Healthy Eating for Seniors
Maintaining health as you age requires eating a well-balanced diet. You may acquire the nutrients you require, feel energised, and maintain a healthy weight with its assistance. Additionally, it reduces your risk of developing long-term illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.
A well balanced diet
To meet your nutritional needs, eat foods that are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Limit foods that are high in processed sugars, saturated and trans fats, and salt. You may also have to adjust your diet to manage chronic health conditions.
How Does Aging Affect Your Needs and Habits?
Your dietary requirements, appetite, and eating habits may alter in a variety of ways as you age.
Calories
As you become older, you'll generally need less calories to stay at a healthy weight. Weight gain occurs when you consume more calories than you expend.
As you age, you might discover that you have less energy and more issues with your muscles or joints. You can thus experience decreased mobility and reduced calorie expenditure from physical activity. Also possible is muscular mass loss. Your metabolism will slow down as a result, decreasing your requirement for calories.
Appetite
With ageing, many people lose their appetite. Your sense of taste and smell may also deteriorate. You may eat less as a result of this.
Eating less might not be a problem if your physical activity level is lower. To keep strong muscles, bones, and organs, you must consume adequate calories and nutrients. Lack of it might result in malnutrition and health issues.
Health Conditions
Chronic health issues including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and osteoporosis are more likely to affect you as you age. Your doctor could suggest dietary adjustments to help avoid or treat certain illnesses.
For instance, you should eat meals that are high in nutrients but low in excess calories, processed sugars, saturated fats, and trans fats if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol. Your physician could also suggest that you consume less sodium.
Some older people develop food sensitivities to foods like onions, peppers, dairy, and spicy foods. Some of these foods might need to be eliminated from your diet.
Medications
To treat chronic medical issues, you might need to take medicine. Your appetite may be impacted by some drugs. Others may interact with specific meals and dietary supplements.
For instance, you must avoid grapefruit if you are taking warfarin (Coumadin). Your body's capacity to metabolise the medication is reduced. Additionally, you must keep the amount of vitamin K in your diet constant. Consuming a lot of spinach, kale, or other leafy greens will help you receive enough vitamin K.
If you're taking a medicine, be careful to ask your doctor or pharmacist if you need to adjust your diet in any way.
Oral Health
Seniors' dental health concerns are unique. Some of these may make it difficult for you to eat. For instance, improperly fitting dentures can result in poor eating habits and malnutrition. Additionally problematic are oral infections.
Immune System
As you age, your immune system deteriorates. This increases your chance of getting food poisoning or a food-borne illness.
At every age, proper food safety procedures are critical. However, when your immune system deteriorates, you might need to take more precautions. For instance, your doctor might advise you to stay away from items like homemade mayonnaise or Caesar salad dressing that contain raw eggs.
Home Life
Your daily routine, including your eating habits, may be impacted by the loss of a spouse or other family members. You can experience depression, which might decrease your appetite. You can lack the cooking skills if a family member conducted the majority of the cooking. Some folks just decide not to eat rather than making anything for themselves to eat.
Speak to a member of your family, a reliable friend, or your doctor if you're having trouble preparing food for yourself. There might be services available in your area to ensure you're getting the nourishment you require. For instance, Meals on Wheels is offered all throughout the world, including in the United States, Canada, Australia, and other nations.
How Can You Continue to Eat Well?
Everyone has different nutritional demands. But everyone may keep a healthy diet with the aid of basic techniques.
Focus on Foods Rich in Nutrients
As you become older, your calorie demands are likely to go down while your nutritional needs either stay the same or go up. You can obtain the vitamins, minerals, protein, carbs, and fats you require by consuming nutrient-rich foods.
Get the majority of your calories from foods that are high in nutrients, like:
- vegetables and fruits
- beans and lentils
- nuts and seeds
- whole grains
- low-fat dairy
- lean protein
Limit foods that are high in calories, but low in nutrients. For example, save deep-fried foods, desserts, and sweetened beverages for the occasional treat. Your doctor may recommend avoiding junk food altogether.
Eat Enough Fiber
Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system. To avoid constipation and other problems, include fiber-rich foods at every meal. Soluble fiber is especially important for maintaining healthy cholesterol levels. Good sources of fiber include:
- fruits and vegetables
- beans and lentils
- nuts and seeds
- oats and oat bran
- whole grains
If you struggle to eat enough fiber, your doctor may recommend a fiber supplement, such as psyllium husk (Metamucil).
Select wholesome convenience foods
Pick the healthier options if you find yourself depending on convenience foods. For instance, the following foods can be healthful and simple to prepare:
- frozen or low-sodium canned vegetables
- frozen unsweetened fruit or low-sugar canned fruit
- precooked grilled turkey or rotisserie chicken
- low-sodium canned soup or stews
- bagged salad or coleslaw mix
- instant oatmeal
- steamer bags of veggies in either the produce or freezer sections of grocery stores
Always read the labels on items that are prepackaged. Select products that are higher in fibre, vitamins, and minerals and lower in added sugar, salt, and saturated fat.
Think about supplements
If you have to avoid certain foods, it could be difficult for you to receive all the nutrients you need in your diet. Consult your doctor to determine whether you should take a calcium, vitamin D, magnesium, or vitamin B-12 supplement. Older Americans frequently have poorer absorption or inadequate consumption of these particular vitamins.
Specific drugs may be affected by certain supplements. Before beginning a new supplement or drug, inquire with your doctor or pharmacist about possible adverse effects.
Keep hydrated.
You might not realise when you're thirsty as you get older. Make sure you're regularly consuming fluids. Every day, try to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water. Juice, tea, soup, and even water-rich fruits and vegetables can all provide you with some water.
Remain Social
Eat with friends and family whenever you can. Mealtimes can become pleasurable events with social contact rather than a drudgery you'd rather avoid.
