hi

[tommass]

hi, my mom had a stroke about amonth and a half ago. the doctors said it was minimal damage but that is not what it seems to me at all. my mom doesnt really do much and doesnt eat much either and says that food doesnt taste good anymore, i worry she needs to get nutrients to get energy back. she still conversates well,just dont cook for us anymore or do anything, she drinks cocoa in the morning and like a banana was all she ate yesterday so my question i guess is does the apetite come back eventually or is the blood pressure medications causing her not to eat or is she depressed? the doctor says he doesnt know the problem i mean how much longer can she not eat good meals for help we already cancelled thanks giving. also, my dad thinks she id being stubborn because she used to put salt on everything and now she cant anymore

[caregiver222]

The appetite will come back. As for the banana, as it ripens, it becomes easier and easier to digest and the interior becomes sweeter. My little 103 year old (almost) loves banana! I call her "The banana kid". The best bananas are those with darkened or partially darkened exteriors. This is important to the stroke patient because intestinal motility and constipation are often issues and the riper the banana, the easier it is to digest. To hasten the ripening, put the banana(s) in a brown paper bag (not plastic). To stop the ripening put them in the refrigerator. Let them come to room temperature before serving and be cautious about warming them in a microwave, because it is possible for one part of the interior to be hot enough to damage the mouth while another part is ice cold. Many of the changes in appetite are involuntary. Use the organic cocoa. To add nutrients chocolate pudding is very helpful. You can crush amino acid tablets, for example and mix them with the pudding. Be cautious with amino acid supplements, recommended by many physicians, because sometimes the supporess the appetite. Think pureed foods, if there is a swallowing disorder.

[tommass]

thanks,we will see how it goes

[caregiver222]

One of the things I do with my sweet thing is to serve her in little two ounce cups and always with four flavors of juice or smoothie. This increases her fluid intake. By the same token, think about providing several different flavors of food for her meals in small quantities.