Over the years, there have been many studies done when it comes to eating habits and life expectancy. Most agree that restricted calorie diets often lead to longer lives, but there has been very little done in terms of figuring out just why this happens. And what’s perhaps even more relevant when it comes to our lives, how can we use this information to help improve the quality of life for those that we love? Whether your parent is currently in great health, they are receiving in-home care or another type of senior care, or you just want to apply this information to your own life, learning how to eat healthier and help others do the same is important knowledge.
Today, what researchers understand is that aging is connected to the ribosomes–our cells’ components that deal with protein production. When they have less to process, the aging process slows down, artificially slowing down how fast the cells within our bodies grow older. When they are able to slow down, this component of our cells has extra time to repair themselves.
There have been many studies done here, but most involve testing on animals, such as lab mice. Transferring this information over to people is a little bit more complicated. Most people want access to more than enough food, and limiting calories is often seen as a bad thing rather than a good one. However, by eating healthy food and eating smaller portions, we can achieve some of the same results in our own lives and those of our loved ones. Staying away from high fat and high cholesterol foods can contribute some of the same benefits to our lives. As long as there are sufficient nutrients for survival, dietary changes can sometimes help our bodies repair themselves and live longer, healthier lives.
Ultimately, you cannot determine with certainty what the future will hold for yourself or your elderly family members. All that you can do is to take steps and make suggestions so that your family has the best chances of living a healthy and happy life. If they are already in need of senior care, dietary changes are probably not going to drastically improve their health, but they can still hold potential. We encourage you to speak with a medical professional to get a better idea on how changes in diet can help lead to better health.
Also, remember that when senior care is involved, it is important to remember that a great caregiver can make life much better for your mom or dad. While a professional in-home care specialist might not be able to do anything to improve their physical health, you still want someone that can contribute to their wellbeing. This might come in the form of helping with mental health by providing companionship, or it might be someone who is specifically trained for dealing with emergencies. When you go with a high quality care service, you should expect to get both of these and more from your caregiver.
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