How Does Our Diet Change?

Good nutrition is just as important as ever. A proper diet is crucial if you want to be healthy and fit. But as we grow older, our dietary requirements change. Generally, people eat less and would have different food choices as they age. If you are not eating as much as you used to, then make every meal count. Be sure that your body is getting the essential nutrients from the food you eat.

There are many contributing factors to aging adults eating less compared to how much they ate when they were younger. It could be a lack of ability or motivation to prepare a nutritious meal. For some, it’s simply not prioritizing eating the proper food because they have too many things to do. If this is you, you are not alone. A recent research study suggests that there is a decline in nutritional quality among older Americans’ diets. “Despite all the attention to making the world as healthy as possible, we’re not doing a great job nutritionally”, says Cleveland Clinic dietician Kristin Kirkpatrick, MS, RD, LD.

The Diet Change As We Age

Typically, calorie requirements will change as we move into our senior years. This is partly because of the decreased physical activity level and the slowing of the body’s metabolism. Our body needs the required nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in order to function properly and maintain a higher metabolism rate.

Some older adults have an increased risk of having chronic diseases, such as heart disease and cancer. This also includes other health conditions related to changes in muscle and bone mass, such as osteoporosis.  Nutrients needed for people in this age group can also be affected by other factors such as chronic health conditions, medication, and changes in body composition. Therefore, planning and executing a healthy dietary pattern in order to make the most out of the food eaten is particularly important.

Healthy Eating Tips for Aging Adults

We all want to live our best quality of life and we can achieve that if we keep ourselves healthy and moving as we age. Here are some tips we can share for better eating and better aging.

1. Be mindful of what you eat – Focus on food choices that can increase your dietary fiber, calcium, and vitamin D, and decrease added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium. You can make the best choice for your needs by comparing nutrition and ingredients information by reading food labels.

2. Enjoy more fruits and vegetables. Fruits and veggies provide key nutrients and dietary fiber. If you are not a fan of eating fruits or vegetables, it’s time to experiment with dishes that you can eat with fruits and vegetables. You might even discover that you enjoy eating them now.

3. Eliminate processed foods. It might be more convenient to eat processed foods because it takes less time to prepare but if you’re pivoting to eating healthily, avoid these. Processed foods almost always include unhealthy amounts of added sodium, sugar and fat. These may make the food taste better but they could lead to serious health issues like obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

4. Don’t go thirsty, drink water. Researchers say we all should drink more water as we age in order to compensate for the changes in body temperature. Dehydration can trigger issues such as muscle pain, fatigue, and heat exhaustion. It is highly advisable to drink water even when you aren’t particularly thirsty and to limit beverages such as soda, coffee, and alcohol.

4. Strive for a healthy weight balance.  Make food and beverage choices that will help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Weight fluctuates daily

Eating Right is Living Right

“You Are What You Eat” is very much true as our physical and mental well-being is directly connected to the food we eat. Be mindful that paying attention to what we are eating is a crucial component of slowing the aging process.

Have you ever looked at your food and thought of what will happen to your body when you eat it? Or are you just focused on keeping your mouth happy regardless of what happens next?  As you get older, eating well can help increase your energy, boost your cognitive functions and increase your resistance to illness.

It is never too late to adjust your eating habits and get on the right track. Understanding what is happening to your body will help you take control of your nutritional and dietary requirements. Stay focused on the goal of living the best quality of life.

 

Sources:

1. Cleveland Clinic, “How Older Adults Can Stay on Track to Eat Healthy”, Dec 21, 2020, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-age-better-by-eating-more-healthfully/.
2. Dana DeSilva, PhD, RD, “Nutrition as We Age: Healthy Eating with the Dietary Guidelines”, Jul 20,2021, https://health.gov/news/202107/nutrition-we-age-healthy-eating-dietary-guidelines.
3. Lawrence Robinson and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D., “Eating Well as You Age”, Aug 2021, https://www.helpguide.org/articles/healthy-eating/eating-well-as-you-age.htm.