Dementia is an acquired intellectual disability resulting from organic brain damage. Alzheimer's disease (AK, Latin Alzheimer's disease) is a neurodegenerative disease (often from the age of 65) that is characterized by increasing dementia.

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Why is nutritional therapy important?

Nutritional therapy supports you in supplying all of the fatty acids, micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are important to you, energy and protein, so that your body is optimally supplied. For this purpose, foods that promote inflammation are specifically avoided and plenty of anti-inflammatory foods are consumed. Weight reduction is recommended if you are overweight / obese. An anti-inflammatory diet can improve the state of health.

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Method:

• Record eating biography, likes and dislikes

• regular meal times

• Creating a pleasant, calm atmosphere

• Easily accessible cutlery, therapy cutlery, etc.

• Respectful, empathetic interaction

• Help the sick to prepare food

• offer a wide range of individual drinks

• Alcohol as an aperitif in small quantities with a doctor's consultation (due to possible drug interactions)

• More drinking rituals, fixed drinking times, possibly keeping a drinking log

• several small meals throughout the day

• Consideration of the energy requirement

• Giving people the time they need to eat

• Respect individuality & promote independence

• Need-based & needs-based nutrition

• Activating food offers

• basal stimulation = provide basic incentives for greater quality of life (e.g. foam soups, interesting consistencies and flavors, appetizing seasoning, etc.)

• Alternatively, individually tailored finger food: For those affected who find it difficult to coordinate the use of cutlery & refuse help with eating and behave very restlessly at the table and do not stay seated; Wander around & accept finger food as an “eat by walking” offer

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advantages

• helps people maintain or regain eating skills

• Self-respect & independence are promoted

• Affected people can eat at their own pace

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Possible nutritional problems

• Irritation from food consistencies (e.g. there are almond slivers in the dessert, these are spat out)

• Forgetting to eat

• Chopping and swallowing only under guidance

• Ill-fitting dentures

• Problems in the digestive tract

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The relationship between diet and dementia is based on the importance of:

- pro-inflammatory substances (= inflammatory mediators)

- and anti-inflammatory substances (= anti-inflammatory mediators) play a role

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Goals:

- Reduction of inflammatory food ingredients

- while increasing the amount of anti-inflammatory food ingredients

- make sure you have a sufficient supply of vitamin D.

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Blood count:

It is advisable to have your Omega 3 index checked regularly. This provides information about the supply of valuable omega 3 fatty acids (alpha-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid), which can significantly counteract inflammatory processes in the body.

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Classification of your weight - definition and classification of weight in relation to height.

Special percentile curves apply to children and adolescents; the BMI cannot simply be used here.

BMI and interpretation: BMI: body mass index. Formula: Body weight in kg : (body height in m) 2

Underweight: <18.5

Normal weight: 18.5 - 24.9

Overweight = pre-obesity: 25-29.9

Obesity grade I: 30 - 34.9

Obesity grade II: 35-39.9

Obesity grade III:> 40 = per magna

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Nutritional therapy

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• Anti-inflammatory nutrition as a basis, individually tailored to you

• Holistic therapy - do you have any comorbidities that need to be taken into account during the consultation?

• Overall fat selection, how should it be designed

• How many animal foods (e.g. meat products, milk and dairy products, cheese, fish products, eggs) are recommended?

• What do I have to look out for when choosing animal foods?

• How can I counteract inflammatory processes through diet?

• Body weight: Weight reduction is recommended if you are overweight / obese.

• In the case of insulin resistance and lipid metabolism disorders, also treat them with nutritional therapy

• Avoid micronutrient deficiencies and mineral deficiencies & possibly counteract them with nutrient preparations

• Prevent protein deficiency

• Which nutrients do I need in which ratio?

• Get enough fiber (> 30 g / day) through natural foods, possibly fiber substitution

• Sufficient fluid: total fluid per day: 30 - 35 ml per kg body weight and day. Attention, this is not just a drinking liquid. The liquid from food (approx. 500 - 800 ml) must still be subtracted from this, so that an amount of approx. 1.3 - 2 l of drinking liquid is created.

• add valuable anti-carcinogenic (anti-cancer) secondary plant substances

• A selection of foods tailored to your needs with cooking and technical information (for breakfast, snacks, lunch, dinner)

• Do you like to eat your warm meal in the evening? I am happy to cater to your individual situation and we will create a plan on how you can implement your wholesome diet into your everyday life.

• which oils are good for me? What should I watch out for in relation to the anti-inflammatory diet?

• How much fat spread (butter / margarine / vegetable fat) can I use and which products are recommended?

• Get enough Omgea-3 fatty acids and essential fatty acids

• How can I boost and support my metabolism with natural foods?

• Coordinate sensible meal frequency for your individual case - meal allocation

• Define the desired weight stabilization / normalization & the estimated period for this

• what should be considered with beverages and alcoholic beverages?

• How does exercise affect your body and thus also your diet?

• Avoid blood sugar fluctuations

• Sweetening foods - sweeteners, glucose, fructose, sugar and sugar substitutes, what can I use and in what quantities? How high is the respective sweetness of the different products?

• what should be considered when baking and cooking?

• what are cheap snacks / main meals

• Eating out - what should you watch out for?

• Vacation, boat trip or hospital stay, what should be considered?

• Flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting, heartburn, loss of appetite, pain related to eating, what can I do about it?

• Daily plans as an example for practical implementation in everyday life

• Enjoyment training

• Optimizing your eating situation

• long-term maintenance of a jointly defined weight

• Strengthen the stomach and intestines with natural foods

• Additional therapy options

• Dietetic products in support of nutritional therapy

• Food supplements - under certain circumstances, a supplement can be useful

• and other topics

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Any questions? I look forward to your call or email. To contact form

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Assistance:

• KISS self-help groups

• Self-help network

• Fit in old age - healthy nutrition

• MDS - Medical Service of the Health Insurance Companies

• Association of German Seniors' League e. V.

• Swallowing disorders in old age

• German Alzheimer's Society V. - Self-help dementia

• German Society for Geriatrics (DGG)

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