Nutrition & Dining
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What is Nutritional Therapy?
Nutritional Therapy aims to promote an individual’s health through tailored nutritional and lifestyle changes. Nutritional therapists work with individuals to help ease and prevent ill health through dietary recommendations – championing the benefits of wholesome foods and hydration, as well as the impact dining environmemts have on wellbeing.
Eating well and staying active are important throughout a lifetime, but as we age, our bodies have different needs, so certain nutrients become particularly important. Understanding the foundations of nutrition remains key to good health.
A combination of nature and science, Nutritional Therapy ‘acknowledges the kitchen as the medicine cabinet’ and is extremely important to the elderly, particularly those in Residential Care with Dementia or specific health conditions or illnesses.‘We are what we eat’, so let’s be good to ourselves!
Nutritional Therapy at Nellsar
Across our Care Homes, we are really passionate about the physical and mental well-being of our residents and understand that nutrition and hydration are absolutely key to keeping people well.
Nellsar is one of the first Care Home groups to recognise the importance of nutrition for the elderly and those with Dementia. It is our mission to put the physical and mental well-being of our residents first and we have introduced a dedicated Nutritional Therapist and ‘Nutrition Champions’ within our Homes.
We are dedicated to promoting the health of our residents and understand that nutrition and hydration – delivered through well-balanced, nutritious meals – are absolutely key to keeping people well. Our Chefs work closely with our Head of Nutrition and Wellness, Leni Wood, to develop different meal plans and recipes that put focus on beneficial nutritional aspects, such as protein.
As a team, Leni, our Chefs and Nutrition Champions are dedicated to improving nutritional knowledge and practises across our Homes and sharing these ever-growing skills, through education and training, throughout the company. Positive changes – in the best-interest of all residents – are taking place!
Meet Leni Wood
Nellsar Care Homes’ Head of Nutrition and Wellness
Head of Nutrition and Wellness, Leni Wood is our in-house nutritional advisor, who joined our team in July 2017.
Leni is a qualified Nutritional Therapist, registered with the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and The British Association for Nutrition and Lifestyle Medicine (BANT) regulatory bodies.
She spent three years at The College of Naturopathic Medicine in Brighton studying a variety of specialisms including Biomedicine, Biochemistry, Human sciences and the history and scope of nutritional therapy and how nutrition affects the key systems of the human body. Her studies included 200 clinical hours over the course of 3 years.
Leni uses her vast knowledge and evidence based resources from the NACC, BDA, and IDDSI to advise our teams.
As an advocate for better nutrition in healthcare, it is Leni’s dream to see a shift in the approach to food; she’s passionate about the kitchen being used to its full potential when providing sustenance to vulnerable people in compromised states of health.
“It is true that the foods you eat have far-reaching effects throughout the body – especially those consumed on a regular basis. I have seen the benefits that making small adjustments in food choices can bring; swapping high-sugar nutrient-empty foods for nutrient-rich alternatives. There is a world of evidence-based research out there to support the benefits of a nutrient-rich diet.”
Leni can provide resident focused support to all Nellsar homes. Working closely with external preofessionals and in-house staff alike.
Nellsar Care and Cookery Book
Pioneers in the Care Catering industry, the Nellsar Care and Cookery Book celebrates our person-centred care catering and nutritional support. We also share some of our residents’ favourite seasonal recipes and an insight into the wonderful cooking clubs in our Care Homes.
Nutrition and wellness at Nellsar video
Our latest video talks about the benefits of Nutritional Therapy at Nellsar and how we maintain our superior catering provision across our 13 Care Homes.
Hear how we have adapted to the dramatic changes that came about as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, including how we approach food, dining and nutrition. Health and immunity are our greatest defence against viruses, including Coronavirus, so we look at ways of including additional immune boosting foods into our menus without compromising on our residents’ preferences.
Food and Dining at Nellsar
Our Chefs work hard at developing tasty, varied meals and regularly consult with our residents to find out about their favourite dishes.
Our Catering Teams are committed to preparing fresh, home-cooked food using local ingredients, and we are very happy to cater for special dietary requirements including coeliac, diabetic, vegan, vegetarian and soft foods.
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After experiencing one heatwave already this summer, and with another period of extreme heat forecast, it's a timely reminder that staying hydrated...
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A shared Nellsar culture
We are extremely proud of the caring, supportive culture in our Care Homes which embodies empathy, equity, professionalism and continuous improvement. Our values focus on the individual – from residents to team members – creating an inclusive environment with both residents and team members at the heart of what we do every day.
