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Five Health Benefits of Cheese

Most people agree that cheese is delicious and adds an extra touch of tastiness to many meals. It doesn’t matter if you like good old American cheese, funky blue cheese, creamy mozzarella, or salty feta, cheese is delicious. But, did you know that cheese also has some wonderful health benefits, many of which can help your aging loved one feel better and manage some common symptoms of aging? Let’s take a look at why the next time your loved one heads to the grocery store with her home care provider, she might want to consider spending a little more time in the deli section, picking out cheese.

Cheese is an excellent source of calcium

Calcium is not only needed for strong bones (many elderly individuals need to build up bone strength), but calcium also aids in vascular function, nerve transmission, and muscle movement. The bones store that calcium so the body can run itself to its best ability. The body cannot create its own calcium so if your loved one isn’t getting enough, it will take it from the bones to nourish the body, thus weakening the bones. So getting enough calcium every day is important and there’s no better way than cheese!

Calcium is also a great source of protein

Not only will your loved one get her calcium when she eats cheese, she’ll also get her protein. Protein is needed to keep up muscle strength and help your loved one stay independently active. For good protein-packed cheeses, have your home care provider help your loved one pick out and then consume low-moisture cheeses like parmesan. Perhaps there will be some delicious Italian dishes in her future.

Cheese can prevent osteoporosis

As mentioned, with cheese being packed with calcium and protein, it can be great to add to a diet if your loved one has a family history of osteoporosis. While consuming cheese after the age of about 30 cannot undo any bone loss that has already occurred it can help the body stop losing bone mass and creating health issues like brittle bones and osteoporosis.

Cheese can help your loved one add weight

If your aging loved one is underweight and the doctor has recommended she try to add on some weight, cheese is a much better source of calories than a bunch of donuts or candy bars. With its fat and protein content, plus the many vitamins and minerals it contains, cheese is a great choice for healthily gaining weight. Have her home care provider help her find ways to add it to her diet if your loved one needs to gain weight.

Cheese can keep the dentist away

Eating cheese can help reduce the risk of dental cavities for several reasons. It helps to lower the pH balance in the mouth, reducing acid levels that may eat at tooth enamel. It also helps produce saliva, which rinses the mouth out, getting particles away from the teeth and eroding them. And as mentioned about the benefit to bones, teeth are bones so they receive those benefits of calcium as well.

There are so many choices of cheese out there that your loved one will be able to find something delicious to add to her diet and improve her health.

If you or an aging loved one is considering home care in Chandler. AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!

Reasons for Lack of Appetite in the Elderly

Has your elderly loved one been experiencing a lack of appetite? Maybe they say they aren’t hungry when you ask if they want to go out to eat. A home care provider would also notice that they aren’t eating as much as normal. This can pose a problem. However, before finding the solution to this issue, it is important to learn about the reasons for the lack of appetite in the elderly. Once you can find the reason, then, you can find a solution.

Mental Health Issues

There are many senior citizens who experience mental health issues. Some of the most common mental health issues for the elderly include depression, stress, grief, and anxiety. If your elderly loved one is feeling overwhelmed by mental health issues, this could be causing their lack of appetite.

If this is suspected, the first step is to talk with your elderly loved one. If you feel they aren’t going to be comfortable talking to you about these things, maybe they will talk to a home care provider. Once you can get to the bottom of their mental health issues, you can come up with a list of possible solutions. These might range from exercising, getting therapy, or having someone around more often. If the solutions work, it is likely that your elderly loved one’s appetite will return.

Medications

There are many different medications that have a lack of appetite listed as a side effect. If your elderly loved one is on new medications and they suddenly lost their appetite, this is likely the cause. If they have been on a certain medication for a while and didn’t experience this lack of appetite until now, this likely isn’t the cause. If you do suspect medications to cause moderate to severe lack of appetite for your elderly loved one, make sure they see their doctor about this. The doctor might be able to prescribe an alternative medication to help your elderly loved one get their appetite back.

Illnesses

There are also many illnesses that can cause a lack of appetite in the elderly. Some of the illnesses that can cause this issue include the flu, respiratory infections, appendicitis, and cancer. If you or a home care provider suspect that an illness is causing the lack of appetite for your elderly loved one, be sure to schedule them a doctor’s appointment right away. If your elderly loved one can’t or doesn’t want to eat at all, get them emergent medical attention.

Conclusion

There are many reasons for the lack of appetite in the elderly. If your elderly loved one doesn’t have much of an appetite, make sure to find the reason for this issue. Then, you can help them to find a solution. Home care providers can play a vital role in ensuring your senior receives proper nutrition.

Sources
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4589891/#:~:text=The%20physiological%20changes%20that%20occur,can%20contribute%20to%20declining%20appetite

If you or an aging loved one is considering hiring home care in Chandler, AZ, please call the caring staff at Golden Heart Senior Care of Scottsdale at (480) 284-7360. We are here to help!