{"id":338571,"date":"2019-06-17T09:37:37","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T09:37:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/our-location\/birmingham\/blog\/top-tips-on-maintaining-a-healthy-diet\/"},"modified":"2025-12-05T11:14:13","modified_gmt":"2025-12-05T11:14:13","slug":"top-tips-on-maintaining-a-healthy-diet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.helpinghandshomecare.co.uk\/blog\/top-tips-on-maintaining-a-healthy-diet\/","title":{"rendered":"Top tips on maintaining a healthy diet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Who doesn\u2019t love chip shop chips with a slice of bread and butter for tea? Or jam roly-poly with custard for afters? Knowing what to eat throughout the day can be confusing, especially for those living with dementia. Have you noticed that we often choose the easy options that are usually packaged, processed, quick to cook and calorific? Maybe your waistline has\u2026<\/p>\n

Remember when you were hungry after school and your mum would respond with, \u201chave some fruit\u201d? Those were the days! Getting plenty of nutrients from food and drinking lots of water in your younger days was essential for growth and development \u2013 but why should that stop now?<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re starting to think you or your loved one\u2019s diet might be lacking on the healthy front \u2013 we\u2019re here to help.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Drink plenty of fluids<\/h2>\n

By this we mean water. We\u2019re all guilty of drinking caffeinated and sugary drinks, which is fine if it\u2019s not on a regular basis. Did you know that drinking one can of coke a day adds up to 322g of sugar per week? That\u2019s 80 sugar cubes, not to mention a whole lot of horses you can treat!<\/p>\n

Juice, milkshakes and fizzy drinks are full of calories that will contribute to your waistline (which gets harder to shift as you age), as well as having a detrimental effect on your well-being and mental health<\/a>. If you\u2019re a fan of drinking orange juice with your morning granola, avoid \u2018from concentrate\u2019 and always choose the organic or natural options. Why? \u2018from concentrate\u2019 means the excess water from the fruit is removed, lessening the nutritional value of the fruit.<\/p>\n

Health authorities recommend drinking approximately two litres of water every day<\/a>, but you should always trust your thirst – it\u2019s there for a reason. Encourage your loved ones to sip on water regularly – you could use a straw, sippy cup or water bottle to help them stay hydrated.<\/p>\n

Five a day<\/h2>\n

A squirt of ketchup? A packet of Fruitella? The answer is no, and no.<\/p>\n

One glass of unsweetened orange juice at breakfast, carrot sticks and an apple with your lunch and two portions of veg with your evening meal \u2013 sorted.<\/p>\n

Evidence shows that there are significant health benefits<\/a> to eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables in your diet every day. Packed with essential vitamins, minerals and fibre, you can rest assured these low fat (provided you don\u2019t fry or roast them in oil) goodies will keep your body and mind healthy.<\/p>\n

Watch your salt<\/h2>\n

Always check the food labels. Now that the government and food retailers have agreed on front-of-pack labelling, there\u2019s no reading glasses required. Simply check the colour-coding scheme<\/a> on the food item; you\u2019ll often find a mixture of green, amber and red.<\/p>\n

When doing your weekly food shop, use the traffic light system. If it\u2019s green, go for it! If it\u2019s red, don\u2019t risk it.<\/p>\n

The government have advised adults to consume less that 6g of salt per day<\/a>, but on average, as a nation, we consume more than this. Avoid adding additional salt to your meals, or if you want extra flavour \u2013 add some herbs and spices.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Treat yourself<\/h2>\n

Rich chocolate. Creamy macaroni cheese. A full English breakfast. Don\u2019t worry, we\u2019re not saying you can\u2019t or shouldn\u2019t eat them, in fact we encourage having treats, but that\u2019s exactly what they should be.<\/p>\n

Have a cheat day once a week. Many people choose weekends to spoil themselves with the occasional goody, but you can choose whatever day suits you.<\/p>\n

Do you or your loved one need a helping hand?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Keeping a balanced diet is an important step to a happy, healthy and independent lifestyle, which is why our friendly and knowledgeable carers are on hand to help you and your loved ones. Whether it\u2019s help preparing nutritious meals for the week, baking (low fat) scones for afternoon tea, washing up those stubborn kitchen appliances, or clearing out the fridge every now and again \u2013 we\u2019re here to support you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Who doesn\u2019t love chip shop chips with a slice of bread and butter for tea? Or jam roly-poly with custard for afters? Knowing what to eat throughout the day can be confusing, especially for those living with dementia. Have you noticed that we often choose the easy options that are usually packaged, processed, quick to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":320412,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-post-hh.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","_glsr_average":0,"_glsr_ranking":0,"_glsr_reviews":0,"medium_featured_image":0,"small_featured_image":0,"extra_small_featured_image":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-338571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTop tips on maintaining a healthy diet | Helping Hands<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Knowing what to eat during the day can be confusing, especially for those living with dementia. 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