Too much or too little of anything is a dangerous thing…
Think about this: one in three elderly Americans admitted to hospitals each year do not have access to proper nutrition.
The number is both alarming and embarrassing because it is happening in a country of abundance, not scarcity. If there is anything the U.S. is never short of, it is food.
Americans are so obsessed with food that it is almost the default subject in any gathering. They make gastronomic spectacles of any social event. Even office anniversaries are not complete without a serving of pizza or a frosty cake.
As a consequence, only 3% of Americans have a healthy lifestyle, according to new research published in the journal, Mayo Clinic Proceedings. In other words, the U.S. is far from being among the healthiest nations in the world.
The proverbial saying, “You are what you eat,” is taking its toll on the food-obsessed American public.
Miriam Shor said, “Eating good food is, to me, one of life’s greatest joys, and I will never punish myself for it.“
Yes, good food may be life’s greatest joys – depending on what kind of foods.
So let’s dig in on the basics of what constitutes “good food.”
What is proper nutrition
Proper nutrition is eating sufficient quantities of “good foods,” – those that support and maintain good health, wellness, and the energy to function normally.
Good foods must have the full range of nutrients like proteins, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals.
More than just satisfying the cravings of the taste buds, good food must, above all, saisfy the nutritional needs of the body.
What proper nutrition is like
Proper nutrition is a must for everybody, regardless of age. Before, proper nutrition was focused on the younger population until the effects of malnutrition started showing on the elderly.
Now, the “Net” is full of tons of studies and articles about elderly nutrition, often making it difficult for seniors to make educated choices.
To help you out, here a few tips to guide you to proper nutrition:
1. More nutrients, fewer calories
The body’s metabolism slows down in the 60s. This means your body cannort absorb all the vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.
To make up for this shortfall, you must increase your intake of necessary nutrients, and cut down on your your calorie intake to avoid weight gain.
2. Manage your weight
Being overweight is a sign of improper nutrition – regardless of age. In old age, it can be a serious health risk especially if you have a sedentary life style. Obesity is a risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, loss of mental acuity, and some forms of cancer.
Manage your weight by trying to hit an ideal BMI (Body Mass Index). This is, however, not a foolproof measure of your overall health. To be sure, consult your doctor for propr guidance.
3. Never skip a meal
Never skip a meal even if you don’t have the appetite. Doing so will make you gorge on on high-calorie, nutrient-poor foods when your stomach craves for food.
Skipping meals will also make your blood sugar level swing from low to high if you are a diabetic.
Finally, frequent skipping of meals can suppress appetite which can lead to malnutrition.
To avoid this problem, set your day right by having a hearty breakfast – the most imporant meal of the day. If it helps your appetite to have snacks in between meals, then do so.
4. Always stay hydrated
Dehydration is one of the most common fluids and electrolytic problem among the elderly. This is because age causes changes in total body water, and thirst perception.
There are no set guidelines how much water to drink daily since fluid requirements are dependent on a lot of things, i.e., body size, weather, physical activity, etc. To be safe, drink water regularly throughout the day, say a glass per hour.
Prolonged or habitual dehydration can lead to serious medical conditions.
5. Don’t eat anything because your slim
It is a common compulsion for slim and prim seniors to eat anything. If you are one of them, do a double-take. Eating nutritious food is for everybody – young, old, slim and, even more so, and by defaulut, overweight people.
Even if your slim, you will still miss out the necessary nutrients for healthy living if you are not discriminating on what you eat.
6. Minimise food recycling
When preparing food, it is unavoidable for live-alone seniors to cook more than what is required for one meal. The extra goes to the ref for the next. This saves time and effort and a bit of gas or electric bills.
But this may be counter-productive, nutrition-wise, if the left-overs are left too long in the ref to spoil or reheated so many times over to lose some of its necessary nutrients.
If you must (we all do), don’t let them stay for more than four days in the ref. And when you reheat them, use the microwave. Among the methods of cooking food, the microwave does the least damage to food nutrients. But don’t sizzle them. Just make them warm enough for pleasant eating
Proper nutrition is for everyone, regardless of age or sex. It is crucial for the elderly with chronic illnesses under other circumstances that may deny them of the necessary nutrients for a healthy and enjoyable living.
~oOo~
