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Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

As we age, the importance of improvements to our diet cannot be underestimated. In many ways it becomes more imperative to watch what we eat and take care of ourselves, especially if you’re managing a long term health condition or illness. What we eat, and put into our bodies directly affects how we function on a day to day basis, and making a few subtle changes to our eating regime can offer a whole host of benefits from increased energy to better sleep at night. Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age

The Importance of Fats

Many of us may shy away from fats in our diet and it’s true that taking on board too much saturated fat can have a detrimental effect on our arteries and digestion, but we do all need a certain amount to keep ourselves healthy. It’s knowing the types of fats and how much to consume that is key. The importance of Omega 3 oils cannot be underestimated and these can be found in foods like oily fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) and white fish like Alaskan Pollock. Olive oil contains high amounts of Omega 3 and eating this raw in salad dressings or using it in cooking in place of regular vegetable oil can help make a difference. Vegetarian sources include flax and chia seeds and these can be added to or sprinkled on breakfast meals like porridge, or added into healthy, colorful salads and their dressings to add crunch and bite. Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age

Leptin – the often ignored “fat” hormone

Ever heard of Leptin? You’d be forgiven for not knowing anything about it, but it can play a key role in not only your appetite, but how you metabolize what you eat and whether you store fat or burn it off. Leptin is a hormone that is responsible for sending signals to our brain to tell us we either feel full, or still hungry when we’re getting close to a meal time, or during our meals.

Women tend to be more resistant to it, than men, but both genders can be affected by it, which can sometimes play a key role in weight gain/loss as we age. Low levels of leptin in your system will give you a feeling of constant hunger which you can’t always satiate and your body will tell you to eat at times when you might not want or need to, rather than at meal times when we all need to refuel to get the necessary nutrients into our bodies. One other major symptom of Leptin resistance is a constant feeling of hunger no matter how much you consume.

Good foods for correct fat balance in our diets

A diet to help with Leptin levels to control hunger means making one or two sensible changes to your eating regime, but really nothing extreme as perhaps may happen with other plans.

One major factor is making sure you eat three, sensible full meals a day – and the first one of the day, your breakfast should be the biggest – including high amounts of protein from sources like eggs, lean red meat or fish. (Grilled steak and eggs to start your day? Yes please!)

Good sources of fat, like previously mentioned Omega 3s, and even animal fats in small quantities are allowed, as are oil rich foods like avocadoes and legumes and nuts.

You can eat as many vegetables as you wish and carbs are also allowed – making it a sensible, well thought out eating regime, offering everything you could need.

Two points are encouraged – one is that you stop eating just before you feel full. The signals to our stomach do not actually let us know we’re full until ten to twenty minutes after we finish a meal, therefore ceasing eating just before you get that “full to bursting” feeling, will help you manage your hunger patterns better.

The second point is that snacking should be monitored. It is better not to snack at all, and to simply leave around 5 hours between each meal, so you can monitor your hunger levels. Your last meal of the day, should be a small one that leaves you satisfied, but not feeling like you need to snack on sugary treats.

A few small steps to tweak your eating regime can make a world of difference to how you feel and function as you age. Considering the effects of Leptin can really help!

Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age

Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age Understand How Leptin Affects us As We Age

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Under-eating in Senior Home Care
Diet & Nutrition

Under-eating in Senior Home Care

by Richard Bitner
written by Richard Bitner

“Anorexia of Aging” – Coping with Under-Eating in Senior Home Care

When it comes to senior home care, one of the biggest concerns is undereating among the elderly. Lack of appetite is unfortunately widespread among America’s seniors. While a small decrease in appetite is natural and in many cases healthy, many seniors experience a dangerous decrease in appetite in their seventies and eighties. This condition has given rise to the term “Anorexia of Aging.” Under-eating in Senior Home Care
“Proper nutrition is key to healthy aging — but it’s also a struggle for many of our clients,” says Larry Meigs, President and CEO of the Visiting Angels senior home care network. “We’ve long held that Americans need to have a bigger conversation about healthy eating for seniors.” Under-eating in Senior Home Care
If you suspect that an elderly person in your life is starting to suffer from a reduced appetite, there are steps you can take to counteract the effects of undereating. Poor nutrition can have a serious impact on your loved one’s well-being and put them at significant risk for a number of conditions.
Luckily, there are a number of strategies used by families and senior home care professionals that encourage healthier eating in the elderly.

Causes of Under-eating in Seniors

There are a number of behavioral and biological changes that can lead to seniors eating fewer nutrients and calories than they should be.
Some of these changes are directly related to appetite. Seniors use up less energy than younger individuals, so their bodies require fewer calories. In response, seniors’ bodies respond by lowering their appetites. One recent study further suggests that elderly individuals produce a higher amount of peptide YY (aka PYY), a hormone that suppresses hunger. Reduced taste buds also make eating less pleasurable for seniors.
Other changes that lead to reduced appetite are somewhat less direct. For instance, many seniors wear dentures or suffer from dental problems, which can make eating uncomfortable or even painful. Meanwhile, medications can create or exacerbate appetite problem. Seniors with Alzheimer’s or dementia may also forget whether or not they have eaten, especially if they already suffer from reduced appetite.

Effects of Under-eating in Seniors

The implications of undereating for seniors may be greater than you think. As those of us in the senior home care industry know, “anorexia of aging” has been tied to numerous health problems. According to the NCBI, poor nutrition is tied to “the development and progression of chronic diseases… impaired muscle function, decreased bone mass, immune dysfunction, anemia, reduced cognitive function, poor wound healing, [and] delayed recovery from surgery.”
Ultimately, undereating can cut years from your loved one’s life. That same NCBI study reports that under-nutrition is associated with “increased morbidity and mortality” in the elderly. So if your loved one’s body or lifestyle is causing a severe loss of appetite, it’s important to take action.

Senior Home Care Tips to Prevent Under-eating

At Visiting Angels, our senior home care professionals can coordinate with families to create a senior home care plan that addresses a client’s reduced appetite. But it’s possible for seniors and their family’s to tackle undereating on their own.
Here are some of the strategies that senior home care professionals regularly use or recommend to clients to prevent undereating in elderly individuals.

  • Have Meals Together. Undereating is more common among seniors who eat alone. This makes it easier for seniors to forget or skip meals if they don’t feel particularly hungry. If you can, eat meals with your loved one, or find a way that they are guaranteed company when they eat.
  • Cook with Healthy, Calorie-Rich Foods. When seniors don’t have the appetite to eat more, the best way to address undereating is by adding calories without adding food mass. You can use healthy, easy-to-eat, calorie-rich foods like olive oil, yogurt, peanut butter, chickpeas, or avocadoes.
  • Take Care of Meal Preparation. You can make sure that your loved one is receiving nutritious meals regularly by overseeing meal preparation. Or — if you lack the time or cooking acumen to prepare meals yourself — you can see if there is a meals-on-wheels program in your area.
  • Address Any Dental Concerns. Loose or poor-fitting dentures can make chewing uncomfortable. The same can be said for tooth decay or gum disease. Ask your loved one if they have any trouble chewing and consider following up with a visit to the dentist.
  • Monitor Medications. Many medications can result in lowered appetite. So ask your loved one about the side effects of his or her prescriptions. If you feel your loved one may be losing their appetite due to medication, encourage them to speak with their doctor about possible alternatives.

Visiting Angels senior home care professionals make living independently easier for America’s seniors. Our services include nutrition assistance services, such as grocery shopping, meal planning, and meal preparation. Learn more about our senior home care programs by visiting our website.

Under-eating in Senior Home Care

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