The kind of diet you might propose for someone with health problems depends on the type of illness or disease the person has. A diabetic, for example, must follow a diet that may vary from someone with irritable bowel disease. The elderly often have different nutritional requirements than a younger person with health problems. Before preparing a diet for someone with health issues, talk to the person's doctor to make sure your recommendations won't interfere with any ongoing treatments or interact with vital medications the patient is taking.
General Good Nutrition
A diet aimed at reducing risks of developing heart disease is a generally healthy diet that most anyone with health problems can follow. You can incorporate small modifications easily to accommodate allergies or other food sensitivities that might interact with a particular disease. A heart-healthy diet includes reducing consumption of saturated and trans fats that lead to lower cholesterol numbers and decreased blood pressure and helps patients lose weight, which tends to exacerbate a wide range of illnesses. Lean protein and low-fat dairy fit in with most healthy diets for people with health problems.
Calorie Consumption
While patients may need to avoid certain foods, such as gluten if they have celiac disease or citrus fruit if they have digestive disorders, the only way to lose weight is through calorie reduction. When planning a diet for someone with health problems, first identify foods they must avoid and then plan meals that reduce calorie intake by about 500 calories per day to allow for a one-pound-per-week loss. Unless the person is very obese and follows a medically monitored very low-calorie diet, a weight loss of a pound a week is a healthy alternative for most patients. Losing weight too quickly leads to a host of additional complications that even healthy people might encounter.
Modifications
When developing a diet for someone with a condition that prohibits certain food groups, you must find healthy, low-calorie alternatives. For example, a person with a gluten intolerance cannot eat anything that contains barley, wheat or rye. Substituting important fiber and carbohydrates is important. Fruit and vegetables are healthy alternatives that provide essential fiber and carbohydrate calories. Try introducing new foods that contain necessary nutrients the person may be missing. Foods such as quinoa, polenta and hominy grits are low-calorie carbs that can play a role in a healthy weight loss diet. While diabetics need to reduce the amount of sugar they consume, they also can benefit from other diet modifications, such as spreading out their eating between five or six small meals. People with heart problems can benefit from reducing salt and using an array of other spices and seasonings in their low-fat options.
Warning
Helping someone change a diet can be a challenging proposition. In addition to finding the right kinds of food the person needs to manage his illness better, you must deal with motivation, breaking old habits and general noncompliance for a variety of reasons, according to a March 2000 article in "American Family Physician." Consistent nutritional changes are difficult for many people and can be especially trying for people who are sick. In addition to building the diet, you'll need to find other motivational tools, such as support groups, positive feedback and educational books and pamphlets to help the person stick to the diet.
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