Aging: The Importance of Nutrition as You Grow Older

Age-related changes in body composition and metabolism require aging senior citizens to keep close eyes on the food that they eat. There are some important guidelines that seniors can follow to help them maintain a healthy diet in this process. Much of these ideas come from conventional wisdom.

Eat a variety of foods from five of the six major food groups. These would be fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, breads and cereals, fish and dry beans. A variation among these is advisable. They contain all the nutrients for good health.

Avoid foods that are high in cholesterol. You can find this by reading the ingredients on the food package or can.

Limit your fat intake to less than 30 percent of your calorie intake and keep saturated fats to less than 10 percent. This can also be found on the labels of the food you eat.

Increase your daily intake of fibered foods. Grain foods are great for this.

Prepare your foods so that they are softer and smaller in portions. This helps with digestion and your over all calorie intake. It also makes it easier to swallow. It can even save you money by going to smaller portions.

Eat slower. You will be able to eat your fill on lesser amounts. It is better for your entire body. Your digestive system can process the food easier.

Limit the use of salt and sodium compounds. This is especially true to protect against hardening of the arteries. Once again, all labels should have the amount of salt and sodium listed on it.

Increase your calcium intake. Especially women. As we get older, our bones become more brittle from the wear and tear of everyday life. It is important to keep the calcium coming into our body each day.

Avoid too much sugar. Avoid diabetes. Switch to moderate sugar supplements. Use Equal or Splenda for your sweetener. However, use it in moderation.

Drink more water. At least eight 8 ounce glasses per day. Water flushes your system and helps get rid of body waste.

If you drink alcohol, limit your intake. Don't drink when it or your body is hot. Don't drink on an empty stomach.

If you take medication, consult your doctor on when to take it. Many times drugs will react with certain nutrients. Follow your doctors orders.

Vitamins are great. However, be sure that you don't over load your system on one particular vitamin. In recent years Vitamin E has been discovered to cause heart problems. One good vitamin to take is calcium. Another is Fish oil. always talk to your doctor first before starting on any type of vitamin.

Exercise also plays a very important part in our diet. The more active you are, the more energy your body needs. consider it this way. Food is like fuel for your body. If you burn poor fuel, your body won't perform as well. This is why diet and nutrition are so important. Understand your body and your nutrition, and will not only live longer but, you will live more productive as well.

Source:

www.seniorservicesplus.org/pdf/newsletter.pdf