As people age, their metabolisms slow down and activity levels decrease, which makes taking steps to prevent diabetes especially important for seniors. In recent years, people between ages 60 and 64 have had the highest increase in diabetes diagnoses. If you’re concerned your elderly loved one is at risk for diabetes, here are a few ways to prevent the condition.
Practice Preventative Health Care
The first and most important step in any diabetes prevention plan is seeking regular care from a trusted doctor. Seniors cannot afford to wait until problems develop before scheduling medical appointments. Instead, they should have at least two routine checkups each year. In addition to identifying and treating medical issues like diabetes before they have an opportunity to become more serious, doctors can also offer individualized tips for weight loss and maintenance.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Processed foods are bad for the body at every stage of life. As people grow older, their ability to effectively metabolize and tolerate refined and low-value foods decreases, which makes it important for seniors to consume fresh home-cooked meals instead of subsisting on fast food and other ready-made fare.
A healthy diet for seniors consists primarily of fresh colorful fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean cuts of meat, fish, nuts, legumes, and low-fat dairy products. Foods with lengthy lists of unrecognizable ingredients, trans fats, high-fructose corn syrup, and genetically modified additions should be avoided. Sticking to a nutritious diet can help your loved one maintain healthy cholesterol, blood glucose, and blood pressure levels, which can prevent diabetes.
Seniors who want to remain healthy as they age can benefit in a variety of ways when they receive professional senior home care. Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help your loved one accomplish daily tasks, prevent illness, and focus on living a healthier and more fulfilling life.
Perform Aerobic Exercises
It’s important for people to maintain active lifestyles throughout their golden years, but physical exercise is about far more than weight control. Working out three to five times per week can make your loved one’s cells more receptive to the insulin his or her body naturally produces. Aerobic exercises like dancing, cycling, jogging, or even walking can actually help the body become more efficient at fending off conditions like type 2 diabetes.
If you usually help your loved one exercise but need a break now and then, consider having a professional caregiver take over for you. Fort Lauderdale respite care professionals can assist seniors with a wide array of daily tasks, offering family caregivers the chance to focus on other personal responsibilities or take a break to prevent burnout. Whether it’s for a few hours a day or a few days a week, home care is the perfect solution for family caregivers who are feeling overwhelmed.
Engage in Strength Training
If your loved one wants to prevent diabetes, his or her workout routine should also include strength training. Building new lean muscle mass ramps up metabolism and makes the body more sensitive to insulin and more efficient at burning off stored and consumed fat. Strength training can be as simple as doing a few squats or lunges in the living room, and your loved one can also use small handheld weights to increase muscle definition and tone in the arms, abdomen, and mid-back.
A professional caregiver with training in nutrition and healthy lifestyle practices can be a wonderful source of information and encouragement. Maintaining a high quality of life can be challenging for some seniors, but professional caregivers can help them attain this goal. Families can trust at-home care experts to help their elderly loved ones focus on lifestyle choices that increase the chances of living longer and healthier lives. If your loved one needs professional care, Assisting Hands Home Care is here to help. To hire a compassionate, dedicated caregiver, call us today.
