Not keeping yourself hydrated or properly nourished can lead to mood swings and irritability and long term, other health issues can develop. So here are some ways you can help yourself to eat well.
Set an alarm to remind you about mealtimes
Keep healthy snacks to hand that you can graze on, such as:
fruit e.g. apple slices, berries, cubes of melon
oat cakes or crackers/breadsticks
houmous
unpitted olives
carrot and celery sticks
cubes of cheese
cucumber slices
yogurts
small pots of nuts
Keep a lidded drinking cup with straw close to hand and top it up with water in the morning. You can buy ones with lines/timed markers on the side – a handy visual to remind you to stay hydrated.
Plan your meals. Cook meals in advance and divide into small portions then put one in the fridge with the ‘eat by’ date written on and label and freeze the rest. Ask a loved one for help with this.
Keep the freezer full of ‘cook from frozen’ meal options, healthy ready meals and home-cooked dishes. Include protein with every meal as it keeps you feeling fuller for longer.
Stock the cupboard with easy-cook options such as microwavable rice. Fresh pasta cooks in 3 minutes, too, but needs to be kept in the fridge. Add eggs to your shopping list – they’re great for fast meals.
Finally, if you’re not already taking a vitamin D supplement, do start – the NHS guidelines state that we should all be taking vitamin D from September to April here in the UK – to help regulate our calcium and phosphate levels and keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
Sweet tooth?
Some people living with dementia find that they crave only sweet food, even if they weren’t a fan of sweet treats before. This is because of changes to taste buds (which means only sweet flavours are detected) as well as changes going on in your brain, which affect your decision making and impulse control.
But boredom can also have a role to play in food choices, making reaching for the biscuit tin all the more appealing. Here’s what you can do to help if you find yourself filling up on sugary treats rather than eating proper meals:
Do some baking and add cinnamon – you can control the size of any cakes, muffins or biscuits you make, as well as the amount of sugar added. Cinnamon helps to control blood glucose levels too.
Share the treats around – only have something sweet if you’ve got company – and go halves with someone.
Clear out your cupboards and freezer – if you don’t have sweet goodies available, you can’t eat them.
Include naturally sweet foods in your diet. Try adding sweet potatoes and carrots to a meal, or red pepper, squash and peas and sweetcorn. A little honey in sauces and soups might help, too.
Stay active – if you sit indoors all day, you’re more likely to get bored and crave sweet things to help boost your mood and energy. Click here to find out what’s going on in your area.
Beat the craving… with fruit. Always have fruit to hand for when you fancy something sweet. Try freezing a banana and whizzing it up with some berries (even a small handful of nuts and seeds) for a creamy treat.