Are you getting enough protein?

MayBee Here’s another (rather long) review which suggests that for vegetarians and vegans, getting enough protein isn’t necessarily a problem. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893534/
This is an easier read theconversation.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-diet-five-things-for-over-65s-to-consider-when-switching-to-a-plant-based-diet-144088

And this one explains why not much research into whether or not a vegan or vegetarian diet is healthy has been done so far.
theconversation.com/is-a-vegan-diet-healthier-five-reasons-why-we-cant-tell-for-sure-152131

I don’t think that the recent recommendations for protein intake in older adults are in the range of potentially causing health problems.

I’m sorry but refusing to get washed and dressed, lying on a sofa all day, eating three rich tea biscuits for breakfast and supper, eating a slice of toast or a jam sandwiches for lunch and dinner, refusing any suggestions designed to help, only accepting help from her daughter and son in law who are in their late sixties and expecting them to do absolutely everything and basically be her carers, refusing to have her cleaner back after lockdown and thinking we should do it even though we had other childcare responsibilities, what is she doing right? Is it your opinion that we should become her carers? She certainly didn’t spend her retirement caring for her mother, she put her in a home! By the time my mother was 56, her mother had sadly died, so she certainly wasn’t a carer aged 67. I am 67 and recovering from Covid. I can’t be a carer any longer to her. Prior to my being ill, we brought her here every Sunday, for roast dinner in the winter, barbecue in the summer, and on Saturday for sandwiches and cake. I baked and made quality food. My mother had absolutely no problem eating the food we provided and frequently had seconds. She loved the banoffee pie I made and the sticky toffee pudding. Absolutely no problem eating lots of those.
If she was doing everything right perhaps I should have left her to lie on her sofa all day and eat rubbish, perhaps I shouldn’t have worried about that. Every single day before I had Covid she told me she was ill and felt sick. Every single day! Now she’s got carers she doesn’t say she’s ill because she’s getting care, including proper food. She’ll probably live longer as a result of getting carers. If I was a nasty daughter maybe I wouldn’t have been bothered but I’ve done the best I can, in the middle of my own illness, to get her a better quality of life, for however long that may be.

She is 93 - she must be doing something right !!

older people dont have the luxury items that many have today . toast and jam was a filler up or bread and dripping.me i love jam sandwiches morning /noon and night ..heres a photo of me at bexhill on sea about 1967 with a finger in my mouth ,guess what i was eating .?, even when the g/c came around for tea ,its always bread and jam and a slice of ginger cake ...

Maddyone. Thank you. Carers are the best thing to happen to us too, we’ve only had them 2 months ,they were started after she had a fall, ended up in hospital then caught covid. She certainly does need them, her physical and mental health have deteriorated quite a bit.
I’m dreading the day the bill drops on the mat too but like you say ,there is no choice. You certainly need that reassurance at the moment, to aid your own recovery . Put yourself first and take all the time you need.

I hope all goes well Katyj as your mum is discharged from hospital. As I contracted Covid and was hospitalised, and at home now, but still very unwell, these circumstances forced the changes for Mum’s care. She was determined that my husband and I could provide the care she needs but circumstances changed everything.
The carer coming four times a day is the best thing that could have happened. Whenever I mentioned carers before she just said we’d cross that bridge when we got there. We probably got there about two years ago, but she was having none of it.
I hope it goes well Katy when your mum gets home. You’ll have to be as hard nosed as I am now. Covid has caused me to harden up, but it’s for the best. I was worrying about looking after someone approaching their late 90s as I move into my 70s, but now she has carers, she’ll have to carry on with them. Our next battle will be when she has to start paying for the carers, but she’ll have to accept it I’m afraid.

My late Mother couldn't be bothered to cook for herself either and even left food cooked by her carers. An article I read led me to take her to her GP and tactfully suggest a vit B12 test. She was, like many of her age, seriously deficient, and it cannot just be sorted out through diet. Three monthly injections sorted it out. One of the notable symptoms of vit B12 deficiency is loss of appetite.

Oh Maddyone. Your posts so
resonate with me. We have the same mum ! My mum insists she can’t eat breakfast at all and sleeps through the first carers visit. They make her toast the next lunchtime visit. Then she’ll make herself tea, even though they offer. She’s coming out of hospital today. Can’t wait to hear what’s she has to say about that ?

For absolutely years my mother has eaten three rich tea biscuits for her breakfast. She said she feels sick in the morning and that’s all she could eat. Now she she has a carer she eats porridge or rice crispies in the morning and no feeling sick! I’ve been telling her for years that three biscuits was an inadequate breakfast and probably why she she felt sick. She wouldn’t take any notice of me, she never did. I’m just so pleased we’ve got the carer now. It’s taken a huge responsibility off me, I can just leave it to the carer.

The only time my mum enjoyed a meal was when myself or my 2 sisters cooked and ate a meal with her. Much nicer for her to have company to eat her meal with.

I skimmed through the article (I need DrJohn to do a blog about it that I can understand!). It did say, though, that high protein intake doesn’t cause renal problems. When I was young I went on a high protein diet and lost stones in a short space of time. My breath had a horrid smell which was probably due to the fact that I should have drank more water. In retrospect I think I’m lucky that I didn’t do some sort of permanent damage to myself. And I’ve always thought that cats are prone to kidney problems because they have a high protein diet. I wonder if there will come a time when we live on special diets aimed at different age groups like the protein shakes that I sometimes have.(I’m having one of my late night ponders....)

Interesting article. Thanks for posting janeainsworth. Having studied food science and nutrition as part of my degree I've always been careful to keep an eye on food labels. I try to eat low carb as it's the only way I can lose weight but I'm still very overweight as I have a weakness for unhealthy snacking in the evenings. I have found I've lost weight during lockdown and in retirement. There were far too many carb rich snacks around at work and it is easier to control at home when you live alone and try not to buy too many things that tempt.
The main thing I'll take away is that I probably ought to increase the protein in my breakfast but not entirely sure how as some foods cause problems if eaten soon after my medication, ie at breakfast - I avoid eggs for that reason. Maybe I need to stop thinking too traditionallyabout what is appropriate for breakfast food.
I'm not surprised older people eat unhealthily as they become frail - a vicious circle as frailty means you find cooking healthy meals more taxing and living on tea and toast increases frailty. Ready meals may not be ideal but probably better than just tea and toast.

Thanks Katyj
You are absolutely correct in that the food issue is a big one with the elderly. Eating out of date food is also an issue with them. We simply, for the first time ever, laid the law down and told mum the carer would be preparing her food. So far, so good. Mum eats it.

It’s worried me in recent years that people going vegan don’t eat a balanced diet but just miss out anything dairy, meat or fish based. I suppose they don’t but I know what I was like when I was young and went from one fad diet to another. As I’m reducing how much meat I eat I’m adding pea protein to soups etc. It seems to be the base of vegan diets I see advertised on the internet.

Good article, note to self, amend diet.

Maddyone
Glad your feeling better, don’t rush it takes time and patience to make a full recovery. My mum 89 and also recovering from covid, she fell at home, ended up in hospital, then caught covid, she was in 7 weeks.
Since she came home she’s had virtually no appetite, I buy all sorts and take her things I have made, but when I visit twice a week there’s still most of it in the fridge. She’s in hospital again at the moment, we think it was food poisoning from eating out of date food she won’t waste anything. I’ve just cleared her fridge out and found a few slices of ham dated the 6 th of January.
I’m hoping she’s learned her lesson now. She has carers 3 times a day but so far she hasn’t allowed them to prepare food for her, I think this needs to change. Trouble is she’s so strong willed it’s very frustrating ?‍♀️

I think part of the problem for older people is living alone. My late mother-in-law turned to microwaveable ready meals to some extent but, with no one to cook for, I think she felt redundant and couldn't be bothered to cook from scratch just for herself.

I’m glad you’re found the article useful Emily.

Maddyone my best wishes to you for a good recovery. I do hope your mother sees sense and continues with her carers and her improved diet will benefit her.

I am so glad to have read that article. Thank you janeainsworth. As we eat less in lockdown we need to keep up the quantity of protein and let carbs. go. I was having museuilli for breakfast, vegetable soup homemade for lunch and then a small plate in the evening of potatoes, meat and veg. With selection from a fruit bowl on the side. Recently I changed my breakfast to two scrambled eggs. I am pleased I did that.

Also a low carber so eat more healthy fats and protein...do plenty of exercise and keep myself in a healthy weight range....

My pea and ham home-made soup yesterday would have been full of protein----2 bowls and half a loaf

My sister is 83, diabetic and is in the early stages of dementia. I know she does not stick to a sensible diet. I am locked in with extremely vulnerable husband. I order Wiltshire Farm Foods dinners for her which my son takes to her every week, in the hope she has at least one good meal a day. However, she doesn't always eat them and sometimes tells me she has ten in the freezer. There's only so much one can do!

Janeinswoth I thought the same. Just because you are having an 8 oz steak doesn't mean you are benefiting from having 8 oz protein.

Not getting much of anything just now. My Friday am online shop was cancelled due to heavy snow and the next available delivery is Monday. Son poorly (not Covid thank goodness) neighbours shielding or not able to manage the icy hill so it’s been soup and beans minus bread and tea with dried milk. I think the delivery driver will get a very warm welcome unless we have more snow

Maddyone, I am sorry that you have been ill with Covid and hope you soon feel better.
You have done well in looking after your Mum. Amazing that she has survived at all and conquered Covid given her restricted diet.