Is Activia Yogurt good for the elderly?

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The BRATT diet (banana, rice, apple sauce, tea, toast) can help with the "runs." I've tried Activia, but you can get the same results with plain yogurt (sprinkle it with granola, trailmix, and/or fresh fruit). A nice, thick chicken broth (consomme?) and crackers can also help with the stomach. So can ginger ale and homemade vegetable juices. (Have you see that commercial on TV? Believe me, it's worth every penny. [Hope I'm not accused of "soliciting."])

If you don't eat, you don't get hungry. And if we don't eat because it might make us sick or sicker, then we dehydrate and waste away. Your Mom has to eat, even if it's very small meals throughout the day. Good luck my friend.

-- ED

Alz you are so good to work so hard to make your Mom get what she needs for her health and helped us with your information. It would probablt good for most of us to see a dietician occ. to learn what is good for us-I get a mag. once a month about nutrition and it is an eye opener-we really need to read lables on our food.

Wow, I had that sort of problem with Mom too, but not with the direct medical problems. Fiber is touted as one cure for diarrhea. Fiber absorbs excess water. Fiber is also a cure for constipation, as it absorbs water and makes the stools softer. There is soluble fiber and non-soluble fiber. Begin your research there.

Certain meds and even supplements can cause diarrhea. I decided to try mom on the Niacinamide "cure" for Alzheimer's, but in the amts she had to take, it gave her diarrhrea. I am now trying adding coconut oil (non hydrogenated) to her diet as that provides a fresh source of energy to the brain cells. google "coconut oil and Alzheimers" for more info. Too much oil will cause diarrhea, so I am watching this carefully.

Activia touts just one brand of beneficial bacteria, and I believe it has "regularis" in the name. Scientifically, that is a ridiculous name for a bacteria. This is a marketing scheme to name one bacteria in that way. Look it up as well. Activia has also things you do not want in it. If I recall it had high fructose corn syrup for regular, and aspartame for low cal. Yogurts should have only the milk products, trusted fruits/flavorings and then perhaps 4-5 lengthy names of the beneficial bacteria. No gelatin, etc.

HOWEVER, since your mother has seen the commercials, the "let's give it a try for two weeks and see" aspect might work to get her to try it.

My mom is now on a total yogurt/protein drink diet now, and I am always blending in things. I add 1-2 teaspoons of the soluble fiber (generic brands in larger sizes are very economical, perhaps another scoop of protein powder. Now add a teaspoon of the melted coconut oil. for added sweetness, it's recommended by many people that only Stevia is acceptable.

I use a stick blender...regular one just doesn't get it done...which is a snap to clean. If you blend in real fruit (hint, buy frozen to reduce waste), you will get non-soluble fiber into the mix. Protein...elderly need maybe 45 grams day. that's generally 4 yogurts.

Oh, the fiber in the activia I tried was literally like wood chips and sawdust.

There is another thing I have discovered recently...coconut WATER. It's being used by athletes to recover from severe exercise sessions, marathons, leg cramps. As soon as I started mixing this into Mom's smoothies her night leg cramps stopped. This water has four or more additional electrolytes over Gatorade, which has just two. Coconut JUICE, however, contains the coconut OIL, so you can add to smoothies and yogurt mixture for flavors. Watch the labels on these to see if there is stuff you don't want. Oh, the water is from the immature coconut. At Whole Foods, I just saw a pile of the coconuts, drilled with a straw for immediate consumption. When you buy coconut water, get the pure stuff, not flavored, That way you can add your own juice and save $.