From Frail to Hale and Hearty

I've realised as I get older that being a few pounds overweight (pounds, not stones!) may be better than being underweight, as if you get a bout of illness, at least you have something to lose.
I thought that info sheet was actually pretty good - you don't have to eat everything on it!

M0nica

Allira

M0nica

I think far too often the NHS when writing all these help and advice sheets do not actually use experts to design their sheets so that the information when given is presented will lead people to read the bits that matter and own play other pars.

Often when I am looking up something medical, a charity will produce a really helpful leaflet because it has been well designed and presented by people who understand design and how to attractpeople's eyes to the parts that matter.

So much NHS litereaature isn't designed at all and people read the information incorrectly, then they get the blame for concentrating on the non essentials

The diets are worked out by NHS dietitians!

I am sure they are. The problem isn't with the recommended diets, the problem is often the way they are set out on the paper or website for the potential user.

To give you an example using a non-medical GN example. Most people on here have learnt that online postings are best written in short paragraphs, with a oneline space between each paragraph.

Every so often we get a huge screed from the OP. screens of it, no paragraphs, little punctuation, often written at times of deep emotion. Notice how often someone has posted in reply that they feel for the OP would like to sympathise but simply couldn't manage to read that huge chunk of prose, unbroken by paragraphs.

As has often been said 'It is not what you say, its the way that you say it'. The same with print. It is often not what you write, which may be impeccably correct and written by a world expert on the subject, but if put on paper or screen, without thought for presentation, that enables the information to be accessable and understood by its intended audience, is a complete waste of time and effort.

The problem isn't with the recommended diets, the problem is often the way they are set out on the paper or website for the potential user.

From my point of view, the problem with this one is some of the recommended foods. The thought of trying to eat or drink some of them if your appetite is depressed for any reason is off-putting.
The title 'From Hale to Hearty' is off-putting too, for someone who has been diagnosed with an illness. It's as if they are saying, just follow this diet sheet and you will become robust, vigorous and strong!

Tea with all milk 🤮

Sorry, Tizliz, don't let me put you off!

Macmillan Cancer Relief has a good on line leaflet. I think it is called Build You Up. From memory it has suggested meals.

this is readable

www.nhshighland.scot.nhs.uk/media/3nllhvqs/from-frail-to-hale-and-hearty.pdf

Lathyrus3

I’m really glad to hear that Tizliz.

I hope you understand I have been worried about you🙂

Thank you and to everyone who are trying to help

I mean that you’re trying to eat more.

Not glad about that unpleasant comment about MOnica

I’m really glad to hear that Tizliz.

I hope you understand I have been worried about you🙂

Goldieoldie15

ever thought of changing your day job Monica? I hear Hectors International are recruiting.
Just saying.

That's not fair. I appreciate all comments and efforts to help. The comparison to reading big chunks of text was very good.

Think it has been photo copied too many times.

At the moment I am trying to eat more of my usual meals with milkshakes instead of water and having a pudding in the evenings.

It is difficult to undo years of learning to eat healthy but I am trying.

ever thought of changing your day job Monica? I hear Hectors International are recruiting.
Just saying.

I can’t actually read that. It’s fuzzy on my pad.

But I hereby confess that the one I’ve been going on about is a totally different one😳😳😳😳

I put in ‘Frail to Hale and hearty diet sheet” into Google and then pontificated about the one that came up.

Apologies all round🤭

Diet sheet

There are different ways to be healthy.

In this case "From Frail to Hale and Hearty".

Having just glanced through the sheet, I think the suggestions on there sound most offputting and, if your appetite is not good, inclined to make you feel quite nauseous.

It is not a healthy diet.

Just a trick that may help…
I was thinking about the ‘how to lose weight’ psychology I am much more familiar with where a tip is to use a smaller plate so that portions look bigger.

Could you reverse that and put your portions on a big plate, and this trick you brain into thinking you have a smaller portion?

When my mum needed to put on some weight I enriched everything with Complan and used Jersey milk to make soups, custards and rice pudding - all served in egg cup quantities but packing as much of a punch as I could. Slow progress but she got back to normal eating in a couple of months.
Do hope you are seeing an improvement soon.

There must be several versions of this sheet so I will scan it in after breakfast

Oh well, I thought it was an attractive, easy to read sheet with some good suggestions.

Honestly, is it too much to ask someone to be bothered to read a simple leaflet and think about food that will help them maintan their own health.

No wonder the NHS struggles when intelligent people, like the ones on here, can find reasons like a few words or a layout they don’t like, for not taking that personal responsibility.

The specialist thinks the OP is “malnourished “. That diagnosis alone would send me off to read up tomes on nutrition for Parkinson’s, as I did when my husband had leukaemia and for my other relative. And for me now, doing everything I can to get the best out of my life.

And having vented my spleen, back to breakfast 🙂

I just took a good look at that diet sheet and found it offputting too with the way it was presented. The very first thing was my reaction of "But OP hasn't got dementia - so why is she being handed a diet sheet that has partial backing from them?" That would put me off right from the get-go I have to admit. I presume that's a moneysaving thing - two sponsoring organisations and they're being made to share a diet sheet?? But that alone might cause me to have thought "I've not got that - this isn't relevant for me....." and binned it mentally.

I wondered what on earth "butter tea" and "butter coffee" are - never heard of them.

It didn't sound very appealing all round and the only thing I really saw going for it was my thoughts of "At least there's no typesetting errors or the like there" - as I instantly turn off to some extent from any publication that's got typesetting errors, etc. Reason being my first thought is "Whoever produced this hasn't proofread it to start with - so why am I being expected to take it seriously - ie when they've not produced it properly?"

So - as Monica said - there are going to be mental barriers up to reading it/taking account of it to start with.

Maybe a better format for it could be the standard one - ie of food suggestions being divided between: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks? I'd see it as more of a leaflet thing - than a single sheet thing for a start-off. Say an A5 size leaflet - with sections/perhaps photos of a few of those suggestions?

Allira

M0nica

I think far too often the NHS when writing all these help and advice sheets do not actually use experts to design their sheets so that the information when given is presented will lead people to read the bits that matter and own play other pars.

Often when I am looking up something medical, a charity will produce a really helpful leaflet because it has been well designed and presented by people who understand design and how to attractpeople's eyes to the parts that matter.

So much NHS litereaature isn't designed at all and people read the information incorrectly, then they get the blame for concentrating on the non essentials

The diets are worked out by NHS dietitians!

I am sure they are. The problem isn't with the recommended diets, the problem is often the way they are set out on the paper or website for the potential user.

To give you an example using a non-medical GN example. Most people on here have learnt that online postings are best written in short paragraphs, with a oneline space between each paragraph.

Every so often we get a huge screed from the OP. screens of it, no paragraphs, little punctuation, often written at times of deep emotion. Notice how often someone has posted in reply that they feel for the OP would like to sympathise but simply couldn't manage to read that huge chunk of prose, unbroken by paragraphs.

As has often been said 'It is not what you say, its the way that you say it'. The same with print. It is often not what you write, which may be impeccably correct and written by a world expert on the subject, but if put on paper or screen, without thought for presentation, that enables the information to be accessable and understood by its intended audience, is a complete waste of time and effort.

I'd imagine one could add nuts to all sorts of things too - ie high calorie and healthy?

Eat what you like, then add the chocolate, cake and sweets. A friend loved custard tarts and viennese whirls - they worked, but watch your acid. Now is the time to indulge in mince pies and Christmas pud.
But mainly he is suggesting too that you are short on muscle building proteins, so pigs in blankets and sausage roll?
If none of that appeals, go get some body builder's powders and shakes from B&M or H&B (They sell high protein choc bars too)

Sheila4483

Having looked at the diet sheet I think it is just something to give you ideas rather than a diet sheet to be followed meal to meal. Peanut butter is a very high calorie food.

Oh dear, I've been having it on toast sometimes for breakfast.
I do not need extra calories!

Having looked at the diet sheet I think it is just something to give you ideas rather than a diet sheet to be followed meal to meal. Peanut butter is a very high calorie food.

M0nica

I think far too often the NHS when writing all these help and advice sheets do not actually use experts to design their sheets so that the information when given is presented will lead people to read the bits that matter and own play other pars.

Often when I am looking up something medical, a charity will produce a really helpful leaflet because it has been well designed and presented by people who understand design and how to attractpeople's eyes to the parts that matter.

So much NHS litereaature isn't designed at all and people read the information incorrectly, then they get the blame for concentrating on the non essentials

The diets are worked out by NHS dietitians!