A Healthy Living Guide For Seniors
Part 1
Nutrition can be a way to keep your mind sharp as you age. It can also make you more resistant to illnesses and give you the energy you need. If you’re ready to prioritize eating well, these nutrition tips for seniors will set you on the right track.
Why It’s Important To Eat Right As You Grow Older
It’s always important to eat right. With that said, nutrition takes on more importance from midlife onwards. Not only can nutritious foods keep your body in good health, but they can also be key to your emotional well-being. Of course, you don’t have to follow restrictive diets or give up all your favorite foods in order to make healthy food choices. Instead, your focus should be on eating fresh and whole foods and developing healthy eating habits.
Even if you’ve had bad habits in the past, it’s never too late to make positive changes to your diet. By eating healthier foods, you can:
Improve Your Health & Increase Your Life Span
When your body has the nutrients it needs, it’s better equipped to fight off illnesses. You’ll lower your risk for strokes, heart disease, cancer, type-2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and high blood pressure. It will also be easier for you to maintain your weight, especially if you pair a healthy diet with exercise. It can be a way for seniors to maintain their independence.
Keep Your Mind Sharp
Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and oily fish, like salmon, are all great sources of omega-3 fatty acids. These important nutrients can lower your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s. You can also strengthen your memory and stay alert by consuming foods rich in antioxidants. Green tea and berries are both fantastic options.
Improve Your Well-Being
When you eat right, you’ll see an improvement in the way you look. This can make you happier and can increase your confidence. By taking better care of your body, you can take better care of your mind too.
There’s More To Eating Right Than Food
It’s important to eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods, but you also should focus on other things if you want to eat well. When you share food with people you care about, eating can be more enjoyable. Those social connections can be equally important to the nutrients in your foods. Socialization can motivate you to continue to eat right, and it can also give you some much-needed mental stimulation.
If you live on your own, some easy ways to enjoy your healthy meals include:
Finding Friends To Shop With
If you go shopping with someone else, you’ll be able to catch up with each other even when you’re both busy. On top of that, you can talk about your meal plans and share recipes with each other. You could even take advantage of buy one, get one half-off deal.
Ask Loved Ones to Cook With You
You may want to ask a friend or a family member to come over and cook with you. You could split up cooking duties. One of you could prepare the main course, while the other one could prepare a dessert. Not only can this help you to connect with friends, but it can also make eating well more affordable.
Prioritize The Social Side Of Mealtimes
Having conversations at the dinner table can put you in a better mood, and it can also help you to manage stress. Invite people over to eat on a regular basis. Use this as a way to check in with family, friends, or even the people in your neighborhood. You could also consider participating in a senior meal program or taking a cooking class. This can help you with your goal of eating healthily, and it can also help you to forge new connections.
Call us or contact us today with any questions you might have! Click here for the second issue of this article. Visit our blog for more exciting articles about caregiving in Houston.
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