Are you worried about the lack of healthy meals your loved ones are eating? Giving care long distance is challenging.  It is hard to focus on your life when you worry long distance about providing healthy meals. When Jenny’s parents became frail, she realized they were not eating foods they should.  She knew both had special diets, and eating junk food or skipping meals was not healthy for them. Finding out your parents are not eating as healthily as they should is hard.  They may still be independent, yet are starting to have problems making healthy choices.  Or maybe just having problems... (Read More ...)

When the weather turns cooler, it’s nice to have soup.  Soup nurtures while nourishing you. One of my fondest memories of childhood is my mother making soup. For her, it was a several day process.  She would often make the stock from meat or poultry she cooked in her stockpot.  Then she would cool it, strain the stock and refrigerate it overnight.  She’d add vegetables the next day.  And a starch – rice, potatoes, corn or noodles. Her soups were packed with vegetables, and very hearty.  And on a chilly day they warmed us body and soul.   Soup is nurturing and nourishing. ... (Read More ...)

Remember the fun you had as a kid at picnics? Was it something your whole family enjoyed? Maybe you’re ready to try some of those foods again, and even recreate a picnic.  Recreating a cherished memory can be fun, and may be something your care recipient enjoys. In planning a picnic-style you don’t have to eat outdoors.  You could eat on a deck or patio if your care recipient likes eating outdoors. You could use a checkered tablecloth or placemats.  Even the dishes and silverware could remind you of those used during the picnics you recall. Marilyn and her sister decided to recreate... (Read More ...)

Easy Healthy Recipes For Caregivers: What About an Old-Fashioned Picnic Part 1? Remember picnics you had as a child? Maybe recipes handed down from one generation to the next? Have you thought about a picnic-style meal? When Marilyn looked for something to do with her elderly parents in the summer, she thought about all the picnics they enjoyed when she was a child. Her parents would take Marilyn and her sister to a local park where they grilled on the grills provided.  And there were also church picnics and family reunions. Marilyn and her sister decided to have an old-fashioned themed picnic. ... (Read More ...)

  When your refrigerator is stocked with nutritional supplements, then you know you’re a caregiver. You may find yourself like Mary, struggling to come up with something nutritious and tasty in a hurry.  Mary’s caregiving responsibilities too often seemed to interfere with her own healthy eating.  Too often she often found herself grabbing whatever was handy.  She knew her poor eating was making her feel worse. One day she realized she wanted something warm and comforting.  Like soup.  With fondness, she remembered the soups her mother made when Mary was growing up.  They... (Read More ...)

Do you include blueberries in your healthy eating choices? Blueberries are a super food, loaded with antioxidants. Do you know blueberries contain the highest amounts of antioxidants of any berry? They do!  And these deep blue delicious berries are often a favorite of young and old. When I was a kid, we spent a week every summer in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania. The camp where we stayed had wild huckleberries and blueberries.  They grew on bushes over our heads, and usually were ripe the week we were there in August. Here in South Carolina, early June is blueberry season. When I eat... (Read More ...)

Between caregiving, your family, and everything you have to do are you finding yourself eating whatever is fast and easy? Postponing your healthy eating goals for later when you have more time? And does the time for yourself never come? You may be asking yourself, “How can I reach my healthy eating goals when there’s no time to cook?” That’s what I used to think too… My mother made homemade soup about every week when I was young. Yes, from scratch. Her soups took at least two days to cook and simmer. So for many years I thought homemade healthy cooking required spending hours in the... (Read More ...)

  When you’re deep in the midst of caregiving, why is figuring out your own healthy eating habits often one of the last things on your mind? As a caregiver, you are busy giving care.  And many of your thoughts and actions center on the one or ones you’re caring for.  Which is very understandable, and commendable. When your focus ignores your own body’s needs though, it can be dangerous.  As a caregiver you likely are under increased stress.  It may be the stress of caring for someone you love… time stressed of getting everything done in a 24 hour day… financial... (Read More ...)

As a caregiver are you caring for yourself? Or are you putting your needs including your healthy eating goals behind everyone else—especially your care recipient? When Mary’s mother needed a lot of care, Mary often found herself in front of the refrigerator trying to figure out what to eat. She was often so exhausted, even deciding about what to fix to eat seemed overwhelming.  And while she wanted to stick to her healthy eating goals… Her body craved healthy meals and fresh food.  Emotionally she craved comfort foods.  And time-wise she just wanted to grab something fast. The fastest... (Read More ...)

  One thing caregivers often neglect is themselves. It’s understandable. When focusing on caring for someone else, your own needs often get pushed to the back. And when every minute of the day and night seems filled with caregiving, you may not have even a moment to think about what to eat. Let alone figuring out healthy eating because . . . Grabbing what’s handy . . .fast . . .or easy may seem like your only alternative. When her mother needed around-the-clock care, Mary often stood in the kitchen trying to figure out what to eat. As her mother’s primary caregiver, Mary cared for... (Read More ...)