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Nutrition for older adults
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Our bodys change as we age, and so do our nutritional needs. Nutrition is one of the key components of a healthy lifestyle. When combined with physical and mental exercises, the impact of quality nutrition on a person’s overall well-being provides life-long benefits. The adage that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” is still good advice, but perhaps should be modernized to “eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day plus exercise to reduce the frequency of visits to your doctor”.
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Getting Started
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Medical professionals and dieticians agree that eating nutritious, balanced meals is the cornerstone of healthy living. The benefits of a healthy diet can improve one’s overall health at every age.
The definition of which foods constitute a healthy, balanced diet has evolved over time due to advances in nutrition research. To help people make appropriate food choices, the U. S. Department of Agriculture revised the food pyramid in 2005, varying the recommendations based on gender, age, and daily physical activity.
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Nutrition and Illness
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Aging adults can often modify their current diet to prevent illness, or reduce the severity of an existing illness.
Research shows a healthy diet could help or prevent a number of health problems, including cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Elderly people with chronic conditions may be able to relieve some symptoms or reduce disease risk factors by eating a special diet targeted for their condition. Furthermore, doctors and caregivers for aging patients should be aware of the benefits and interactions that food can have with medications for the elderly.
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Nutrition and Weight Management
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Many American adults struggle with maintaining a healthy weight. This can become even more difficult over time, as the aging process typically degrades physical performance. "While your need for calories might start to decrease as your metabolism slows down, your vitamin and mineral requirements stay the same or, in some cases, even increase" (AARP). Therefore, it becomes increasingly important for aging adults to eat low fat, nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables, beans, and whole grains, such as brown rice and whole-wheat bread. Avoid foods high in sugar and saturated fat.
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Make Meals a Social Event
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Beyond nutrition, eating in a social setting can have a positive impact on one’s emotional well-being. Sharing a meal with family, friends, or neighbors creates a sense of self-worth and community involvement, and reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Some senior centers provide daily meals on-site at low cost, as well as arrange for volunteers to deliver meals to seniors in the local community.
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When Problems Occur
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Some older adults experience problems associated with eating, such as reduced appetite, discomfort while chewing, and stomach aches. These symptoms should be reviewed by a physician to determine if there is an underlying medical condition. In addition, one can consider eating softer foods, drinking water to aid digestion, and finding food substitutes such as soy for milk.
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Stop Smoking
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Smoking has a very serious impact on health, especially aging adults. Not only does it increase the risk of heart disease, strokes, and heart attacks, but recent research shows that it also hastens the decline of mental abilities.
A recent study of European smokers revealed serious health issues related to smoking.
“European research involving more than 9,000 elderly people finds older smokers lose cognitive ability at rates five times faster than nonsmokers.
What's more, "the total amount smoked was associated with rate of decline; those who smoked more on average declined faster," says study author Dr. Alewijn Ott, an epidemiologist and biostatistician at the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.”
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