Tag Archives: Wednesbury

Simple dietary advice to take down cholesterol

You did tests and found that your cholesterol levels are “pinched”?

If your doctor ruled out the possibility that high cholesterol is due to hereditary, pathological, or other factors, change your eating habits and take down the values of cholesterol at 20-30% rate.

Foods with low cholesterol

Try limiting saturated fats and fatty acids, legal limit is 10 to 15 grams per day. Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products like meat and dairy. Block completely fried food, fatty sauces and snacks.

Also limit dietary cholesterol located in foods such as eggs, liver, intestines and shrimp, to 300 mg a day.

Soluble fiber

Soluble fiber is found in foods such as oats, beans, rice, barley and fruits rich in pectin such as apples and pears. Consume 25-35 grams of soluble fiber per day.

Garlic

Studies have shown that garlic helps to lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. The ideal amount is 2-4 cloves of fresh garlic daily.

Plant sterols and stanols

Plant sterols and stanols reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and largely preventing its absorption in the intestine. There are in a lot of fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes and vegetable oils.

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B5 may help to reduce cholesterol. It has also been shown that the enzyme that converts from vitamin B5, coenzyme A, is used by the body to remove harmful herbicides, pesticides and drugs. Vitamin B5 is found in brewer’s yeast, royal jelly, liver, egg yolk, broccoli, avocado, mushrooms, nuts and in supplement form.

Cholesterol and eggs

Eggs have been “blamed” for the high content of cholesterol in their yolk so many avoid them.

In reality, eggs are extremely nutritious, and give us a significant amount of protein, iron, calcium and vitamins.

Clinical studies have demonstrated that cholesterol from the egg, and other foods of animal origin, has mild effect on cholesterol levels in blood.

…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk

Exercise for elderly people with Down syndrome

The key features of the elderly apply for the comparable period of people with Down syndrome. These are cell atrophy, impaired metabolism (increased catabolism), reduction of the defense capacity of the organism, reducing healing processes and regeneration, degeneration of the nervous system.

The biological changes that occur with increasing age play a key role in the quality of physical – motor performance. Thus, the elderly are prone to disease, are more likely to suffer a fracture due to progressive osteoporosis, demonstrate a decrease of sensory functions of vision and hearing, more frequently heart attacks and strokes and malignant diseases.

In addition, they show a decrease in motor skills, as well as speed, flexibility, coordination and muscle strength decrease gradually.

Although overall life expectancy has improved, people with Down syndrome have even greater mortality at any age, compared with age-matched sample from the general population or compared with individuals with intellectual disabilities due to causes other than Down syndrome.

With age, the amount of people with Down syndrome is reduced, hypotonia is improving, muscular body mass is reduced and there is increased fat storage. Obesity, which displays high levels here, is a limiting factor because it greatly affects the activity of these individuals.

Thus, regular exercise (appropriate at least 3 times a week) helps older people with Down syndrome, because they are given the opportunity through exercise to be able to cope with the demands of everyday life and continue to maintain their social activities.

The realization and participation in activities such as motor sports, helps older people in one hand to feel independent, useful and capable in society, on the other hand gives them the opportunity to get to know younger or same age people and this has resulted in them to become increasingly social. The elderly should be part of motor programs, since changes made on muscle strength, endurance, coordination and movement of the joints have a direct impact on the daily life.

There are plenty of activities with many advantages for seniors with Down syndrome. Walking is an ideal exercise in parks or other places for example. Other activities include aerobics, various ball games, weightlifting and swimming. Within the pool they can walk and do various exercises to strengthen the muscles. Buoyancy of the water allows movement of muscles and joints, assisting or providing resistance resulting in prevent many injuries and safe strengthening. Water is the most appropriate environment for exercise, especially for groups, because the risk for falls is minimal.

Exercising in groups helps maintain relationships. Aerobic exercise, always tailored to the needs of older people with Down syndrome, gives them the opportunity to learn drills or do exercises having a goal and pace. Thus, gain physical strength, greater durability, better muscle strength and joint mobility.

In conclusion, exercise holds a key role for aged people with Down syndrome, as for the elderly in general. If there is not a health problem that makes the individual’s participation impossible for various activities, then this person has no reason to avoid exercise and not gain a complete active life.

…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk

Prevention of malnutrition in the elderly – part 1

Μalnutrition develops when the body does not receive the necessary amount of energy, protein, vitamins and other nutrients to maintain health and proper organ function.

Losses of nutrients in the elderly can be accelerated by a large range of conditions, including diarrhea, severe intestinal dysfunction, burns, excessive sweating, serious injury and long stay in hospital.

Malnutrition in the elderly can lead to various health problems, such as:

• A weak immune system, which increases the risk of infections
• Poor wound healing
• Muscle weakness, which can lead to falls and fractures

In addition, poor nutrition can lead to further lack of interest in eating or lack of appetite that worsens the problem.

Older people who are seriously ill and those who have dementia or have lost weight, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of malnutrition.

How to detect malnutrition?

Signs of malnutrition in the elderly can be difficult to spot, especially in people who do not look at risk, but if you detect some early signs that can help prevent complications later.

For detection of malnutrition:

Observe the eating habits of an elderly person. Record all the meals during the day and find out if the person is living alone and who buys their food.

Watch weight loss. Help the elderly to keep track of their weight to find out in time any losses. A sign of weight loss is changes in the size of their clothes, i.e. to look more baggy on them.

Identify other signs. Malnutrition, in addition to weight loss, can cause poor healing of wounds, easy bruising and dental problems.

Know their medications. Many drugs affect the appetite, digestion and absorption of nutrients.

Specifically, there are three points to be examined in more detail to identify malnutrition:

Is the elderly already underweight? Assessed by calculating the BMI, where less than 20 kg / m2 indicates an increased risk of malnutrition. Some researchers have argued that the ideal BMI range for older people (especially for those over 75 years) will be moved up to 23-25 kg / m2 to allow for changes in body composition.

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…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk

Prevention of malnutrition in the elderly – part 2

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Have they lost weight? A loss of more than 5% in three months or 10% in six months is indicative of an increased risk of malnutrition.

Have their appetite or food intake changed? The reduction in food intake or appetite increases the nutritional risk of malnutrition.

If the answer is yes to any of these questions then further evaluation is required.

How to deal with malnutrition?

Firstly, a balanced diet that provides the necessary energy and nutrients for a healthy person may not be sufficient when there is chronic malnutrition. In order to restore the nutritional status, dietary requirements may be increased compared to a healthy person with good nutritional status.

Often, people who are malnourished because of a disease cannot meet their nutritional requirements through diet alone. The nutrition challenge is partly due to the fact that many people suffer from chronic loss of appetite, and other factors that adversely affect the nutritional intake. In such cases, the diet may be enhanced by the oral ingestion of dietary supplements, products that are dense in energy and nutrients, as defined in the European Union as “food for special medical purposes”. An oral intake of food supplements of 200 to 400 ml can contribute significantly to meeting the needs of energy, protein and other nutrients, such as vitamins.

More and more clinical data highlight the nutritional, functional and clinical benefits of nutritional supplements, especially in acutely ill and elderly patients, while there is much official guidance on their use. Apart from the potential benefits of dietary supplements in health of the individual, cost advantages may also arise.

The term “malnutrition” often raises images of starvation, usually associated with third world countries. Nevertheless, many people do not know that poor nutritional status is also in areas with abundant food.

Remember that the identification and treatment of nutrition can promote good health, independence and increase longevity.

…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk

The needs of people in old age – part 1

The term “old age” usually brings to mind elderly people with health problems who have difficulty taking care of themselves. They are often lonely, and despite the free time available after the end of their career as workers, opportunities for fun are scarce. The needs of everyday life are increased and the elderly find it difficult to cope, as their economic situation is aggravated.

Their need to feel useful again to the community is strong, since most have their families and professional obligations taken care of. However, their need to provide and operate is often hampered by various health conditions that keep them on the sidelines of life. In short, elderly are at a stage of their life stereotypically characterized by loss of autonomy, worsening of quality of life and marginalization, three interrelated situations.

Referring to old age, it is usually used as a chronological separation limit from adults to elders, about 65 years old age. In this age physiological and biological changes in the human body begin to emerge. These relate to body composition and metabolism, and the different systems – cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal – and neurological / brain functions. These changes, which can be regarded as normal “wear and tear”, are consistently developing and emerging diseases, usually chronic in nature.

Starting from changes in body composition of an elder, we should mention that the ratio of water – fat changes with an increase in the percentage of fat and a corresponding reduction of water, and muscle mass. This, apart from obvious changes can be observed in the body, and not significantly affect the metabolism of various drugs. So it is important that the use and the pharmacological effect of taking drugs to be controlled in order to avoid effects of toxicity or reduced action. Furthermore, the reduction of bone density often causes problems in the skeleton and joints.

In the cardiovascular system is caused significant damage as physiological vascular lesions and impaired cardiac muscle lead to decreased blood flow. This has resulted in deterioration in cardiac function, as the myocardium meets the increased needs of the organism. These phenomena occur and lead to the development of chronic diseases. In addition, factors such as smoking and poor diet exacerbate the situation. High concentrations of “bad» LDL cholesterol and triglycerides lead to the creation of atherosclerotic plates and coronary artery disease, which weakens the heart muscle and can cause arrhythmias and heart failure.

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…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk

The needs of people in old age – part 2

Continuing…

Furthermore, respiratory functions get weakened. A very serious and dangerous disease is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a chronic, as indicated by its name, inflammation of the lungs caused primarily after continuous and chronic exposure to noxious stimuli, such as smoking.

Regarding brain function, a decrease in blood flow and synthesis of neurotransmitters, has the effect of reducing the psychomotor and cognitive abilities of elderly people. Also, a very serious disease of our time, which is found mainly in people over 65 years, is Alzheimer’s. It is a form of degenerative, incurable dementia. Symptoms include memory loss, and confusion, aggression, depression and gradual decline of bodily functions.

Finally, it is worth mentioning an embarrassing situation for the elderly, which deprives them largely their independence. This situation is urinary incontinence, and although it can occur in any age group, the incidence rate is increased significantly with advancing age. Common causes of incontinence are changes in the anatomy of the urinary tract, the muscles or the nerves that control these muscles. These changes may contribute to specific neurological disorders or some trauma (e.g. multiple sclerosis, stroke, spinal cord injury, etc.), pregnancy and childbirth, hormonal changes that occur during menopause or obesity.

Chronic incontinence can be divided into the following subcategories:

• Incontinence effort
• Urinary incontinence
• Functional incontinence
• Overflow incontinence
• Mixed incontinence

Incontinence treatment may include medication or even surgery depending on the situation.

Having seen, then, some of the physical problems the elderly have to deal with, we can easily justify the negative psychology, depression, and irritation they may externalize. The weakness of self providing, fear of the future and the state of health, but also social and psychological factors – bereavement, lack of interest, loneliness, and even financial difficulties – result in introversion and withdrawal.

What is worth remembering is that the progress of medical science is rapid and to our advantage. Health problems, less or more serious acquire ways to be treated thanks to medical advances. The elderly nowadays can be kept active and greatly improve their quality of life with the help of science, and it is certainly optimistic for all of us the fact that life expectancy has increased about 30 years from the mid-20th century. Apart, however, from what has been said, perhaps most important of all to improve the psychology and living standards of the elderly, is support from both social care, and the family environment.

It is necessary to be recognized as active citizens, desirable in the community, and of course to ensure their right to a decent routine, enjoying life.

…this article is provided by www.tiptonhomecare.co.uk