It's Too Dry, So - Make It Wet!!

Blogger's note: in the recent post "It's Too Dry", I had indicated a following post would supply some solutions to the dilemna - often seen in a clinical situation - of a person served who does not consume some foods due to their being dry or without flavor.To recap - why does this matter?

* Good nutrition and hydration is critical to recovering and maintaining wellness;
* Persons served may have problems with eating/drinking, therefore impairing wellness;
* Persons not eating a healthy diet may face serious compromises to their general health;
* Persons with impaired eating/drinking may have salivary production diminished;
* Impaired salivary production limits persons' thoroughly eating dry, coarse foods on a "general diet";
* Persons served may not drink enough, to aid in swallowing dry foods chewed;
* Persons served may be fed by institutional kitchens that limit moisture to limit fat/calories;
* Your intervention with the persons served may include reclaiming moisture for food;
* Reclaimed moisture for food will help improve food viscosity, and an easier swallow;

OK, let's figure out how to do this now. Increasing moisture in food may be a matter of increasing salivary flow. The person may also benefit from coaching to use a favorite beverage frequently. Still another approach would require amending flavors in the food this person receives, while remaining as true as possible to the dietary "restrictions" imposed by either conscience or doctor's orders.

Improved salivary flow? What about: regular and thorough oral care (brushing, rinsing, flossing)? What about stimulating saliva flow between meals, with water breaks and with flavors (eg fruit, mint) in candy or gum? How about flavor amendments (herbs, non-sodium spices) for our food?

A beverage at mealtimes, used not to fill up the stomach with frequent gulps but to form and wash out oral food material, will allow the person with practice to consume more of a dry solid diet. Alternating sips of a beverage with bites of food, is a natural strategy that helps function in all the valves of the swallowing system under our direct control.

Flavor amendments can be internal (again, through herbs, spices or other secrets) or external. Betsy Towner in the AARP Bulletin, created a comprehensive list of "Flavors to Shake the Salt Habit" for the holiday season. 1 Avoiding sodium is still a core aim of medically-modified diets, and this list assists in adding flavors internally. By contrast, adding externally a sodium-free or low-sodium flavoring, sauce or condiment to a dish will help accentuate the flavors, and stimulate more chewing/salivating/easy swallowing.

I would love to hear feedback from readers, on any similar enhancements to food that has helped persons challenged by eating/drinking. Please post comments!

1 Towner, Betsy, "Flavors to Shake the Salt Habit", AARP Bulletin, 12/1/2010. Online version  http://www.aarp.org/food/diet-nutrition/info-12-2010/healthy_herbs_and_spices.html accessed 1/3/15.