Throughout the Inland Empire, health conscious residents are counting calories and taking note of how many grams of fat are in each serving of food that they enjoy. While this is an important part of enjoying a healthy lifestyle, it is not always the only thing to consider when making healthy choices. In many cases, people are still eating more sugar than is necessary, and this can have a detrimental impact on their health and well-being.
At St. Bernardine Care Providers, we help our patients make the best choices and sometimes this means eliminating sugar from their diet. There are several benefits associated with cutting down your sugar intake.
Why Should the Elderly Minimize The Amount of Sugar in Their Diet?
It becomes easier for Apple Valley seniors to manage their weight when they minimize the amount of sugar that they eat each day. Many processed foods are high in sugar, which means that they also are high in calories. However, they are not usually nutritious food choices so they will not satisfy a person’s hunger for very long.
This forces people to feel hungry sooner than they would if they ate something wholesome that was filled with essential vitamins and nutrients. In turn, they eat more food than they need to and never really feel satisfied. This can easily lead to unnecessary and unhealthy weight gain. By making better food choices that contain less sugar, patients will feel full for longer periods of time and avoid overeating.
It prevents elderly people from becoming addicted to sugar. Sugar, like many other things, is easy to become addicted to. If a person eats too much sugar and then tries to cut it out completely, they may experience withdrawal symptoms such as headaches. By minimizing the amount of sugar a person eats, they will avoid becoming addicted, and healthier food choices will sound better to them than sugar-filled snacks.
It can help people have more energy and generally feel better each day. Sugar, like caffeine, provides the body with a quick boost of energy. However, it does not offer the body the vitamins, minerals and nutrients it needs in order to sustain energy levels for long periods of time. Elderly people who eat less sugar and more nutritious foods will feel more energized throughout the day. Ultimately, they will enjoy more activities and a higher quality of life.
Ultimately, taking note of the amount of sugar that is in each food item can actually help senior citizens and elderly patients become more aware of the importance of making good dietary choices. Our care providers are available to help senior patients with whatever they may need, and sometimes that includes creating a meal plan or assisting with grocery shopping.
We will help evaluate each person’s dietary needs and nutrition requirements, and help them create a meal plan that is not only nutritious, but also delicious. It is actually easier than you think to eliminate sugar from the diet and still enjoy fulfilling meals each day.
