
The Cost of Malnutrition
It is important to maintain a healthy and balance diet as an adult, but this is even more crucial as a senior citizen. Failing to eat the right amount of food or failing to include certain nutrients in your diet can cause malnutrition, which can cause serious havoc on your body, contributing to factors like:- A weakened immune system and an increased risk of infections.
- Increased muscle weakness and decreased bone mass, which can eventually lead to falls, fractures and breaks.
- Inadequate wound healing.
- An increased risk of death.
- An increased risk of hospitalization.
- A lack of appetite, which can cause malnutrition to grow worse.
What to Eat as a Senior Citizen
A healthy diet can keep your body stronger, improve your mental health, keep your metabolism working right and increase your energy levels. It is recommended that a good portion of every meal include colorful fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are full of essential vitamins and antioxidants. While fresh fruits and vegetables can become expensive, studies show that when it comes to nutrients, frozen fruits and vegetables are just as good as fresh. Fruits that give the most nutrients include:- Blueberries and raspberries.
- Grapefruit.
- Avocadoes.
- Dark cherries.
- Bananas.
- Kale.
- Spinach.
- Broccoli.
- Swiss chard.
- Sweet potato.
- Nonfat or low-fat milk.
- Yogurt.
- Cheese.
- Bread.
- Oatmeal.
- Quinoa.
- Brown rice and wild rice.
- Beans.
- Eggs.
- Soy and peanut butter.
- Legumes.
- Nuts.
- Dairy products.
- Salmon.
- Sardines.
- Tuna.
- Mackerel.
Supplements to Include Within Your Diet
As a senior citizen, it is important to pay extra attention to specific vitamins and nutrients that are most important later in life. It is recommended that you supplement your diet and ensure that your diet includes nutrients such as vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and folate. Often, you can find all three of these essential nutrients in cereals that contain added vitamins. You can also get vitamin B6 in whole grains and organ meat, such as liver. B12 is most commonly found in lean meats such as poultry and in some fish. You can get folate in dark greens, beans and peas. As mentioned previously, vitamin D and calcium are incredibly important for maintaining strong bones, which can reduce the risk of fractures and breaks during a fall. In addition to dairy products, you can find calcium in dark green and leafy vegetables such as kale and broccoli. Your body absorbs vitamin D when you are outside in the sun. Fiber is great for digestion and it also helps prevent diabetes and heart disease. Beans, whole grains and vegetables all provide a great source for fiber. Potassium is a commonly overlooked nutrient and, when lacking, you may have raised blood pressure. Potassium can be found in potatoes, yogurt and bananas.Myths Regarding Food and Nutrition for Senior Citizens
There is a lot of misinformation out there and common myths regarding food and nutrition for senior citizens. One of the most common misconceptions is that once you reach the age of 60, your metabolism will slow down and you will need fewer nutrients. This is false. In fact, as you age, your body is actually less efficient at making and absorbing some nutrients, making it even more imperative that you maintain a healthy diet if you want to achieve healthy aging. Another common myth is that senior citizens do not need to worry about obesity, which is also not true. Excess weight is a growing problem for all age groups, even senior citizens. The culprit is a lack of exercise and consuming more calories than are needed. Obesity increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes. This leads into another common misconception: that only overweight senior citizens have poor diets and lack nutrients. As stated previously, senior citizens often need more nutrients due to the decline in nutrient product and absorption. Poor diet can increase risks to a number of chronic diseases, even if you are not overweight.By Admin –