Dieting Tips For Seniors

Generally as men and women age (around 50 to 70 years old) they begin to steadily gain weight in the form of visceral fat, a type of fat that builds within the body on the internal organs as opposed to adipose fat, which is fat beneath the skin. Visceral fat is far more hazardous and is often the reason why aging adults encounter health issues such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and heart problems. At around 70 years of age, adults begin to lose weight, but unfortunately the weight they lose is from a decrease in muscle mass and bone density and not from loss of fat. Living an active lifestyle and sustaining a fit weight by eating healthy is going to help keep the visceral fat and its related illnesses at bay.

Seniors who want to get rid of unwanted fat need to do so cautiously by following appropriate exercise and nutrition recommendations. A stable acceptable loss of weight is around 1 -2 pounds every week. Men above 50 should take in between 2000 and 2400 calories daily based on their physical activity levels and women above 50 will ideally consume between 1600 and 2000 calories every day based on their physical activity levels.

7 Healthy Diet Tips For Seniors to Follow

1. Get more colors onto your plate: High vitamins and nutrients are found in fruits and vegetables with bright colors. Pick anti-oxidant loaded leafy green vegetables like kale, spinach, and broccoli and brightly colored orange and yellow vegetables like squash, yams, and carrots. You should try for 2 to 2 ½ cups of vegetables each day and 1 ½ to 2 cups of fresh fruits (juices don’t count) every day.
2. Eat more fiber: Prevent bowel problems, reduce the chance of persistent diseases, and feel satisfied for longer by raising your fiber intake. Your ideal fiber-rich foods will be raw fruits and vegetables, whole-grains, and legumes.
3. Drink eight to ten cups of water every day: Aging adults are vulnerable to dehydration due to bodies losing some of their capability to manage fluid levels and the feeling of thirst.
4. Include more good fats in your diet: Enjoy the advantages of salmon, nuts (walnuts, almonds), avocados, flaxseed, and other monounsaturated fats. Scientific tests show that the fat from these foods guards the human body against heart disease by managing “bad” LDL cholesterol levels and elevating “good” HDL cholesterol levels.
5. Watch out for sugar: You may be getting more sugar than you think from familiar foods like pasta sauces, breads, canned soups, and frozen dinners. Check the nutrition labels on your food for alternative names for sugar like fructose, sucrose, dextrose, maltose, and corn syrup. Pick frozen or fresh vegetables rather than canned goods, and low carbohydrate or sugar free products.
6. Stay away from “bad” carbohydrates: Bad carbs, also called “simple” carbohydrates, are ingredients like refined sugar, white rice, and white flour that have been stripped of most of its nutrients, bran, and fiber. “Bad” carbohydrates break down fast, shoot up your blood insulin levels, and give you a short burst of energy that will eventually crash. To get long lasting levels of energy and steady blood insulin levels, opt for complex carbs for example whole-grains, legumes, fresh fruits, and vegetables.
7. Decrease sodium: Search for the low sodium content label and season food items with some grains of rough sea salt rather than cooking with regular salt. Decreasing the sodium in your diet will decrease bloating and high blood pressure levels.

Regardless of what age an individual begins a balanced and healthy diet routine it will have definite positive effects on their physical abilities in their later years. As we grow older, our caloric needs shrink because of a decrease in muscle mass. Nonetheless, mineral and vitamin demands continue to be the same or perhaps increase as aging bodies are less efficient at soaking them up.