Care provider Nellsar has launched a dietary campaign to boost the physical and mental health of staff to coincide with You Can Care Week, a nationwide initiative that shines a spotlight on social care workers.
Leni Wood, nutrition and wellness manager at Nellsar, a family-run operator of 13 care homes throughout Kent, Surrey and Essex, has instigated a ‘Dietary Diary’ scheme for all staff across the group.
The qualified nutritional therapist is trialling the project, which involves staff keeping a record of their food intake across three to four days before sending to Wood (pictured) for review.
She then uses her nutritional expertise to appropriately adjust each dietary record for better overall health and balance.
“Measuring our overall wellbeing can begin with the food that we eat, and one way of knowing if you are on the right track with your diet is by having a dietary diary,” she said.
“There are many things that a healthy, balanced diet can help improve the symptoms of, including diabetes, obesity, hormone-related issues such as PMS, and menopause and fatigue.”
Wood continued: “Some of the things I will be looking out for in the food diary review are whether people are having enough vitamins and minerals, proteins, fats and the right kind of carbs. Does the diet look heavily processed and how can the processed foods be easily replaced rather than restricted?
“Does the diet support energy balance or is it a fatigue-driving diet? Is the diet an inflammatory diet which could be driving hormone issues or diabetes symptoms? These are all important factors to boosting health and wellbeing.”
She continued: “There is so much you can do with how you eat and this new dietary diary scheme is just another way of giving back to our amazing staff. We’re always looking to make positive adjustments for the well-being of our residents, and staff are no exception.”
