Maintaining a balanced diet is important at all stages of life, but eating healthily is particularly important as we get older. Everyone knows a healthy, balanced diet helps you maintain physical health and your weight. Being conscious of maintaining a nutritious diet can help you maintain your best possible health, allowing you to flourish into later years. The quality of your diet has a major impact on your health as you get older.
Healthy eating does not actually change all that much with age, especially if you are already on a good diet. As you age, your food requirements and eating habits can shift slightly. As you age, your nutritional needs, appetite, and eating habits can change in a number of ways. Now you are older, the foods and drinks that constitute a healthy diet might have to look slightly different than they did when you were younger.
Eating fruits and vegetables is the best way to get the nutrients you need, but sometimes that is not enough. Eating five or more portions of fruits and vegetables each day may help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer. Healthy eating habits may help manage and even prevent chronic health conditions, like diabetes and heart disease. Eating the right foods may enhance both your physical and mental health, and may also reduce the risk of some conditions and diseases. Read on below for tips on choosing healthier lifestyle choices that meet the needs of your body as you get older:
1. Choose Healthily
Choosing healthier foods and making an active effort to utilize nutrition resources can help individuals make each and every bite count, regardless of age. Eating healthy and living an active lifestyle can support healthy aging.
To meet your nutrient needs, eat foods rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. For example, if you have been diagnosed with diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol, you should eat foods that are high in nutrients but are low in excess calories, processed sugars, and saturated and trans fats. It is important to choose foods with a high nutritional content so you are getting the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fats your body needs to feel strong and energetic.
2. Strengthen Support System
Support from healthcare professionals, friends, and family members can help older adults follow dietary groups and nutrition recommendations. Health professionals can help older adults obtain adequate vitamin B12 by making sure that they are getting adequate amounts from foods, such as breakfast cereals.
3. As you age, eat less.
Some older individuals can risk poor nutrition from limiting food consumption, eating too few nutrients and kilojoules for their age. As you age, it is natural to begin eating less, as you become less physically active, and your body will therefore adapt its total dietary intake.
As you age, eating right may help to increase mental sharpness, increase your energy levels, and improve your resilience to disease. By keeping your body in good shape, eating well may also be key to having a positive outlook and staying emotionally balanced. Eating meals with loved ones, using aromatic herbs, and emphasizing calories-dense foods are all ways to improve your diet as you age.
4. Plan your meal
Meal planning takes the guesswork out of eating, and it can help you make sure that you are eating a variety of nutritious foods throughout the day. If you plan out your meals for the week, you are less likely to fall out of the healthy eating habits. Use the resources below to learn different patterns for eating healthily, as well as ways to make nutritious meal plans
Seniors should strive for a nutritionally balanced diet, which includes proteins, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and fiber. A healthful eating plan emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products; includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts; and is low in saturated fat, trans fats, salt (sodium), and added sugars. The Mediterranean Diet promotes foods like fish, fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains. These nutrient-dense foods provide protein, fiber, B vitamins, and antioxidants, which have been shown to lower the risk of heart disease and obesity.
Our bodies react to different foods differently, depending on your genetics and other health factors, so finding a healthful diet that works best for you can take some experimenting. As you get older, choosing healthier options may boost your mood, reduce your risk for diseases, increase your tolerance for stress, anxiety, and depression, and even help you think more clearly for a more enjoyable and peaceful aging life.
Cited Sources:
- https://www.eatright.org/food/nutrition/dietary-guidelines-and-myplate/healthy-eating-for-older-adults
- https://www.landmarkhealth.org/resource/nutrition-exercise-plans-seniors/
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