Having a healthy appetite often means your body is getting enough nutrients. As such, experiencing a loss of appetite can be a great cause for concern. If your loved ones do not have a desire to consume food or have lost interest in eating, you need to understand what is causing their appetite loss before you can help them.
Numerous factors, including mental and physical illnesses, as well as poor digestion or loss of taste, can lead to your loved ones’ lack of desire to eat. As such, the first order of business is always to tackle any underlying health issues that your loved one may have.
However, we understand that sometimes, certain medical conditions take time to treat and your family member may not be able to regain their appetite immediately. If this problem persists, your loved one may soon suffer from unhealthy weight loss or even malnutrition. To prevent long-term health issues caused by appetite loss, here are some tips to increase appetite in seniors.
Schedule Your Meals
Feelings of hunger typically indicate to us that it is time to eat. However, certain illnesses may prevent individuals from feeling hungry, making it impossible for them to know when to eat. To combat this, a proper meal routine should be established. Scheduled meals with accompanying reminders will ensure that you and your loved ones are eating at regular timings throughout the day. Slowly, this consistency can stimulate appetite and become a viable long-term solution to increasing your loved one’s appetite.
Add Herbs and Spices to Your Food
One of the reasons seniors suffer from a loss of appetite may be the gradual loss of taste caused by certain medical conditions. As a result of this, our loved ones may not enjoy the eating experience due to the blandness of the food. Furthermore, some foods may cause digestion issues, which result in feelings of discomfort after eating and cause your loved one to associate negative emotions or experiences with food.
Certain herbs and spices, including peppermint, black pepper, coriander, ginger, cinnamon, and fennel, are known to facilitate digestion. Research has shown that they not only give food a more interesting and pleasant taste, but also help reduce bloating and flatulence. Hence, adding these herbs and spices into the food will aid in digestion and help increase your loved one’s appetite.
Bitter tonics such as blessed thistle, centaury, and gentian can also help increase appetite by stimulating the production of digestive enzymes. Do introduce these herbs to your loved one’s diet or prepare them as teas. They can be consumed as tinctures too!
Get More Exercise
Exercise is an excellent way to increase appetite. Physical activity can also enhance several metabolic processes within the body and has been shown to stimulate hunger. Due to the exertion on the body and the calories burned during the activity, your appetite often increases in order to replenish the calories that you have lost. Food intake often increases as you become more physically active. Increasing appetite by exercising regularly requires a long-time commitment, but within a few days, you should be able to see results.
Appetizing Meals at The Park Oak Grove
At The Park Oak Grove, we understand that a healthy and consistent diet is key to our residents’ health and wellbeing. If you are worried about your loved ones’ appetites, you can rest easy knowing that they will receive the best personalized care that is tailored to suit their health conditions.
We are dedicated to serving our community with nothing but the best. With our exclusive Sensations Dining program, our professional chef serves nutritious and delicious meals three times a day in our elegant dining room. With a diverse menu that includes international cuisines, residents’ favorites and homegrown options, every mealtime is an exciting culinary experience for our residents! If you or your loved ones are looking to move into a senior assisted living community, we warmly invite you to tour our beautiful grounds and learn more about our exclusive senior living programs today!
