Sources of Nutrition

Ensuring you receive adequate nutrition in your home is one of the main priorities of Total Home Health.  The nutrients you absorb from your diet determine, to a large extent, the overall health of your body.  An excess of nutrients or a lack thereof, can both contribute to a poor state of health.  There are nutrients in the body that are “essential” and those are the ones that your body cannot manufacture, so it is important that you have an adequate diet in order to get all the nutrients you need to keep you well-balanced.

At Total Home Health we know that your diet should consist of the following sources in order to be adequate no matter what your condition:

ü  Carbohydrates and fiber

ü  Protein

ü  Lipids (fats)

ü  Vitamins

ü  Minerals and electrolytes

ü  Water

The main function of carbohydrates is to provide energy for your body.  When you ingest carbohydrates they provide energy in order for your cells to work, while also helping to regulate metabolism of protein and fat.  Carbohydrates are essential to keep your heart and central nervous system (brain, spine, etc.) functioning normally.  Fiber is categorized as a carbohydrate but it does not provide any energy for your body.  Fiber is highly important to your body in order for proper bowel elimination, mainly to avoid constipation and hard stools.  Fiber works by adding bulk to your stool and stimulating your intestinal tract to move, which will make using the bathroom much easier for you, as bathroom habits are usually a complaint in the older adult population.

Now on to proteins.  Proteins have many different metabolic functions in your body including tissue-building and maintenance, providing back up energy, supporting your immune system, and more.  Tissue growth needs, quality of the dietary protein you ingest, and any added protein needs due to illness all influence your body’s requirement for protein.  If you do not ingest enough protein in your diet this could lead to many health issues, including developing a cachectic state, which is the wasting away of your tissues.

Lipids, or fats, are also an essential nutrient in your diet, and are available to you from many sources (dark meat, poultry skin, dairy foods, butter, etc).  Lipids are a more concentrated form of energy, coming in second to carbohydrates.  Lipids supply important tissue needs such as protecting your vital organs, and insulating your body to maintain a comfortable temperature.  It is important for you to know that a diet high in fat is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes mellitus.  However, you must ingest a well-balanced amount of lipids for your body type in order to both stay away from that state of wasting we mentioned earlier, and avoid other health problems.

Vitamins are also important to squeeze into your diet because their main function is helping metabolic functions and other chemical reactions that occur in your body.  Vitamins are crucial to your state of well-being.  There are 13 essential vitamins, and they each have special functions.  Vitamins do not produce any energy that the body can use.  Following are explanations of some important and special vitamins your body uses in order to function correctly:

o   Vitamin C

·         Aids in tissue building, wound healing, production of adrenaline, and absorbs iron

·         Found in citrus fruits (oranges, lemons), tomatoes, peppers, green leafy vegetables, and strawberries.

·         Stress and illness increase the need for vitamin C.

·         Severe deficiency causes scurvy, a hemorrhagic disease with painful limbs/joints, weak bones, and swollen gums/loose teeth.

o   B-complex vitamins

·         Many functions occur with cell metabolism, each vitamin has their own duty.

·         Sources include green leafy vegetables and unprocessed or enriched grains.

o   Vitamin A

·         Contributes to vision health and growth/strength of tissues.

·         Sources include egg yolks, butter, cream, dark yellow/orange fruits and vegetables (carrots, yams, apricots, cantaloupe, squash).

·         Deficiency will result in vision changes and changes in skin cells (especially in the mouth and vagina).

o   Vitamin D

·         Helps the body use calcium and phosphorus, and aids in repair of skin.

·         Can be used preventively for function of your immune system.

·         Sources include fortified milk, cod liver oil, and eggs.

·         Deficiency results in your bones losing their minerals (osteoporosis).

·         Low levels of vitamin D may increase your risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), high blood pressure, Type I diabetes, and certain cancers.

o   Vitamin E

·         This vitamin is an antioxidant that works to preserve your muscles and red blood cells.

·         Sources include vegetable oils and certain nuts.

·         Deficiency results in anemia.

o   Vitamin K

·         Assists in blood clotting and maintenance of your bones.

·         Sources include some oils, liver, and green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli)

·         Deficiency causes your bleeding time to be increased.

Minerals and electrolytes are another category that should be adequate in your diet.  Minerals are available in an abundance of food sources, and are used at every cell level in your body.  There are both major minerals and trace minerals.  The seven major minerals include calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, and sulfur…we are sure you’ve heard of at least a few of them.  Then there are ten trace elements that also are important to your diet, but generally you have no problem ingesting them in your daily diet.

Finally there is water, which is the most basic of all the nutrients you need.  The body can maintain itself for several days or weeks on its food stores of energy, but it cannot survive without water and hydration for more than just a few days.  Water makes up the largest portion of our body weight, and is crucial for our health.  It is an important fact to know that thirst is a late sign of the need for hydration…especially in older adults.  Also, older adults dehydrate more rapidly than others. 

Ultimately at Total Home Health we know that your diet is very important related to your overall health.  It will be the goal of our compassionate professionals to see that you are consuming a well-balanced diet according to your specific needs in order for you to maintain your healthy lifestyle and enjoy it to its fullest.