthcare providers and grandmothers.
- Sherwood, K. (2009). Healthy cook: Spring ahead. Nutrition Action Healthletter, 11.
- Sherwood, K. (2009). Healthy cook: Spring ahead. Nutrition Action Healthletter, 12.
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (2007). Diarrhea. Retrieved from: http://www.umuc.edu/library/guides/apa.shtml#websites
