It is helpful to give your body a well-balanced diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle as you as age. As you age your metabolism begins to slow down, so you need fewer calories than before. But that also means that your body needs nutrients that are going to give you the best nutritional value. You could be eating too much or not enough which can put you at risk because it can weaken your bones and muscles, which can leave you vulnerable to disease. As we get older our appetite changes, we eat less because our sense of taste and smell can weaken.
As you age, you become more susceptible to chronic health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and osteoporosis. If you are at risk, you may be put on a diet with foods that are richer in nutrients but low in excess calories, processed sugars and saturated or trans-fat. There are many ways to eat healthy and it can be hard to know what is right and what is wrong. Here are some tips when grocery shopping to keep you on track:
- Pick fresh over frozen or canned for fruits and veggies
- If picking frozen be sure to look at the ingredients especially the sodium, sugar and preservatives
- Whole grain bread
- Picking whole grain bread can help with diabetes and keeping blood sugar under control
- Lean proteins
- Seafood, white meat, beans, eggs and pork
- Avoid high fructose corn syrup
- Avoid foods that will need to be fried
- Low fat dairy products
When grocery shopping always read the labels, not only for ingredients, but you want to look at the portion size. The portion area is under the nutrition facts section and more times than not that part is overlooked. An example is that 1 can of green beans is 1 serving size but a box of cereal is multiple servings and is rationed out by how much you get in cups. Whether it is 1 cup or a half of a cup, this is key when cooking or preparing meals and snacks. Most people make the mistake of eating 2 or 3 portions. Also when reading labels, another tip is to check where sugar is located. If it is high up on the ingredient list then the amount of sugar is going to be very high and if it is lower in the ingredients it is going to be a smaller amount. Healthy eating can be on the higher end of price so here are some tips to help you save:
- Budget by clipping coupons
- Watch for weekly specials
- Shop around for the best price
- Buy fruits and veggies when they are in season
- Plan ahead
In conclusion another way to eat healthier is to keep snacks like fruits, vegetables, nuts or yogurt on hand in your fridge. Foods like that are not only healthy but they also keep you fuller longer. When out and about, try to avoid fast food restaurants, anything fried and never go too long without eating. Remember that this is a lifestyle change and it will take time.
Serving Seniors is available to help you or your loved one with meal preparations and grocery shopping. Call us today at (248) 375-9125 for assistance. We service several counties in the Metro Detroit area including St. Clair and Lapeer.
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