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Diet for underweights
Is there certain foods that increase appetite?? My dad is severely underweight due to illness.
( 8 Aug 2007)
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A prolonged illness is a common reason for a person to be under the recommended healthy weight. In the case of your father, as an adult male he should have a body mass index (BMI) of over 21. If his doctors have measured a BMI lower than that, then you are right in being worried. Underweight individuals often suffer from poor physical stamina and lowered immunity, which can cause further medical complications.
There are several illnesses that can cause excessive weight loss, and your father’s doctor will be best able to help you understand any dietary precautions that may be required.
In general, it is recommended that underweight individuals gain weight slowly but steadily at about one pound a week. If you try to help your father gain weight too fast, it may be counterproductive. A good nutritionist can help you plan a healthy diet that will increase the food energy intake so that more food energy is consumed than is being used as work. It may even be necessary to include some physiotherapy to help increase muscle mass. You can help to increase your father’s appetite by using certain foods and natural remedies after consulting with the nutritionist and doctors.
Ginger remains one of the most commonly used natural appetite stimulants. A teaspoon of powdered ginger boiled in water can make a refreshing tea to be consumed before meals. Bitter greens such as bitter melons, collards, endives, dandelions, watercress, and red or green mustard act as natural appetite stimulants. They also prompt the body into making more digestive juices and enzymes and stimulate the release of bile. This will help your father to break up and absorb fatty foods, providing him with the benefits of essential fatty acids, such as heart-healthy omega-3s, and several vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K. These vitamins play an important role in releasing energy from food and boosting the immune system. Bitter herbal juices from herbs such as dandelion, wormwood, hyssop, and yarrow also have a similar beneficial effect. It is recommended that your father consume a tablespoon of herbal juice about fifteen minutes before a meal. Some nutritionists may advise you to increase the level of fresh fruits and vegetables in your father’s diet. This is due to the understanding that the human body requires the proper nutrients in a form that is easily digestible. Overcooking food can lose a large percentage of the nutrients and destroy beneficial enzymes.
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answered by G M on 22 Apr 2010, 7:35:22
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I take it by your question that he is willing to tackle the problem and not allow it to get the best of him? It is important that he remembers to eat, even if it is small frequent meals. Give him snacks between meals and also drinks that are nutritious should be consumed. If your dad is feeling nauseous, let him avoid the smell of food cooking and go on short walks with him. The reason for this is the fresh air and not the smell of food. Do this before every meal.
Protein is important. It helps the body repair and also gets the immune system functioning after an illness. Protein should be included in your dad’s diet. Foods that contain good sources of protein are: seeds and nuts, cereals, soya products (tempeh, tofu, soya milk, etc). Milk, cheese, eggs, and yoghurt are also excellent sources of protein. You have to make sure that protein is included in every meal. If your dad has a little trouble chewing, try relatively soft protein products such as dairy and soya, custard, milky puddings and rice pudding. To gain weight you need to increase your dad’s diet energy content. A concentrated energy form in a diet is fat. If your dad can handle fat and oils, then maybe you should increase his diet’s fat content.
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answered by S M on 14 Nov 2007, 4:05:05
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