Super food for the Heart
Super foods support making the heart healthier in many ways. Studies focused on humans have shown that heart disease is practically prevented by regulating/controlling these three factors: cholesterol, smoking, and blood pressure.
That means that two out of three imperative components of a healthy heart depends largely on a healthy diet, along with movement and stress regulation. Let’s talk about foods that are nutritious to the heart and keep it functioning optimistically
Avocados: It is rich in potassium, a nutrient that’s essential to a healthy heart, several studies show that having a high potassium intake is linked to reduced blood pressure, which is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, and kidney failure. Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
Beans: Is a good source of protein, Which is one of the super food for the heart, it contains similar protein as those found in meat, fish, and so on, they have no saturated fats that can cause illness to the body, raise cholesterol levels and increase risk of heart disease, there is a different kind of beans but more advisable to eat the natural one.
Chewing raw garlic, or crush it and let it sit for a few minutes before cooking allows for the formation of allicin, maximizing its potential health benefits. Studies have found that garlic extract can inhibit platelet buildup!, which may reduce the risk of blood clots and stroke as well.
As you are aging, Think of water as one of the food you ought to take every day, you may not drink enough water because you don’t feel as thirsty as you used to, but I tell you, Water is very much needed. Our bodies are mostly water. If you’re chronically dehydrated, just think of what your cells will look like,” says Robin Foroutan, a nutritionist. “You can’t think as clearly, you get tired more easily, you don’t tolerate heat as well.
“People who complain of things like fatigue and mild headaches and constipation most often is because they need to consume more water,” Foroutan says.
Which is full of polyphenols and catechins that serve as antioxidants to prevent cell damage, minimize inflammation, and protect the heart. Green tea has a variety of health benefits, enhances insulin sensitivity to increase fat burns.
Like Fish, craps, etc, are more of Omega -3 and this nutrient is vital to maintain muscle as you age, keeping you stable to warding off osteoporosis, boosting your metabolism and protecting your joints, adding strength training to your fitness regime and it offers impressive benefits to everyone.
But, if you don’t exercise, muscle atrophy will happen more rapidly, bringing with it frailty and instability which raises the risk of serious falls and joint pains, gain the nutrients in these super food for the heart along with exercise, it will keep you strong and healthy.
Simple tips for elderly people to apply at home in Cotonou
Staying healthy is one of the most important things on which aging people can focus on, however, the big part of staying healthy is being comfortable in what you do and where you are. Some of the healthy tips that can be done and that are applicable at home to make a home comfortable to stay are the following.
Fall is the major cause of senior’s injury, the essential things to do in order to avoid fall is to make the home more free and safe, to reduce the risk of falling and to encourage home safety for seniors
Create an environment which is more open. in case an elderly person is walking, this will be easier to do, rather than using a wheelchair or walking stick, it will be easier to access the doorways.
It is important to keep emergency numbers close for any emergency reasons, mostly for elderly people, in order to give calls for assistance when necessary.
Sometimes share important photos of past memories with loved ones, look through the pictures and talk about it. that will help to refresh and remind you of the happy moments you had in the days.
It might be tempting to welcome someone who is at the door and looks nice but watch out. These are some important things you should note to avoid some unhealthy occurrence from strangers
Install a peephole in the front door to have a picture of who’s standing at the door
It is advisable not to open doors for strangers either the person lives close or abroad while the person is alone, don’t stay indoor with stranger alone,
Place a note of reminder on the wall next to the door saying, do you know this person, if No, you may pass the required information’s at the door post.
You may as well think that danger might not happen in an elderly persons bedroom but is not likely to be true, An Elderly person can come across many possible risk here, To make the bedroom safe, Replace a sagging mattress with a firmer one, it will be much more relaxed, will be more supportive and will not isolate an elder’s rest in any position and remove any weird pictures or sharp objects too from the bedroom.
It can be frightening and painful to see someone you love struggling to care for themselves. Perhaps you’ve noticed that your loved one’s home has become much messier than it used to be, maybe wearing stained or dirty clothes. You can talk to your loved ones who know others who have used home care services to assist you in getting a home care service so as to help in keeping the home clean for them.
Aging eyes does not always function like before, Elderly ones should avoid darkened areas in their home. it is advisable to remove light bulbs that are already burnt and replace with a functioning bulb so as to lighten the darkened places.
In order to make the bathroom more relaxed and safe for the elderly people, tackle the following issues,
Remember, having the comfort of your home is much more important, with the above suggested hints you can help in keeping your home safer to live in.
Prevention of High blood pressure
High blood pressure is one of the illnesses that is common with adult and aging people
High blood pressure disease (Hypertension)
Hypertension also is known as High blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure increases to unhealthy levels, actually everyone worries but it’s dangerous to worry too much because that leads to high blood pressure which is an unhealthy condition.
Categories which increase the blood components in the body are:
High blood pressure generally develops over many years, and it affects most people eventually. Fortunately, high blood pressure can be easily detected. And once you know you have high blood pressure, you can work with your doctor to control it.
High blood pressure can usually be prevented or reduced by eating healthily, maintaining a healthy weight, taking regular exercise, drinking alcohol in moderation, and quitting smoking.
Reduce the quantity of salt in the food you take each day and eat more of Vegetables and Fruits. Salt increases the rate of blood pressure in the body, the more salt you eat The higher your blood pressure, aim to eat less than 6g (0.2oz) of salt a day, which is about a teaspoonful.
Physical Exercise will help you maintain your blood pressure at a normal level, it is advisable for adults to do at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of intensive exercise each week, such as walking or ride a bicycle for like 30 minutes in a day, five days in the week. There should be one 1 hour of exercise for children and Adolescents.
Obesity also contributes and raises the risk of Hypertension, Doctors also measures your body mass index (BMI) to assess if your weight is safer side, If you don’t know your weight and height, you can use CDC’s Assessing your weight website to calculate your BMI waist and hip to determine body fat.
Enough sleep is crucial to your overall health both in keeping your heart and your blood vessels healthy, not having enough sleep increases the risk of heart diseases, high blood pressure, stroke, and some blood diseases.
Smoking increases blood pressure and puts you at a higher risk of heart attack and stroke disease. If you smoke don’t continue, quitting will lower your risk for heart disease. The doctor can recommend some methods you can apply to help you quit.
Consumption of too much Alcohol endangers and exposes you to the detriment of high blood pressure, if it wants to have alcohol, you can have the highest 2 cups of alcohol.
Taking care of Aging peoples kitchen in the Benin Republic
As the stomach is important to the body so also is the kitchen important to the home, in everyday life, the kitchen plays a key role and is most often visited, it is also a place that can make several changes as members of the family ages and skills decline.
Keep sharp objects at a lower rate in the kitchen, to avoid falling of objects from any angle, if the objects are still in use, cage every object where you would need them.
Heavy pots and pans are an accident waiting to happen most in people with arthritis or some disease that has to do with muscle loss, it might probably be difficult to lift heavy pots or pans especially if the pan is full of grease, which can easily ignite if spilled, you can get products that can help like two-handled pans, it is easier for aging people to lift with more stability
Have more unbreakable utensils in the kitchen, Purchase non-breakable or stainless utensils for kitchen use. Some thoughtful When washing or cleaning some breakable utensils, it may easily slip from the hands and drop to the ground once it drops can cause possible damage.
It’s hard to clean broken glass and adding blood to mix would just worsen the situation, to avoid such incident and bondage of hands, buying plates that won’t break or crack if drops off will be better to use.
these food are more common to cause illness to the body is likely to eating contaminated, spoiled or toxic food, can cause ruining stomach, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. when you notice or have an idea that the food in the refrigerator is rotting or expired, make it a point to remove and dispose of the unwanted product stuffing the fridge.
Kitchen properties should be kept low e.g our Aging parents may no longer be in a position to reach the top cupboards and you don’t want her to mount a step stool to try and reach the top cupboards, to avoid stretching and struggle to get things up there, range kitchen properties where it is frequently used and can easily be reached.
Sometimes hurtful incidents may mistakenly happen in the Kitchens. Fire accidents or slip and fall incidents can happen in the kitchen, therefore aging adults need to be aware of this danger and take precautions to avoid it from occurring by having a floor mat in the kitchen.
Lastly, have a fire extinguisher easily accessible. Make sure your senior knows where the fire extinguisher is and how to use it. If the fire extinguisher is in the back of the lower cupboard, it may be hard for those with limited mobility to access it. Place one or two extinguishers around the kitchen in plain sight to ensure they can reach and remember where it is.
Importance of Exercise for aging People in Cotonou, Benin Republic
Exercise has been recognized and known as one of the important health tips for both elderly and sick people, being active has been shown to have many health benefits both physically and mentally, it may also help in living a longer life.
Exercise is defined as any movement that makes your muscles work and helps calories to be burned from your body, Exercise can be done in any form of activity, e.g Jumping, Walking, Swimming, Jogging, Dancing, etc. Here I will like to lay emphasis on the importance of exercise on aging/Elderly people.
Elderly people exercise should be done on a regular basis, and having it fun and routine will help in the long run, additionally, there are many health benefits that older adults will get from long term exercise. Let’s kick off with the benefits of aging exercise.
It promotes self-confidence and temperament, exercise is an enormous relief of stress and hormones created can actually help to mitigate pain, depression or anxiety sensations, on a norm being healthy and feeling good makes you feel more positive & full of strength.
Exercise helps in improving sleep, Regular exercise will help you sleep quicker, sleep deeper, and wake up feeling more energetic and refreshed.
With aging exercise, the brain will function broadly in multiple tasks and help prevent memory loss, dementia, and cognitive impairment, exercise also helps in delaying brain disorder.
In most countries, Fit people who do exercise tend to have improved immune and digestive systems, Good blood pressure and bone density, and a lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, osteoporosis, and certain cancers.
Maintaining a healthy weight is a challenge because metabolism naturally slows with age, Exercise helps to increase metabolism and to develop muscle mass, thereby assisting to burn more calories.
Body joints require regular movement to stay healthy and supple, people with arthritis. In particular, can benefit from aerobic programs and reinforce exercise programs.
However, some aging people don’t like exercise, due to the fright of falling down, it’s frustrating to them, disability, or feel too many aches and pain and some might feel am too old to practice exercise.
Healthy Tips for heart Conditions
Man with heart disease
There are many ways in staying healthy with heart Conditions below are some tips for people with heart conditions you can apply.
Such as knitting, sewing, and crocheting can help relieve stress and do you some good. Other relaxing hobbies, such as woodworking, cooking, or completing jigsaw puzzles, may also help lessen your worries and keep you happy.
Carrying excess weight when you’re living with heart disease makes your heart work harder. That puts more strain on a muscle that’s already diseased and trying to power you through each day. It also places more stress on your joints and may worsen knee or hip pain, which may make exercising painful.
If you prefer an Afro beats two-step tune, dancing makes for a great heart-healthy workout. Like other forms of aerobic exercise, it raises your heart rate and gets your lungs pumping. It also burns up to 200 calories or more per hour, According to Mayo Clinic.
It is also said that being overweight is also a risk factor to sleep apnea pauses in breathing during sleep that increase the risk for high blood pressure, stroke. So try to keep yourself Fit and enjoy every moment of your life.
10 Healthy foods for Aging parents in Cotonou
As one starts aging, the body consistently changes not just in how they look, but also in how they work. The changes start by taking a long time to digest meals, most times you may not drink enough water because you don’t feel as thirsty as you used to. Food may lose some of its taste, so you simply might not be interested in eating.
You might have a hard time chewing, most times, might just not feel like cooking, or you might be tired of eating by yourself. When you start experiencing these signs, the well-oiled machine starts to sputter.
Talk to your family doctor or health care person about any trouble you are having as you try to eat or may seek advice from your family doctor also you can probably come up with a plan that gets you back into eating well.
Some people may not think that a beet-carrot-apple juice combination sounds good, but it’s good and nutritious, it provides an abundance of health benefits especially for seniors, beets are especially good for brain health also with lots of vitamins.
Banana smoothie is a classic and tasty drink for breakfasts. This banana spice smoothie recipe is good for digestion and for keeping inflammation under control and is belly friendly, the kefir in this smoothie is especially good for seniors due to its high content of vitamin B12.
Tomatoes is rich in antioxidants, helps aging parents from prostate cancer, and lowers the risk of lung cancer, a research published in a British journal about cancer says, using tomato soup, soda, or having it in your daily meal as one of the ingredients will help keep your body safe.
Drinking coffee has also been associated with a lower risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It is more advisable to drink coffee without sugar or refined syrups and also avoid too much milk in order to maintain the nutrient value in the coffee.
Oily fish is rich in unsaturated fats omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to minimize inflammation and potentially help reduce the risk of disease, cancer, and arthritis, so it’s also good to have more of it.
Aging people like eating nuts especially when they feel like chewing something, Nuts are high in carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, and full of omega-3s, examples of nuts are almonds, cashews, peanuts, walnuts, which are incredible for heart health. They keep your vision strong even in old age and it fights the development of skin cancer.
It has been proved that green Leaves such as Dandelion green leaf, Bitter leaves, Telfairia occidentalis (Ugwu) and other dark green vegetables have are nutritious and friendly to the body, boost the excretory system, and also helps to cleanse the inner system.
Grain food intake is linked to successful aging, helps lower cholesterol, increases blood sugar control, and maintains digestive health also shuttle waste out of the body, foods such as Brown rice, Oatmeal, Whole grain bread, etc.
Most of the protein in an egg can be found in the egg white, while the yolk contains healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, egg is a richly nutritious food and good for our health.
It is good to eat diverse fruits to benefit all the necessary vitamins that can be gained in order to sustain the body to be healthier, but there are some fruits that are more nutritious for an aging person specifically, such as Apples, Cherries, blueberries, Asparagus, Grapes, Broccoli and many more.
With the above mention diets, our aging parents can enjoy nutritious foods and live a disease-free life, living happier and eliminating all kinds of disease in the body.