Remember the old saying, you are what you eat? Try to make
it your motto. When you eat a variety of colorful fruits and veggies, whole
grains, and lean proteins you’ll feel vibrant and healthy, inside and out.
For seniors, the benefits of a healthy eating habit include
mental alertness, resistance to illness, increased energy levels and faster
recuperation times. As we get older, eating healthy can also be the key to a
positive attitude and keeping emotionally balanced. But healthy eating doesn’t have
to be dieting and sacrificing. Eating well is all about fresh, colorful
food and creativity in the kitchen:
Choose to eat whole fruits over fruit juices as they contain
more fiber and vitamins. The darker
the greens, the more antioxidants
they contain. Greens such as kale, spinach and broccoli are excellent sources.
Orange vegetables such as carrots, squash and yams are also very vitamin-rich. Try
to eat 2 cups of veggies every day.
Calcium is
imperative for maintaining healthy bones and warding off osteoporosis and bone
fractures. Seniors need around 1200mg per day. Milk and dairy products such as
yogurt and cheese are excellent sources. You can also get your daily calcium
fix through non-dairy sources such as broccoli, almonds, kale and tofu.
When it comes to carbs,
choose whole grains over processed
white flour products for more fiber and nutrients. Try to add whole grain
breads and pasta products to your diet.
Protein is very
important for maintaining muscle mass. The human body starts to gradually lose
muscle mass starting at the age of 30. Seniors need about 0.5 grams per pound
of bodyweight. Simply divide your bodyweight in half to know how many grams you
need. Fish, beans, peas, nuts, eggs,
milk, cheese, and seeds are all excellent sources of protein.
As we know, the human body is mainly composed of water. Seniors are prone to dehydration
because our sense of thirst dulls as we age.
Add little sticky-notes to your apartment reminding you to sip on your
water every hour to avoid chronic dehydration.
Drinking sufficient water is also important to avoid constipation and
maintaining a healthy digestion.
Try to avoid hidden sugars. Many canned and
processed products contain hidden sugars. Make yourself familiar and check the labels
for different terms for sugar such as corn syrup, molasses, brown rice syrup,
cane juice, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, or maltose.
Avoid too much salt: Often
taste and smell diminishes as we age. Seniors tend to lose the ability to taste
salty flavors and therefore tend to add too much salt to compensate. Try to use
other spices, herbs and healthy oils such as olive oil to season your food.
Cook smart: The
best way to prepare veggies is by steaming or sautéing in olive oil to preserve
its nutrients.
