Believe it or not, anyone can be a victim of emotional eating, especially when they are feeling stressed out or anxious. This includes seniors. You may not think of seniors as emotional eaters, but the truth is this issue is not discriminatory and can impact anyone of any age.
Food is crucial for seniors to focus on when they want to age in place and live a high-quality life, but there is a delicate balance. Seniors need food to live, but they also need to develop a healthy relationship with food, which can be hard to do without support from family and in-home care providers.
Here are some tips on how a senior can overcome emotional eating with help from in-home care and family caregivers:
Start a Food Diary
Not all seniors will find this to be a good tip, but if it feels like a supportive way to start paying attention to what they’re eating and when, a senior should consider starting a food diary. Now, this does not mean they need to focus on calorie counting (which is not always healthy), but this means they need to pay attention to when they are eating and why.
They may start to notice that when bills come through the mail, they are eating sugary sweets or a huge bowl of pasta. When they start paying attention to what is causing the emotional eating, there is a better chance of stopping this habit and replacing it with something healthier. If they are having a hard time with this task, it is something that in-home care providers can help them with.
Figure Out How To Nurture Feelings
It is okay to feel stressed occasionally, but not to mask it with food. A senior may have never learned how to nurture their own feelings in healthy ways and this can be something that is so hard to do.
In-home care providers can help them understand better ways of focusing on their feelings and coming to terms with those feelings without involving food. Maybe a senior needs to get out in the sun, write things down, or practice stepping back and doing meditation. All of these activities will help a senior stay present, identify their feelings, and even keep them too distracted to turn to food.
Treat Yourself
This does not mean a senior should make cookies or treats for themselves, but instead find other ways to reinforce good behavior. This can mean they go to the salon to get a haircut, meet up with friends, or go get a pedicure.
Self-care can be a better way to relax without relying on food to make them feel better. If your senior loved one needs help scheduling something and finding transportation, this can be something that in-home care services can help with.
Stay Active
A senior should be focused on physical activity every day and this can actually provide a really good distraction for them too. Your loved one should be moving around and this can give them focus that is not on food but also help them maintain a healthy weight, burn energy, and keep them independent for much longer.
If you or an aging loved one are considering In-Home Care in Milwaukee, WI, please contact the caring staff at Talem Home Care & Placement Services today. Call (414) 206-2090
At Talem Home Care of Milwaukee, we provide passionate, understanding, and flexible caregivers in Brookfield, Cudahy, Delafield, Franklin, Greendale, Greenfield, Hales Corners, Milwaukee, Mukwonago, Muskego, New Berlin, Oak Creek, Oconomowoc, Pewaukee, Shorewood, South Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wauwatosa, West Allis and surrounding areas in Wisconsin.
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