EATING is such a joy for many. Some declare they live to eat; others frown at that statement and proclaim they eat to live. The world of food and eating gets even more interesting on social media where people who post photos of delicious-looking food actually offend some people.
If you’re a foodie, there are countless sites that you can visit to fulfill your eating dreams. Books and magazines on food, lifestyle and how to eat right fill the shelves wherever you go.
There are so many gurus out there who are keen to share their experiences and impart knowledge on how certain ways of eating is the optimum way for you. Indeed some of these methods yield impressive results. Whether or not one can maintain it is another thing.
Depending on what you eat and what you indulge in, food can be a blessing — or a bane. Some people literally eat themselves to death because their choices make them get sick.
On the flipside, there are people who have lost their desire to eat and die of starvation. They may have once been foodies but now can’t, or won’t eat. Perhaps they’ve lost their sense of taste and smell. A combination of medications and some diseases can cause that. Perhaps they can’t swallow well and choke on even the softest food.
When you’re caring for a loved one whose health is challenged, it can be quite challenging to try to get him to eat so that he’d be nourished and strong. You need him to maintain a certain body weight and energy level. There’ll come a time when coaxing him to eat each meal becomes an effort. I know how hard that can be because both my late parents were in that situation towards the end of their lives.
FEEDING OPTIONS
Using a feeding tube is usually the last resort when all other efforts fail. Before it comes to that, try to do some detective work to find out the cause. Next, prepare some sort of menu and plan for the meals ahead of time.
First, know their favourite food. Then, determine how nutritious they are so that they don’t go against doctors’ orders. The usual culprit that makes people lose their appetite is the medication they’re on. They may complain that everything tastes metallic, bitter or sour. Nausea and dry mouth can also affect their appetite.
People on several medications like antibiotics and painkillers, as well as those undergoing chemotherapy, are among some of them. You’d also want to check if your loved one is having any gum problems or ill-fitting dentures. Those with bad sinusitis may not be able to smell food properly. Instead, they may complain of smelling something rotten. That bad smell comes from inside and not his surroundings.
Food presentation also matters. If you pile everything on a plate with little consideration for portion or looks, you may have your loved one turn up his nose at mealtimes. The psychology behind enticing someone to eat is to appeal to his or her vision first. After all, it’s been said that we feast with our eyes first.
GET CREATIVE
You don’t have to plate the food like a pro (although that would be a great advantage), but you don’t have to pile everything on it without a care either. It’d be helpful if you also knew for sure if they’re particular about food touching each other. Some people can’t stand the gravies getting mixed up. So a cafeteria tray may actually solve that problem.
When you’re dealing with elderly loved ones with some form of dementia, even a plate that has a busy design can confuse them, making the food hard for them to find. Portions matter too. Keep it small. You can always serve seconds. Most of the time, it’d be a few hours later. The important thing is to get your loved one to eat nutritious food. It’s also good to remember that if your loved one is overfull, he or she may have breathing difficulties, especially if they suffer from any chronic diseases of the gut like acid reflux.
What if your loved one wants to eat the same thing over and over again? Let’s just say it’s ice cream. What you can do is to sneak in some blended fruit and even protein powder into it. Use that trick of sneaking nutrition into the food, which also helps with children who are finicky eaters.
You can even sneak in tempura vegetables to fish and chips or roast chicken on pizza. Or, how about blending some broccoli, cauliflower and carrots into the sauce for pasta or pizza? Let your creativity guide you.
The bottom line of eating is this: everything in moderation. Too much of anything would be bad for you.
Putri Juneita Johari volunteers for the Special Children Society of Ampang. She can be reached at juneitajohari@yahoo.com.