Healthy Aging: The Importance of Nutrition for Seniors

Key Points

• As you age, your eating habits change, impacting your nutritional needs.

• A balanced diet for elderly people is critical to maintaining physical and mental health.

• Proper meal planning and supplements provide many health benefits for seniors.

From the moment you come into this world, the food you eat affects your health and development. Babies need proper nutrition to hit their growth milestones. What toddlers eat has the power to determine how well they perform in school, and teens need the appropriate diet to bolster all their bodies' changes. During adulthood, your diets impact your mental and physical health in many ways.

Now, as you enter your golden years, all those healthy eating lessons come into play for proper senior nutrition. This might be the most critical time in your life when eating right truly matters because adequate nutrition supports healthy aging.

Are you eating a nutrient-rich senior diet? The following elderly diet tips help improve senior wellness and nutrition.

Adequate Nutrition Supports Healthy Aging

Your aging health and nutrition changes impact your metabolic levels. Your metabolism slows down with age.

Decreased metabolic levels mean you don't burn off calories like you did in your 20s and 30s. As a result, there is also an increase in the risk of chronic diseases. Conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease are a concern for every senior. Fortunately, you can prevent many of these potential ailments with nutritious meals for seniors.

According to the Health In Aging Foundation, 10 percent of seniors aging in their homes don't eat enough. At the other end of the spectrum, 33 percent of people over 65 overeat.

A balanced diet for elderly folks is critical to maintaining the best physical and mental health.

Proper senior nutrition also promotes better energy throughout the day. Many foods provide that crucial energy boost, and they can all become a part of your new nutrient-rich senior diet.

Nutrient Needs Change With Age

Your bodies undergo changes when you age, such as reduced muscle mass, thinner skin, and decreased stomach acid.

A great elderly diet tip is to understand that seniors need fewer calories overall but more nutrients to stay healthy.

Consider the issue of low stomach acid. When this occurs, it impacts the absorption of the following nutrients:

• Vitamin B12

• Calcium

• Iron

• Magnesium

A balanced diet for elderly people — or increased supplement intake — replaces those missing nutrients.

Nutrient Deficiencies Can Cause Health Problems

Aging health and nutrition deficiencies can result in serious health problems, including the following:

• Hair loss

• Burning sensations in the feet

• Slow healing wounds

• Bone pain

• Heartbeat irregularities

• Poor night vision

Proper senior wellness and nutrition minimizes — and sometimes eliminates — these health concerns.

A Balanced Diet Can Prevent Chronic Diseases

Food for senior citizens doesn't have to be a bland diet. Create senior meal plans that combine selections from essential food groups to balance nutrition and taste.

Fruits and Vegetables

Representatives from the fruits and vegetable category should be on every plate at every meal. This is where you'll find a wide range of vital micronutrients and fiber.

Healthy Oils

Healthy oils provide the good cholesterol that your body needs to process nutrients. Olive, peanut, sesame, soybean, sunflower, and canola are examples of healthy oils that should be a part of nutritious meals for seniors to enjoy.

Grains

Grains are a good source of fiber and B vitamins. Healthy grains, such as brown rice, flaxseed, whole wheat bread, oats, and popcorn — no butter! — make an ideal choice for daily food for senior citizens.

Protein

Protein is another food item that should be on every plate because it provides numerous health benefits for seniors. Tasty protein choices include salmon, beans, lentils, eggs, and lean meat or poultry.

Eating nutrient-rich foods helps prevent chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and osteoporosis.

Proper Nutrition Can Help Manage Chronic Conditions

According to the CDC, high blood pressure and high cholesterol are the two leading causes of heart disease, and adequate nutrition helps manage both chronic conditions.

Consider the issue of sodium overconsumption. Current recommendations for healthy sodium intake are less than 2,300 mg a day. However, the average American consumes over 3,400 mg a day.

Switching to prepackaged foods low in sodium and keeping the salt shaker off the table bring down those high sodium levels.

Another chronic condition is diabetes. One in three Americans have prediabetes, which puts them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The most effective way to reduce that risk is by losing weight; proper nutrition is vital to attaining that goal.

Hydration Is Crucial

Proper nutrition is more than what you eat; it also includes what you drink. Of course, the most essential drink for seniors is water.

Hydration helps the body regulate its temperature, which contributes to maintaining blood pressure and helping with digestion.

"Dehydration in seniors is a very common problem," says INTEGRIS Health physician Dr. Ashley Muckala. "There are many causes for dehydration, including medication, fluid restriction prescribed by a health care professional, or it can be a side effect of other illnesses."

It's essential to watch out for these signs of dehydration:

• Headaches

• Nausea

  See also

  

  HealthSenior Nutrition

  Hydration and Health: Importance of Fluid Intake for Seniors

• Dizziness

• Disorientation

• Fainting

• Constipation

• Muscle cramping

• Increased heart rate

Keeping water close by — try using a refillable water bottle — is an easy way to mitigate dehydration.

Meal Planning Can Help Ensure Adequate Nutrition

Senior meal plans ensure retirees get the nutrients they need. Meal planning is more than pulling leftovers from the freezer; it begins with a program that utilizes a senior's nutrition goals.

A meal plan can include dietary recommendations from a physician and a review of the nutritional benefits of various foods.

For instance, when planning meals for a week, you can quickly assess if you're getting the right amount of fruits and veggies each day. These plans make it easy to adjust your preparation and grocery shopping.

Supplements May Be Necessary

Dietary supplements fill the nutrition gaps for seniors. These supplements come in the form of daily vitamins or drink mixes.

Seniors can add the following common vitamin and mineral supplements to their diets.

Calcium

Calcium is all about bone strength. The risk of fractures increases when bone density is lost, and calcium bolsters bone density.

Vitamin D

It would help if you had vitamin D to absorb all that vital calcium you're adding to your diet. Together, these micronutrients ward off osteoporosis.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 aids in the production of red blood cells, and this nutrient boosts the body's immune and nervous systems.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 supports your blood and nerve cells. Therefore, the proper amount of B12 can prevent anemia.

Supplements also come in the form of nutrition drinks. Make these drinks fresh in your kitchen with a blender and the right ingredients.

Many nutrition drinks are also available in prepackaged bottles. These drinks help with your protein intake and building muscle mass. They're also a tasty treat!

Blood work from your doctor illuminates nutrient gaps, and you should always consult with your doctor before taking any supplements to ensure they won't interact negatively with your medications.

Eating Habits May Change With Age

Eating habits evolve as you age, and seniors face many challenges with eating habits that impact their health. For instance, declining taste or smell may lower the desire to eat, and dental problems also discourage eating.

Mobility issues can impair food preparation and shopping for groceries. When any of these conditions exist, talk with your doctor to find interventions that can help. It's essential to recognize the problems to develop an effective solution.

The goal for seniors is to maintain a healthy diet that gives the body the right fuel to enjoy all that retirement offers. Meal prepping helps round out nutrition and ensure delicious foods are available.

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