The Importance of a Senior’s Nutritional Guide
A healthy diet helps seniors to keep away from health risks such as constipation, poor memory, high blood pressure, reduced body temperature, wearing out of bones, low immune system and many more.
The guide provides information about meal plans essential for an observed balanced diet tailored to older people’s specific needs. It enables the older adults to make fitness plans necessary to avoid being overweight or underweight.
What to Expect
A guide to senior nutrition contains recommended nutrient intakes and their benefits to the body of the senior. It provides instructions on the types of food seniors should not consume and why they should avoid them.
A nutritional guide can also offer advice on what food to eat, what supplements seniors should take, and how many calories they should consume to ensure they remain healthy.
Essentials for Senior Health
For a senior to live healthy and avoid illness and other health woes, the following should be included in their day-to-day diets.
Protein
These are necessary nutrients in the body as they help boost the immune system. This makes the body strong enough to fight against disease causing agents. They are also important in repair and maintenance of body tissues and muscle development. Protein is also a source of energy. This helps in quick healing of wounds. The main sources of proteins include eggs, milk, fish, meat, and beans.
Fatty Acid
The fatty acids help in reducing inflammation which can lead to heart diseases, arthritis, and cancer. To avoid these diseases, one is recommended to eat food high in natural fatty acids like fish and also to take a fish oil supplement.
Fats
One should take a regulated amount of fats. They provide energy in the body and are also a source of some vitamins. They also contribute to skin and hair health. A high intake of fat is risky as it can cause heart failure if accumulated around the heart. Sources of fat include meat, nuts, milk, etc.
Fiber
Intake of food rich in fiber is necessary for keeping away intestinal problems such as constipation. Fiber is also good for lowering cholesterol and body sugars in the blood stream. Examples of foods rich in fiber are fresh fruits such as mango, sweet potatoes, and greens such as kale.
Calcium
High intake of calcium from milk, kale, and orange juice helps preserve bones from wearing out. It is also significant for bones and lowering blood pressure while reducing the risk of high blood pressure.
Sodium
Seniors should consider reduced intake of sodium. Reducing the amount of sodium intake helps to lower high blood pressure. Seniors are recommended to eat food that is naturally rich in low sodium. Examples of such foods include beans, nuts, vegetables, and fresh fruits such as mango. It is also recommended that seniors avoid adding table salt to meals.
Vitamins
A high intake of vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, B12, and calcium help in the maintenance of bone density. Vitamin B12 is significant as it’s crucial for psychological processes and mental functioning. To ensure enough intake of the vitamins seniors are advised to eat fortified foods and whole grains, as well as fruit and vegetables.
Fluid Intake
It is wise for a senior to consider taking more fluids. Fluids facilitate fiber movement within the body through the intestines. Increased fluid intake helps one avoid dehydration which might lead to constipation. Examples of such fluids include water, milk, tea, and juices.
Guiding Seniors To Make Healthy Choices
In all instances concerning food, the most important thing to consider is safety. Meals should always be assessed to determine whether they could pose a threat to a senior.
For instance, very hard or chewy foods could be a choking hazard. It is also important to monitor caloric intake to ensure a healthy body weight and prevent weight loss.
Cultural preferences for seniors are something else you should never ignore. Seniors are set in their ways and dietary preferences due to religious or cultural factors must always be respected. Ensure you provide a healthy and familiar diet a senior is used to. This will encourage them to follow the guide without complaints. Having varied options can also be helpful.
Make sure you take into consideration the medical status of the senior. Ailments such as diabetes and chronic diseases require special diets, as recommended by doctors to avoid putting their health at risk.
Challenges Associated with Senior Nutrition
One of the main challenges to following the a nutritional guide is an economic constraint. This hinders the capability to attain all the required food for a healthy balanced diet.
It is recommended family members should help in overcoming the challenges by providing for the senior. It can also be helpful for family members to assist with tasks like grocery shopping if the senior is no longer driving.
It’s difficult for many seniors to cook food as recommended due to health problems. A senior home care provider can be beneficial in these scenarios. Long-term care provides seniors with a variety of healthy and delicious food options to choose from.
Dental problems can make chewing of hard food complicated. This discourages a senior from eating certain kinds of food. In such cases, the senior can use food supplements or their home care helper can also aid in softening the hard food substances.
Seniors taking certain medication may find it hard to follow the guide. For example, diabetic patients may have restrictions from their doctor. Here, the patients can use nutritional supplements or look for alternative foods which encompass the same nutrients as those they are restricted from.
Encouraging Seniors To Follow The Food Guide
Many seniors are resistant to changes in diet. To encourage them to follow the nutritional guide you should practice mixing the advised food necessary for a healthy diet with what seniors like.
Seniors also resent being singled out, so giving them choice and eating in a communal setting can help inspire them to make healthier choices.
