The diet of older people has many nuances, that you must know if you want to live long and be healthy. We all know the basic principles of healthy nutrition: eat as little as possible of fried food and pastry dishes, reduce the “high-speed” carbohydrates and certainly get enough of protein. However, elderly people should pay attention to some other aspects too. Here are some rules created by nutrition experts for those who are 60 and older.
- Be careful with the salt!
Sodium intake should be limited when you turn 60. The problem is that with age, many people lose their sensitivity to bitter and salt taste, so they often use too much salt in their food. The excess salt can lead not only to swellings, but also hypertension and other serious complications, even stroke and excessive workload for kidneys.
To avoid trouble, add natural spices, like herbs and oils, such as olive and flaxseed, to your dishes.
- Make sure you have good breakfast and take your supplements
Over the years, our digestive processes slow down, so we produce less saliva and gastric juice. Due to all of that, your body may begin to be short of certain vitamins (such as B12 or B6) and folic acid. Consult with your doctor what nutritional supplements to use, as well as make sure that the menu would increase dietary fiber.
Ideal for breakfast people who are in their seventh decade is oatmeal. It is high in fiber complex carbohydrates and has a lot of nutrients.
- Medicines and food
Using certain medicines can also affect the taste receptor and appetite. If normal food suddenly began to look like a bland, if you lost appetite (or vice versa, eat more than usual), this can all happen due to the medicines you are taking.
- Drinking enough of liquids
As the body ages, the feeling of thirst can be supressed. Therefore, for the elderly it is very important to consume enough fluids. Also you must drink enough in order to avoid trouble for digestion. The best drink is definitely pure water, but is also useful to drink, juices and other liquids from time to time.