Jim

About Jim

CFO - Senior Care Central, LLC

What are Macronutrients and why are they important for Health?

The human body needs some foods and ingredients to grow properly. Without those essential products, a person can’t feel healthy and strong.

Macronutrients are one of those ingredients that you need to take in a higher quantity. Due to their high demand by the human body, these are termed as Macro which means large.

Every nutritionist will direct you to maintain the amount of these ingredients for getting better health.

No matter, either you are looking to gain weight or lose weight, you must think about these ingredients first. Without regulating them, you can’t complete any task regarding your health.

Types of Macronutrients

There are three main types of macronutrients that a human being includes in his meal on daily basis.

The main reason why we take these ingredients is that they will fulfill our body’s energy requirements.

A person who takes foods with an appropriate quantity of macronutrients will be healthy for a longer time.

You should keep a view on what kind of macronutrient you should take for proper health.

  • Proteins
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fats

All these macronutrients have a specific number of calories. It purely depends on your body conditions that which of them you should eat and in which quantity.

Let’s have a look at the process with which you can estimate how much nutrients you should include in your daily meal.

How many macronutrients should we eat?

Many people have this question because they want to maintain their health and body growth.

There are two main ways through which you can calculate the required quantity of macronutrients.

First of all, you can contact any expert nutritionist who will examine your health and give you a proper diet plan.

In this process, you may have to visit the person various times to adjust that plan.

Secondly, you can use a macronutrient calculator available on the internet. With this method, you don’t have to do much work but put some values in the given box according to your health.

For example, you may have to write your weight, height, and few other values. The tool will get an idea about your health and give you a perfect plan of diet to follow.

You can make as many plans as you want just by changing the values according to your growth after few weeks.

In this way, you will be able to keep your health on track properly.

What happens if we take unnecessary macronutrients?

As we have mentioned above that macronutrients are essential for human health. Its deficiency or excessiveness will harm the body badly.

In case, you get lower macronutrients, your body will not be able to make enough energy to work. Also, your bones will be affected badly and you often feel pain in your bones and joints.

On the other side, if you take macronutrients in excessive quantity, your body will convert them into useless materials.

Keep in mind that our body makes energy and blood from different ingredients available in our food. The excessive ingredients will be converted into unwanted fats that are not necessary for the body.

In this way, you will start gaining weight that will lead you towards different diseases. So according to the above discussion, it is very necessary to calculate macros of ingredients that you are going to eat. This will help you to balance your diet and maintain your body and energy level.

Final Note

You should keep track of your body’s growth and adjust the macronutrient quantity with time. It will enable you to keep your health on the right path.

Without macronutrients, your body won’t be able to make enough energy to work properly. That is why you should keep checking this factor by calculating its quantity.

By |2023-06-30T10:42:08-05:00July 29th, 2023|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on What are Macronutrients and why are they important for Health?

Caregiver Tips: Planning for Long-Term Cancer Care

Caregivers for long-term cancer care

Long-term cancer care supports cancer patients throughout their treatment journey. Patients diagnosed with cancer may choose a friend or family member as their cancer caregiver. When taking on the role of caregiver, make sure to understand how to best assist them. Here are some tips below to help get you started.

 

Tip 1: Understand the diagnosis of your cancer patient and how it affects them

Aggressive Cancers

Being a cancer caregiver opens up new responsibilities and challenges. There are many types of caregiving that provide help for the general health and wellbeing of patients. With cancer caregiving, patients often require specialized help. You may be familiar with senior or disability caregiving, but certain cancers are more difficult to manage. For example, breast cancer is common but involves a different caregiving approach than mesothelioma cancer. Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer of the lungs that typically targets older adults.

There is currently no available cure for mesothelioma. This results in a 79 percent, 1-year survival rate, even with multimodal treatment—which combines one or two cancer treatments. Cancer patients and caregivers may have many questions surrounding treatment. For this reason, caregiver resources help plan and ease long-term mesothelioma cancer care. Take time to understand the type of cancer your patient has and how mesothelioma will affect them physically, mentally, and socially. The decision to have long-term cancer care is hard on the patient, too. Caregivers relieve some of the burdens patients will have. With this in mind, preparing for your patients will help you fully grasp this role.

It’s also crucial to work with the doctors and cancer teams to provide quality care. Depending on what type of caregiver you are, your responsibilities could change. More qualified caregivers may have to administer medications. Connecting with the doctor will help the cancer team with their prognosis strategy and your patient’s long-term cancer care. This will also help you better understand the patient’s needs.

Tip 2: Keep the patient, family and friends involved

It can be devastating when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer. Putting in the effort to work with your patient and their family will make them feel included and comfortable during this difficult time. Caregivers spend a lot of time with patients. By creating healthy relationships with them, you can give them the support and encouragement they need. Often, treatment is hard on patients and takes long recovery times. You will be one of their biggest advocates.

Tip 3: Pay attention to how you feel

Amidst the distress you and your patient will undergo, it’s vital to check in on yourself. It may seem as though your feelings aren’t as valid as those you are helping, but that isn’t the case. You won’t be able to fully care for your patient if you’re not caring for yourself as well. To avoid burnout, dedicate time for yourself to process your emotions and feelings, especially because of how draining long-term cancer caregiving can be.

If you are taking a cancer caregiver position, keep these tips in mind. Caregiving is not babysitting. Patients and their families rely on caregivers to handle what they cannot. Taking on this role is both an immense commitment and a privilege.

 

 

By |2023-06-30T10:40:29-05:00July 23rd, 2023|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on Caregiver Tips: Planning for Long-Term Cancer Care

Guest Blog: How to Choose the Right Mattress for Seniors

When you’re a caregiver for a senior citizen, you know how critical it is to find chairs, beds, and couches that are comfortable for your patients. Choosing the right mattress is especially crucial for the elderly. People in the 65+ age range often suffer from chronic pain related to sore, tender muscles, arthritis, and old injuries that have worsened as the years have passed.

A poor mattress can make even a teenager wake up feeling sore and tired, but for seniors, the effects of a poor mattress can cause debilitating pain and worsen inflammation. Senior citizens need a supportive mattress that cradles sensitive areas that are prone to soreness and stiffness, such as the hips, neck, shoulders, and the lower back. It’s also a good idea to choose a mattress with a comfortable top that cushions the heels and elbows, which will lessen inflammation and irritation.

There are tons of different mattress materials, thicknesses, and designs to choose from, but how do you know which one is going to give your senior patients a comfortable night’s rest? Below, we’ve broken down the different types of mattresses and how they can help seniors sleep well and wake up free from discomfort and pain.

What types of mattresses are the most comfortable for seniors?

When searching for a good mattress for an older individual, manufacturers won’t advertise that it’s the best for senior citizens. What you’ll need to do is look for certain traits and design features that will most likely work for an elderly sleeper.

Typically, seniors need a bed that will retain minimal body heat and will sleep cool. Beds that minimize and isolate movement or motion transfer, and are quiet are usually the best choices for seniors, too. You’ll also want to purchase a bed that is supportive and won’t sag or compress too much. Mattresses that are too soft don’t support spinal alignment and can cause someone to wake up in the morning with a sore back and hips.

Most importantly, a mattress for senior citizens needs to support arthritic joints. As people age, the cartilage that naturally cushions and supports the joints wears away, so seniors need a little more support from their beds than a younger individual.

Gel Memory Foam Mattress

Gel memory foam mattresses are some of the most popular choices for seniors. Gel memory foam is denser and more supportive than traditional memory foam, offering a slightly firmer bed that does an excellent job of supporting the joints and the spine. In mattress lingo, gel memory foam is also referred to as Tempur foam. Gel memory foam mattresses are also cooler than a regular memory foam mattress. Loom and Leaf is one of the more popular gel memory foam mattresses this year.

Memory Foam Mattresses

Memory foam is a mattress favorite, and it’s been around for decades. First used by NASA, memory foam is a high-quality material that offers superior comfort and cushioning. While memory foams aren’t typically as supportive as a gel memory foam mattress, some models are firmer than others.

Memory foam mattresses cradle and cushion the body, so elbows and heels aren’t resting on a surface that can cause skin irritation. Seniors who are side sleepers can most benefit from a traditional memory foam mattress. Memory foam cradles the shoulder joint and allows it to rest comfortably while keeping the shoulder disk in proper alignment.

However, if a person has never slept on a memory foam mattress, the new bed may take some getting used to. Memory foam beds have a particular and distinct feel to them. Also, be sure to check the bed’s cool rating. Memory foam beds tend to run hot. Nectar memory foam beds are some of the highest rated bed-in-a-box mattresses.

All-natural Latex Foam

A natural, latex foam mattress is an excellent alternative to memory foam mattresses for older sleepers. Latex is a springier material than either gel or memory foam. Latex doesn’t cradle the body, so for sleepers who switch positions a lot, a latex mattress can be ideal. However, all natural latex mattresses are sometimes too soft for people with severe arthritis. A high-quality all natural latex foam mattress for seniors is the Santa Cruz Natural Mattress.

What about innerspring mattresses?

Innerspring mattresses don’t always offer enough consistent support for seniors who need cushioning for aching joints. But adding a pillowtop to an otherwise decent innerspring mattress can offer enough softness and support for senior citizens. Boxtop and pillowtop mattresses are suitable for sleepers who are light or medium weight. But these mattresses won’t provide enough support or last very long for heavier sleepers.

Can you choose a mattress that uses different types of materials?

It’s possible to find a mattress that uses different technologies. For example, manufacturers who specialize in innerspring mattresses often have products that use a top layer of natural latex foam, or memory foam for added support and comfort. If you’re worried that your senior patients won’t be able to get used to a full memory foam mattress, an innerspring memory-foam hybrid can be a good compromise.

As always, it’s essential to thoroughly research different mattress types, product ratings, and what’s going to work best for an individual patient.

By |2023-06-30T10:39:48-05:00July 19th, 2023|Dr. Mauk's Boomer Blog, News Posts|Comments Off on Guest Blog: How to Choose the Right Mattress for Seniors
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