Diet and Nutrition Questions

1. Can Changes in Diet Enhance Mental Function or Slow Mental Decline?

   Yes, they can. It's important to realize that when we talk about brain health, we're also talking about cardiovascular health. If you have a healthy heart, that's an indication that your overall vascular health is good, including the arteries and veins that supply blood to the brain...
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer

2. How Can I Get Someone to Eat When She Says She's Not Hungry?

   The most important thing you can do is to make meals as pleasant an experience as possible. Too often, worry over someone's lack of appetite can make every meal a battle. It often plays out like this: You're insistent, she's defensive, it gets ugly -- and, in the end, she still doesn't eat.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 2 Community Answers

3. FAQ: How Much Vitamin D Should an Older Adult Take Every Day?

   An adult should take either the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of vitamin D, described below, or whatever dose of vitamin D supplement your doctor recommends to get your body's vitamin D level to an optimal range for your health.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

4. FAQ: Should My Loved One Be Tested for Low Vitamin D?

   Your loved one should be tested for low vitamin D only if he or she is at high risk for suboptimal vitamin D intake. Testing for low vitamin D is currently not recommended for the general population.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 4 Community Answers

5. Can Osteoporosis Be Slowed Through Diet?

   Yes, it can: You can't turn back the clock on bone density already lost, but it's possible to slow further losses and strengthen remaining bone. A healthy, plant-based diet is critical.
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 7 Community Answers

6. What Are Good Ways to Lower Sodium for Someone Who Has High Blood Pressure?

   There are several ways to lower someone's sodium intake without sacrificing taste:
   FAQ 1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

7. What is the best way to help my mom with constipation?

   First, make sure your mom is drinking enough fluids. Many older women limit the amount of fluid they drink to avoid frequent urination or incontinence. Most clinicians recommend 6 to 8 cups of fluid daily. Coffee and other caffeinated beverages such as cola don't count. They are actually dehydrating...
   1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

8. How can I convince Dad to see a doctor?

   From what you say, it sounds like he does not want you to be aware of his difficulties. This could be because he wants to protect you, it could be part of him refusing to acknowledge even to himself that there may be something wrong with his health, or he may be making a choice that he doesn't want to know what is causing his stomach problems...
   1 Expert Answer

9. Are there any diet tips for dealing with colitis?

   Good nutrition is important for all of us, however for those managing an inflammatory bowel condition (IBD) such as colitis it is even more so. A health body will respond better to any treatment that may be necessary.
   1 Expert Answer

10. How can I help my mother lose weight?

    I completely understand this concern. Trying to change bad eating habits and lose weight can be very discouraging. It sounds like you have expressed your concern to your mother and I think this is important but try not to fight with her about it. Try to stay on the supportive and encouraging side...
    1 Expert Answer, 3 Community Answers

11. How long can a person live with a feeding tube?

    To be honest, this really depends on the person and why the tube is being placed. If someone has a stroke and cannot swallow, they can often survive for many years with a feeding tube.
    1 Expert Answer, 1 Community Answer

12. How do we deal with a fructose intolerance?

    Regardless of the source of your husbands fructose intolerance (either an enzyme deficiency or malabsorption issue), the treatment remains basically the same – limiting or avoiding dietary fructose. Fructose is found in varying amounts within all fruits, some vegetables, syrups, fruit alcohols and d honey...
    1 Expert Answer

13. How can I get Mom to eat better quality food?

    I can appreciate your concern regarding your mother's eating habits. Encouraging seniors to eat healthy foods is a challenge, especially when unhealthy options are both accessible and inexpensive. Processed foods, high in refined flours and sugars are linked to increase levels of inflammation and many...
    1 Expert Answer

14. Is soy or almond milk okay to drive with an overactive bladder?

    As many as 90% of patients with an overactive bladder find that their symptoms worsen after eating certain foods and that diet modifications help. Determining what foods and beverages are problematic is a matter of trial and error, but for many people keeping a food journal for a few weeks helps to identify potential triggers...
    1 Expert Answer

15. Is it true that anyone over 40 does not benefit from taking CO-Q10 capsules?

    Co Q 10 is a vital anti-oxidant that is made by our body and used by all cells, but preferentially by heart, immune and muscle cells for energy metabolism. Much of human metabolism is dependent upon the use of oxygen and the subsequent creation of free radicals...
    1 Expert Answer

16. What foods will help my dad's sool become more solid?

    A person may experience soft or watery stools for any number of reasons or for what may seem like no reason at all. Antibiotics, an occasional bug, a new food, or a particularly stressful event are all occasions for which our gut may experience distress and let us know that something is not quite right...
    1 Expert Answer

17. What foods have a high iron content?

    Your best, most absorbable form of dietary iron will come from animal products such as beef, poultry, and eggs. In general, the darker the meat the higher the iron content. We also get iron from plant foods such as dark leafy greens and certain dried fruits...
    1 Expert Answer

18. Where should I draw the line with my mother in law's nutrition?

    I can hear your frustration and your concern. What you don’t want to happen is a battle of wills. It is important that your mother not sacrifice the nutritional benefits of the soup and fill up on empty calories, however if her overall health is good and she has a healthy appetite the crackers mayay be harmless (though not my favorite...
    1 Expert Answer

19. What foods can help me defend my body against illness?

    Your's is a very important question and while I don’t have the reference for the article you mention, I can say that there are a great many vegetables and fruits that have been shown to impact disease. It is important to remember that the foods we eat do much more than quiet a hungry belly or provivide building blocks for energy metabolism...
    1 Expert Answer

20. Are There Ways to Lower Cholesterol Besides Using Statins?

    There are some simple steps to take to lower cholesterol without using statins. But you need to look at the whole picture, which isn't just total cholesterol -- it's levels of LDL, or "bad" cholesterol; HDL, or "good" cholesterol; and triglycerides.
    FAQ 1 Expert Answer